LALIT MODI AND SURESH KALMADI

Lalit Modi and Suresh Kalmadi.

Similarities -

Two sports administrators in India. Two extremely dislike-able men. Two men who have had to handle big responsibilities - the Indian Premier League and the Commonwealth Games respectively. Two men currently embroiled under charges of scams and corruption. Two men who always claim that they will deliver the very best.

Difference -

One delivers what he promises. The other shames himself, others and the entire country by proving himself to be an incompetent and irresponsible administrator.

Now let me make it clear... whatever good I may write about Lalit Modi in this blog, make no mistake, I dislike that man completely! I usually despise men who have an air of arrogance about them... and Lalit Modi makes that list! But when I compare him to Suresh Kalmadi, I have to admit that he's the better administrator... by miles.

Lalit Modi has also made outrageous statements in the past. His methods and techniques have always been questionable. But there is no denying that whatever he promised, he delivered on that. Most, including me, scoffed at the idea of IPL moving to South Africa. But he made it happen and delivered a very well-organised and well-managed IPL there.

And now Suresh Kalmadi. For months now, I have been reading about his promise of delivering the "Best Games Ever". The situation now is such that we don't even know if he will be able to deliver any "Games"... let alone the best ones ever. Not one of his claims have yet been vindicated. He made a fool out of himself when he claimed that Usain Bolt will participate at Delhi 2010, only to hear Bolt's agent announce next that the star athlete will not be competing here.

I do not understand why men as incompetent as Kalmadi or Ijaz Butt take up such big responsibilities when it is obviously apparent that they are not up for it. What pleasure do they derive in bringing shame and disrepute to their respective countries!

With CWG just a few days away now, many countries have issued warnings and deadlines to the Organising Committee (OC) to meet their standards in safety, security, health and sanitation. A friend of mine remarked that it would still be understandable if the Games were to be called off due to security issues. The world today is truly a dangerous place to live in and security is a genuine concern. But to hear that the Games may be called off due to issues such as cleanliness, health and sanitation is downright shameful!

As is all this is not enough, a member of the OC has the courage to give explanations to the media saying that everyone has different standards for cleanliness and sanitation, and therefore, this should not be regarded as a big issue.

Bullshit! The Games are on the verge of being called off due to such issues and we are not supposed to regard them as big. We want India to become a superpower with our booming economy, we want India to be a permanent member of UN's Security Council... but when we are given a responsibility that in itself is also an honour, we perform so dismally that it shames not only us, but even those who thought that we deserved such an opportunity.

Irrespective of whether we find some quick-fix measures to conduct the Games smoothly or not, one thing is certain. India is not likely to be given an opportunity to host any big event any time soon. And we would be huge buffoons if we even approach the concerned authorities for another such chance any time soon.

I really hope that Mr. Suresh Kalmadi and Mr. Ijaz Butt and the like are really brought to task for their brand of buffoonery. The axe needs to fall now! Enough is enough!

DEAR MR. MICHAEL CLARKE

Dear Mr. Michael Clarke,

Over past few months, everyone has witnessed your continuous struggles at coming to terms with the newest form of cricket... Twenty20. What makes this situation comic (atleast for a neutral spectator like me) is that you are the captain of your country's international Twenty20 squad.

Last year, when Lalit Modi had claimed that you withdrew your name from the IPL auctions because you were scared of the humiliation of not being sold at you 'high' base price, I was scoffing. The story looked a little far-fetched! But now, I can almost believe it. To put it in very soft words for you, your batting in Twenty20 is pathetic!

Let me first revisit you Twenty20 batting record for you: 32 matches, 26 innings, 442 runs at an average of 21.04 and a strike rate of 101.14 with the help pf 22 fours and 9 sixes. Your highest score of 67 is your only 50+ score in Twenty20 internationals.

You have played just 5 innings in your career where you have scored more than 20 runs at a strike rate of 105+. And let me remind you, 18 of your 26 innings have been played at positions 1 to 4. You have not managed to score at a strike rate of 100+ in your last 8 matches now. And all those 8 matches were played as a captain! Frankly, I have never known a more under-performing captain.

I know I shouldn't compare, but Virendra Sehwag's ODI strike rate is higher than your Twenty20 International strike rate. And David Obuya has more 50+ scores than you. And to think that you are a captain of a team that has dominated world cricket for over one and a half decades!

Now here's my humble suggestion. It would do a lot of good if you voluntarily opt out of this form of cricket. It will save you the embarrassment of being sacked despite being the captain. It will hugely benefit your team. It will help a lot of fans who want to watch good cricket action. It will benefit the game of cricket indeed!

You are a wonderful batsman in the other forms, a delight especially in Tests. But having struggled in Twenty20s for so long now, I think you should be wise enough to make a call. There are enough youngsters in the Aussie structure to fill you relatively tiny boots. The captaincy can be well handled by Cameron White. So, I guess you have understood my point.

You can contact me anytime on this blog if you need more advice for the advancement of your career. I am always ready to help everyone... even Shane Watson!

Take care. Waiting for your retirement press conference dates,

SJ.

THIS DAY... FOUR YEARS AGO

All good things come to an end... this one also did! India had created a world record of having won 18 consecutive ODI matches chasing... that very skill in which it was once considered that India was shabby.

But on this day (20th May) four years ago (in 2006) at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, it came to an end... it came to an end with a slower yorker from Dwayne Bravo that beat Yuvraj Singh all ends up to rattle into his stumps... and sent India to an excruciatingly painful 1-run defeat.

Four years is a timespan between two World Cups... but for India, this four-year gap represents a different era altogether. This was a time when Rahul Dravid led the team. India had not played a Twenty20 till then. Irfan Pathan was considered a match-winner then... and regularly sent to bat at No. 3. Yuvraj Singh was lean and fit (can you believe it?)! Some guy called Mohammed Kaif also played cricket for India. Modi meant Narendra Modi (a politician always in news)... and not Lalit Modi! Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty and Juhi Chawla might not have owned a cricket jersey then... let alone a cricket team! And yes, the legendary Trinidadian Brian Charles Lara also played cricket and captained the West Indies side.

India had won the previous match (while chasing again) by 5 wickets with 1 ball to spare at the same Sabina Park ground. There was a feeling that Rahul Dravid will choose to bowl every time he wins the toss, no matter what the conditions. He did win the toss... he did choose to bowl. India did well in restricting West Indies to 198 for 9 in 50 overs... leaving Sarwan stranded on 98* at the end of their innings. Again, it was that Irfan Pathan fellow who impressed with his bowling... grabbing 3 - 45 in 9 overs (including the prized scalp of BC Lara).

India lost regular wickets till 60 for 4 in 17 overs. Then Raina and Yuvraj forged a 64-run stand when I typed an SMS on my cell alerting everyone that India had won 19th in a row batting second. When Raina went and soon the score became 134 for 7, I saved that SMS to drafts... determined to open it only when India sealed the deal.

As the game got closer to its climax, I became more alert (despite the fact that it was about 2 in the night in India). When No. 11 Munaf Patel was to face Bravo on the first ball of the final over with India needing 11 and Yuvraj on the other end... I was on my wit's end. I still recall that over clearly. That scrappy single by Munaf to the keeper, that outside edged four to third man by Yuvraj attempting a wild slog followed by a beautiful cover drive for a four that would have been called beautiful no matter what continent were you in... and then that ball! Needing 2 runs of 3 balls and Yuvraj on strike... I had opened my drafts folder on my mobile phone. What happened next meant that I had to edit that message before sending it to people who followed cricket through me.

West Indies had to get Yuvraj out to win... there was no other option (save a run out)! Yuvraj looked sublime on 93... it took a special delivery from Bravo to deceive him! Yuvraj was distraught... on his knees at the crease long after the match was over. Bravo was over the moon... but that is where he is every time he does something special. Not only was India's streak broken, even India was broken! They went on to lose their next 3 matches... and losing an ODI series 4-1 to West Indies was embarassing even then!

It was a fabulous match that did not end on a happy note for me. But looking back at it, I am glad that I had decided to stay up till 3 at night to watch it... it was worth the sleep deprivation that I put myself through.

CRTICISM GALORE FOR DHONI

All right, the semi-finalists have been confirmed... there were no surprises in store yesterday. India lost a last-ball thriller to Sri Lanka. And West Indies, needing a 24-run win to advance, were bundled out early and lost comprehensively to the mighty Aussies.

Semi Final Fixtures:

England v Sri Lanka
Australia v Pakistan

As I have predicted a couple of times already in my previous blogs, the finals will be played between Australia and Sri Lanka at Kensington Oval, Barbados.

Back again to India's poor performances on the tour. Lets take it step by step. The team was humiliated in the last edition of World Twenty20 in England by fast, pacy and bouncy bowling. They drew a lot of flak for their performances then.

But it was soon forgotten because the team soon became the World No. 1 Test Team. But that was a different team. That Team India had Virendra Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman at No. 2, 3, 4 and 5. This team had Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma / Yuvraj Singh / MS Dhoni / Yusuf Pathan at those positions. A difference in class altogether.

Then came a few meaningless ODI tournaments against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh before another Test series where India retained the No. 1 ranking. A win in the 3-ODI series followed, which was again masterminded by Sachin Tendulkar's 200*, who is a part of that team and not this team.

And then came along the IPL. A lot of blame of India's performances has been placed on the rich shoulders of IPL. There were some good performances, some sorry ones and lots of controversies. But in general, it was clear by the end of the tournament that the players are tired of all the cricket and travel. But they did not have any rest to look forward to.

Instead, the World Twenty20 Championship came along... and the players made their way to the Carribbean islands. They opted not to play any warm up matches... and they can be forgiven for that in my opinion for two reasons. One, is was a tight schedule... you also have to get rid of the jet lag. Two, their first fixture was a warm up game in itself (no disrespect meant for Afghanistan... I, for one, am delighted at their progress in cricket).

Their first match went on expected lines: an easy win over the Afghan side. Murali Vijay impressed in his first appearance in the India blues. Then the matches went on unexpected lines.

India beat South Africa comprehensively riding on Suresh Raina's 101. This team again made merry when on a slow pitch. They entered the Super Eights looking falsely formidable. And then, the same old story replayed again. Three more defeats in Super Eight matches means India has lost six consecutive Super Eight matches in World Twenty20s. And almost all of them to the same script - bounce them out.

I have been extremely disappointed by Dhoni's strategies in the Super Eight matches. The Kensington Oval pitch was not meant for a part time spin based attack. One can understand him misreading the pitch during the first match against Australia... but when you repeat the same mistake on the very same pitch, you need to be pulled up.

About yesterday's match now... the game went along fine for India till 11 overs when India was well placed at 96 for 1. Then Gambhir went. That was also fine. Wickets are bound to fall. But then I saw my fears come true. The captain had promoted himself to No. 4. My friends were of the opinion that it Dhoni might promote Yusuf Pathan up the order. But I had a feeling at the back of my mind that this is what Dhoni likes... dead flat pitch, not a fast bowling attack, India well-placed... basically, a batsman's wish when he knows that he is not a good enough batsman!

Dhoni came... and the momentum went out of the window. By the end of the innings, he had managed a 19-ball 23 not out with 1 six... at the end of an innings with wickets in hand, this is unacceptable. When you have the ability to hit a clean straight ball, why would you want to pre-meditate paddle sweeps and make yourself look like a complete fool (this applies to AB De Villiers also)?

India managed only 73 in the last 10... and Dhoni has to take the flak for it. When you are entering in the 12th over, you are responsible for the slog over acceleration... more so if you are a captain. Dhoni's performances, with the bat as well as in the field as a leader, were extremely disappointing. Indeed, most of the players put in sad performances.

Harbhajan, effective in all the earlier matches, finally came across a man ready to take the attack to him in the form of TM Dilshan... and the result? Bhajji withered under the attack and helped Sri Lankans to a few more easy runs with flatter bowling. When you do not bowl to pick up wickets, it may work against South Africa or England, but it will not work everytime. You need to be aware of this fact.

I have already expressed my views of India's batsmen and their ability to play the short ones in here. A last word now on the IPL. I don't think it will be fair to blame IPL for this debacle. Even if the players would have been fresh, it wouldn't have improved their technique against short balls.

IPL is, like everything else in life, a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly (that's Lalit Modi)! It has helped India unearth a pool of talent that even the administrators did not know existed. They got a chance to rub shoulders with their heroes... learn from them.

The only problem with the IPL is that it is scheduled just before the World Twenty20 leaving the players tired and exhausted. In my mind, it is clear that an ICC tournament is a lot more important than an IPL. So the IPL administrators should have been a little more sensible in their scheduling. I know they didn't have a big window... but had Lalit Modi been a little more cooperative with everyone else, then even ICC would have cooperated with him in creating a decent window for his brainchild.

Once the IPL fatigue wears off, and players of that team (SRT, RSD, Viru and VVS) return, the team will look a lot better... on paper as well as in results. I just hope that this time, true learning takes place. If this experience is also swept away under the carpet, as it happenned the last time round, then God help the future of Indian cricket!

MI: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

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!

EMPTY STANDS AND LOO

Yesterday's match: Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians
My Prediction: Mumbai Indians
Actual Winner: Kings XI Punjab

Today's Match 1: Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings
My Prediction: Deccan Chargers

Today's Match 2: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore


MI has gotten into a losing streak (I know it's only two in a row now, but their next match is against RR at Jaipur - and RR has NEVER lost a match at Jaipur). Yesterday's result is not going to affect the table in any way, but KXIP has issued a warning to all their remaining opponents that they are going to try and upset a few parties.

The afternoon match today between DC and CSK will be played at Nagpur. Who the hell plays in the afternoon at Nagpur? Its 41 degree celcius and DRY out there. It is the most dry part of India and the 'hot winds' that blow in the afternoon over there (called 'Loo Winds') can really knock you out. All I can say is best luck to DC and CSK boys!

I hope Lalit Modi sees this match and realises that the attendance is 'very poor' at the neutral-Nagpur. It might be one of the best grounds in the country with great facilities, but it is very poorly located. It is far away from the city of Nagpur and takes a long time to reach there. Add to that the fact that it is hosting home matches for DC, who do not have a single big Indian star in their ranks. I mean, for God's sake, the Nagpur crowd is not going to come out in this kind of heat to watch a neutral game and support the likes of Rohit Sharma and RP Singh.

RCB and KKR will have much better and 'playable' conditions later in the evening at Bangalore. Both teams need wins for varying reasons - RCB to arrest their loss of momentum and KKR to take another step towards the semis. If KKR manage a win, RCB will truly need to worry about their semi-final spot. Kevin Pietersen must be wondering why his presence affects the RCB squad's performance so adversely!

INJURY UPDATES

Here's a list of all the injuries that I know of, thus far in this IPL:

1. Ashish Nehra - Delhi Daredevils - Rib Injury (sustained before IPL)
2. Greame Smith - Rajasthan Royals - Finger Injury (v DD)
3. Dimitri Mascarenhas - Rajasthan Royals - Ankle Injury (v DD)
4. Yusuf Pathan - Rajasthan Royals - Shoulder Injury (v DD)
5. MS Dhoni - Chennai Super Kings - Elbow Injury (v KKR)
6. Gautam Gambhir - Delhi Daredevils - Torn Hamstring (v MI)
(Please let me know if I have missed any)

What's interesting to note is that all of the above players (not sure about Dimi) would feature in their country's squad for the World Twenty20 Championship in the Caribbean islands after the IPL. Heck, two of them are captains.

Last year, India missed the services of Virendra Sehwag in the World Twenty20 Championship in England due to the injury he sustained during the IPL. So when one hears Lalit Modi say that despite a huge increase in the number of matches next year, IPL will be played out over 51 days only... it's something to worry about. He may turn a blind eye to all these assertions, but the fact remains that the injuries sustained during IPL are not helping the  players when they wear their national colours.

CARBON NEUTRAL - REALLY?

I just heard that IPL and UN have struck a deal - something related to environment preservation. UN has declared 2010 as the 'Year of Bio - Diversity' and is apparently 'impressed by IPL's commitment to the cause of betterment of the environment'.

Lalit Modi announced that by next year, IPL will become a completely 'Carbon Neutral' tournament. I did a quick check on Wikipedia. Here's the meaning of Carbon Neutrality: "Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference."

Trust Lalit Modi to come up with jargons that even he will barely understand. If he is truly committed to make IPL 'Carbon Neutral', he might have to completely let go off the fireworks display that have become a regularity in IPL's opening and closing ceremonies. In fact, the whole concept of opening and closing ceremonies is very much stacked against 'Carbon Neutrality'. Is he ready to let go of the laser shows, stage performances and all the hoopla?

He does not have to stop giving his speeches (something he seemingly loves). He can always use Twitter for that.

NOT STANDING ON CEREMONIES

In a few hours time, the mega event will begin. IPL 3 - Back in India. Lalit Modi, given his standards, must have organised a gala opening ceremony at the D.Y. Patil Stadium.

However, I have never had a lot of patience for ceremonies. I'd much rather watch the 2nd Practice Round of the Bahrain Grand Prix tomorrow (with Schumi back, I am just as excited about the first Grand Prix of the 2010 Calender).

The bad news for me is that Mumbai Indians play their first match on Saturday - at the same time as Schumi, Vettel, Massa and the rest will line up for their Qualifying Session at Bahrain. I don't want to miss either one of these events. I have no clue how I will be managing both. Lets see what unfolds...

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2011

Come March 12, the third edition of the Indian Premier League will kick off in Mumbai. But in this blog, I'll be attempting to look beyond it. I am placing my eyes on the fourth edition - the IPL 2011 - the first IPL with 10 teams.
As per initial reports, IPL will allow each of the existing franchisees to keep 6 players from their original squads with them (4 Indians and 2 overseas players). All the others will compulsarily have to be auctioned in order to be a part of the next Indian Premier League. Before waiting for this year's IPL, the World Twenty20 Championship to follow, and next year's ODI World Cup (which will be the last major event before the IPL 2011), I am kicking into some previews and strategising.

CHENNAI SUPERKINGS:

Players sure to be retained (Indians) - M.S. Dhoni, S. Raina
Players sure to be retained (Overseas) - M. Hayden (assuming he does not retire), A. Morkel (atleast I would have retained him)
Other players in with a chance of being retained - M. Vijay, S. Jakati (he was good last year), P. Patel

The bowling of this team does not inspire a lot of confidence this year. I am sure the owners will be keenly following the best bowlers in this year's tournament and the World Cup before the July auctions.

DECCAN CHARGERS:

Players sure to be retained (Indians) - R. Sharma, P. Ojha
Players sure to be retained (Overseas) - A. Gilchrist (if he continues playing), A. Symonds
Other players in with a chance of being retained - H. Gibbs, VVS Laxman (possibly because of the Hyderabad factor), K. Roach, D. Smith, V. Rao

This team looked the strongest on paper in 2008, but took a year to prove itself. If Gilly decides to retire, the performances of Dwayne Smith and Kemar Roach will matter a lot to decide who will be retained for next year.

DELHI DAREDEVILS:

Players sure to be retained (Indians) - G. Gambhir, V. Sehwag, D. Karthik
Players sure to be retained (Overseas) - None (its a problem of plenty)! It will be a tough choice between AB De Villiers, T. Dilshan, D. Nannes, D. Warner and possibly even W. Parnell
Other players in with a chance of being retained - A. Mishra, A. Nehra, P. Sangwan

This is one team that will surely want Lalit Modi to allow more players from the existing team to be retained by each franchisee. On form, DD should not be beaten this year. Will this rich streak of form of the key components of the team continue till next year? Or will it fizzle out sometime soon? This one is surely a team to watch out for - during this year's IPL and after it as well.

KINGS XI PUNJAB:

Players sure to be retained (Indians) - Y. Singh, I. Pathan
Players sure to be retained (Overseas) - K. Sangakkara
Other players in with a chance of being retained - B. Lee (if he does continue playing cricket), Y. Abdulla, M. Jayawardene, S. Marsh, R. Bopara, P. Chawla, R. Powar, S. Sreesanth

One thing's for sure - this team next year will still include Yuvraj Singh and Kumar Sangakkara. There are very few cleaner strikers of a cricket ball. Preity Zinta might want to bid for a regular opener in the July auctions if they do not retain Shaun Marsh, their star performer in 2008.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS:

Players sure to be retained (Indians) - L. Shukla, M. Tiwary (I doubt Ganguly will continue playing next year)
Players sure to be retained (Overseas) - B. McCullum, C. Gayle
Other players in with a chance of being retained - A. Dinda, M. Karthik, C. Pujara, I. Sharma, W. Saha

Shah Rukh Khan will want to invest wisely in July. His team's selection strategies have been the centre of many jokes - be it Ishant Sharma's US$ 0.9 million contract in the 1st year, Mortaza's US$ 0.6 million contract in the 2nd year or the investment in injury-ridden Shane Bond for this year. But I pity their team selection strategists. For all of their foolish investments, there always were fools from other franchisees as well who were willing to go almost as far. SRK will surely not want any blogger in his team.

MUMBAI INDIANS:

Players sure to be retained (Indians) - Z. Khan, H. Singh, A. Nayar (I am sure SRT will make himself unavailable next year)
Players sure to be retained (Overseas) - K. Pollard
Other players in with a chance of being retained - JP Duminy, L. Malinga, D. Bravo (amongst the overseas players) and S. Dhawan, D. Kulkarni, A. Rayudu and R. Satish (amongst the Indians)

Mrs. Nita Ambani might want to invest in some cool finishers. In both the IPLs thus far, Mumbai Indians have often displayed the case of 'So Near Yet So Far'. They need players who will be able to hold their nerve in the end and pull off some wins. The talent in the team is ample - especially with the inclusion of some ICL comebacks like Rayudu and Satish. I guess that all will agree this is the last time Sachin Tendulkar will be seen playing for an IPL franchisee.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS:

Players sure to be retained (Indians) - Y. Pathan
Players sure to be retained (Overseas) - G. Smith, S. Tait (given his current form)
Other players in with a chance of being retained - M. Patel, N. Ojha, D. Mascarenhas

Shane Warne is already 40. So I am expecting him to hold on to his post of the Coach of RR and maybe even the Chief Recruitment Officer. Given his modus operandi of using lesser known players to get big results, their strategy for the auction in July will be the most unpredictable one.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE:

Players sure to be retained (Indians) - V. Kohli, M. Pandey
Players sure to be retained (Overseas) - K. Pietersen (Dr. Mallaya seems to be fond of him)
Other players in with a chance of being retained - P. Kumar, A. Mithun, R. Uthappa (Dr. Mallaya seems to be fond of him too), E. Morgn, D. Steyn, R. Taylor, R. van der Merwe

This will certainly be the last IPL of Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid. So Dr. Mallaya will have to manage without their services next year. He will also be reluctant to let go of some of the best domestic talent on scene from his squad. I think Eoin Morgan's performance this year can help him unearth a young and brilliant overseas talent that can be a part of his team for a long term period. He will not want his team to be ever referred to as a 'Test Team' in the future.

In addition to the above eight, two more teams will feature in IPL-4. The initial reports are suggesting that Ahmedabad and Pune are the favourites to have an IPL team of their own in the next edition. We will know for sure by 21st March. These two teams will have to build their team and brand right from the scratch. But they will not mind it. Even the Rajasthan Royals were not expected to win in 2008. They will know that they are always in with a chance.

COLOSSUS OF IPL

The dust is settling over the controversy surrounding the issue of IPL auction and the non - selection of any Pakistan player by any franchisee. There are murmurs that Pakistan players might still get a chance in IPL 3. But I am already looking ahead... at the auction to be held for IPL 4.

Lalit Modi has promised the biggest auction as of yet for IPL 4. I am certain we will see many more cases of punctured reputations. The facts that we know are: 10 teams, 12 foreigners cap per team, 6 players (4 Indians and 2 foreigners) can be retained from the original team, and there are some more but I am not interested in those for the purpose of this blog.

Lets work out some numbers here. 10 teams and 12 foreigners per team means that 120 foreigners will figure in IPL 4. Out of these, 16 foreigners can be retained by the 8 original teams. This means that 104 foreigners will be on sale. Last I checked on each team's websites, they had an average on 16 Indian players in every squad. That makes it about 160 Indian players for IPL 4 out of which 32 will be retained in their original 8 teams. So, we can expect an auction of about 125-130 Indian players. Put in the amount of money involved, the best performers of IPL Season 3 and World T20 Championship 2010 can laugh their way to their banks.

IPL, since its inception, has been a centre of many controversies - relating to cricket and everything else under the sun. Almost all of these controversies have has a link to one man - no brownie points for guessing who - Lalit Modi. I have no clue what the man is like in real life. A person who can manage such a huge event almost single-handedly must be one heck of a person with a heck of a Blackberry. But I am here to speak, as a member of general public, about the public perception of this man.

Lalit Modi, more often than not, comes across as an arrogant man who has an air of superiority. Most people I know are almost embarassed when he makes his tall claims and tries to show that IPL is the best. And they hate him when he proves himself right. And they envy him when he whispers something to Preity Zinta or Shilpa Shetty. His lisp does not impress many either.

Indians have always liked their stars to be humble and down-to-earth characters (I don't have to look far ahead for examples - Sachin Tendulkar!). We find such men as the ideal role models for the youth. We don't mind a splash of brashness (remember Sourav Ganguly?), but we cannot tolerate self-obsession. And this is one of the biggest reasons why Lalit Modi generates a lot of hatred in the common man.

I do not know where the IPL is headed to in future. Soothsayers have made their predictions. Who amongst them will be the Nostradamus? Your guess is as good as mine. But one thing is for sure, there might be some respect but also a huge sigh of relief when the man who projects himself as Colossus steps down (or is made to step down... even better) from the helm.