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Annual IPL jamboree kicks off tomorrow amid controversies

April 1, 2013
iplKolkata, Apr 1: Dogged by myriad controversies but glamorous nonetheless, the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League will kick off tomorrow with what promises to be a glitzy opening ceremony featuring Bollywood stars and international rapper Pitbull.

Flying drummers, Chinese percussionists, fireworks, and some of the biggest film stars in the country, including Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif, will perform at the ceremony at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Never before in cricket has any private tournament been as successful as the IPL and it is expected to be a rollicking affair once again when the nine franchises lock horns for the coveted title.

The Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders, the defending champions, have earned the right to host the opening ceremony.

KKR will also host the IPL opener, on Wednesday, when they take on Delhi Daredevils at the Eden Gardens that will also witness the summit clash on May 26.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will make their debut replacing Deccan Chargers, terminated by the IPL Governing Council following a breach of contract.

Known for controversies, the upcoming IPL has already made headlines for all the wrong reasons following Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha's ban on Sri Lankan players' involvement in the Chennai leg of the tournament.

Jayalalitha, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, refused to host the Lankans in view of the growing political tensions, stemming from the treatment of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Bowing to the intense political pressure, the IPL GC asked the 13 Lankan players, three of them franchise captains, not to play in Chennai that will host 10 matches, including two eliminators.

Continuing the controversy trail, in a setback for KKR, the Mumbai Cricket Association affirmed that the ban on the team's principal owner, Shah Rukh, would remain.

The actor allegedly manhandled security and hurled abuses in an inebriated state after being stopped from entering the ground last year. A miffed MCA had subsequently imposed a five-year ban on the Bollywood star.

Amid the glitz and glamour, all eyes would be on the most successful IPL side, two-time champions Chennai Super Kings, who have also been two-time runners-up.

That four of their players -- skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Murali Vijay and last season's recruit Ravindra Jadeja -- played a big role in India's historic 4-0 whitewash against Australia just over a week back would be a big morale-booster as they take fresh guard.

Off-spinner Ashwin and left-arm spinner Jadeja had a combined tally of 53 Aussie wickets to fall in the four-Test series, while opener Vijay was the leading run-getter (430). Dhoni's double century (224) in Chennai set the tone for India's four wins on the trot.

Add Suresh Raina, a finisher in the limited overs, to the quartet and CSK look an intimidating force this time around as well.

High on popularity quotient thanks to Shah Rukh, KKR have found their lucky charm in Gautam Gambhir following a controversy-ridden first three seasons.

Sunil Narine, the West Indies mystery spinner, foxed the big names last time while the likes of Jacques Kallis, Brendon McCullum, Bhatia, Manoj Tiwary and Laxmi Ratan Shukla also chipped in.

In the final, KKR found an unlikely hero in Manvinder Bisla. In a nutshell, it was a team that clicked as a whole in the fifth season.

With a new addition, 'One Team One Pledge', to their slogan -- Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo -- KKR will hope to do an encore.

With no Wasim Akram, the former bowling mentor, Aussie pacer Brett Lee will double up in the role.

They have new acquisitions in Lankan offie Sachithra Senanayake and South African all-rounder Ryan McLaren and KKR is hoping that the former will do a Narine in IPL Six.

Star-studded Mumbai Indians will be keen to win the title for the first time.

Mumbai will look towards their high-profile signing Ricky Ponting, who will captain the side, and it would be a treat to watch him alongside Sachin Tendulkar.

Also there would be Glenn Maxwell, the off-spinning all-rounder from Australia, who was bought for a whopping USD one million in the players' auction.

In a big setback for the Delhi Daredevils, Kevin Pietersen, who played a key role last season, has been ruled out with a knee injury, while New Zealander Jesse Ryder too will be missed after a brutal assault.

Underdogs Rajasthan Royals, champions of the first IPL, are known for their inspirational show and it would be no different this time.

Under Rahul Dravid, who will be assisted by former team India mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, the Royals will look for a fresh start after a forgettable last season.

Alongwith talented Ajinkya Rahane, Dravid formed a perfect opening for the Royals as the duo will look to give a good start.

The good news for them is that they would get explosive Aussie all-rounder Shane Watson for the entire season.

Royal Challengers are another side who are yet to win the title despite a high profile line-up.

Bangalore's best performance has been their runners-up finish in the second edition when they lost to Deccan Chargers.

West Indian maverick Chris Gayle, who was the Orange Cap (leading scorer) holder in the last two seasons, will once again be a vital cog in the RCB wheel.

New signing Muttiah Muralitharan and R Vinay Kumar will add sting to the attack, while Zaheer Khan's fitness would be looked upon.

The senior-most India pacer had sustained a calf injury during Mumbai's Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat last December and was dropped from the Indian Test squad against England.

Kings XI Punjab have been the most under-performing side as the Preity Zinta co-owned side would look towards former Aussie wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist who will be assisted by compatriot Darren Lehman, the team coach.

In fact it's a team of veterans with Azhar Mahmood (38), Dimitri Mascarenhas (35), David Hussey (35) and Ryan Harris (33) forming the core of the side and there would be questions about Gilchrist's fitness at 41.

Three-year-old Pune Warriors India would be captained by Angelo Matthews this season with Yuvraj Singh being the cynosure of all eyes as he was missed last season because of his cancer treatment.

Pune will look to turn the tide after abysmal performances in the last two seasons.

Newcomers Sunrisers Hyderabad will miss the services of Shikhar Dhawan especially after his record-breaking 187 in the Mohali Test against Australia.

Dhawan, who is recovering from a fractured hand, will be missed in the first few games.

IPL II winners Deccan Chargers have made way for the Sunrisers owned by the Sun Group, who have retained 20 players from the last season along with skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

The Sunrisers have a fine pace attack led by Dale Steyn who would be partnered by Ishant Sharma with Amit Mishra looking after the spin department.

The team will also look to benefit from the rich experience of mentor VVS Laxman who will be assisted by former selection committee chairman Krishamachari Srikkanth.

The IPL Six offers a total prize purse of Rs 25 crore that includes Rs 10 crore for the winners and Rs 7.5 crore for the runners up.

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News Network
April 9,2020

New Delhi, Apr 9: The legendary Kapil Dev on Thursday slammed Shoaib Akhtar's idea of a made-for-television three-match ODI series between India and Pakistan to raise funds for the Covid19 pandemic, saying "India doesn't need the money" and it is not worth risking lives for a cricket match.

Speaking to news agency, Akhtar on Wednesday proposed a closed-door series to jointly raise funds to fight the deadly virus both in India and Pakistan. Dev said the proposal is not feasible.

"He is entitled to his opinion but we don't need to raise the money. We have enough. For us, what is important right now is how our authorities work together to deal with this crisis. I am still seeing a lot of blame game on television from the politicians and that needs to stop," Dev said.

"Anyway, the BCCI has donated a hefty amount (Rs 51 crore) for the cause and is in a position to donate much more if the need arises. It doesn't need to raise funds.

"The situation is unlikely to get normal anytime soon and organising a cricket game means putting our cricketers at risk which we don't need to," said the World Cup-winning former captain.

Dev said cricket should not even matter for at least the next six months.

"It is just not worth the risk. And how much money can you make from three games? In my view, you can't even think of cricket for the next five to six months," he said.

Dev said the focus, at the moment, should only be on saving lives and taking care of the poor who are struggling to make ends meet in a lockdown situation.

"Cricket will resume when things get normal. The game can't be bigger than the country. The pressing issue is to look after the poor, the hospital workers, the police and all other people who are on the frontline of this war," said the 61-year-old.

As an Indian, Dev feels proud that his country is in a position help other nations including the United States.

President Donald Trump has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping the United States with the supply of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug being touted as a potential cure for Covid19 patients.

"Helping others is in our culture and I feel proud about that. We should not seek credit after helping others. We should strive to become a nation which gives more and more rather than taking from others," he said.

Like everyone else, Dev is at home and practising social distancing.

Asked how he views the current situation, he said: "Nelson Mandela stayed in a tiny cell for 27 years. Compared to that, we are in a privileged position (that we just have to stay at home for sometime)."

"There is nothing bigger than life at the moment and that is what we need to save."

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News Network
February 16,2020

Feb 16: Mayank Agarwal finally found some form going his way and Rishabh Pant mixed caution with his customary aggression as India's warm-up fixture against New Zealand XI ended in a draw in Hamilton on Sunday. The match was called off an hour after lunch with India reaching 252 for four just 48 overs into their second innings. Agarwal, who had gone through a wretched period since the second Test against Bangladesh, retired on 81 off 99 balls with 10 fours and three sixes to his name. To the relief of the Indian team management, Pant played in his customary manner to reach 70 off 65 balls, but also showed discretion when the opposition bowlers were in the midst of a good spell.

There were four sixes -- two each off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and off-spinner Henry Cooper. While Sodhi was hit down the ground, Cooper was dispatched over extra cover on a couple of occasions.

He didn't curb his aggression though; there were times when he was ready defend against the spinners and also leave some of the deliveries that the Kiwi pacers bowled.

Even though Pant is easily the better batsman compared to his senior Wriddhiman Saha, the innings might have come too late in the day considering that the latter is a better keeper and possibly a more responsible batsman in pressure situations.

The biggest positive to have emerged from the second innings is Agarwal's poor run coming to an end.

The Seddon Park track easing out was definitely a factor but Agarwal's footwork was more assured as he played some glorious on-drives and pull-shots off fast bowlers.

Before this game, Agarwal had played 10 competitive games including first-class, ODIs and List A matches and couldn't cross the 40-run mark in 11 completed innings.

He even bagged a pair against New Zealand A in an unofficial Test match. Once he had got his form back, he didn't come out to bat after lunch giving Saha an opportunity to score an unbeaten 30, his runs coming mostly against non-regular bowlers.

The Agarwal-Pant pair added 100 runs in 14.3 overs and it also helped that part-timers like Cooper was introduced into the action. In the morning, Prithvi Shaw (39 off 31 balls) was bowled through the gate by Daryl Mitchell as the batsman left a gaping hole between his bat and pad.

Shaw, though, seemed to have done enough during his brisk 72-run stand with Agarwal, which could put an end to the debate around the opening slot even though the tracks in Wellington and Christchurch could be a test of technique for the flamboyant Mumbaikar.

It was a match that Shubman Gill would perhaps like to forget in a hurry as he was dismissed cheaply for the second time in a row. He scored 8 before Daryl Mitchell trapped him leg before.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
August 3,2020

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will not end its partnership with Chinese companies. Vivo, the Chinese smartphone maker, is the main sponsor of the new IPL season as well. Apart from Vivo, PayTM and Dream 11 will also be at the helm of the 13th edition of the IPL. The IPL governing council meeting on Sunday decided to retain the old sponsors.

As soon as the IPL GC announced the decision of retaining the sponsors, a huge number of fans took to Twitter to slam the board for the same. #BoycottIPL started trending as the users urged others to boycott the tournament for the Chinese connection.

Earlier, the demand for exclusion of Chinese companies from the IPL was strong in the wake of the India-China border dispute. But the BCCI cannot abruptly end its collaboration with them. Because of the signed contract itself. And in this age of declining economy, it is difficult to find new sponsors quickly.

The current BCCI contract with Vivo is for five years. Vivo has invested Rs 2,199 crore to become the main sponsor of the IPL. The contract was signed in 2017. However, the BCCI’s move is paving the way for new discussions as calls are mounting across the country to boycott Chinese companies.

The BCCI announced other important decisions besides retaining sponsors. The IPL will be held from September 19 to November 10. The Indian government has given permission to the BCCI to hold the IPL in the UAE. With this, all obstacles in the way of organizing the tournament were removed.

The IPL matches will be played at 7.30 pm Indian time (6 pm UAE time). Most matches are about one match a day. There are a total of ten ‘double headers’ (two matches a day) in the tournament. Franchisees are allowed to appoint as many replacements as they want in the new season in view of the new health situation. At the same time, the maximum number of players a franchise can accommodate is 24. The BCCI is also planning to host a women’s IPL tournament.

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