It was a big day when Sachin paaji praised me: Rahul Sharma

MUMBAI: Pune Warriors leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, who has been the find of the IPL 4 in the spin department, said that batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar made his day when he praised him.

"It was a big day when Sachin paaji praised me at the prize distribution ceremony. That was a big day for me as he is like god to me. I felt very happy to be praised by him," Sharma said.

"I wanted to do something good this year so that I could get into some sort of national reckoning. Never thought that I would have so much of luck. I am feeling very good that I have done well," said Sharma, who has taken 14 wickets in 11 games at an economy rate of 5.24.

Despite Pune Warriors losing the match by 23 runs, Sharma had bagged the Man-of-the-Match award in the match against Mumbai Indians at Mumbai last Wednesday after conceding just seven runs in his four-over spell and bagging two wickets, including that of Tendulkar.

The 24-year-old, who has played nine first-class games for Punjab taking 16 wickets, said he is in constant touch with India's leading Test wicket-taker and his role model Anil Kumble to improve his bowling.

"I met him last year for the first time during the IPL. I try talking to him on phone and also meet him sometimes. I try to get his advice whenever possible. He encourages me saying that I'm doing well. He also tells me on how to go about my bowling," Sharma said.

The lanky leg-spinner said he is learning from spinners Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik, and had also met spin legend Shane Warne in Jaipur to take his advice.

"I met Shane Warne in Jaipur, (Murali) Kartik bhai also helps a lot in the nets. I am in touch with Bhajji bhai as well," Sharma said.

"Shane Warne told me that I was doing well for a youngster. He also advised me on how to bowl various deliveries. He told me to vary my deliveries," he added.

Asked about the trauma he suffered after suffering facial nerve damage last year, Sharma said, "It was a horrific night during the IPL season last year. I was sleeping and suddenly I woke up to find right side of my face aching.

"I could not move my jaw and there was pain. The doctor later told me that my facial nerves had burst. I had to take a lot of pills and also underwent therapy sessions. Now it is a little better."

Sharma also acknowledged the support of the Deccan Chargers, who he was representing when he suffered Bell's Palsy disorder, and his former skipper Adam Gilchrist when he was trying to overcome the ordeal.

"Gilchrist was very supportive. When I had the problem, he told me not to worry and they will take care of everything. Deccan too chipped in with financial aid," he said.

Sharma said after the conclusion of the IPL, he was aiming to work harder on his bowling.

"After the remaining three matches, I will work more on my bowling and attend a few camps. I am not aiming big for now," he said.

My day will come again: Ravindra Jadeja

INDORE: One of the success stories of the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League, Ravindra Jadeja performed beyond expectations to help Rajasthan Royals emerge champions in 2008.

The effort did not go unnoticed and the all-rounder was given a berth in the Indian ODI side. The Saurashtra youngster reposed the faith by making a confident start to his international career.

However, things reached rock-bottom last year when he was banned from playing in the IPL. The blow badly affected his confidence while playing for India. He missed out on the 2011 World Cup too. However, Jadeja is not too bothered and is eager to make his mark yet again. Representing Kochi Tuskers Kerala in IPL 4, the 22-year-old may not have huge success but has done well in patches.

"I have a couple of good years with Team India and Rajasthan Royals. I am out of favour now but ups and downs are part of the game. My job is to perform and I will continue to do that whether I am playing for Kochi or Saurashtra. My day will soon come," Jadeja told TOI on Wednesday.

The southpaw said there was plenty of cricket still to be played in this IPL and was positive about his and Kochi`s chances.

"The team wants me to perform with both bat and ball. As an all-rounder, I always try to do that. Sometimes I get success and sometimes not. I will give my best in the last three matches to try and help Kochi enter play-offs," said Jadeja after the practice session here at the Holkar Stadium where Kochi play Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals on the weekend.

He admitted that batting was a big concern and the team was trying to overcome the problem. "We lost a couple of easy matches because we could not make the best use of the first six overs. We also failed in building partnerships in the middle overs. Hopefully, everything will work out well in the last phase of the tournament," he said.

Kings' joy this IPL: Beating champs

CHANDIGARH: The journey of Kings XI Punjab in IPL season 4 may have been tumultuous and no one knows where they will ultimately land. But, they do have the satisfaction of beating two IPL champs - Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. With four wins thus far in the season, it might be a miracle of sorts for KXIP if they make it to the playoff. That can happen if other results too go in their favour.

"We have got the foot in that door and hopefully it will keep open," Gilchrist said after beating Mumbai on Tuesday night. What may come as a solace to Preity's rejuvenated men is the manner in which they have beaten the top teams of the tournament.

First, they put it across to Dhoni's high-flying Chennai Super Kings who really is the king at Mohali. They beat the reigning champions by six wickets on April 13.

Then came Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals, the winners of the inaugural IPL, but Kings asserted their majesty this time by beating them by 48 runs on April 21. Though Kings are guilty of capitulating at the first sign of a crisis, they have fairly and squarely beaten two champion teams this year.

Dhoni never gives an impression of being tired: Bichel

CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Andy Bichel on Wednesday paid rich tributes to Mahendra Singh Dhoni terming him an "amazing man who never really shows that he is tired."

When asked whether a couple of weeks rest after IPL will help Dhoni, Bichel said, "Dhoni is an amazing man. He does not give you an impression that he is tired. We actually felt he might get tired after such a rigorous World Cup campaign but we were amazed," the CSK bowling coach said on the eve of their match against Delhi Daredevils at the Chepauk on Thursday.

Bichel was all praise for Dhoni's match temperament. "He enjoys playing the game. He probably does not practice as much but he has a fantastic match temperament which is important. He is doing quite nicely. Taking rest is his decision."

Bichel admitted that their Delhi Daredevils players will have to put up an inspirational performance in the absence of their dashing skipper Virender Sehwag who has been ruled out of the tournament due to shoulder surgery.

"Obviously when you lose a leader, it does affect the side. But that also gives others in the side a chance to step up. They have some good players and have done reasonably well," he said.

The Chepauk has been like a fortress for the CSK where they have remained unbeaten so far and Bichel is hopeful that it will remain that way only.

"I think that we understand the conditions here better and that is something to do with our good show at home. And, having a balanced team to execute plans in such conditions also has something to do with it."

Bichel did indicate that there will be some changes compared to the last match as the conditions at Chepauk are different from that at the Sawai Mansingh stadium where the wicket offered a lot of pace and bounce.

The bowling coach seemed pretty satisfied in the manner Doug Bollinger and Albie Morkel has complemented each other while sharing the new ball.

"Bollinger and Morkel are different kind of bowlers. Also we have some quality spinners in our line-up. Once you have so much variation in the line-up it always helps."

Sri Lankan offie Suraj Randiv is set to leave for England on May 13 and Bichel feels that the team will miss a quality spinner like him.

"It is a big loss for us as he will be leaving for England on May 13th. But he is available for tomorrow's match against Delhi Daredevils."

Bichel admitted that he had indeed applied for the Australian team's bowling coach's job only to decline it later.

"I did apply for it but declined it later. But I enjoyed the paces in going through the interviews."

The former speedster didn't want to get engaged into the pitch controversy regarding the match between CSK and Rajasthan Royals which was held at the Sawai Mansingh stadium on Monday.

"You have got a wonderful product here with you and you have to be careful with what you do with the wickets. There were times that you had flat wickets and small boundaries, which actually served the game to the public. I think we got to stay pretty close to the guidelines."

Viru's absence will be a huge blow for us: Shipperd

CHENNAI: Admitting that losing captain Virender Sehwag is a big blow for the struggling Delhi Daredevils, coach Greg Shipperd said they face an uphill task as they take on a formidable Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match on Thursday.

While Delhi struggled for a major part of the tournament, whatever little they achieved was due to Sehwag's brilliance, and the big-hitting opener's absence would surely be felt.

"Viru's absence will be a huge loss for us as he is the holder of Orange cap. He fired in each of the matches that we won. He would be missed both as a captain and a key player," said Shipperd in a pre-match media conference on Wednesday.

"It is going to be a very tough assignment for us to beat the Super Kings in their home ground. We know that they have got special skills in all three departments of the game. It would be tough for us to raise our game and play best cricket against a side, which is in great form at the moment. They will surely pose a big threat to us," he added.

The former Aussie player, however, said that James Hopes, who has been appointed captain after Sehwag suffered a shoulder injury for which he is set to undergo surgery in London, was an experienced campaigner.

"James Hopes is the new captain and he is an experienced campaigner. Behind the scenes we do not have a captain but we have a range of people who have been given leadership opportunities in making sure that we move as a squad. Hopes has got lot of experience. His determination and abilities could help us finish the tournament as well as we can."

He also said that the team still have plenty of options to choose from.

"We have plenty of options. Next three games are very important for us. And we will have to figure out which players can handle the pressure well and accordingly be included in the side," said Shipperd.

Insisting that first six overs in a match would be crucial, irrespective of whether the Daredevils bat or ball, Shipperd said it was important to lay a strong foundation.

"We must be able to lay a strong foundation whether it be with the bat or ball in the first six overs. This is an area where we have been lagging, particularly with the bat. We had difficulties with the bat against Mumbai Indians the other day but the team could still manage to register nearly 150 runs.

"We have been a quite reactive team but we need to be proactive in the next three games," he said.

Asked whether the Delhi outfit would opt to bat or bowl if they win the toss at the Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday, Shipperd said, "I have to be careful in answering that question whether we bat first. However, we do take notice of the statistics that they lost four matches batting second. We had mixed success in batting first or second.

"We will assess the wicket and check with the players who are familiar with the conditions here, before taking a decision in case we win the toss tomorrow."

Due to indifferent form of the players, the Daredevils are languishing at seventh place in the points table with just four wins and seven losses from 11 games.

"They have been quite reactive as a group instead of leading from the front and taking the opportunities. A number of players have been given chances but they could not grab their chances well. Warner started the tournament very well but drifted off in the last five outings."

Once again defending the out-of-form Irfan Pathan, Shipperd said that he would be given some more opportunities.

"Irfan Pathan is a solid player and he will be given some more opportunities in the next three games. He is prepared and perhaps require some more chances to excel," he said.

As far as bowling department is concerned, the coach said he was happy with his bowlers as a unit.

"Our bowling group has held us together and given us opportunities to win matches. We are satisfied with our bowling group.

"Spinners have taken wickets for us. RE van der Merwe, Shahbaz Nadeem have done quite well and Venugopal Rao has not been used on a regular basis but he is a good option to bowl off-spin. Ajit Agarkar has also done a fair job. But we know that there is a huge challenge ahead of us," said Shipperd.

IPL cheerleader Gabriella Pasqualotto thrown out for blogging on flirtatious players

NEW DELHI: South African cheerleader Gabriella Pasqualotto has become an internet sensation and a mini-celebrity back home after being kicked out of the IPL for secretly blogging on player behavior in post-match parties. The 22-year-old Gabriella, from Pietermaritzburg, was one of the 40 South African cheerleaders in the IPL and was employed by Mumbai Indians. She reportedly wrote about "flirtatious" and "inappropriate" behavior by the cricketers and even mentioned some of them. South African media reported that her blogs created "privacy concerns" for the players.

Gabriella told the press she believed many cheerleaders had intimate relations with cricketers and accused her employers of being "hypocritical". Reports suggest she was sacked after a cricketer and another cheerleader complained to the IPL chairperson.

"On Tuesday last week I was sent home as if I was a criminal. I was treated as if I had taken drugs or done something awful and I was never offered an opportunity to give my side of the story," Gabriella told the Witness. "It's a joke. There are cameras everywhere at these after-parties watching what they (the players) got up to. The guys treated us like pieces of meat. We couldn't go anywhere without the crowds mobbing us and many of the girls did not behave. But nothing I wrote was directed at any one person. I think the cricketers who complained had a guilty conscience."

Gabriella initially began to tweet comments about her experiences at the after-parties, and was then approached by a website to write a blog. After two posts created a sensation, she was sacked.

One of her posts stated, "We are practically like walking porn. These cricketers are the most loose and mischievous I have come across. I have a long while still here, so I must remember my tip list: beware of the cricketers!"

Already, support for Pasqualotto has been gathering steam on Twitter, forcing Cricket South Africa media officer Michael Owen-Smith to state that SA cricketers were expected to adhere to the board's code of conduct.

Another post which she was forced to remove states: "The men see your face, then your b***s, then your a**, then your b***s again, Ol' Graeme Smith will flirt with anyone while his girlfriend walks behind him. The Australian cricketers are naughty, a certain someone played kissing catches with three girls. He told them, 'Come to my room, I want to cuddle'."

However, she was all praise for a few Indian players: "The few Indian players we have met, such as MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have been very polite and keep to themselves in the dark corners.

"Hotshots like Tendulkar with families at home are never present. The likes of Jonty Rhodes and Albie Morkel are notorious for having a good time with friends!"

Pasqualotto, who lost a month's earnings, around 8000 rand, now says, "People think you are like handmaidens to the cricket gods, and I'm thrown out for a silly blog." Graeme Smith's agent Craig Livingstone refused to comment.

BCCI slaps down Warne over IPL pitch row

NEW DELHI: India's cricket board has dismissed criticism by Australian spin great Shane Warne over the playing surface selected for a crunch Indian Premier League game his team played this week.

Warne, captain of the Rajasthan Royals, had hinted at foul play over a decision to change the wicket for a home match against Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur earlier this week from the one used in previous games.

"It's strange for the first time in four years we were told we are to play on end wicket and it was prepared completely differently," Warne wrote on his Twitter account after his team crashed to a 63-run defeat.

The previous track had generally been slow and turning, which favoured Rajasthan's spin-heavy attack that had helped the team notch up four home victories before Monday's game.

The Chennai Super Kings franchise is owned by N Srinivasan, who is the secretary of the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The sacked former head of the IPL, Lalit Modi, suggested on Twitter that the pitch change "shows clearly how small things like a pitch selection can affect a game can be used by the powers that be. And it goes unnoticed."

Others have accused Warne of seeking to switch the focus away from his side's poor performance.

Reacting to Warne's comments, the BCCI said selecting the playing surface was the prerogative of the curator, who is appointed by the local state cricket association, and the teams have no choice on the matter.

"The BCCI wishes to clarify that the wicket used in the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals was as per the decision of the curator and the Ground and Pitches Committee," it said in a statement on Tuesday.

"This decision was taken in the best interests of the game. Neither of the playing teams has a choice of the wicket."

The curator defended the change of tracks, saying the "primary objective" behind the move was to provide a good playing surface.

"The IPL is being played at the end of the Indian domestic season, and after the World Cup," said Venkat Sundaram, chairman of BCCI's Grounds and Pitches Committee.

"Therefore, the main pitches are bound to have wear and tear. The extreme heat has also taken its toll. Hence, it becomes necessary to change the pitches in some cases, as good playing conditions will result in good cricket."

Dilshan to leave IPL later than expected

JAIPUR: Newly appointed Sri Lankan skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was reportedly considering leaving the Indian Premier League on Tuesday to join the England-bound national team, will play in Royal Challenger Bangalore's match against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.

Dilshan was reportedly keen to travel to England early to be there before the first tour game on May 14 to create a bond with the team as some of the senior players are joining late, but RCB captain Daniel Vettori on Tuesday said the Sri Lankan opener would take the field on Wednesday against Rajasthan Royals.

"I thought he is leaving before this match (for the Sri Lanka's tour of England later this month) but he would be available for tomorrow's match so any question of replacing him does not arise," Vettori said.

Sri Lanka Cricket last month allowed seven players from the 16-member squad to arrive in England before May 19, the day their second warm-up game, against England Lions, starts.

Sri Lanka Cricket had earlier asked the players to return on May 5 in order to prepare for the England tour but after talks between the BCCI and SLC it was agreed that they can leave IPL by May 18.

Don't copy Malinga, but learn from him

NEW DELHI: There's only one thing on the minds of IPL teams not titled Mumbai Indians: How and why is Lasith Malinga so dangerous? And how can his success be emulated?

The MI seamer has bagged 24 wickets in 10 games in IPL 4 so far, and his strike rate has sent shockwaves down opposition spines. While his slinging action cannot be emulated, maybe there are lessons to learn from Malinga's success for every Indian seamer.

For one, Malinga is adept at not pitching the ball in a good length area, which is between four to six metres from the stumps. His preferred length is between six to eight metres, and by mixing his deliveries, he ensures that none of the batsmen are able to read him easily.

By the time you have read Malinga, an over is already up. Then there are the variations. If a batsman is expecting Malinga to bowl one of the deadly yorkers, there could be a bouncer - either fastish or a markedly slower one - in store.

As Virender Sehwag has pointed out, Malinga doesn't depend on the pitch to be effective. An economy rate of below seven in the T20 format also marks him out as extraordinary.

In his team, Munaf Patel and Harbhajan Singh are the other two bowlers who have that kind of an economy rate, and the only other IPL bowlers in this club are Pune Warriors' Rahul Sharma and Kolkata's Iqbal Abdulla.

"Malinga is very quick through the air and that is probably why he doesn't bother how the pitch is playing. Irrespective of the nature of the track, he will give you wickets. If he is bowling on a pitch that will assist pacers, he will be simply unplayable," former Indian pacer Manoj Prabhakar said, adding: "In this format, every batsman is trying to hit out. The bowlers who have not done something innovative to survive have struggled. Malinga is a thinking and innovative bowler."

India's bowling coach Eric Simons agreed that Malinga's success is a pointer for every IPL seamer. "He is a unique bowler. But everything that works with him can't work for someone else. The focus should be on concentrating on your strengths to develop yourself as a mature bowler," Simons said, pointing out that Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel have been bowling exceptionally well this season because they know their limits.

Reverse swing is another important element in Malinga's repertoire. "He reverses the ball late. Even Zaheer can do it well, but in T20 it's not effective because he doesn't have Malinga's pace. Munaf gets close to the stumps and is showing improvement in every series. It will do a world of good to the other Indian seamers if they follow Zaheer and Munaf's footsteps," Prabhakar said, adding that Sreesanth has the talent but not the temperament to try things differently.

While Zaheer and Munaf have been India's best bowlers, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Vinay Kumar are the other top contenders for the West Indies tour.

Praveen depends heavily on swing, and is not as effective with the older ball. Ishant depends too much on his rhythm to get going, while Vinay utilises the short ball well and also varies his pace.

Against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Vinay uprooted Chris Gayle's off-stump using a Malinga-style 'slinging' action.

Early wickets are a must in T20 if a team's score is to be limited to the 150-run range, and this is where Malinga has been so effective for MI.

He has targeted the top order with success in every match. How many Indian bowlers can meet such a requirement?

DEADLY MALINGA

Matches: 10

Wickets: 24

Economy Rate: 5.79

Strike Rate: 9.7

How Slinga foxes batsmen: Bowls short of a good length, between six to eight metres from the stumps Lethally accurate yorker Mixes up deliveries well Also uses fast and slow bouncers Reverse swings at speed.

Mumbai Indians IPL team posts full-year loss of Rs 15.42 crore

NEW DELHI: Indiawin Sports Pvt Ltd, the owner of Mumbai Indians IPL team that is currently leading the tally in the ongoing 20-20 cricket tournament, has posted a net loss of Rs 15.42 crore for the fiscal year 2010-11.


Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians (MI) team is owned by IndiaWin Sports Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary company of RIL.

The financial details of the IPL franchise has been disclosed by industrialist Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) in its annual report for the financial year ended March 31, 2011.

RIL further said that Indiawin's total assets stood at Rs 65.28 crore at the end of year ended March 31, 2011, while its turnover or total income for the fiscal was Rs 112.80 crore.

In the ongoing fourth season of IPL tournament, MI is currently ranked on the top and has won most of its matches so far.

Speaking about the team, RIL said in its annual report that "MI registered the most number of wins in Season 3 of the Indian Premier League, and reached the finals. MI has been the most followed team in the IPL and enjoys a huge global fan base".

RIL has listed Indiawin as one of its subsidiary companies with a 98.3 per cent stake. The remaining stake is also held by associate companies of the RIL group.

Till the previous financial year 2009-10, RIL had listed Indiawin as an associate/joint venture company, and not as a subsidiary, with a 50 per cent direct stake.

RIL further said that it did not give any loans during the year 2010-11 to Indiawin Sports Private Limited, as against a loan of Rs 44.60 crore in the previous year. Prior to this, RIL had given a loan of Rs 57.73 crore to Indiawin during the year ended March 31, 2009.

Mumbai Indians was the most expensive franchise in the first three seasons of the IPL.

During the IPL Player Auction 2011, MI retained Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga with the team's other notable signings at the auction being Rohit Sharma ($2.1 million), Andrew Symonds ($850,000) and Munaf Patel ($700,000).

IPL 4: Ganguly's comeback marks Pune Warriors' victory over Chargers

Hyderabad: Sourav Ganguly staged a formidable comeback in the IPL as his gritty knock of 32* caught the hog-light during Pune Warriors’ massive six wicket win over Deccan Chargers on Tuesday.

Ganguly’s strong statement with the bat and a solid show by Jesse Ryder and Manish Pandey, up in the order, helped the Warriors chase down a modest 137 runs target without any discomfort at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

An explosive Jesse Ryder once again shone with the bat and gave a terrific start to his side. The southpaw smashed a quick-fire 35 off 20 balls and shared 55-run stand for the first wicket with his partner Manish Pandey to put the Warriors on course after Mitchell marsh’s 4/25 restricted the hosts to a low total.

Pandey who was playing cautiously during Ryder’s stay at the crease, accelerated his scoring rate after his dismissal and propelled the inning further along with Sourav Ganguly, who was playing his first game in the IPL 4 for a new franchisee.

Pandey (49) missed his half-ton by a whisker and got trapped leg before wickets by leg-spinner Amit Mishra at the score of 93. Three runs later Daniel Christian struck to remove Robin Uthappa (1) to raise some for hope for his side.

However, a determined Ganguly stood to the expectations of his numerous fans and produced and impressive inning to stun the Chargers.

Ganguly stayed unbeaten on 32, studded with three boundaries and a six.

Earlier, Deccan Chargers squandered an opportunity to set a mammoth target for Pune Warriors as despite a brisk start by the openers, the hosts surrendered before Mitchell Marsh’s blitz. Marsh derailed the Chargers with his ferocious spell to set motion for an easy finish by the Warriors.

After electing bat, Shikhar Dhawan (24) and Dwarka Ravi Teja (30) got the Chargers off to a solid start and added 51 runs on boar before Yuvraj got rid of the former in the seventh over to halt their run-score. In the next over, Mitchell Marsh claimed his first victim in the form of Ravi Teja to unsettle the hosts.

The Chargers then failed to recover as none of the pair shared a strong partnership to lift the side. Except JP Duminy (30), other batsmen looked vulnerable to Warriors’ attack.

Volatile Sreesanth hurts his cause again

BANGALORE/NEW DELHI: It seems Sreesanth's career is taking a turn from the temperamental to the absurd.

Even after being repeatedly warned for his behaviour pattern - and copping flak from his Team India skipper - the pacer is nowhere close to amending his ways.

MS Dhoni had commented a few weeks back that "the only person who can control Sreesanth is Sreesanth himself", and Mahela Jayawardene, Sreesanth's Kochi Tusker captain, learnt this the hard way during the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.

Miffed at being dropped from the playing XI, ostensibly because it was a slow track and the team management wanted to include another spinner, Sreesanth fretted, fumed and generally threw a tantrum, even throwing in some finger wagging at Tuskers coach Geoff Lawson.

To make matters worse, the hysterical flare-up was caught on live TV.

Jayawardene, whose team ended up on the losing side, pleaded with the media at the post-match press conference to play down the incident, saying, "Dropping Sree was a tactical move as we thought that the pitch will aid spin. We played Ramesh Powar (instead). Sree took it well when I told him before the game and please, we just had a discussion. If you call this antics then what will you not call antics? Don't blow this up. I request you guys not to over-hype this issue. He has done well for us and nothing happened."

Jayawardene might have been diplomatic but it's clear Sreesanth's inability to control his emotions can have tragic repercussions for his international career. Tolerance levels for Sreesanth's antics are at an all-time low in the team management.

An up and down IPL, in which he just seemed to be getting in the groove before again being in the news for all the wrong reasons, is unlikely to help Sreesanth's cause.

Others like Ishant Sharma and even Irfan Pathan have made a positive impression in the T20 extravaganza.

With Dhoni having made clear that "Sreesanth is beyond my control" , where does that leave one of India's brightest pace prospects ahead of a season packed with important Test matches?

Tolerance levels for Sreesanth's antics, it seems, are at an all-time low.

IPL: Dada makes into playing XI of Pune

The wait finally came to an end for Sourav Ganguly's fans. The former Indian skipper will make his IPL comeback as he takes field for Pune Warriors today against the Deccan Chargers, who won the toss and elected to bat first.

Ganguly, who was snubbed by the franchisees during the initial auction earlier this year, earlier got a lifeline when Pune put him on the roster just a few days ago.

Pune skipper Yuvraj Singh had said that Ganguly's inclusion would help Pune return to winning ways.

"Hopefully, he will get us a win. It's good to have him back. I just feel someone who has been captain of Indian team for a long time can always help the youngsters. Hopefully, he will hit a few sixes with the bat," Yuvraj had remarked ahead of the last match.

"It feels great that Sourav is playing under me. He has always helped me as a captain (of the Indian team) and now it's my duty to help him," he had added.

If the southpaw is able to recreate his magic, which he did splendidly for the country over the years, then the Warriors will at least be able to go out with their heads held high.

IPL Without Sri Lankan Players

Sri Lanka has ordered its cricketers to return home leaving IPL for Practice before next month’s tour to England. Sri Lanka wants to prioritize national games over IPL.

Sports Minister Mahinadananda Althugamage said ”In future, national cricket players can participate in foreign tournaments only in a manner that will not affect practices of the Sri Lankan national team”

11 Sri Lankan national players from IPL will have to return home despite of their commitments in the IPL 20Twenty tournament.

There is no clarity on penalty for missing practice, but it is said they may get dropped if they don’t comply with orders from ministry.


Player IPL Team Cost US$
Mahela Jayawardene Kochi Tuskers (C) 1,500,000
Angelo Mathews Pune Warriors 950,000
Kumar Sangakkara Deccan Chargers (C) 700,000
Tillakaratne Dilshan Royal Challengers 650,000
Lasith Malinga Mumbai Indians 500,000
Nuwan Kulasekara Chennai Super Kings 100,000
Suraj Randiv Chennai Super Kings 80,000
Thisara Perera Kochi Tuskers 80,000
Nuwan Pradeep Royal Challengers 20,000

Sehwag to undergo shoulder surgery, out of IPL

Virender Sehwag will miss the rest of the IPL after deciding to undergo surgery on his injured right shoulder. The operation will take place later this week and, with recovery time pegged at six to eight weeks, it should rule him out of India's upcoming tour of the West Indies from June 4, and perhaps even the England series that begins in mid-July.

Sehwag picked up the injury, a slap lesion or labrum (shoulder blade) tear, during the 2009 IPL. He travelled to England for the World Twenty20 in 2009 carrying the injury, but did not play any of India's matches and consulted with Andrew Wallace, the London-based surgeon who had worked on Sachin Tendulkar's tennis elbow.

A BCCI source said it would take a minimum of six to eight weeks for Sehwag to recover and following rehabilitation protocols will be important. "The possibility of Sehwag missing the England tour is high," the source said.

"It will be a miracle if he plays another match," PB Vanchi, director of GMR Sports, owners of Delhi Daredevils, said. Delhi - who will now be led by James Hopes - are presently seventh in the points table and, with three games left, have a slim chance of making it to the qualifiers.

Vanchi said the decision was taken after Sehwag held talks on his injury with the BCCI, who advised him to undergo surgery as soon as possible. "He has a problem, he struggled in the last match too. The BCCI is making the arrangements for the surgery," Vanchi said. "They are waiting for a date. If he needs surgery we are not going to be coming in the way."

Sehwag confirmed the development and is expected to travel to London at the earliest for the surgery. The injury is the same one that had ruled him out of the two World Twenty20s and, more recently the one-day series in South Africa in January. Sehwag was declared fit in time for the World Cup after having undergone rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Though he did not bowl during India's victorious campaign, Sehwag finished seventh overall in the run charts, in the tournament, including a blistering century in the opening game against Bangladesh.

Sehwag's decision to play the IPL was always going to be potentially risky, especially in light of the heavy workload during the World Cup. But he had the dual responsibility of leading Delhi as well as being their best batsman. Sehwag is currently the top scorer in the IPL with 424 runs and his loss is likely to further hamper Delhi's chances, who have managed just four wins out of their 11 games played so far.

Ganguly joins Pune Warriors

Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain, has been signed by Pune Warriors as a replacement for Ashish Nehra, who was ruled out for the remainder of the 2011 season with a finger injury. Ganguly's contract is for a period of one year and is an IPL lifeline to the batsman after he went unsold at the player auction in January, where his base price was $400,000.

Ganguly will be vice-captain to Yuvraj Singh and is likely to join the Pune squad ahead of their match against Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Stadium on May 4.

"We were waiting for Ashish Nehra's fitness report and ultimately the report came yesterday," Abhijit Sarkar, Pune's team director, told PTI. "I was already in talks with Ganguly and we decided that the amount of experience that Sourav has in cricket will no doubt help the team. So we finalised Ganguly last night.

"He is playing in IPL not for money but to prove a point. Our team think-tank felt that Sourav Ganguly is the best possible option available so we went for him. He has been a fighter and a master of comebacks. We are very much confident that he will prove his worth."

Ganguly played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three seasons of the IPL and led the team in two of them, while Brendon McCullum was captain for the other. Kolkata fared poorly in those years and are the only franchise not to make the semi-finals. Kolkata did not bid for Ganguly in January despite his name coming up for sale twice, as they revamped their squad entirely, and the batsman later refused a mentoring role with the franchise.

Pune Warriors are bottom of the ten-team league at present, having lost six consecutive matches after winning their first two. Ganguly has an average IPL record - 1031 runs at an average of 28 and strike-rate of 110 - and could strengthen an under-performing and short batting order.

Volkswagen Vento IPL 2011 Special Edition landed

Here we provide Volkswagen Vento IPL 2011 Special Edition specifications,features and overviews.You will have to get a full and detailed structure of Volkswagen Vento Special Edition.TOP SPEED have been equipped with some rare and High resolution wallpapers of the Volkswagen Vento IPL Special Edition.

Volkswagen has liberated its special edition sedan Volkswagen Vento IPL edition ahead of the IPL in India 2011. The Vento IPL Edition will be the first such model to be announce in the Indian market and would make a road the path for higher volume for the already popular model. The Vento IPL Edition is loaded with a state-of-the-art colour touchscreen multimedia player that includes a navigation system among other things, plush leatherette seats and a host of specially branded accessories. All for a competitive price of Rs. 7.24 lakhs ex showroom New Delhi.

Features of Volkswagen Vento IPL Edition

Plush leatherette seats that ensure complete comfort with immaculately embroidered IPL batsman motifs
The sleek and stunning looks of the Vento are further enhanced by the IPL decals on its body
A state-of-the-art touchscreen multimedia player: Colour touch screen; FM/ AM; i-pod control through touchscreen; Built-in micro SD and mini USB interface, supports MP3/ WMA; Built-in Navigation System; Interface for parking CCD/ RSE/ Bluetooth; NTSC or PAL compatibility
Specially crafted door sill garnish that has an impeccable steel frame with the IPL logo embossed on it.
Floor mats adorned with the IPL logo
Cricket kit as a giveaway

5 reasons why IPL 2010 is special

1 As a mark of no-discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, an HIV positive person will do the toss at the Mohali IPL team’s first match against Delhi on March 13. Actress and Mohali team co-owner Preity Zinta, a UNAIDS brand ambassador, is also making a short public service film
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2 Singers Lionel Richie and Ali Campbell of UB40 will perform at the opening ceremony today at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium. Bollywood star Deepika Padukone will dance to a Indian and international numbers.

3 Expect live tweets from ground zero. IPL chairman Lalit Modi, Kolkata owner Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta are on Twitter and Rajasthan owner Shilpa Shetty promises to put all the dope on her blog.

4 IPL will have entertainment for cricket fans and fashion followers. A fashion show will be held after each match. More than 30 designers and top models are already on board.

5 An unprecedented 800 cinema halls around India, including close to 65 in Delhi NCR, will screen the matches live. YouTube will also stream the telecast of the game live.