Indian Premier League Observer

Navjot Singh sidhu, the former Indian cricketer, believes the strongest and the most balanced teams in the DLF IPL are Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Sidhu said, “Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders and the Chennai Super Kings team are the strongest if we compare the players on the paper. But I will put my money on the Mohali team to hold the championship trophy as I am a Punjabi.”

DLF IPL has taken the world by storm and is good for the betterment of players, Sidhu said. He also said that the premier league in India will change the face of world cricket.

“No one would have imagined that so many runs could be scored in a 40 over game. Nowadays, nobody wants to sit and watch cricket for five days. Mr Pawar is like (Formula One driver Michael) Schumacher who has taken the cricket in a fast lane,” Sidhu said.

When asked about the Indian Cricket League (ICL), Sidhu said ICL has been ruined completely. But Sidhu also had a word of caution for the Twenty20 format. He said that as time progresses, viewers could well lose interest in the game.

Considering the matches so far, I guess we can agree with Siddhu here. Kolkata Knight Riders definitely looked strong on the field too, not just on paper. And they seem to be the team that has gelled well – despite the presence of such rivals as Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly in the same team.

Chennai Super Kings had a brilliant game – but they have had only one, and they meet Mumbai Indians who has already lost once against a pretty shoddy Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Chennai Super Kings, the Chennai franchisee of DLF IPL that won their first match against Kings X1 Punjab, will lock horns with Mumbai Indians tomorrow. The match will be played in Chennai and the match will also mark Chennai Super Kings’ first home match. Playing in front of the home crowd is expected to be a big boost for the Chennai Super Kings team. Chennai Super Kings had easily defeated a the Kings XI Punjab team at Mohali on the second day of IPL matches.

Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that its too early to predict which team would win the DLF IPL tournament. According to Dhoni, the team that gels well early would win the series.

MS Dhoni said, “The teams have played just one or two matches. You cannot make any assessment on this basis. There are lots of matches left. There will be ups and downs. The team which gels well throughout will be the winner.”

Dhoni has a point there. So far, the teams which looked like they were playing as a unit have won. Rajasthan Royals, Deccan Chargers have looked haphazard so far, despite the presence of some experienced players.

Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians

The main problem that worries Mumbai Indians is the fitness of their captain Sachin Tendulkar. He missed the team’s first match against Bangalore Royal Challengers because a groin injury. It is not known till now whether Sachin would be able to play in tomorrow’s game against the Chennai Superkings. Harbhajan Singh had captained Mumbai Indians in the absence of Sachin.

If Sachin Tendulkar is absent, then it would be Harbhajan Singh who would be leading the side just like the last game. All eyes would be on the ongoing rivalry between Matthew Hayden, the Chennai Super Kings batsman, and Harbhajan Singh, the Mumbai Indians spinner. Well, it is not as bad as the rivalry between Harbhajan SIngh and Andrew Symonds for sure.

According to Dhoni, the start of DLF IPL has been just perfect. “The start has been great, Brendan McCullum’s batting has been a solid one. Fans also got what they wanted. They saw some huge sixes, dance by cheerleaders, teams piling up huge scores and bowlers taking wickets. It provided excitement for the fans.”

The Chennai Super Kings captain also rubbished the possibility of him opening the innings in tomorrow’s match. On the other hand, if Sachin Tendulkar is available for play tomorrow, we may get to see tendulkar opening with Sanath Jayasuriya – that would be an explosive combination.

Australian batsman Matthew Hayden is in India now to play for the DLF IPL.

Matthew Hayden is now playing in the The Chennai Super Kings IPL team, under Indian captain MS Dhoni is is captaining th Chennai side.

The veteran batsman said IPL was the start of an incredible journey and the initial matches of the DLF IPL tournament has set very high standards for the rest of the tournament.

DLF IPL has so far seen some high scoring matches, except the one match that was played at Kolkata’s Eden gardens between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Hyderabad Deccan Chargers.

Chennai Super Kings in its inaugural match defeated the Kings X1 Punjab, captained by Yuvraj Singh, for 33 runs.

Matthew Hayden, who was involved in some ugly on-field chats with Indian spinner harbhajan Singh during India’s tour down-under, said he always maintained a “soft corner for India”.  “I first visited Chennai in 1997 with the A team. Walking out to bat, I looked around at this stadium and dreamt of the day I will play for the Australian team. I have always had a soft corner for India and now, playing for Chennai Super Kings, my life has come a full circle as this city will be my base during the IPL.’

When asked about his bitter rival Harbhajan Singh and their ongoing rivalry, hayden said, “We have had a few fantastic battles in Australia, and now I am looking forward to renewing my rivalry with Harbhajan.’

Matthew Hayden described Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Superkings, as a fine thinker and a confident individual.

Shoaik Malik, the Pakistan skipper, does not foresee any problem in playing in Hyderabad, despite his long legal battle with an Indian family. A person living in Hyderabad had alleged long time back that his daughter had been married to Shoaib on telephone and that Shoaib has been refusing to divorce his daughter ever since. Shoaib Malik is now playing for Delhi Daredevils.

The claim was made by the Siddiqui family and said that the marriage with his daughter Aisha took place in 2002.

After the allegation erupted, Shoaib said that he never married an Indian Muslim girl. He also later accused the family of trying to cheat him by showing a fake photo of another girl.

Shoaib Malik is in Hyderabad now to play for the DLF IPL. Delhi Daredevils, the Delhi franchisee of the DLF IPL, had bought him at the IPL player auction two months back.

But it seems that the Pakistan skipper is not showing any nerves. Before leaving for India, Malik said, “If you know there are two legal notices with the Siddiqui family that I have sent them to retract their claims and apologise for trying to defame me, and they have kept quiet on the notices.”

Malik continued, “If I had anything to hide or was afraid, I would not go to Hyderabad for the IPL game.”

Delhi Daredevils will face Hyderabad Chargers at Hyderabad today. Since Delhi already boasts of eight foreign players in the side, the presence of Shaaib Malik making an appearancce in the team is doubtful and is in the hands of Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.

Malik said, “We are professional cricketers and we have a playing life span of around 12 to 15 years. So we have to remain committed and perform to the best of our abilities. For me, the IPL is as important being a professional as playing for Pakistan.”

Taking a cue from the huge success of IPL, other cricket playing nations are also contemplating similar cricket events. Cricket Australia is considering such an avenue.

They are now watching the Indian Premier League and England’s answer to it for clues as to whether a franchised competition would work in Australia.

There are enough hints that the Cricket Board in Australia would come out with a number of Twenty20 internationals in the next summer. Cricket Australia general manager, Michael Brown, said that a franchise system would be considered in Australia if it could help attract new fans to the game.

The new plan by the Board will be incorporated in the remodeled program for 2008-09 to be released shortly. It is said that Australia is determined to keep its head as cricket’s new revolution, Twenty20, gains pace.  Australians have voted with their feet and their remote controls to endorse the shortest form of the game, said an office bearer of Cricket Australia. The fixture for Twenty20 would be within International Cricket Council guidelines. As many Australians players are taking part in the ongoing $1 billion IPL , it has gained lot of momentum among Australian viewers.

Though English players were prevented from taking part in the cash-rich IPL, the tournament is being enthusiastically followed in England.

It is learnt that a Texan billionaire Allen Stanford is considering backing a franchised league, similar to the IPL. It is learned that Cricket Australia is now in discussion with some investors interested in franchise model of cricket clubs.

There are also chances that other prominent cricket playing nations such as New Zealand, South Africa, Srilanka and Pakistan would soon explore options to start franchisee-based Twenty20 matches.

Even as the IPL starts off with a bang, it is dogged with complaints from many players that they have not received the initial Indian Premier League fees.

Reports said that two Australian players have not received payment after the first IPL auction held in February. Considering complaints from different corners, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations chief executive Tim May has begun an enquiry into the complaints. May has reportedly said that players, who haven’t received the payments could walk away from their contracts, if the problem is widespread.

A major concern for the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations is the absence of crucial documents and financial transfer associated with the contract. High competitions for the players had created a situation had led to mar transparency of the incidence in the sector. “There is a worry that some players have not been paid nor received their signed copies of contracts,” May has been quoted as saying. The association has not yet fully documented about the depth of the problem. They have only received a limited number of complaints till now.

David Hussey, who sold for US$625,000 in February, is one of the Australians who have not received the 15% payment of the auction price. He was expected to get the price before April 1, 2008. “It’s been an absolute nightmare in terms of the paperwork required to get the players there,” Hussey’s manager Rick Olarenshaw said. It is said that payment is delayed due to enormous paperwork associated with contract.

Shah Rukh Khans Kolkata Knight Riders top DLF IPL points table

Shah Rukh Khans Kolkata Knight Riders are on top of the table winning both their matches, netting 4 points and a net run rate of 3.764. of the other three teams which played two games, Rajasthan Royals jumped into the fourth spot ahead of Bangalore Royal Challangers, though both have 2 points, on the basis of a better run-rate, mainly assisted by Shane Watson’s heroics. Yuvraj Singh’s Kings XI finds themselves at the bottom of the points table with two successive losses and a negative net run rate of –1.365.

Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings are comfortable positioned with a win from a match and a positive net run rate, while Mumbai Indians are below Bangalore Royal Challengers, mainly due to their defeat against the former.

Net run rate is the total number of runs divided by the number of overs played and it comes into play if the points table is tied.

Big hitting Pakistani Shahid Afridi will be the man to watch out for Deccan Chargers in the IPL tournament.
Shahid Afridi holds the world record for the fastest century in all forms of the game – he has scored one in 37 balls. VVS Laxman would be breathing a sigh of relief, we guess.

And Afridi is keen to outsmart Brendon McCullum’s 73-ball 158 in IPL. McCullum took 53 balls to score his hundred against Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Shahid Afridi admits that it is not going to be an easy task but doesn’t hide the fact that he wants to give it a try. His skipper Shoiab Malik would play against him when Delhi Daredevils takes on Deccan Chargers.

But you know that cricket has a way of destroying such plans. Twenty20 can be exciting to watch, but the extra risks batsmen take make it tough for them to live long. We have to see how Afridi handles the pressure.

Matthew Hayden is excited about the prospect of taking on arch rival in Wednesday’s IPL Twenty20 match , when his Chennai Super Kings takes on Mumbai Indians on Wednesday.

Hayden said he has had serious run-ins with Harbhajan and such a contest on the field would be electrifying for the whole world.

Matthew Hayden also said the IPL Twenty20 format brings back memories of Kerry Packer’s breakaway league which threatened to split cricketing fraternity, but said cricket as a game would benefit immensely from IPL.

But what happens as the Australians are to pack their bags from IPL in the first week of May for their training camp against West Indies?

Hayden does not seem perturbed. He says the big hitting Albie Morkel from South Africa can replace him in the Chennai squad.

Hayden is also all praise for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, saying the Ranchi-lad has a fine cricketing brain.
Matthew Hayden also said big scores would be the order of the day in IPL.

Dhoni seems to be comfortable in his own skin with the Chennai team – especially if you see the Tamil ads he features in for Sonata Watches. Despite initial apprehensions, having foreign players in city teams have not seemed to matter much at all – except that they are much mroe consistent tan our local players and take away the shine.

Is there a real advantage for Chennai Super Kings when they play vs Mumbai Indians?

As an euphoric Chennai Super Kings led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni welcomes Mumbai Indians for the home match, both the teams will have plans knit around the presence or absence of one man – Sachin Tendulkar.

In their first match against Bangalore Royal Challengers, Mumbai Indians may not have missed Sachin Tendulkar as a batsman, but the absence was evident as a skipper, and of course his aura, which would have pumped in an extra dose of adrenalin into the Mukesh Ambni-owned side.

True opening batsman Luke Ronchi did not last long in the Mumbai stadium, but the big hitting Australian can be pardoned for this was his first match in the Indian sub continent. And Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka, who first mastered the art of hitting over the top while field restrictions are in place, did not let Mumbai Indians team down.

But imagine the prospect of Sachin opening with Sanath Jayasuriya for Mumbai Indians. That is one thing which even the agile thinking of Indian ODI and Twenty20 – and now Chennai Super Kings – captain MS Dhoni and the master cricketing brain of Chennai Kings coach Keppler Wessels would not relish much, even though they would have thought of umpteen plans to tackle such a scary scenario.

Mumbai Indians did fall short of another ten fifteen runs against Bangalore Royal Challengers but Robin Uthappa showed his prowess to be dangerous.

Thronley got retired hurt with more than a dozen stitches, which means he is almost out of the Mumbai Indians squad. This also means Sachin Tendulkar can make a quiet entry into the squad without much of a reshuffle. Sachin Tendulkar can also chip in with Sanath Jayasuriya for a spell of bowling, who went for 39 runs in his four overs, to give some variety to the bowling attack.

Abhishek Nayar showed that he is an exciting prospect with his willow as well as some stunning catches.
Bowling would be Mumbai Indians’ main worry and Sachin Tendulkar needs to do some damage control and may be try and bowl his entire quota without much damage. India discard Ashish Nehra was wayward, but he was taking the field after a huge gap.

Among the Mumbai Indians bowlers, Shaun Pollock was spot on with an amazing 4.17 runs per over rate, at one point bowling five dot balls to Bangalore Royal Challengers’ skipper Rahul Dravid, but The Wall would rather fend him off than try cut loose and throw his wicket.

This time also, Chennai Super Kings would not do some thing foolish, but the likes of Matthew Hayden and Dhoni would definitely try and upset Pollock’s rhythm early on, lest he unleashes his nagging accuracy and make life difficult.

Shaun Pollock did play a cameo 28-run knock of 12 balls while batting for Mumbai Indians, and the South African would be mighty pleased and eager to carry on from were he left.

After the initial success of getting Rahul Dravid when he was looking dangerous, Mumbai Indians bowler Harbhajan Singh did well to get another key man Jacques Kallis, but the pressure of captaincy did show. If Sachin Tendulkar comes into play, Harbhajan Singh would have a different take and might relish reviving his love-hate relationship with Matthew Hayden.

Mumbai’s Dhaval Kulkarni also did a decent job with the ball, though he would be getting pearls of wisdom to improve his approach to the game from coach Lalchand Rajput, Sachin Tendulkar and Shaun Pollock himself as the tournament progresses.

Chennai Super Kings are riding on a wave of success unleashed by Michael Hussey and and Matthew Hayden, M S Dhoni and Suresh Raina to it apart from Parthiv Patel and you know why they have emerged as bookies’ favourites.

Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttaiah Muralitharan would have to do more than the job of containment and he is capable of that also. Jacob Oram, M Goni, Amarnath and Sharma weren’t impressive at all during the high scoring match against Kings XI, but they have time to make amends.

In the absence of a testing bowling attach, Chennai Superkings would want to bat anyway and put up a mammoth total on board before hoping for the Mumbai Indians to buckle under pressure.

So the role of Hussey, Hayden and Dhoni is vital for Chennai Super Kings. But you cannot expect Michael Hussey to perform another big innings simply going by the law of averages and also because that was a sort of once in a lifetime exploit. It can’t be repeated every other day.

But Hussey would undoubtedly want some big hits for himself and would not allow himself to be bogged down. Its either a hit or a walk back as the Aussie doesn’t trust dot balls.

Dhoni has so far failed to perform with his bat, and this is the big match for him to unleash his hard-hitting fury. Chennai Super Kings needs a valiant effort from the Indian Twenty20 skipper.

Suresh Raina played a cameo and he will be expected to do that again or may be even promoted up the line-up if Parthiv is dropped. Stephen Fleming may also get a look in.

The verdict is that there is no clear edge for Chennai SuperKings vs Mumbai Indians as is perceived.

Teams:

Chennai Super Kings
MS Dhoni, Muttiah Muralitharan, Jacob Oram , Albie Morkel , Suresh Raina, Matthew Hayden, Stephen Fleming, Michael Hussey, Parthiv Patel, Joginder Sharma, Makhaya Ntini, Nuwan Zoysa, R. Ashwin, S. Anirudha, Sudeep Tyagi.

Mumbai Indians
Sachin Tendulkar,Sanath Jayasuriya, Harbhajan Singh, Robin Uthappa, Shaun Pollock, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Loots Bosman, Ajinkya Rahane,Abhishek Nayar, Yogesh Takawale, Pinal Shah, Ashwell Prince.