Indian Premier League

Schedule of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

2011-02-26T11:45:00.001+05:30

Group A:- Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, KenyaGroup B: India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands.

Match No.	Date	Match	Venue
1	19-Feb	Bangladesh vs India	Dhaka
2	20-Feb	New Zealand vs Kenya	Chennai
3	20-Feb	Sri Lanka vs Canada	Hambantota
4	21-Feb	Australia vs Zimbabwe	Ahmedabad
5	22-Feb	England vs Netherlands	Nagpur
6	23-Feb	Pakistan vs Kenya	Hambantota
7	24-Feb	South Africa vs West Indies	New Delhi
8	25-Feb	Australia vs New Zealand	Nagpur
9	25-Feb	Bangladesh vs Ireland	Dhaka
10	26-Feb	Sri Lanka vs Pakistan	Colombo
11	27-Feb	India vs England	Kolkata
12	28-Feb	West Indies vs Netherlands	New Delhi
13	28-Feb	Zimbabwe vs Canada	Nagpur
14	1-Mar	Sri Lanka vs Kenya	Colombo
15	2-Mar	England vs Ireland	Bangalore
16	3-Mar	South Africa vs Netherlands	Mohali
17	3-Mar	Pakistan vs Canada	Colombo
18	4-Mar	New Zealand vs Zimbabwe	Ahmedabad
19	4-Mar	Bangladesh vs West Indies	Dhaka
20	5-Mar	Sri Lanka vs Australia	Colombo
21	6-Mar	India vs Ireland	Bangalore
22	6-Mar	England vs South Africa	Chennai
23	7-Mar	Kenya vs Canada	New Delhi
24	8-Mar	Pakistan vs New Zealand	Pallekele
25	9-Mar	India vs Netherlands	New Delhi
26	10-Mar	Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe	Pallekele
27	11-Mar	West Indies vs Ireland	Mohali
28	11-Mar	Bangladesh vs England	Chittagong
29	12-Mar	India vs South Africa	Nagpur
30	13-Mar	New Zealand vs Canada	Mumbai
31	13-Mar	Australia vs Kenya	Bangalore
32	14-Mar	Pakistan vs Zimbabwe	Pallekele
33	14-Mar	Bangladesh vs Netherlands	Chittagong
34	15-Mar	South Africa vs Ireland	Kolkata
35	16-Mar	Australia vs Canada	Bangalore
36	17-Mar	England vs West Indies	Chennai
37	18-Mar	Sri Lanka vs New Zealand	Mumbai
38	18-Mar	Ireland vs Netherlands	Kolkata
39	19-Mar	Australia vs Pakistan	Colombo
40	19-Mar	Bangladesh vs South Africa	Dhaka
41	20-Mar	Zimbabwe vs Kenya	Kolkata
42	20-Mar	India vs West Indies	Chennai
43	23-Mar	First Quarter-final	Dhaka
44	24-Mar	Second Quarter-final	Colombo
45	25-Mar	Third Quarter-final	Dhaka
46	26-Mar	Fourth Quarter-final	Ahmedabad
47	29-Mar	First Semi-final	Colombo
48	30-Mar	Second Semi-final	Mohali
49	2-Apr	Final	Mumbai

Jai Maharashtra - I Love Mumbai

2011-01-15T14:37:00.000+05:30

Second Anniversary of Mumbai Terror Attack

2010-11-26T17:19:00.001+05:30

India has marked the second anniversary of the deadly attacks on Mumbai with memorials, candlelight vigils and prayer meetings.

Police were on high alert on Friday as security forces held a parade through the country's commercial city, while mourners gathered at the hotels, railway station, cafe and Jewish centre where the attacks occurredin November 2008.

Candlelight vigils were held overnight and a multi-faith meeting is scheduled to be held at the Gateway of India monument on Friday evening. Both houses of the Indian parliament held a minute's silence to honour the victims of 60 hours of violence that saw 10 gunmen attack a host of targets.

The attackers arrived by sea from Pakistan on the evening of November 26 after hijacking a fishing boat, according to Indian and US intelligence. Authorities regained full control of the city only three days later.

The deadly rampage, which India has blamed on elements inside Pakistan, claimed 166 lives. About 300 people were injured in the incident. Live television footage during the Mumbai siege was shown around the world as Indian commandos battled with the attackers and terrified civilians tried to escape the bloodbath.

Indian authorities, wary of further attacks by Pakistan-based groups, increased security for the anniversary. "With the terror threat lingering over the city in the view of the second anniversary of 26/11, we have made elaborate security arrangements and Mumbai has been put on alert," Rajkumar Vhatkar, a senior city policeman, said.

Both India and the United States blame the attacks on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

"We will never succumb to the desigfns of our enemies," Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, said in a statement on Friday.

"We pledge to redouble our efforts to bring the perpetrators of this crime against humanity to justice."

Speaking in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, SM Krishna, the Indian foreign minister, repeated the call urging Pakistan to tackle terror groups on its territory and bring the suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba masterminds to justice.

"Once again I call upon Pakistan to dismantle the terror machine operating with impunity in territories under its control and to bring all the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks to speedy justice," he said.

On Thursday India sent an official diplomatic message to Pakistan's embassy in the capital, New Delhi, urging it to "fulfill its obligation and commitment" to bring the plotters to justice.

The letter accused Islamabad of stalling over the trial in Pakistan of seven suspects accused of plotting the attacks, adding that "New Delhi expresses regret for not receiving feedback on issues raised by it".

Nine of the 10 gunmen were killed in clashes with security forces and the sole survivor, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, was sentenced to death by a Mumbai court in May. He is challenging the sentence.

India has accused Pakistan of not doing enough to bring the plotters behind the attacks to justice, and the incident continues to dog relations between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

Seven suspects in Pakistan - including the alleged mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Zarar Shah - have been put on trial in the country, but none has been convicted.

The prosecution has since stalled, with Pakistani officials demanding that Kasab be allowed to testify, which New Delhi has refused. Pakistan also wants to send a fact-finding commission to India to gather more evidence.

India sees these moves as stalling tactics and says it has handed over enough evidence in a series of dossiers to secure the convictions of the accused men. Pakistan says the evidence is inadmissible in court.

Earlier this month Barack Obama, the US president, visited the city, and met the families of the victims and survivors. He paid his respects at a memorial in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, which was one of the attackers' prime targets.

Obama and his delegation also made a point of staying overnight at the hotel, the scene of a three-day siege, in what was seen as a gesture of solidarity.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, in a statement late on Wednesday reiterated the US' solidarity with India.

"As the people of the United States gather with family to celebrate Thanksgiving, we pause to remember the horrific attack on innocent men, women and children that occurred in Mumbai two years ago."

Asia Cup - India v/s Sri Lanka

2010-06-22T18:15:00.001+05:30

India and Sri Lanka both already qualified for the Final, this game will have no impact on the outcome of the Asia Cup 2010 but a win before big finale in always considered as morale booster that is what both teams will look for when they take on each other in the last league game of Asia Cup 2010.

As Harbhajan Singh stated in the press conference on the eve of the game, that

India

is hoping to go out home an unbeaten from this tournament. Their confidence is already boosted by the fact that they are back at number two rank team in ICC ODI ranking table and their captain is back at number one position after a two superb innings in the tournament.

India

is already on back-foot with Virendra Sehwag ruling out of the series because of hamstring, his replacement Dinesh Karthik so far has done very little justice to his selection in the tournament he has played so far recently. In the 45 ODI’s he averages 28.96. With Yuvraj Singh not in the middle order, the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli need some runs under their belt to boost confidence before going into the final of Asia Cup 2010.

Sri Lanka

on the other hand looks more settled team and is confidence of winning the last two games to once again win Asia Cup title by beating the same old team

India

. Both teams has played so much cricket that there is nothing new to be known for any side. All in all it will be another great game of cricket between

India

and

Sri Lanka

at Rangiri Dambulla international stadium.

Watch Out The Match For Our Lovely Cricketers

Gautam Gambhir:- Since return to the

India

team he is in superb tough in Asia Cup 2010 and he would love to continue his good form in another two game to help

India

to guide to yet another triumph.

T. M. Dilshan:- He is one of the dangerous batsmen to look out for. So far he looked good in

Zimbabwe

as well as in Asia Cup. With some aggressive batting at top helped

Sri Lanka

to score freely and

Sri Lanka

will hope for another brisk inning from him at top order.

Pitch & Condition

The Pitch at Rangiri international stadium, Dambulla will be same as used in previous game against Pakistan and Bangladesh where Pakistan manage to score 385 runs, however by considering two tough team score between 280-290 runs on the card. Team winning the toss would once again love to bat first.

Teams

Since both team already qualified for the Final, so it’s likely that both team will test their bench strength. With Virendra Sehwag already put of Asia Cup, Dinesh Karthik is likely to be open the inning with Gambhir.

In bowling department,

India

may give chance to Ashok Dinda in place of Ashish Nehra and R.Ashwin in place off Harbhajan Singh. Similarly,

Sri Lanka

may rest M.Muralitharan and L.Malinga and bring S.Randiv as well as F.Mehroof in place of both.

Likely Playing XI for both Teams:-

India Squad: Dinesh Karthik, Gautham Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (Captain/WK), Ravindra Jadeja, R.Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashok Dinda.

Sri Lanka Squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara (Captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilina Kandamby, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suraj Randiv, Chanaka Welegedera.

Stats

India

and

Pakistan

have played eight times in the Asia cup with

India

managing to win three while loosing four to

Pakistan

Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt has phenomenal record against

India

with both batsmen scored their most of the centuries against arch-rivals

India

Asia Cup - India v/s Pakistan

2010-06-19T18:50:00.001+05:30

The most thrilling match of Cricket of this year 2010 has just started today. The 4th match is being played between all time rivals India vs Pakistan.

India is meeting Pakistan in his second game of their Asia Cup 2010. First match was won by India against Bangladesh while Pakistan lost their first match against Sri Lanka.

The pitch for this game is very much favorable for the team batting first. And thus Pakistan won this game and decided to bat first.

Batting first Pakistan were at 33 runs for loss of 0 wicket. But the runrate is very slow. They need to pace up a little to set a good target.

End of The Pakistanis Batting It Scores 267/10 In 49.3 Overs, And India Will Need 268 In 50 Overs.

India and Pakistan renew their rivalry on the cricket field as they face-off in match no. of the Micromax Asia Cup 2010 on Saturday.

Political tension between the two nations has had its effect on cricketing ties, and nowadays the teams do not tour each other and come face-to-face only in multi-team tournaments like this one. The last time India and Pakistan played each other was in September 2009 at the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa and it was a century from Shoaib Malik that gave Pakistan the victory.

This time around, both teams are in contrasting positions going into the match. Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka in their opening match, and they cannot afford to slip up once again. India, on the other hand, won their first match against Bangladesh with a bonus point, and another victory will seal their place in the final.

India:

India managed a comfortable win against Bangladesh in their opening match of the tournament, but the players were not quite at their best. The fast bowlers were disappointing, and some of the top order batsmen didn't fire either. It is important that they come to the party soon, because it literally does not get any bigger than this. It is unlikely that the team management will make any changes to the side that played against Bangladesh which means that India will in all probability stick to their three seamer approach.

Gautam Gambhir was India's star with the bat against Bangladesh. He looked a bit uncomfortable at the start, but started getting back into the flow of things in the latter stages of his innings. Its important that Gambhir makes use of his form being a senior member of the side. Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli didn't spend much time in the middle. Sehwag especially can be a dangerous player if he gets going and India will be praying that he does so against Pakistan.

Kohli and Sharma fell cheaply against Bangladesh, but with a small total to chase, that didn't cost the team. Pakistan though are a much more formidable opposition and the Indians have to be at their best to come out on top. Mahendra Singh Dhoni had a hit out in the middle after a break from international cricket. Dhoni looked good out there and Pakistan is a team Dhoni has enjoyed tremendous success against scoring 7 half-centuries and one ton in just 22 innings at bat, he will definitely be looking to keep that run going.

Indian Team

Suresh Raina didn't have much to do against Bangladesh, but he is likely to see a lot more action against Pakistan, and you can be sure that the Pakistan pace attack will test out his comfort level against the short ball. Raina in good form though and the team can expect him to deliver if needed.

India's pace trio of Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra were taken aback by the approach of the Bangladesh top-order, who came hard at them. All three were a bit on the expensive side and though Nehra picked up a couple of wickets, they weren't too threatening with the ball. After what happened against Bangladesh, Pakistan might also to take the attack to the Indian medium pacers and being experienced men, this time around they should be prepared to respond appropriately.

Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja came on to bowl when Bangladesh were under pressure and they did well to maintain that. Pakistan though have a much stronger batting line-up and bowling against them will be a different challenge altogether. Sehwag chipped in with 4 wickets against Bangladesh, and that might tempt Dhoni to give him another go in this match. That being said, given the success the spinners had against Bangladesh, and the lack of it for the pacemen, the selection of a second frontline spinner may be warranted.

Pakistan:

Pakistan staged an astonishing recovery after a top-order collapse against Sri Lanka. It was skipper Shahid Afridi who led the way with a brilliant century. But unfortunately for them, it wasn't enough. Afridi cannot be expected to bail the team out in consecutive games, and the onus is on the top order to take more responsibility in a must win match.

Pakistan's bowling was good on the day and that means that Saeed Ajmal might have to sit out once again. Imran Farhat might come in to open the batting in place of Shazaib Hasan, who along with Umar Amin, really struggled against Sri Lanka. Salman Butt's early dismissal put the pressure on the debutants, Hasan and Amin, who found it hard to get going.

Bringing in Farhat, who has played international cricket in the past might be something the team management will consider, though his record against India is rather abysmal, managing just a hundred runs in 6 innings.

Pakistani Team

Shoaib Malik is one of the senior-most members of the side and he has to look to stay in the middle for a long time. Shahid Afridi was quite sensational against Sri Lanka, and if Pakistan don't start off well, we might see Afridi coming higher up the order.

Umar Akmal and Kamran Akmal supported Afridi, but the brothers were both run-out. That was probably one of the key moments of the match as Umar especially had got himself in and if either he or Kamran had stuck around for a few more overs, the result might well have been in Pakistan's favour.

Abdul Razzaq had the difficult task of trying to take his team home with the tail-enders, but failed. He is better off smacking the ball out of the ground in the death overs and its upto the men at the top to set the stage for him.

Pakistan's seamers were impressive against Sri Lanka. Shoaib Akhtar returned respectable figures in his comeback match and the Pakistan camp will be extremely pleased with his form. He didn't look to be at the top of his fitness, despite bowling at good pace and that will probably come with match play.

Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were slightly expensive, but their performance was probably not bad enough to jeopardize their place in the playing XI. Afridi and Razzaq were good with the ball and kept the opposition under check. Shoaib Malik too chipped in with the vital wicket of Mahela Jayawardene and he might be asked to roll his arm over yet again.

Likely playing XIs:

India: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt. & wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra

Pakistan: Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Umar Amin, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (capt.), Kamran Akmal (wk), Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Aamer, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif

Indian And Pakistani's Players Who Watch The Match:-

Gautam Gambhir: Gambhir looked good with the bat against Bangladesh. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, he is back to his preferred position at the top of the order. If he can anchor the innings, it will allow the natural stroke makers at the other end to go after the bowling.

Harbhajan Singh: Harbhajan didn't have much to do against Bangladesh, but his duel against the experienced Pakistan middle-order will be extremely crucial. If he manages to keep the likes of Afridi quiet, it can help India pile on the pressure.

Shahid Afridi: If Afridi can go even close to matching what he did against Sri Lanka, cricket fans world over are in for a real treat. His bowling is equally threatening and he can be quite a difficult customer to handle.

Shoaib Akhtar: Akhtar is one of the fastest bowlers in the world and Sehwag is a batsman who likes the ball coming onto the bat. If he manages to get Sehwag and a couple of others early on, it will be hard work for India.

Asia Cup - India v/s Bangladesh

2010-06-17T09:10:00.007+05:30

India kick off their journey in the Asia Cup against Bangladesh at Dambulla on the 16th of June in the second match of the tourney. Saying that both teams have not produced their best in recent times would be an understatement, they come into this game having won a grand total of 1 match in their last 10 ODI encounters against all opposition.

However, the Asia Cup is the start of a new day of sorts, and both teams will be anxious to start off the tournament on a high. Bangladesh especially are the underdogs in the tournament and a positive result for them will give them a lot of confidence. India will be desperate to avoid defeat because if they do lose the match, they'll be facing Pakistan and Sri Lanka in two must win matches. Both teams have the luxury of seeing how the conditions play in the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match the day before and then decide on their team combination.

India:-

The Indian squad will be strengthened by the return of big guns Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gatam Gambhir. Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh. A couple of youngsters have also made it to the squad and they will be trying their best to impress the selectors with the World Cup coming up in about 8 months time. A winning start for the team can set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

The absence of the Little Master. Sachin Tendulkar, means that Gambhir will return to the top of the order with Sehwag. Sehwag's record in the subcontinent is exceptional and if he gets going, the Bangladeshis will be in for a tough time. With Yuvraj Singh missing out, Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have to dictate terms in the middle overs. He has the ability to adapt well to any situation and that will prove handy for the team. Suresh Raina has managed to cement his place in the playing XI with some strong performance in the past couple of years or so. Yuvraj's absence will put more responsibility on his young but able shoulders and if he continues the form that he showed in Zimbabwe, the team can expect big things from him.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are more or less certain to feature in the playing XI. They will have to make optimum use of the opportunity if they want to push for a place when the likes of Tendulkar and Yuvraj return. One of the keys for India is to get their batting order sorted out...consistency at positions 3 to 6 are important for a quality team and Gary Kirsten and the team management need to buckle down and identify who fits in best in which slot.

The performance of India's new ball bowlers, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, against the Bangladeshi openers can prove decisive in determining how much of a threat Bangladesh pose. The duo weren't at their best in the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, but bowling a 10-over spell is a completely different kettle of fish. Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja should be more or less certain to feature in the team.

The former has become a bit defensive in his approach in recent times but its important for the team that he goes back to his attacking ways and there can't be a better time to make the transition than in this match against a relatively weaker opposition. Jadeja was India's highest wicket-taker in the tri-series in Zimbabwe, but he has to be more economical to increase his effectiveness. Praveen Kumar and Pragyan Ojha will probably be the front-runners for the fifth bowler's position and the team management will in all probability be making the final call after assessing the conditions.

Bangladesh:-

Bangladesh haven't been consistent enough at the international stage and that's the main reason why they are still considered underdogs in practically every tournament they play. The team has shown glimpses of brilliance on more than a couple of occasions, but they need to sustain that for longer periods of time to be considered among the better teams in world cricket.

The start given by Bangladesh's openers, Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, will have to be substantial if they want to challenge the Indians. Tamim, especially, has been in excellent form in the past month or so. He is someone who is not afraid of attacking the bowlers early in the innings. If he gets off to a flyer, it will help calm the nerves in the dressing room. Mohammad Ashraful has made a comeback to the ODI side after performing well in the T20 World Cup. Ashraful has played an instrumental role in whatever success Bangladesh has tasted at the international stage. He, along with Junaid Siddique, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah will be part of a middle-order that has a lot of talent, but has not always done justice to the talent. It will just take 1 or 2 good partnerships to set the ball rolling in the right direction.

Mashrafe Mortaza has been Bangladesh's leading pacer in the past decade or so. If he manages to get Sehwag early, it can expose the not so experienced middle-order to the spinners. Spin is Bangladesh's strength, and more often than not they go in with as many as four spinners. Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan though will be the main men and their 20 overs will prove vital to the outcome of the match.

Naeem Islam and Mahmudullah, the other two spinners, will have to ensure that even if they do not pick up wickets, they should at least contain the batsmen. Bangladesh too have a decision to make regarding who will be partnering Mortaza with the new ball. They have Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain and Syed Rasel as possible options but Islam's impressive performance in the test series against England a fortnight ago might just give him an edge over the others.

Likely Playing XIs:

India: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt. & wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar/Pragyan Ojha, Ashish Nehra

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan (capt.), Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam

Indian And Bangladeshi's Players Who Watch The Match:-

Virender Sehwag: If Sehwag stays in the middle for 10 overs or more, India will surely be in the driver's seat. He has given India great starts in the past, and in Tendulkar's absence he'll have to take a bit more responsibility

Zaheer Khan: Zaheer's duel with Tamim Iqbal will be something to watch out for. If he gets Tamim early on it will put the Bangladesh middle order under a lot of pressure.

Tamim Iqbal: Tamim's importance to the side came to the forefront in the test series in England where the team suffered innings defeats in both the tests despite Tamim being the highest Run Scorer in the series.

Shakib Al Hasan: He is among the finest All Rounders in the world and can win matches with both bat as well as ball. Being the captain, he will be looking to lead his team by example.

Asia Cup Is Very Important For One Day International Matches

2010-06-15T18:30:00.000+05:30

Today marks the beginning of the Asia Cup, with the first match to be played between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The other two teams in the fray being, as you would know, India and Bangladesh. Yes sir, Asian Cricket is a weird game where only 4 countries make the entire continent of Asia.

You know what Cricket Australia is planning to do with One Day Internationals. If you don't, then you should have, for we were the ones who reported it to you, among others.

Other than a World Cup, most tournaments today are bilateral in nature in cricket. There might be just one another team that you are playing making it a tri-series, but such ones are generally inconsequential of nature, as the third team is brought in, just to make the numbers. Hence, an Asia Cup gets added importance, in terms of the number of teams playing in the tournament.

Apart from that, the Asian bloc has generally been regarded as the most powerful one in ICC. Thus, on empirical evidence, if this bloc is determined about the success or failure of a certain eventuality, you can be rest assured that such an eventuality will occur, either on its own, or being forced down.

Thus, the Asia Cup 2010 needs to be a huge success in terms of viewer-ship, quality of matches and the amount of interest it can generate. For if all this will not happen, the advertisers would not be excited. And if that would not happen, then the Asian bloc is least interested in nurturing any goose that is not golden or is unable to lay a golden egg.

Asia Cup

And the One Day Internationals will then be massacred.

Asia Cup 2010 needs to be a big success. Commercially !!!

Sachin Rested And Yuvi Dropped Out In Asia Cup Squad

2010-06-15T18:15:00.001+05:30

Mumbai:- Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has been rested, while playboy of Indian cricket Yuvraj Singh and Vadodara-lad Yusuf Pathan have been dropped from the ODI squad for the upcoming Asia Cup tournament, the selectors announced on Monday.

According to sources, Tendulkar’s had personally requested to be rested for the tournament, and the appeal was accepted by the selectors.

Sachin And Yuvi

Yuvraj, on the other hand, has been left out of the Indian squad considering his poor form on the field and acts of irresponsibility off-the-field over a past few days.

Others, who could not make it to the list are Dinesh Karthik and Yusuf Pathan, who failed to impress the selectors during the recently concluded tri-nation series in Zimbabwe. Murali Vijay too could not make the cut.

Those featuring in the 15-membered squad are skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina. Saurabh Tiwary too got his maiden call in international cricket.

The bowling department would be looked after by pacers Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar and Ashok Dinda and spinners Harbhajn Singh and Pragyan Ojha.

The Asia Cup cricket tournament begins in Sri Lanka on the 15th of June.

Squad:-

MS Dhoni (capt & wk)

Virender Sehwag

Gautam Gambhir

Virat Kohli

Suresh Raina

Rohit Sharma

Ravindra Jadeja

Harbhajan Singh

Praveen Kumar

Zaheer Khan

Ashish Nehra

Pragyan Ojha

Ashok Dinda

R Ashwin, Saurabh Tiwary.

Asia Cup 2010 - Matches Schedule

2010-06-15T17:38:00.001+05:30

Asia Cup 2010 will be played in Sri Lanka. The Asian Cricket Council has announced the schedule for the tournament. 2010 Asia Cup will be started from 15th June, 2010 and final match on 25th June, 2010.

Total seven ODI matches will be played in this cricket tournament.India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, this four Asian countries will take part in Asia Cup 2010. You can watch all matches live on NEO Cricket television channel.

Asia Cup

Sri Lanka beaten India by 100 runs and became the champion of last Asia Cup 2008 tournament in Karachi. This year also Sri Lankan cricket team is hot favorite to win Asia Cup at its home ground.All matches will be played as per day / Night schedule.

Each team plays the other once in a league format after that top two teams will play the final match of tournament and one team will get the tile of Asia Cup 2010. Because of monsoon season there is three reserve days during the tournament and this is a good for every team.

Asia Cup Matches Time Tables As Per Indian Standard Time (IST) Given Below:-

Match 1:- 15th June:- Sri Lanka v/s Pakistan, 2:30 PM, Venue - Dambulla

Match 2:- 16th June:- Indian v/s Bangladesh, 2:30 PM, Venue - Dambulla

Match 3:- 18th June:- Sri Lanka v/s Bangladesh, 2:30 PM, Venue - Dambulla

Match 4:- 19th June:- India v/s Pakistan, 2:30 PM, Venue - Dambulla

Match 5:- 21th June:- Bangladesh v/s Pakistan, 2:30 PM, Venue - Dambulla

Match 6:- 22th June:- Sri Lanka v/s India, 2:30 PM, Venue - Dambulla

Final Match:- 24th June:- Final Match, 2:30 PM, Venue - Dambulla

Pakistan Squad For Asia Cup 2010

2010-06-14T18:05:00.003+05:30

Pakistan

selectors announced 15-man

Pakistan

squad for the upcoming Asia Cup Cricket 2010 which begins on 15 June in

Sri Lanka

. Selectors recalled veteran pacer Shoaib Akhtar and former captian Shoaib Malik, whose one year ban has recently been revoked by PCB following a trail.

Shahid Afridi, who recently captained

Pakistan

in Twenty20 World Cup 2010, has been appointed captain for all three formats for the Asia Cup and

Pakistan

’s

England

tour. Opener Salman Butt has been appointed Afridi’s deputy for the upcoming two tours.

Speculations were rife in the media claiming Butt to become

Pakistan

’s new captain for the Test and ODI formats. However, the selectors changed their decision after Afridi had come out of his retirement in test cricket.

Chief selector Mohsin Khan has said that the selection process involved selectors as well as the coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi. Afridi recently called for more young players in the squad and the inclusion of two new faces in the squad is reflective of his wish.

Two new players called up for the Asia Cup Cricket 2010 are Umar Amin and Asad Shafiq. Both of them impressed the selectors with their domestic performance in the recent years.

Pakistani Team For Asia Cup

Umar Amin has a very good domestic record with an average of 42.00 in the first class cricket. Asad Shafiq, at 24, has 8 centuries in his 35-match first class career and has maintained an average of over 43. Asad can also keep wickets. So, he could be a back up for Kamran Akmal as far as wicket keeping is concerned.

There are many who were surprised by the selection of Shoaib Malik who few months back was banned by PCB for a year on disciplinary ground. His strained relation with Captain Shahid Afridi is no more a secret and many think it could have a negative impact in

Pakistan

’s on-field performance.

Two former

Pakistan

captains: Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf are not available for the upcoming tours. Both of them were banned for an indefinite time by PCB for breaching team discipline. Yousuf then suddenly announced his retirement from international cricket.

Pakistan

cricket has suffered a lot over the last few years due to the country’s security condition and indiscipline among the players. They were stripped out of hosting rights of ICC World Cup Cricket 2011 following the bomb attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March 2009.

Pakistan

cricket is going through a very tough phase. They were whitewashed in

Australia

recently, and then failed to retain their Twenty20 World Cup title. Afridi’s appointment as captain came as a shock to many who are doubtful about Afridi’s ability as a test cricketer. He has been in international cricket since 1996, but could earn only 26 caps in test cricket against his 293 appearances in ODI format. However, Pakistani fans are expecting that

Pakistan

team would perform better under his captaincy.

Another young batsman in the squad is Shahzaib Hasan who represented

Pakistan

in their triumph in Twenty20 World Cup 2009. However, the 20-year-old, who can also keep wicket, has not yet played any ODI or test match.

Shoaib Akhtar earned the recall based on his impressive recent form in the Pentangular tournament. Both Akhtar and Malik had to go through fitness tests before getting the final nod from the selectors.

Besides Shoaib Akhtar,

Pakistan

squad includes four other pacers: Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Abdur Rehman and Abdul Razzaq. Spin attack includes Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik.

Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, the two specialist all rounders, could be very effective for

Pakistan

in Asia Cup. Sri Lankan condition would help Afridi and Ajmal as wickets may offer assistance to the spinners.

Batting line up is a blend of experienced as well as young batsmen. Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Afridi and Abdul Razzaq are experienced members in their batting line up, while Umar Amin, Asad Shafiq and Shahzaib Hasan are young but talented batsmen who may have to wait for a while to get into the first eleven.

Umar Akmal, on the other hand, may not be that much experienced, but has already cemented his place in the first eleven within a very short time.

Indian Squad For Asia Cup 2010

2010-06-14T17:59:00.000+05:30

There were a couple of regular names missing from the 2010 Asia Cup Indian squad announced and both caused a bit of a surprise.

While Sachin Tendulkar was reported to being rested, Yuvraj Singh was the biggest name dropped from the Indian team, the reins of which once again are held in the hands of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Asia Cup's Captain of India

Those missing from the Zimbabwe ODI tri series return back into the team, all except Yuvraj Singh. R. Ashwin gets a chance and Pragyan Ojha is also a stand out name, although much deserved. The most notable addition is Saurabh Tiwary, adding pressure to Ravindra Jadeja amongst the young guns. Virender Sehwag returns to the Indian team to partner Gautam Gambhir as neither Murali ijay or Dinesh Karthik find place in the team. Rohit Sharma’s centuries in Zimbabwe have saved him the debacle of Yuvraj Singh. Also missing was Yusuf Pathan who failed to impress upon the selectors sufficiently to retain his place.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth told reporters while making the list public, “A lot of stress was given on the fitness of the players. Fitness and fielding are very important. We have gone through the record of last one year and put lot of stress on it. In recent past, we lost some matches or struggled in some matches because of poor fielding. We put stress on consistent performances. A lot of players have done consistently well and apart from the seniors, we have blooded some youngsters as well so that they know what international cricket is all about.”

India’s squad for 2010 Asia Cup:-

MS Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Ashok Dinda, R Ashwin, Saurabh Tiwary

Chennai V/s Mumbai Tonight Played Against

2010-04-06T19:15:00.002+05:30

Chennai: It will be more than a hit-about in the park tonight when the Chennai Super Kings take on top of the class Mumbai Indians at the decked up Chepauk in what is reckoned to be biggest game of the IPL-3 season yet for the home team.

The two consecutive wins at Chepauk in the past week notwithstanding, the Chennai lions are not yet out of the woods vis-à-vis the semi-final spot. Having just eight points from nine games, it calls for a huge effort from the Super Kings to win every match from here on to progress to the next phase of the competition.

Mumbai Indians, on a high with seven wins from eight games, have been ruthless in shooting down their rivals with skipper Sachin Tendulkar playing a most influential role in their remarkable run so far.

But then, beware of Law of Averages! It was Super Kings who broke the sequence of unbeaten run of Jacques Kallis and they would be hoping to do much the same with Mumbai Indians tonight.

If anything, the Super Kings, with a sharper attack due to the presence of Aussie quick Doug Bollinger, have the collective ability to stop the Mumbai Juggernaut that had hitherto flattened all opposition. However, it is not so much about a couple of players performing, as the need for a tremendous team effort, commitment and willpower to topple Mumbai.

In this context, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has again a huge role to play and quite his most important task would be to pick the eleven that has balance. To say the least, it would be a tricky exercise with Mike Hussey coming into the equation.

With Bollinger being a certainty, there are only three vacancies for foreign players. Hayden, Muralitharan, Morkel, Thushara and Hussey himself are the main contenders for the three spots. By any yardstick, it is a difficult choice to make given the embarrassment of riches.

That apart, Dhoni would have to take a call on the composition of the bowling attack that could play a key role in the outcome of the match given the high quality of Mumbai batting line-up. Against the Rajasthan Royals, only Bollinger looked the part with a dream spell of 2-15 in four overs and the fact that Super Kings, after scoring 246 won by just 23 runs tells it own tale, even considering the flat track.

Mumbai: Have let it be known that they wouldn't ease off despite having one foot in the semifinals. Thus, the onus will be on the Super Kings to pick up the gauntlet and to do that, they need to be at the top of their game. No more slip-ups, for one more defeat could send the lions back into the cage.

Chepauk is the savannah of the Chennai lions who know the territory only too well, but they need to fight hard to keep off “intruders”. They have done it twice in the recent days and they will have to repeat the feat thrice more – tonight and on April 13 and 15.

The Super Kings would not be lacking in support. The game is a sell-out and as before, the stadium will be awash in yellow. Percussionist Sivamani will set a heart-pounding beat, but it is up to the Lions to write the lyrics that can win them an “Oscar” called IPL.

Aamir Khan In Kaun Banega Crorepati 4

2010-04-06T18:40:00.001+05:30

Bollywood’s Mr. Perfectionist Aamir Khan may be the host of the fourth season of TV’s most popular game show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’(KBC). ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, the Q - A reality television show was first aired in 2000 on Star Plus. Previously, the show was hosted by two bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan. Amitabh Bachchan hosted the show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ but ended it due to illness and the last show was aired in 2006. However in 2007, the show was hosted by Shahrukh Khan and the series ended on April 19, 2007 with a special finale.

Previously in the show, four notable winners have left with an amount of Rs 1 crore – Harshvardhan Navathe (1st winner of KBC in 2000), Ravi Saini – Winner of KBC Junior, Ajay Devgan and Kajol, and Brajesh Dubey ( Winner of KBC 2 ). Aamir Khan was the first celebrity contestant on the show rear in 2000, along with Sonali Bendre.

Aamir Khan In Hot Seat

The initial reaction of the Aamir Khan for hosting the show was to decline the offer for the very reason why he was approached. Because, KBC had already been done by two other superstars and he did not want to generate needless similarities. Also, he had decided to reserve the whole year to put finishing touches to his productions. According to report, Aamir has been offered more money per episode than his ancestors Shahrukh Khan (Rs 75 lakh per episode) and Amitabh Bachchan. The sum is expected to be about Rs 1 cr per episode, a far weep from the Rs 75 lakh SRK pocketed.

When approached, Siddhartha Basu, whose company Synergy is the licensed producer of KBC, the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire says, “It’s too early to talk about the next season of KBC. Sony Pictures, who now owns the game show, might have had initial discussions with Aamir. But the details for the next season will take a long time to formulate.”

Aamir has been tilted for hosting KBC show but he has not yet accepted the offer and on other hand he had not rejected it either. If the show will be hosted by Aamir Khan, It will be interesting to see that to lock the answer what idiom he coins on the lines of Amitabh’s “lock kiya jaaye” and Shah Rukh’s “Freeze Kiya Jaaye” and it is first appearance of him as a host on small screen so lot of people would watch the show just for him. Also, the question is that if Aamir says YES to host the show, he will take at least one year for its preparation as he likes the perfection in all.

Player of The IPL - Yusuf Pathan

2010-03-29T19:20:00.002+05:30

Player of The IPL

Name: Yusuf Khan Pathan

Born: Nov 17 , 1982, Baroda, Gujarat

Age: 27 years 4 months

Team: India,Rajasthan Royals

Batting Style: RHS

Bowling Style: RHS

ODI Debut: Pakistan vs India-June 10, 2008

Twenty 20 Debut: Pakistan vs India-September 24, 2007

Profile:

Yusuf Khan Pathan made his Ranji debut against Saurashtra in 2001-02. Yusuf, a right-handed batsman and a Right Arm offbreak bowler, was bought by Rajasthan Royals for a whopping $ 475,000. Brother of Indian cricket team all - Rounder Irfan Pathan, Yusuf made his mark as a hard - Hitting batsman and off Spinner for the Baroda Under 16 team in the Vijay Merchant Trophy in 1999 - 2000.

Out of the 31 first class matches played by Yusuf, the 25-year-old has scored over 1500 runs at an average of 36.63. Yusuf ended the 2004-2005 season as Baroda's fourth - highest scorer and third - highest wicket - taker. In the 2006-2007 Ranji Trophy, Yusuf had the highest strike rate. The same season, he showed impressive performances in the Deodhar Trophy and Twenty20 domestic tournament that fetched him a spot in India's squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

In the first edition of the IPL, Yusuf scored 435 runs in his 15 innings in the middle, with a highest score of 68, at an average of 31.07 and a strike rate of 173.31, smashing 24 sixes and 43 fours in the tournament, in addition to 3 catches. He took 10 wickets in the tournament, with a best of 2/20 at an average of 23, with an Economy rate of 8.21 and a strike rate of 168.

Although he may not have enjoyed the success of last year's edition, Pathan nonetheless made vital contributions to swing matches his team's way in the second edition of the IPL. Most stunning was his assault on Ajantha Mendis of the Kolkata Knight Riders when he won the match for his team in the Super Over.

Indian Team For T20 World Cup 2010

2010-03-29T18:55:00.001+05:30

Mumbai: Karnataka speedster R Vinay Kumar was today rewarded for his consistent performance in domestic cricket while Leg - Spinner Piyush Chawla staged a surprise comeback into India's 15-member squad for next month's Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.

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The 26 - year old Vinay Kumar, who has been impressive in the ongoing IPL, was the only new face in the squad to be led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Barring Vinay's inclusion and the recall of Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner Chawla, there were no major surprises in the squad announced by the BCCI secretary N Srinivasan after a selection panel meeting in Mumbai.

Pacers Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth and RP Singh, who were in the provisional 30-member list, failed to figure in the squad while spinners Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra also missed the bus.

Delhi batsman Virat Kohli, who was in the ODI squad against South Africa last month, was also left out of the squad for the event to be held in the Caribbean from April 30 to May 16.

"We have selected the best team for the Twenty20 World Cup. We are happy with the performance of every member of the team. They have shown consistency," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth said after picking the squad.

"The Twenty20 World Cup is still one month away and we hope that this team will do well in the event," he said. Sri kanth also said as of now there is no worry.

"Everyone is hundred per cent fit and all the fitness certificates have been submitted to the Board. All the members are fit and fine," he said.

Ashish Nehra, who has not played a single match in the ongoing IPL because of a rib cage injury, has been included in the squad with the selectors expecting the gangling paceman to be fully fit for the mega event.

Vinay has forced his way into the team on the back of his consistent performance in domestic cricket, claiming 46 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. He has so far captured 202 wickets in 54 first class matches with eight for 32 his best figures.

The diminutive Chawla pipped Ojha and Mishra for the second spinner's berth in the squad which has Harbhajan Singh as the spin spearhead. Chawla returns to the Indian team after a gap of nearly two years, the 2008 Asia Cup in Pakistan being his last appearance. Chawla, who plays for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, has done a decent job with the ball so far, which prompted the selectors to include him in the squad.

Gambhir, who is also carrying an injury, has been included in the squad and will partner his Delhi team-mate and vice-captain Virender Sehwag at the top of the order.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has also been named in the squad with the selectors preferring to have a cover for captain Dhoni who has just recovered from an injury. In the run Up to the selection meeting, several former cricketers wanted Sachin Tendulkar, who has been in red hot form, to be part of the Twenty20 squad, but the champion batsman had made it clear that he had no intentions of playing the shortest format of the game for the country.

The squad has five specialist batsmen in vice-captain Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma, two All Rounders in Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja.

Jadeja had been banned from this year's IPL and the all-rounder has appealed against the decision. A verdict on the appeal is expected soon. Besides Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar were the pacers in the squad. Zaheer and Harbhajan were making a return after missing India's last Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka in December last.

Others who were dropped from the 30 Member provisional list announced earlier for the April 30-May 16 mega-event were Sudeep Tyagi, Abhishek Nayar, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Abhimanyu Mithun, Manish Pandey, Munaf Patel, Murali Vijay and Ravichandran Ashwin.

The Squad of Indian T20 Team of ICC T20 World Cup

Mahendra Singh Dhoni ( Captain And Wicket - Keeper ),
Virender Sehwag ( Voice Captain ),
Suresh Raina,
Yuvraj Singh,
Gautam Gambhir,
Yusuf Pathan,
Rohit Sharma,
Ravindra Jadeja,
R Vinay Kumar,
Zaheer Khan,
Ashish Nehra,
Praveen Kumar,
Harbhajan Singh,
Piyush Chawla,
Dinesh Karthik.

IPL Will Do Billion Dollar Business In This Year

2010-03-24T18:35:00.002+05:30

NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League would generate a revenue of $1 billion this season, thanks to huge fan following across the globe, attracting a large number of advertisers, its commissioner Lalit Modi said on Wednesday.

"The tournament is still on and we have not reached the final number. Yes, it will be more than $ 1 billion ( About Rs 4,700 Crore ) this season", Modi said and Asserted That as long as the fans keep coming to IPL, the league's brand value would increase and hence the revenue.

Revenue for Sony, the official broadcaster, alone would be about Rs 700 crore to Rs 800 crore, he said brushing aside the criticism that the advertising rates for the IPL's third season were very high.

"There may be some advertisers who feel that way but there are lot many others who are willing to join us," he said pointing out that the huge success of the tournament in terms of TV viewership would certainly entice the advertisers.

"There is no other sporting event across the world generating more eyeballs than the IPL," he said, adding that the league was virtually in every part of the world through either broadcasters of through the Internet - via YouTube.

Asked about an independent brand consultancy valuing Brand IPL at $4.13 billion, more than double from last year, Modi said that it was not done by the organisation and "it is indeed valuation given to us by outsiders."

Lalit Modi

Brand Finance, which came out with IPL brand's latest valuation, said that the brand alone has risen significantly, providing tremendous economic value to its owner, BCCI.

It said this demonstrates the exponential value of IPL and the brand potential in a cricket loving country like India and other global cricketing countries. Although the English Premier League is valued much higher at $12 billion, the IPL's valuation has risen above $ 4 billion in just three years, Brand Finance pointed out.

In terms of brand value or valuation there could be bigger sports club in the West but most of those have negative cash flow, Modi said and pointed out that the English Premier League, though it commands a very high brand value, was facing a $ 800 - Million deficit.

"Here, we are talking about cash flow and it is growing to grow in future at IPL," He said, while detailing the dynamics of financing of IPL franchises.

Modi said that the IPL teams had no load on them and "we are providing infrastructure and stadium free of cost." Asked about predictions that IPL could not sustain, Modi retorted, "Let them ( Cynics ) say anything. I know the numbers. I know the game. I have delivered. We will continue to deliver."

The success of IPL hinged on the capacity to draw huge crowds, a fact that need not be proven again and again, he said, adding that other factors included that teams were equally placed in terms of finances and capacity to buy the players.

"The level playing field between the teams would make the event more interesting," he said and added that another factor for the success was that the revenue would be proportionate to the number of matches that are played.

This season there are 60 matches and the number would go to 90 by next year and, There - Fore, the revenue would increase on a pro-rata basis, he said.

Today In IPL Trash Between Two Brothers

2010-03-24T18:15:00.000+05:30

Today IPL Trash Between Two Brother And Those Two Actresses :- Two leading Bollywood actresses will be up against each other while two famous brothers who share deep bonds of love off the field will see that change into fierce rivalry when Kings XI Punjab take on Rajasthan Royals in IPL 3 Twenty 20 clash on Wednesday.

Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty, Bollywood stars and owners of the Punjab and Royals team respectively, will be rooting for their Sides, as the two would be Desperately looking for a win to stay afloat in the competition.

Though Preity can make millions heart skip a beat, this time she will have to try harder as Shilpa - Shamita ( Shilpa's Sister and Actress ) combine will also captivate and sweep the fans of the feet. Though Mohali is Preity's home turf, Shilpa and Shamita, Too, will definitely act as crowd pullers.

Yusuf Pathan

Also, it would be a treat for fans as Pathan brothers - Irfan and Yusuf - will be pitted against each other, as the duo represent Punjab and Royals respectively.

While Irfan specialises in lethal bowling, Yusuf will be looking to dispatch his brother out of the park.

After the Royals arrived in the afternoon on Tuesday, the brothers shared a meal together at a Chandigarh hotel where the two IPL teams are staying.

When some reporters caught up with Irfan and posed some questions on what one can expect tonight, he quipped, "I am keen to get the bhai's ( Brother ) wicket".

Yusuf, who has emerged as dangerous batsman in this format of the game and having already scored a 37 - Ball 100 Earlier on, he too, is not going to show any leniency towards Irfan.

Irfan Pathan

Having seen them grow together, on Wednesday is surely going to be a difficult choice to make for the Pathan brother's parents as to who they will support. May be, they would hope that Yusuf is not around when Irfan is bowling.

Kumar Sangakara - Led Punjab side is placed at number seven spot in the points table while Shane Warne led Royals are languishing at the bottom.

IPL Opening Ceremony 2010

2010-03-11T18:20:00.000+05:30

IPL Opening Ceremony 2010

The Cricket-Bollywood biggest venture, IPL starts tomorrow with glitter and glamour. Season3’s opening ceremony in Mumbai promises to be the bigger and the better from the previous years’.

Beginning with a sparkling performance by an international artiste Ali Campbell of the British reggae band UB40 who will be seen crooning his all-time hit song, Can’t Help Falling in Love and the ageless Bjorn Again will amuse audiences with Abba’s super hit Dancing Queen at the opening ceremony.

Deepika Padukone will give a sizzling performance with 40 dancers on stage competing with Katrina’s jhatkas with Akon last year - who’ll perform to a medley of I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas, Uff Teri Ada from Karthik Calling Karthik and Twist from Love Aaj Kal. Then the legendary Lionel Richie comes on stage followed by R&B rapper Akon.

Sundar Raman, CEO, IPL said, “Day 1 of the IPL tournament kicks off with an opening ceremony before the match, on Friday evening. It will be a visually spectacular show. The opening ceremony will begin at 6.45 pm at the DY Patil Sports Stadium in Mumbai. After the match concludes, IPL officials and players will proceed to a plush city hotel to attend the after-match party-cum-fashion show”.

News - IPL

2010-03-08T19:30:00.001+05:30

News of IPL (Indian Premier League) :-

We don't owe an explanation for Pakistani players' omission: Shilpa

Australian players clash with Ponting over participation in IPL

SRK stands by IPL remarks, says India a welcoming place

IPL Weekly: A roundup of all the action from the league

I'm in talks with DC and KKR for IPL3 contract: Razzaq

Shane Bond may play for either Daredevils or KKR

I’ve spoken to the Australians,IPL will go on: Modi

AP govt assures of fool-proof security for IPL

Warne denies bust-up with Ponting over IPL

AP govt assures of fool-proof security for IPL

Pakistan players favourites at IPL auction

Pak threatens to respond in 'befitting manner'

Shah Rukh Khan bats for snubbed Pak cricketers

Pakistan says India's IPL re-think a welcome move

Confusion over Abdul Razzaq's IPL participation

Nationality of a cricketer doesn't matter: Aamir

Sena puts IPL-3 in the dock, Rs 35 crore at stake

Sena dares SRK to include Pak players in KKR

Top security would be there at the IPL: Modi

Afridi wants to 'forgive and forget' IPL auction

PCB revokes Indian Premier League NOCs

New IPL teams to be unveiled on March 8

Just 12 slots to fill at third IPL auction

India and Pakistan bicker over IPL-3

Our players ready to go for IPL: ACA

Sachin Tendulkar (Man of The Matches Awards)

2010-02-24T18:40:00.002+05:30

Sachin Tendulkar - Man of The Match Awards

Tendulkar Has Won A World Record of 58 ODI Man of the Match Awards In His Career

Sri Lanka Nehru Stadium, Pune 1990/91; 53

West Indies Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 1991/92; [10-1-34-4]

South Africa Eden Gardens, Kolkata 1991/92; 62

West Indies MCG, Melbourne 1991/92; 57*

Pakistan SCG, Sydney 1991/92; 54*

Zimbabwe Westpac Park, Hamilton 1991/92; 81

New Zealand Eden Park, Auckland 1993/94; 82

Australia Premadasa Stadium, Colombo 1994; 110

New Zealand IPCL Ground, Vadodara 1994/95; 115

New Zealand Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi 1994/95; 62

West Indies Eden Gardens, Kolkata 1994/95; 66

Sri Lanka Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 1994/95; 112*

Kenya Barabati Stadium, Cuttack 1995/96; 127*

West Indies Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior 1995/96; 70

Pakistan Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 1995/96; 118

Pakistan Toronto CSC Club, Toronto 1996; 89*

Australia Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore 1996/97; 88

South Africa Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai 1996/97; 114

Zimbabwe Willowmoore Park, Benoni 1996/97; 104

New Zealand Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore 1997; 117

Pakistan Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka 1997 / 98;95, [7-0-45-3]

Australia Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi 1997/98; [10-1-32-5]

Australia Green Park Stadium, Kanpur 1997/98; 100

Australia Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 1997/98; 80

Australia Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 1997/98; 143

Australia Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 1997/98; 134

Kenya Eden Gardens, Kolkata 1998; 100*

Sri Lanka Premadasa Stadium, Colombo 1998; 128

Zimbabwe Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo 1998/99; 127*

Australia Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka 1998/99; 141

Zimbabwe Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 1998/99; 118

Zimbabwe Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 1998/99; 124

Kenya County Cricket Ground, Bristol, Bristol 1999; 140*

Zimbabwe Kallang Ground, Singapore 1999; 85

New Zealand LBS Stadium, Hyderabad 1999/00; 186*

South Africa IPCL Ground, Vadodara 1999/00; 122

Sri Lanka Sharjah CA Stadium, Sharjah 2000/01; 101

Australia Nehru Stadium, Indore 2000/01; 139

Zimbabwe Harare Sports Club, Harare 2001; 70

West Indies Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo 2001; 81

West Indies Harare Sports Club, Harare 2001; 122

Kenya Boland Park, Paarl 2001/02; 146

England MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 2001/02; 68

West Indies Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain 2001/02; 65

Sri Lanka County Cricket Ground, Bristol 2002; 113

Zimbabwe Harare Sports Club, Harare 2002/03; 81

Namibia Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg 2002/03; 152

Pakistan Centurion Park, Centurion 2002/03; 98

Australia Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior 2003/04; 100

Pakistan Pindi Club Ground, Rawalpindi 2003/04; 141

Bangladesh SSC Ground, Colombo 2004; 82

West Indies Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur 2006/07; 141

West Indies IPCL Ground, Vadodara 2006/07; 100*

South Africa Belfast, Northern Ireland 2006/07; 93

England The Oval, England 2007/08; 94

Pakistan Gwalior, India 2007/08; 97

Australia SCG, Australia 2007/08; 117*

India (Gwalior), V/S South Africa - 200* In 147 Balls

Captains of IPL Teams

2010-02-22T18:40:00.001+05:30

Captains of IPL Teams

Any team is incomplete without a Motivating Power, Boosting, Synchronizing and The Best Strategy Building Leader In The Team. Captains in the IPL Teams Served the Purpose of such a leader and tried to boom their teams under their command. The captains of the IPL teams were generally the icon-players or the best skilled participant. Rajasthan Royals, winner of the first season of IPL, bagged their title under the captaincy of Australian spin bowler Shane Warne. The icon players like Sachin Tendulkar, the ‘little master’ of this sport, captained the team of Mumbai Indians, Virendra Sehwag led the Delhi Daredevils, Yuvraj Singh heads Kings XI Punjab.

Similarly, Kolkata Knight Riders was headed by Sourav Ganguly, the Bengal Tiger in the first season. However, in the second season Kolkata Knight Riders was led by Brendon McCullum and Chennai Super Kings by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Deccan Chargers are led by V. V. S. Laxman in the first season and Adam Gilchrist in the second season. Bangalore Royal Challengers have their former captain and icon player Rahul Dravid replaced by Kevin Peiterson as their new leader in the second season. Each of these captains has proved his worth and showed that they are best suited in one way or the other, whether it be the unexpected win of Rajasthan Royals in 2008 or the unquestionable victory of the Deccan Chargers in 2009 or be it any other individual triumphs!

We hope to see many more of this under these captains!

Rajasthan Royals

Captain, IPL 2008: Shane Warne

Captain, IPL 2009: Shane Warne

Captain, IPL 2010: Shane Warne

Mumbai Indians

Captain, IPL 2008: Sachin Tendulkar / Sanath Jayasuriya / Harbhajan Singh

Captain, IPL 2009: Sachin Tendulkar

Captain, IPL 2010: Sachin Tendulkar

Chennai Super Kings

Captain, IPL 2008: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Captain, IPL 2009: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Captain, IPL 2010: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Deccan Chargers

Captain, IPL 2008: VVS Laxman

Captain, IPL 2009: Adam Gilchrist

Captain, IPL 2010: Adam Gilchrist

Bangalore Royal Challengers

Captain, IPL 2008: Rahul Dravid

Captain, IPL 2009: Kevin Peterson/ Anil Kumble

Captain, IPL 2010: Anil Kumble

Kolkata Knight Riders

Captain, IPL 2008: Sourav Ganguly

Captain, IPL 2009: Brendom McCullum

Captain, IPL 2010: Saurav Ganguly

Delhi Daredevils

Captain, IPL 2008: Virendra Sehwag

Captain, IPL 2009: Virendra Sehwag

Captain, IPL 2010: Gautam Gambhir

Kings X1 Punjab

Captain, IPL 2008: Yuvraj Singh

Captain, IPL 2009: Yuvraj Singh

Captain, IPL 2010: Kumar Sangakara

IPL Teams Owner

2010-02-22T18:15:00.001+05:30

IPL Teams Owners

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Owned by ShahRukh Khan, the bollywood king, actress Juhi Chawla along with her husband Jay Mehta, in partnership.
Sourav Ganguly, captain.
Australia’s John Buchanan, as coach.

Bangalore Royal Challengers:

In possession of Vijay Mallya’s UB Group.
Rahul Dravid, captain.
Venkatesh Prasad (Team India’s bowling coach), coach.

Delhi Daredevils:

GMR Holdings,owner.
Virender Sehwag, captain.
Australia’s Greg Shipperd, coach.

Chennai Super Kings:

India Cements, proprietor.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captain.
South Africa captain, Kepler Wessels (former), coach.

Mumbai Indians:

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, possessor.
Sachin Tendulkar, captain.
Former Team India manager, Lalchand Rajput, coach.

Kings XI Punjab:

Preity Zinta with her boyfriend Ness Wadia, owner, together with Karan Paul and Mohit Burman (recognized industrialists).
Yuvraj Singh, captain.
Australia’s Tom Moddy, coach.

Deccan Chargers:

bought by Deccan Chronicle, a media house.
VVS Laxman, captain.
Robin Singh (India’s fielding coach), coach.

Rajasthan Royals:

Purchased by Emerging Media (UK-based company).
Australian spin bowler Shane Warne(former) serves as both captain and coach.

The IPL team owners, coming from such a wide ambit of fields ranging from multi-national firm owners to film divas, itself represents the cricket craziness among Indians !!!

Delhi DareDevils

2010-02-20T18:54:00.001+05:30

Team of Delhi DareDevils

Virender Sehwag(Captain)
=================
DOB: October 20, 1978 at Delhi
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm off-break
Major teams: India, Asia XI, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI and Leicestershire

In modern cricket if there is one player, who can dictate bowlers at will, it has to be Sehwag. What makes him special is his carefree style of play. Whether he is on 96 or 196, he is never on the defensive mode. He will play his natural game and won’t mind stepping out to get to his century or a double ton. Sehwag’s play is always soothing to eyes and makes up his lack of footwork with sweet timing. His aggressive style is cut out for One-dayers and Twenty20 cricket, but he is equally devastating in Tests. Sehwag is the only Indian batsman to have two triple centuries in Test cricket. He also comes handy with his gentle off breaks and is well known for his ability to break partnerships.

Gautam Gambhir(Vice Captain In 2009)
================================

DOB: October 14, 1981 at Delhi

Batting style: Left-hand bat

Bowling style: Legbreak

Major teams: India, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils,Indian Board President’s XI

This Delhi opener has come up the ranks swiftly in 2008 to become an important pillar of the Indian team. Gambhir and Sehwag are the most reliable and devastating opening combination in world cricket today. Be it aggression or stroke play, Gambhir can be deadly for the bowlers, with an array of strokes. On the ground, he is not ready to concede an inch and has the stomach to fight. Off the field, he is a soft-spoken and affable guy. It took some time for him to establish himself as a regular opener in the Indian team, but whenever he got a chance he had proved himself in both the versions of the game. He is one of the rare cricketers, who can fit in all forms of the game, whether it is Test, One-day or Twenty20. He has been in rampaging form last year and will be one of the players to watch out for in the second edition of the IPL.

Amit Mishra
========

DOB: November 24, 1982 at Delhi

Batting style: Right-hand bat

Bowling style: Legbreak

Major teams: India, Haryana, Delhi Daredevils.

A classical leg spinner, Mishra made his ODI debut against England in 2001 but faded away soon before a highly successful stint with Daredevils in the inaugural IPL brought him back to national reckoning. Mishra emerged as the surprise package for Daredevils, who reached the semi-final of the IPL. Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag showed immense faith in Mishra even handling him the ball at critical moments of the game. With a vast experience of first class cricket, Mishra handled the pressure with poise and grit proving his captain right. He also has a hat trick in the IPL. The IPL stint earned him a Test cap and made a memorable debut against Australia in Mohali last year, becoming only the sixth Indian to take a five-wicket haul on debut.