Madame Tussauds has been increasingly featuring waxwork statues of Indian icons in a bid to thrill tourists from India and cater to the growing community of people from India and Pakistan.

Video of Sachin’s sitting with the Tussauds team for his waxwork

After  Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, Sachin Tendulkar will be the next Indian to be potrayed at the famous waxwork museum. Amongst other cricketers are Brian Lara and Shane Warne already have their wax statues at Madam Tussauds.

Madame Tussauds studios team had a rendezvous with Sachin Tendulkar last week in Mumbai. The team also collected catalogue of reference
photographs and hundreds of precise measurements. “We are delighted to confirm our next Indian superstar is going to be Sachin Tendulkar; his achievements on the cricket pitch are phenomenal and he is one of the biggest names in international sport,” says Liz Edwards, Madame Tussauds PR manager.

Tussauds guys with Sachin: Photo

She spoke about the popularity of the Asian celebrities who have been included at the museum ,”The Bollywood stars we have included over the past ten years have proved enormously popular with Asian guests and film fans from all over the world. We know Sachin will be just as popular for sports fans from home and abroad and are looking forward to introducing the real Sachin to his wax double soon.” she added

The final wax statue of the little master dressed in pure white will be unveiled in April 2009. The figure will be created at Madame Tussauds studios in West London at a cost of 150,000 pounds. Usually the celebrity featured is there to inaugurate his or her wax statue, so it is quite likely that Sachin would come face to face his wax statue then.

The cricket star will join the ranks of sporting greats, including David Beckham, Mohammed Ali, Tiger Woods and Jesse Owens, in Madame Tussauds interactive Sports Zone. Sachin fans who can never get close enough to the Master Blaster will now be able to click photos of themselves with his likeness.

The speculation over captaincy was triggered after Shaun Pollock addressed the media. Shaun Pollock said the physio would take a decision on whether Sachin Tendulkar plays or not. Tendulkar’s absence was a big disappointment to Mumbai fans, and things look bad for them still.

Pollock also said the presence of all rounders was the strength of the Mumbai Indians, but added the presence of a number of left handers in the Chennai Super Kings team makes it a difficult proposition to bowl to them.

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.

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.

As per the latest news, Sachin is unlikely to play in the inaugural match of Mumbai Indians against the Bangalore franchisee Royal Challengers. Sachin is nursing a groin injury. In the absence of Sachin, the team will be led by Harbhajan Singh.

It is expected that Sachin’s absence is a boon for the Royal Challengers, which were embarassed by Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match of the DLF IPL on April 18. Royal Challengers, led by Rahul Dravid, will also be happy with the presence of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the veteran West Indian who will add more strength to the batting line up of the ROyal Challengers.

If Sachin is missing from the Mumbai Indians squad, the cricket fans in Mumbai would surely be unhappy. But, Sanath Jayasurya and Robin Uthappa will surely add the much needed fireworks for a Twenty20 match.

The main weakness of Mumbai Indians is that they dont have many T20 specialists in the side, though Robin Uthappa is an exception. Although, the absence of SAchin Tendulkar would be a blow to the Mumbai Indians, the fact that they are facing a low-on-confidence Royal Challengers would act as a big morale booster to the Mumbai Indians.

Sanath Jayasuriya said that he was very happy to play with Sachin. Jayasuriya also said that he was delighted about the opportunity that he got to open with Sachin Tendulkar.

During a charity match in England, Sanath Jayasuriya had got his first opportunity to play with sachin. Now IPL has given him another chance to play with veteran Sachin Tendulkar.

When asked about how he felt playing with youngsters at the age of 38, Jayasuriya shot back,” I do not think so. I am still a young player both on and off the field.”

The Mumbai Indians team were all prepared for the coming T20 tournament, said Jayasuriya.

“We know our strengths and weaknesses. We are also preparing to counter the opponents in every match. We will try to keep the Mumbai flag high,” Jayasuriya said.

Hrithik Roshan, the dashing young Bollywood actor, has been roped as the brand ambassador of MUmbai Indians squad. Though the amount for which Hrithik Roshan was tapped by the Mumbai Indians is still unknown, the presence of Hrithik is sure to attract a lot of youngsters to the side.

The prize money for the winners of DLF IPL is an astonishing USD 1.2million, which is something that would make the owners of the IPL teams happy. Although for Mumbai Indians the money is not a huge problem, since its owned by none other than Mukesh Ambani, bagging Hrithink  Roshan and even the team itself for astronomical figures would mean that the owners are looking for good returns.

Mumbai Indians will play its first IPL match against Chennai’s Super Kings on April 20. Sachin Tendulkar is quite unlikely to play the first couple of matches due to his groin injury. That will be a big disappointment indeed for all Mumbai Indians fans.

Hrithik Roshan will also lead the fan club of Mumbai Indians, titled  ‘MI Paltan’, a tie-up with Yash Raj Film’s “Tashan” for cross-promotional purposes and the sale of tickets for its matches. Reliance Group logo is absent from the promotional campaigns of Mumbai Indians, and the group has announced that all the future activities of Mumbai Indians would be held under a new company called ‘IndiaWin Sports’. The formation of this new company could well be an indication that the Reliance Group is looking well beyond cricket, perhaps towards a bit of commitment in sports.

Mr. R. Balachandran, Director, IndiaWin Sports and President & Chief Marketing Officer, Reliance Retail, said, “It was done recently. Presently the focus is on IPL and cricket and the objective is to build a very strong foundation. IPL is for perpetuity. “If there is a long term opportunity to engage in more sports we would look at it at the appropriate time.”

As per IndiaWin Sports executives, Hhrithik Roshan was chosen as the brand ambassador of Mumbai Indians by Nita AMbani, the wife of owner Mukesh Ambani. According to Nita Ambani, Hrithik represents  youth, energy and tenacity, and is driven by aspirations.

The partners of Mumbai Indians IPL team are MasterCard and Adidas. The print media campaign of Mumbai Indians feature Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Sanath Jayasuriya and Robin Uthappa, while the audio-visual campaign stars Hrithik ROshan. Hrithik sings a marathi-Hindi mix theme song, ‘Ala re ala’ (here we come), Duniya Hila Denge (Let’s rock the world).

Mumbai Indians has also ropped in the famous commentator Harsha Bhogle as its advisor. Bhogle said, “”We are going to take great care to see that everyone integrates together because people are coming from different places. We have got a lot of youngsters from Maharashtra as well, from Mumbai itself.”

The prominent figure featuring in the Mumbai Indians team are Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Pollock, Loots Bosman, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa. Ashwell Prince will also feature in the team. Other players who will star in the Mumbai Indians team are Ajinkya Rahane, Abhishek Nayar, Yogesh Takawale and Pinal Shah.

Much to the surprise of many Indian cricket fans, Mumbai Indians have also roped in Dominic Thornely, a little-known Australian cricketer. Thornely is known for his aggressive batting and is also known for his combination of medium pace and spin. Some think Sachin is making up for the loss of Andrew Symonds to Deccan Chargers.

Mumbai Indians have started practising for the IPL matches. Heavy security marked the opening day of Mumbai Indians’ practice. The Mumbai Indians team would be staying in the ITC Grand Central, Parel, which will be their home for the coming two months.

The league matches of Mumbai Indians would be held at Nerul’s DY Patil stadium, which is almost 30km from the Mumbai Indians’ hotel.

Sachin’s IPL presence still doubtful
==========================

Since only few days are remaining for the inaugural match of IPL, Sachin Tendulkar, captain of Mukesh Ambani’s Mumbai Indians team admits that he is not fully fit yet. Tendulkar is suffering from a groin injury.

According to sources close to Mukesh Ambani, it is still unclear whether Sachin will take the field.

Talking to the media, Sachin Tendulkar said that he was a bit disappointed that he was not able to play in two test matches against South Africa due to the groin injury he has not yet recovered from.

“The physiotherapist and the doctor had earlier advised me rest and now they have given me the exercises and I am following their advice,” he told Aaj Tak.

Sachin Tendulkar denied reports about a rift between senior and junior players in the Indian team, and said that such rumuors were baseless. He also said that he did not know who were actually spreading these rumours.

On the prospects of facing long time team-mate Sourav Ganguly in the IPL, Tendulkar said, “I am looking forward to the reception in Kolkata and hope that when we are in Kolkata, Sourav will invite us over dinner and will also speak to (Kolkata Knight Riders owner) Shahrukh (Khan) then.”

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, captain of the Mumbai Indians IPL team, is excited to be part of Twenty20 as it gives him an opportunity to take on colleagues Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and M S Dhoni, as well as team up with his India mates Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa.

Sachin Tendulkar said the IPL is going to be a challenge and after team owner and Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani spoke to him he was convinced to take it up.

Sachin Tendulkar also denied reports hinting that his side – Mumbai Indians – was one of the weakest teams, saying it had a nice blend of youth and experience.

Sachin Tendulkar said spinner Harbhajan Singh would be an asset to the team, revealing the hopes that he has pinned on the Turbanator.

A key aspect of Mumbai Indians is its option to have two of the most explosive opening bats on its side – Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya – and Sachin Tendulkar himself is delighted at such a prospect.
Sachin Tendulkar, a former India skipper who has taken ten thousand runs in both Tests and One Days, also fancies the prospect of facing Shane Warne. Shane Warne is the skipper and coach of Jaipur team.

Sachin Tendulkar also said the IPL opens a window of opportunity for young players like Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ajinkya Rahane and Ankeet Chavan to take on some of the game’s best players like
Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, Shaun Pollock, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.

Sachin Tendulkar would also celebrate his birthday in the middle of the IPL – he turns 35 on April 24.

But the only worry that is nagging him is his injury. Sachin admitted that he is not fully fit, though a final assessment on his ability to play will be taken later. It really would be a disappointment for all the Mumbai Indians fans if Sachin could not play – pray it doesn’t happen!

Shaun Pollock is one among the former test players who have joined the IPL. Recently Pollock retired from international cricket with the Proteas.

The 34-year-old Shaun Pollock has joined the Mumbai Indians team owned by businessman Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance. Loots Bosman, a former player in Proteas team, Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya are the other prominent players playing for Mumbai Indians.

Shaun Pollock is relishing the chance he has gotten to play with Sachin Tendulkar.

Pollock says, “I’m really looking forward to it. I’m particularly looking forward to playing with my friend Sachin Tendulkar in India after a lifetime spent playing against him.”

Pollock will join the Twenty20 competition in England starting from June 2008. Dale Benkenstein, a former player in Dolphins team will also join for the same. During the England-South Africa Test and one-day international series held between July and September, pollock will commentate for Sky Sports.