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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.
Cricinfo's goof-up has made my previous post completely redundant. Here's the new IPL format:
Group A: Team 1, Team 2, Team 3, Team 4, Team 5
Group B: Team 6, Team 7, Team 8, Team 9, Team 10
Now, here's how it will work. Each team in Group A will play 2 matches each (home and away) against the four other teams in Group A. Similarly each team in Group B will play 2 matches each (home and away) against the four other teams in Group B. That makes it 8 matches for each team and 40 matches in all.
In addition, each team will play 2 matches (home and away) against any 1 team (chosen randomly) from the other Group. And finally, that team will also play 1 match each against the 4 remaining teams in the other Group (2 at home and 2 away). So, for example, if Team 1 plays 2 matches against Team 6 from Group B, then they will play 1 match each against Team 7 (say home), Team 8 (say away), Team 9 (say home) and Team 10 (say away). This means another 6 matches for each team... making it 30 matches in all.
Therefore, totally, there will be 70 matches in the league stage... 14 matches for each of the 10 teams (7 home and 7 away). And despite the teams being divided into 2 groups, there will be just 1 combined league table. Then there will be the playoffs. The format for playoffs is also different and slightly confusing.
Play Off Match 1: Rank 1 team on the table will play against Rank 2 team on the table. The winner of this match becomes the Finalist 1.
Play Off Match 2: Rank 3 team on the table will play against Rank 4 team on the table. The loser of this match will be the No. 4 team for the tournament. And the winner will be guaranteed a Champions League spot. But the winner does not enter the finals straight away. The winner will still need to play another match to qualify for the finals.
Play Off Match 3: The winner of Play Off Match 2 will take on the loser of Play Off Match 1. The winner of this match will enter the finals.
Finals: The winners of Play Off Match 1 and Play Off Match 3 will contest the finals of the Indian Premier League.
The format is unique... nothing like this has ever been seen before in the history of cricket (and maybe, other sports as well). But it is confusing. Keeping the essence of this format the same (i.e. 14 matches per team - 7 home and 7 away), I have a better format in mind. It would be much easier to understand as compared to the one explained above. Here it goes:
Each team should be required to play 2 matches (home and away) with every team in the other group and 1 match each with the remaining teams in their own group. This would mean that Team 1 would play 2 matches against Team 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. In addition, it would also play 1 match each against Team 2 (say home), Team 3 (say home), Team 4 (say away) and Team 5 (say away).
See, I did not even require a new paragraph to explain the entire format. Its much easier to understand than the one decided upon by the IPL Organising Committee. If only I were paid those salaries... sigh!
Moving on, I quite liked the new Play Offs format. It is a little weird to read at first, but it makes a lot of sense. Teams that finish Rank 1 and Rank 2 on the table are the ones that have performed consistently throughout the tournament. So, it is slightly sad if they have one bad day on the day of the semi-finals and do not get a chance to compete for the big prize. In the new format, they will get another chance... if they were to lose their Play Off Match 1, they will get another chance to try and win the Play Off Match 3 and still qualify for the finals.
And fittingly, Teams that finish Rank 3 and 4 will have to win three consecutive matches to win the IPL (instead of two consecutive matches as it stands in our traditional semi-final and final format). I will reiterate that I like this Play Off format... it makes a lot of sense to me! The deserving get an extra chance... and the undeserving have to pass an extra test to show that they deserve!
Reports suggest that this new Play Off Format was suggested by Adam Gilchrist as an extra incentive for teams to finish Top 2 on the table. In our current format, once the teams have qualified for the semis, they take it slightly easy and rest a few important guys. In IPL 3, Mumbai Indians played almost a complete new-look squad in their last IPL league match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. They were so depleted that they had to be captained by Dwayne Bravo... the man who himself was not a regular feature of the playing XI.
All in all, I must admit that 74 matches is certainly better than 94... but still quite a lot. It would have been even better had the tournament been even smaller... but alas, that is not to be! Lets hope that the new format, the new auction that will reshuffle squads, and the new teams keep us interested in this marathon tournament for long enough to reach the finals.
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)?
(contd...)
YUSUF PATHAN DROPPED:
Like Yuvraj, Yusuf too had it coming. Bowlers world over have the knowledge of shortcomings against the short ball. So much so that Yusuf Pathan could not even touch the two short balls bowled to him by Zimbabwean Christopher Mpofu in India's first ODI of the tri-series in Zimbabwe.
I have aleady mentioned and I reiterate it here that Yusuf needs to tour with India's A teams to places like England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. He is not going to improve much even if he smashes 10 more match-winning double hundreds in finals of domestic tournaments.
In fact, now that Saurabh Tiwary has been called for the Asia Cup... there is a vacancy in India A's squad that is currently in England. That should be Yusuf Pathan now... if the selectors are wise enough!
SAURABH TIWARY GETS A CHANCE:
Saurabh Tiwary is unlikely to get a game in Sri Lanka... but the fact that he has been selected as a part of the Indian team should do his confidence a world of good.
He has been selected on the basis of his IPL performances... and that is why I feel that this selection is flawed. Selection on the basis of IPL performances is not a very wise strategy. We have already seen it backfire on Murali Vijay, Umesh Yadav, and even Yusuf Pathan for that matter. I just hope that this young lad does not meet the same fate.
I followed Tiwary's season this IPL in detail since I am a Mumbai Indians supporter. He is not technically great... but has a lot of power. However, he does need a few overs to settle in. He is not a Kieron-Pollard-style-smash-it-on-arrival fellow... he needs time to get in before taking the aerial route. And that is why, my impression of him was that he could have a good future in India's ODI team. There are some players who are Test specialists and some who are Twenty20 specialists. Saurabh Tiwary, for me, comes under a different category called ODI specialists.
OTHER DECISIONS:
Ravindra Jadeja was retained in the squad. Not too wise in my opinion. I certainly do see a future for him as an Indian player. But the Shane Watson attack on him at Barbados seems to have robbed him of his confidence completely. He needs time to regain it before stepping back into the international scene.
Ashok Dinda has also been retained. Well, it would be unfair on the lad to drop him without giving a decent exposure. But did he deserve that India cap in the first place? I doubt it. The selectors have been playing musical chairs with India's seam bowling resources... and I don't blame them completely. They are not getting the results... but that does not mean that they can shove anyone and everyone (like Dinda and Yadav) into the international scenario.
Another meeting of the Selection Committee for the Asia Cup 2010 to be held in Sri Lanka from 15th June to 24th June. How is the team? Not ideal, but do we have a choice?
Here are some of the big decisions:
YUVRAJ SINGH DROPPED:
Well, he had it coming... Yuvraj's major problem was not that he was not getting the runs. He was bound to get them if he continued batting... he is too talented to be in a run drought for a long time.
The problem was his attitude. I am not even going to have a look at the off-the-field incidents that might have / might not have had an impact on this decision. Just the onfield incidents are enough.
First of all, his fitness is a huge issue. His waistline has grown... and the fact that it has shown no improvement in over two months now begs this question that does he really have the motivation and desire to work hard and earn a place in the Indian team?
Secondly, his fielding has gone bad... there is no other word for it. With the emergence of newer and fitter fielders, Yuvraj was bound to be moved away from his usual point position. But, wherever he fields, Yuvraj is expected to be agile and alert. Misfields because he failed to go down in time to pick up the ball, gross attempts at diving and unwillingness to chase a ball down does not seem to suit the requirements of Team India.
Thirdly, all this has taken a toll on his batting as well. His average has dropped... and he is not the dangerous batsman anymore who could once upon a time, change the game like no one else (apart from Sehwag, perhaps!)
SACHIN TENDULKAR RESTED:
This was not the decision of the selectors, in any case! The minute Sachin Tendulkar makes a decision... everyone in Indian cricket listens... right from the Board President to the groundsman working on the pitch. Who are the Selectors then?
But I have to add here that I am not happy with SRT's decision (for a change). Sure, he has earned enough respect and done enough for India to have the right to decide which tournaments does he want to play in and which ones does he not want to. But skipping the Asia Cup is not too wise a decision, in my opinion.
I know that India has a tight schedule ahead now. But skipping the season opener will not make the future schedule lighter. A wiser decision would have been participating in the Asia Cup now... and then skip maybe the ODI home series against New Zealand. Or some other additional tournament that the BCCI is bound to insert for more moolah...
Whatever the case, we have to live with this decision now. Though with the comebacks of Sehwag and Gambhir, I am not too worried.
(contd...)
The world has quickly moved on from the result of IPL 2010 finals... it is more interested in the unforeseen result of the IPL Controversy. But I am still a step behind... still thinking about the finals.
Even before the finals, despite my support for MI, I had a strong feeling that CSK could upset the MI bandwagon. I'll tell you why. Lets have a look at the MI players who have played in big finals before this particular match:
Sachin Tendulkar: World Cup 2003 Finals
Zaheer Khan: World Cup 2003 Finals
Harbhajan Singh: World Cup 2003 Finals
Lasith Malinga: World Cup 2007 Finals
Kieron Pollard: Champions League 2009 Finals
In case you haven't noticed, all the five players above played in these finals for the losing team. These men had had no experience of winning a big finale. On the other hand, here is a list of CSK players:
MS Dhoni: World Twenty20 Cup 2007
Matthew Hayden: World Cup 2003, World Cup 2007
Muttiah Muralitharan: World Cup 1996
Doug Bollinger: Champions League 2009
These men have tasted victories in other big matches. They know how to win the crunch moments of such encounters. And in the end, I guess that was the difference between the two sides on the night of 25th April.
Well, I guess this is my last post related to the cricket in this year's Indian Premier League. A lot of other issues surrounding the cricket have come to fore over the past few days... but all of that, for some other day.
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.
Mumbai Indians have won the toss in the first semi-final and elected to bat first. The moment match referee Javagal Srinath announced that Sachin had won the toss, I started muttering, "Bowl first, bowl first!" And then Sachin announced to the Navi Mumbai crowd, "We'd like to bat first!"
Though I want to see MI bat first, but I am scared of RCB's chasing record. The opening partnership of RCB has been imperious in run chases... and poor in target setting. But then this is the semi-final... the big stage! And two big men... Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble!
I am just keeping my fingers crossed... prayers ready... hopes raised... all for SRT! Anil Kumble, another great cricketer, deserves a title too! So he should lose the match, win the 3rd-place qualifier, and then go on to win the Champions League that will be played in South Africa. After all, his team is a mini - South Africa! He had his shot at the IPL trophy last year, missed it at the final hurdle... so now he should pass over the chance.
The stage is set... the teams ready... SRT is about to walk out... let the battle begin!
7 matches remain in the IPL 2010 - 3 in the league stage, 2 semi-finals, 1 3rd-place play-off and the Finals. Despite just 3 matches remaining in the league stage, the semi-final positions are unclear. Mathematically, just 1 team is secure and 2 teams are knocked out. All the rest of the 5 teams still stand a chance to take remaining 3 spots in the semis.
Last year, when IPL had moved to South Africa, there were many close finishes. Out of the 59 matches played, 24 had victory margins of 10 or less runs or 6 or less balls to spare. In this IPL so far, back in India, only 16 matches have had such results.
However, the lack of close finishes has been compensated by the fact that each finish has been complicating the points table more and more. The fact that three spots for the semis are still undecided bear ample testimony to this fact.
By the time the second match of the day ends, the picture will become a lot clearer. The results over the past couple of days have made the equation very easy of CSK - win against KXIP and enter the semis; or lose the match and head back home. DD and CSK are the two teams who have featured in the semis of both the earlier tournaments, but never gone on to win the tournament. CSK did reach the finals in 2008 and DD managed to top the tables in 2009, but neither will be satisfied.
All the teams know very well that once they reach the semi-finals, the past results count for nothing. As a result, the pressure in the semis will be on the table-toppers MI who will have to cap their dominance with two more victories. Otherwise, it will all count for nothing.
It is good that MI is most likely to face RCB in the semis and not CSK. A team like CSK would have been under a lot less pressure, because they were never the favourites to get there. RCB, on the other hand, will be under immense pressure themselves because they were meant to get there, but goofed up their campaign somehow to reach the semis with just inches to spare.
So, for now, lets just hope that the remaining 7 matches all have close finishes for an interesting week ahead.
One of my friends asked me about what would happen if MI won the semi-final and ended up with slow over rate. MI has already committed such an offence twice. When KXIP committed this offence for the third time, their captain Kumar Sangakkara was banned for a match. If MI commit the offence for the third time in the semi-finals, will Sachin Tendulkar be banned from the finals? Or will there be an exception made because it is the finals or because he is Sachin Tendulkar?
Well, the answer is that I am not sure. I went to the official website of the IPL and checked out the ‘Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials’ that is effective from 1st March 2010. Here are the regulations that relate to slow over rate:
Article 2.5: Minimum Over Rate Offences –
Failure by a fielding team participating in a Match to meet the Minimum Over Rate requirements contained in Appendix 2 constitutes an offence under this Code of Conduct by the relevant Team Captain and each of the Players in that fielding team.
Note: Subjective intent on behalf of the Team Captain to waste time is not required. It is sufficient to establish that the Minimum Over Rate was not met. To avoid liability under this offence the Team Captain would need to establish, on the balance of probabilities, that the shortfall was due to factors beyond his control and that the time allowances permitted by the Match officials in calculating the required over rate were not sufficient. The presence or absence of subjective intent and the extent of the shortfall shall be relevant in relation to the issue of penalty.
Note: Where a Minimum Over Rate Offence may have occurred, see Appendix 2 for the reporting process, disciplinary process and sanctions that are to be applied.
Appendix 2:
Article 4.2: For the purpose of Minimum Over Rate Offences only, the table at Article 7.3 of the Code of Conduct shall be replaced with the following:
4.2.1: for the first offence by the Team in a Season the Captain of the bowling Team will be fined US$20,000;
4.2.2: for the second offence in a Season by the same Team then the Captain will be fined US$40,000 and each Player the Team involved in the relevant Match will be fined US$10,000;
4.2.3: for the third and each subsequent offence in a Season by the same Team the Captain will be fined US$50,000 and banned from playing in the Team’s next Match and each Player in the Team involved will be fined US$20,000.
The above extracts (and indeed the entire Code of Conduct document) do not mention anywhere that special considerations will be made in respect of the semi-finals or finals or in respect of Sachin Tendulkar!
So I think it would be safe to assume that if MI commit such an offence in the semi-finals, then Sachin Tendulkar ought to be banned from the finals.
But then that would be ridiculous! The final of the richest cricket tournament just cannot go ahead with the star attractions banned due to issues as trivial as slow over rates. I can understand bans due to misconduct or bringing the game to disrepute. But slow over rates? Give me a break!
At this point, I’ll draw a comparison to football. In a football tournament, if a player receives a yellow card, it is carried forward to the future matches. Another yellow card in the future match results in the player being suspended for the subsequent game. Now I don’t know about all football tournaments… but I do know that in tournaments like UEFA Champions League, the yellow card records of all the players are wiped out clean once the ‘Round Robin Stage’ ends and the tournament moves into the 'Knockout Round'.
This ensures that the best players are always available for the Knockout stages (unless they are injured, of course!) and as a result, the tournament sees better quality of football as well as attracts greater viewership. Given that IPL has picked up a lot of ideas from European Football Leagues, this one would not be a bad one either!
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.
Yesterday's match: Deccan Chargers v Royal Challengers Bangalore
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Actual Winner: Deccan Chargers
Today's match 1: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils
My Prediction: Mumbai Indians
Today's Match 2: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Chennai Super Kings
My Score: 3 / 8
DC scored their third consecutive win in this competition and this one was also their third consecutive win over RCB - winning both their matches this season after the finals last year. Needless to say, this result makes the points table even tighter (if that could be possible) and just as everyone has predicted, teams with better NRR will have a big advantage going ahead.
Dale Steyn bowling was magnificent to watch. He has some kind of a love affair with the VCA Stadium (Jamtha), Nagpur. He got a 10-wicket haul for South Africa at the same stadium in a Test against India in February... and his spell today was a timely reminder to everyone that high-quality fast bowling can still work in this format... it's not all about slower balls and cutters! It was sad that he had to end up on the losing side.
Today's first match will see Virendra Sehwag return to the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai for the first time after his whirlwind 293 against Sri Lanka. Even Viru has a love affair with venues that have anything to do with 'M'. Mumbai, Multan, Melbourne, Motera, MA Chidambaram Stadium, etc.
With MI already in the semis, it will be interesting to see if they rest any of their key men. DD is in a desperate search of a win and Gambhir has his wish of playing an away game. A win for DD would more or less confirm them in the semis as well - because of their NRR. But MI would not want to lose their momentum.
The second match between CSK and KKR is a virtual knock-out match (even though both teams will still be in with a chance after losing). CSK look a lot better side... and KKR seem to be struggling with their combinations and belief to win.
What a pity that the two matches that deserved a weekend scheduling are going to be played on a Tuesday!
Australians have always been famous for their lip service methods... and Shane Watson showed a small example of it yesterday in the Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians match yesterday.
I had written a blog regarding the unruly behaviour of Australians after the Scott Styris - Mitchell Johnson incident last month. I wouldn't go so far to call Shane Watson's behaviour unruly this time, but it was certainly not sporting.
At some point during the telecast of the match yesterday, the points tally of the Fair Play Award came up. It showed that Rajasthan Royals were languishing at the 7th position. At that time, one of the commentators said that it might be because of Shane Warne and Shane Watson. And he wasn't far off the mark!
Shane Warne is a master at mind games - both subtle as well as brutal. His continuous emphasis on RR's 'home' record and 'fortress' comments have been seen by many as comments to intimidate the opponents before the match begins. Shane Watson, who has been booked even in the past, showed off his aggro once again yesterday. He got the wickets of Ambati Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary by setting them up - not with his bowling - but with his eyes and lips.
Rayudu played a firm push down the ground. Watson fielded the ball, stared with fire right into the batsman's eyes, turned back, bowled a well-directed bouncer, got the glove and got his man. I have no issues with that. So lets fast forward a bit.
In his next over, Watson, in his follow-through, serves a few words to Saurabh Tiwary, who had looked good in his short stay at the crease. He again dug one in short, Tiwary went for a pull, could not connect well, and ended up sending a simple catch to wide fine leg. Watson then celebrated by pumping his fists right in front of the batsman, who had no choice but to depart. That is where I have problem.
A celebration of that sort is very unfitting of a sportsman, and this is not the first time Watson has done it (ask Chris Gayle for more information). When you have a batsman out, you have won a battle... you don't need to rub it in to prove it. Watson's tendency to rub it in gives me a feeling that he is insecure and uncertain of his own talents... that is why he needs to show the batsman that he has won the battle even after the result is clear. That's not what Shane Warne does! In fact, Warne's most typical method of celebrating is one of the best I have seen in the game.
He srceams with joy, pumps his fists, congratulates himself, and if the battle with the batsman had been a tough one, he smiles at the departing batsman in an acknowledgement of the same. This shows that he is ready for another battle with the batsman, unlike Watson, who gets over the top.
But despite all of Watson's antics, one has to ask Rayudu and Tiwary about what they were thinking in attempting those strokes. Yes, they had been instigated. But did they not realise it then that Watson wanted those very strokes from them? This is what separates boys from men! They don't have to look too far for examples. They must have noticed by now that no bowler tries to work Sachin Tendulkar up even if he is beaten by a 'jaffer'. That is because Sachin responds very positively to such non-cricketing tactics, unlike what Rayudu and Tiwary managed yesterday.
These young men will have more chances to prove that they have learnt from this incident, and they will need to prove a point. In the Chennai Test against England in December 2008, Yuvraj Singh was softened up by Andrew Flintoff using a few choice words. Yuvraj proceeded to throw his wicket away next over by edging straight to slip (yes, it was Freddie in the slips)!
In the next innings, with India chasing 387 for a win, match nicely set up and hanging in balance, and the pitch a little crumbly, it was time to Yuvraj to show his mettle. Freddie was there again with a few words... but Sachin helped Yuvraj distract himself from that battle and concentrate on the game. Eventually, Yuvraj played a crucial role in helping India reach that target and most were very impressed by that performance.
If Rayudu or Tiwary manage something like that, it will be a great confidence booster for them just as it will be great for the Indian team. I really wish to see that happen!
Yesterday's match 1: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab
My Prediction: Delhi Daredevils
Actual Winner: Kings XI Punjab
Yesterday's match 2: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians
My Prediction: Rajasthan Royals
Actual Winner: Mumbai Indians
Today's Match: Deccan Chargers v Royal Challengers Bangalore
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore
My Score: 3 / 7
Yesterday's matches were very bad for my predictions, but it does not matter one bit. MI is through to the semi-finals and I am delighted! RR have lost for the first time at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur - and its Warne's old pal SRT who inflicted the first crack at the fortress!
Yes, I felt a little bad for DD - a team that I like. But despite this defeat (an embarassing one), they are almost certain to go through. KXIP did them a favour by taking their own sweet time in chasing down a paltry target of 112. It ensured that the Net Run Rate of DD does not take a big dip.
But it was the second match yesterday that stole the show for me! It was a perfect match for a Mumbai Indians supporter! A win at Jaipur against RR, who had not lost a single match there, was special. It was almost like Manchester United beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge!
Another batting masterclass by SRT (he tripled his tally of tournament sixes yesterday) ensured that he wore the Orange Cap in the second half. If orange caps were to be awarded for international runs tally, then that cap would never leave his head! His three boundaries off Warne's over were delightful to watch. The first one over extra cover was the best - his use of the wrists to control the direction showcased the artist at work!
And by the end of his innings, he was reading the bowlers like an open book, especially Shane Watson. Twice in the 19th over by Shane Watson, Sachin was waiting on the backfoot for what he knew was going to be a bouncer - and he was absolutely correct! Aditya Dole, you do not drop Sachin Tendulkar EVER!
The DC v RCB game today would be an interesting one with respect to the race for the semi-final berths. A week ago, I was thinking that 4 teams are fighting over 1 semi-final berth. Then, mid-week, it became a case of 5 teams for 2 berths. And now, with DD's loss yesterday, it has become a case of 6 teams for 3 berths. It couldn't have gotten any better!
Yesterday's match 1: Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings
My Prediction: Deccan Chargers
Actual Winner: Deccan Chargers
Yesterday's match 2: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Actual Winner: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Today's Match 1: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab
My Prediction: Delhi Daredevils
Today's Match 2: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians
My Prediction: Rajasthan Royals
My Score: 3 / 5.
Yesterday, just before the toss before the 2nd match, Sourav Ganguly was asked what was his side's track record on that ground (M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Bangalore). He said: "Played one, won one."
So I tried to recall what had happenned in 2008 between RCB and KKR at Bangalore. And then I realised - the first ever IPL match - the Brendon McCullum 150 - the 140 run thrashing of a "Test" team.
The tables have turned completely. RCB is no more a "Test" team. KKR has forgotten what it is like to win comprehensively. And RCB is more likely to finish 2nd from top in the points table - rather than 2nd from bottom.
With his dismissal yesterday, McCullum now has an IPL average at Bangalore - an average of 203. But he could do nothing this time to help KKR win, which puts them in a precarious position in respect of the semi-final qualification spot.
The second match today will be of great importance for the semi-final race. A win for MI will seal their place and virtually oust RR. On the other hand, a win for RR will not only help them take a huge step ahead, but also cause a lot of anxiety in the MI camp.
Even though I am a supporter of MI, I have predicted a RR win today because of the fact that they have never lost a single match in Jaipur. They have a brilliant record on that ground - and seem to be peaking at this moment.
Still, I will keep hoping that by the end of this day, one semi-final spot will be taken up.
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!
Yesterday's match: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Deccan Chargers
My Prediction: Deccan Chargers
Actual Winner: Deccan Chargers
Today's Match: Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians
My Prediction: Mumbai Indians
So finally, after a long time, my prediction has come true! And I hope that tonight's will come true as well!
I hope Zaheer is fit and well-rested... I am not worried about him missing more matches for MI, but I want him fit for the World Twenty20 Championship. He is India's best pace bowler today by quite a distance... and he's not featured in either of the two World Twenty20 Championships that have been held till date.
Mohali will provide much better playing conditions that Chennai (in respect of weather)... so I am positively hoping for a big performance from SRT today! Incidentally, Sachin has hit just 1 six at Mohali in international matches - way back on 8th November 2007 against Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) in an innings where he was dismissed for 99! I'd love to see a similar performance tonight.
Some people are waiting for the Sachin Tendulkar v Brett Lee contest, but I am actually waiting to see the Sangakkara - Jayawardene v Lasith Malinga contest. Not so long back, another magician from the Emerald Isles - Muttiah Muralitharan - got the better of his countrymen when KXIP played CSK. Will the slinger-Malinga manage the same?
And yes, by the way, RCB's loss yesterday has thrown open the entire IPL table. Whereas just a week ago, 4 teams were fighting for 1 semi-final slot, now it has become 5 teams fighting over 2 slots. RCB's momentum has gone for a toss... and there have been numerous question marks from every quarter over their team selection policies.
They are due to host KKR tomorrow, who have suddenly found a new energy (especially, their skipper Sourav 'Dada' Ganguly). That match, I believe, will be a lot more interesting than tonight's fixture... but then, God's team will be playing tonight!
I know that the table above looks gibberish... but then I like doing gibberish stuff! The top row lists the home teams and the results of their matches against the corresponding away teams are given below their names. A home win is indicated by green colour and an away win by red colour.
And just to make it more colourful, yellow indicates the matches that are due to be played on the given dates, and blue indicates the matches that are not possible (I mean, Mumbai Indians cannot play against Mumbai Indians, come on!).
A few things came to my notice due to the abundance of colour usage. Firstly, I had not realised that KXIP is yet to win a home game (though it's certainly not surprising). Secondly, I was under the impression that only MI has lost just 1 match at home. Now I have realised that even RCB and RR have lost only 1 at home thus far (though they still have 3 and 2 home matches remaining, as compared to MI's 1 home match).
And another piece of information that is not visible from the above table, but just for fun: both of DC's home wins have been at Cuttack. Nagpur and Navi Mumbai, their other two 'homes', have not yielded positive results. The wins at Cuttack were the first wins that DC have registered in their 'catchment' area. They lost all the 7 matches in IPL 2008 at Hyderabad, and then went on to lost 2 matches in Champions League 2009 at the same venue again. Maybe, they should look to shift their franchise's base.
Tonight’s encounter at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium promises to be a mouth-watering clash. An in-form Chennai Super Kings side takes on the best team of the tournament so far, Mumbai Indians.
But then, even the last match at Ferozeshah Kotla, New Delhi – between Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore – had promised a lot. In the end, it turned out to be pretty easy win for the hosts. I have a feeling that the CSK v MI match will be a better contest because I don’t expect MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar to make any selection error like the one made by Anil Kumble at Kotla.
Last time when these two teams met, Suresh Raina played a brilliant knock, well-supported by S Badrinath. MI’s bowling, after grabbing the 2 early wickets, looked toothless (for once in the tournament). However, MI’s batting, led by the Master, chased down a seemingly daunting target of 181 with consummate ease. Sachin Tendulkar has hit only 1 six in this tournament thus far, and it came in that particular match against Muttiah Muralitharan when he danced down the track and deposited the wily Lankan over long-on boundary.
The hosts have a much better look to their squad now with the addition of Doug Bollinger. His much-talked-about ability to hurry on to the batsmen caused a lot of discomfort to the RR batsmen, and effectively won the match for CSK. I don’t know if MS Dhoni has thought about dropping Matthew Hayden. Apart from that one blistering innings with the Mongoose, he has not contributed a lot at the top. Hayden can be replaced by Mike Hussey, who is also an exceptional fielder – certainly much better than Hayden in the field. Hayden’s absence from the team might even help in dousing the competitive spirit of Harbhajan Singh, who just loves competing against this and few other particular Aussies.
The visitors, on the other hand, have a very settled look to their squad. They have always found someone who raised his hand up during sticky situations and got them out of it. The youngsters have fired well, and the bowling attack is one of the best in this tournament. However, CSK will be buoyed by the fact that MI has looked fallible in the last few matches. That they have managed to come out on top of such situations is a different matter altogether.
Chepauk, the stadium as well as the crowd, has always been kind to Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh. But then, Twenty20 is a completely different cup of tea. The motivation is a lot more for the hosts, who not only want to enter the top-4 once again, but also seek revenge for their defeat at Brabourne Stadium. But then, once SRT has the bat in his hands, he does not need to search anywhere for motivation. It’s there within.
