skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The player retention rules for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League are out. So after weeks of speculation, here they are:
A. The maximum number of players that can be retained are 4.
B. The maximum number of Indian players amongst those retained can be 3, and the maximum number of Foreign Players amongst those retained can be 2.
C. Irrespective of what fee is paid to the retained players, the deduction from the total salary budget of US$ 9 million will be in the following format:
1 Player(s) Retained - US$ 1.8 million
2 Player(s) Retained - US$ 1.3 million
3 Player(s) Retained - US$ 0.9 million
4 Player(s) Retained - US$ 0.5 million
So lets say that a franchisee retains just 1 player, then irrespective of what they pay him, they can spend upto US$ 7.2 million at the auction. If they retain 2 players, their spending power will be US$ 5.9 million. It will be US$ 5.0 million if they retain 3 and US$ 4.5 million if they retain 4 players.
So what will be retaining strategy be like? In this post, I will try and look at it purely from the finance point of view (with a little bit of a reference to cricket).
The first major question that will need to be answered is that whether the player who is to be retained is really worth the amount that will be deducted from the team's budget... or whether all the players to be retained collectively are worth the total amount that will be reduced from their spending budget at the auction.
For example, Mumbai Indians should not hesitate in retaining Sachin Tendulkar and Kieron Pollard, for together they are easily worth US$ 3.1 million (if not a lot more). Chennai Super Kings have a similar state as far as the duo of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina is concerned. Well, frankly, I am not a big fan of Dhoni and don't think he is worth much... but there is not doubt that he will be retained for his Brand Value. The entire brand marketing of Chennai's franchisee has been done around Dhoni. He is the poster boy of their team. Therefore, he will definitely be retained.
The problem will occur for the likes of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab... I don't think anyone on their present team is worth US$ 1.8 million. Maybe Yuvraj Singh is, but then he does not want to stay at Mohali (from what has been reported).
The second consideration is that even if the teams do not retain players, they will have to spend upwards of US$ 1 million each in buying at least 2 big names that can benefit their team... maybe, even upwards of US$ 1.5 million. So it might be ideal to retain the old ones as one does not really know how high the valuation for the new ones will be, whether they will be worth it.
For example, Praveen Kumar may not justify a price tag of US$ 1.8 or 1.3 million, but it may be wiser to retain him as his price may well exceed US$ 1 million when 10 owners sit together for the bid - and - buy auction process.
The third major question, as I have already talked of in one of the examples above, is the brand-building. Chennai Super Kings have their entire brand name built around the image of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. There is no way they can let him go. No other cricketer in the league is has his brand so closely associated with that of the franchise as the Indian skipper.
And yes, finally there is the question of whether the entire team can be bought in US$ 4.5 million if a team decides to retain 4 men. We must remember that in the first ever auction, the limit for spending was up to US$ 5 million only. So there is no reason why an entire team cannot be bought for US$ 4.5 million, especially considering that in doing so the teams will be retaining their 4 main old men in their squad.
It would be interesting to see the auction process when it does take place. For the sake of the existing fans, I hope that there is not much of a reshuffle so that fan loyalties towards a particular player can be maintained. And for the sake of the fans of the two new teams, I hope they do get a chance to net in some big names who will perform for them well in the tournament.
The new KP (Kieron Pollard) blasted another match - winning Twenty20 innings for a team that is not called West Indies. He bowled a more than handy 3 for 26 in his 4 overs before coming out to bat and blast away 89* (48 balls, 7 fours, 7 sixes) to help his team Somerset blow away the challenge from Middlesex.
Thank God the English teams are not participating in the Champions League Twenty20 2010 to be held in South Africa. I have nothing against the English teams... but if Somerset qualified for the tournament, and if Trinidad and Tobago repeated their last year's feat to qualify once again for the tournament... that would mean Kieron Pollard could play for 4 teams in the tournament.
He is already qualified to play in the Champions League as a part of either Mumbai Indians or South Australian Redbacks. If it remains just these two, Mumbai Indians is more likely to use his services in South Africa (cash, man!) over the Redbacks. Somerset will not feature. Now, it remains to be seen if Trinidad and Tobago qualify. If they do, Pollard will have a choice to make. To play for his country or for a cash - rich club.
Playing for Trinidad and Tobago last year shot him into fame and resulted in him becoming the globally sought after cricketer in this version of the game. And considering the enthusiasm that the island nation team showed last year in their cricket, there is a good chance that KiPo may choose country over club. He may not be performing well for West Indies... but that is not his country! His country... his team... that is Trinidad and Tobago.
It remains to be seen now who will win the battle to acquire his services... cash or country (i.e. if the country does qualify)?
So after 60 games, Chennai Super Kings have been crowned the champions of IPL 3. Did they deserve the title? Mixed opinions. But sadly, the record books will show that Mumbai Indians was the most dominant team in the Indian Premier League 2010 for 59 matches, but could not be crowned the champions due to a few mistakes in the 60th one.
Letting off Suresh Raina twice proved costly... but what followed was even more so. Kieron Pollard was sent at when the asking rate was about 15. He may look like a beast, but he is still a human being. Had he been sent just a wicket or two earlier, he would have atleast had the breathing space to pull off the chase. I know I sound like a sore MI supporter... but it can't be denied that by the time Pollard came in to bat, it was already MI for Mumbai... Mission Impossible!
Congratulations to CSK... the silver lining is that finally, after three years, it was an Indian captain who got to lift the heavy trophy (it is pretty heavy... Lalit Modi almost dropped it at the time of presentation).
Now, as the CSK team celebrates, they and the other teams have already diverted their focus to the upcoming World Twenty20 Championship to be held in the West Indies from April 30. They will not only have to fight the opposition, but also fatigue... especially India. Now, Praveen Kumar and R Vinay Kumar will be facing off against Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Mark Boucher and van der Merwe, who were their teammates just a few days back.
On the whole, though there was some good cricket in this IPL, I was disappointed by the lack of close finishes. I have already touches upon this point in one of my previous blogs... the fact that as compared to the last edition, this IPL featured a lot fewer close finishes. The tightness of the points table somewhat made up for this... but when the last four matches (2 semis, 3rd place playoff and finals) all turn out to be less-than-exciting finishes, the last flourish does not leave a good taste.
Maybe it was the pitch to blame (win-the-toss-bat-first-win-the-match-pitch), but cricket in the end did not win as comprehensively as it should have!
Five stitches in the webbing between his fingers... will he be able to play the final? MI had a convincing win over RCB last night, but the elation was subdued due to the news of the injury to Sachin Tendulkar's fingers.
Kieron Pollard limped his way to a 13-ball 33* before limping more to a 3-17 in 4 overs and a contribution to a run-out. By the end of it, he wasn't even limping! Pollard came in when 14 balls remained in the innings... and he faced 13 of them. But he scored just 33 of them! That is slow by his standards. Just last week, he had managed 45. What a bore!
When KP starred with his bowling (finishing with figures of 1-20 in 4 overs), the match was in favour of RCB. And then the new KP, with some help from a lesser-known ST, turned the game around decisively. But any mention of yesterday's win will not be complete without Rayudu's contribution. He steadied the ship early on, got out when MI needed the Pollard thrust, and then capped off a wonderful evening with two low catches and an athletic stumping of the original KP.
Wow, MI in the final. Finally, my investment on the two t-shirts is paying off. Enough about MI now! DC and CSK will be fighting for the other slot in the finals today.
DC is on a high with five consecutive wins. CSK is also on a high with a close nail-biting win in their last match after their meeting with Dalai Lama. Logic would suggest that law of averages is bound to catch up with DC soon. CSK will be wondering how soon!
DC have relied a lot on Andrew Symonds and Rohit Sharma's contributions. Their captain has not really clicked yet. Some performance from Suman and Vaas have helped. CSK, on the other hand, have relied more on their Indian players - the unexpected ones like Murali Vijay and S Badrinath. They have revolved around Suresh Raina though, with some more contributions from MS Dhoni, Doug Bollinger and sometimes, Albie Morkel and Matthew 'Mongoose' Hayden.
I have already lent my support firmly to CSK for this match. And for a change, I'd like to see a close encounter deciding the finalist, unlike the hordes of one-sided matches that we have had in this tournament so far.
Yesterday's match 1: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils
My Prediction: Mumbai Indians
Actual Winner: Mumbai Indians
Yesterday's match 2: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Chennai Super Kings
Actual Winner: Chennai Super Kings
Today's Match: Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore
My Score: 5 / 10
KKR is out of the tournament... three consecutive unsuccessful attempts to reach the semi-finals... the only team to not reach the semi-finals of IPL even once in three years! A hat-trick that they certainly did not want to achieve!
I feel sad for Sourav Ganguly - I have always liked his character and had a lot of respect for his fighting abilities. But I am happy that KKR is out - because I do not like Shah Rukh Khan! I hope that he buys all the players that I do not like for the next edition of the IPL - then I can dislike KKR without any guilt feelings!
Finally, KP (I mean Kieron Pollard) justified (to a certain extent) his high-profile bidding! His version of the scoop was baffling! I thought he was all about power... but that scoop just shook me up completely!
The Royals' battle today will be virtually the second successive knockout match in this tournament. Where the RR team will be looking forward to a nice home game, the RCB will be buoyed by the fact that the fortress is not looking as strong as it used to be.
I know that the majority of cricket watching public was happy and satisfied with the New Zealand - Australia Twenty20 International yesterday. And unaware about the West Indies - Zimbabwe Twenty20 International that also took place.
In my last blog, which was written when the WI-Zim match had just begun, I was praising Sulieman Benn's 3rd best match haul in T20Int of 4 for 6. But by the time the Zimbabwean innings ended, Benn's effort had been relegated to 4th best by team mate Darren Sammy, who returned with 4 for 26 in his 3.5 overs.
And then started the pathetic show. West Indies batted out entire 20 overs chasing a target of 106. Blasphemous! 106 should be chased down in 10 overs. Why bat the entire 20?
But hang on, West Indies managed just 79 for 7 in 20. What!? Thank God Chris Gayle was rested for the match. He would have quit cricket! I am scared for Mumbai Indians. Their star recruits, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, scored 1 run between them in 5 balls, both falling to Greame Cremer, an unknown Zimbabwean leg spinner. May be Cremer should have been recruited by the IPL franchisees - would have saved them buckets of bucks!
Getting back to the point, isn't it truly and mind - bogglingly pathetic that a team with that bats out 20 overs in a Twenty20 match ends up with just a measly 79 runs for 7 wickets (run rate 3.95) with their captain-wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin unbeaten in the end for a heroic 23 off 37 balls! I mean, this kind of performance truly puts India's run rate of 4.20 in the Eden Gardens Test into perspective.
Nevertheless, the result was a great one for Zimbabwe, though it does nothing to hide the fact that they are woefully lacking capable batsmen. I definitely believe that revival of Zimbabwean cricket and their re-entry into Test cricket will be hugely beneficial for the game. They have produced some outstanding cricketers in the past - my favourites being Heath Streak and Andy Flower.
With Streak and Andy's brother Grant Flower having assumed coaching responsibilities with the national team now, Zimbabwean cricket is certainly taking steps in the right direction. Lets hope that the win over West Indies is a sign of the good times that lie ahead.
