Cricket Indian Premier League – IPL 2009 season

Eden Gardens Kolkata gets all seven matches

2009-02-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

Photos of Eden Gardens Kolkata :

All Seven Home Matches of 2009’s IPL will be at Eden Gardens, Kolkata :

After lots of drama, meetings between Knight Riders management and CAB, finally it is decided that the Eden Gardens will host all seven home matches of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the second edition of the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL). The tournament gets underway on April 10.

At a hastily convened news conference, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya said that Knight Riders co-owner Jay Mehta informed him of the decision on 21st February, 2009 (Friday).

“I received a call from Jay Mehta and he confirmed that all the seven matches this year would be played in Calcutta,” Dalmiya said.

The announcement puts to rest all speculation that a couple of the Knight Riders’ home matches could be hosted by Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium. It was learnt that logistic problems in Cuttack finally tilted the scales in the city’s favour.

Speaking to reporters, Dalmiya admitted that despite Friday’s confirmation, time was still short for getting Eden ready for a month of busy action. He added in the same breath that the CAB would do everything in its power to ensure there was no cause for complaint.

“We will burn the midnight lamp and make the Eden presentable before the IPL. On behalf of the CAB, I have assured Knight Riders of our best co-operation.”

As part of their preparations, Knight Riders will play a few practice matches in Dhaka next month.

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, said that Deccan Chargers have selected Visakhapatnam as the venue for two of their home matches in the second edition of the IPL.

Ricky Ponting replaced with Morne Van in 2009 IPL

2009-02-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

Photos of Ricky Ponting :

Ricky Ponting will not Play in 2009 IPL, Replaced with Wicketkeeper-Batsman Morne Van :

The above face will not be seen in Kolkata Knight Riders team in 2009’s IPL. Ricky Ponting on 19th February, 2009 (Thursday) announced that he will skip this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), starting April 10, saying he wouldn’t be able to give his all to the national team if he uses the two-week break to play in the IPL. The Australian captain is contracted with the Kolkata Knight Riders. As a replacement of Ricky KKR has taken Morne Van Wyk, the wicketkeeper cum batsman of South Africa.

“I have made the decision I will not play in the IPL Twenty20 competition this year. My country comes first and there was no way I could give my all for Australia if I used the only two-week break we have to go and play in India,” Ponting wrote in his column in The Australian.

“I have been talking with my team, the Kolkata Knight Riders for a month or two now, and in the end my only choice was to withdraw from the 2009 competition, but I will most certainly be back for 2010 when I hope to be able to make a much greater contribution. The franchise has been fantastic about the whole thing and I want to thank them for their understanding,” he wrote.

From a source of KKR, it is heard that they are not breaking their contract with Ponting because he is a good and experienced player and the price they are giving to him is much less in comparison with others in IPL. But actually it is rumored that Kolkata Knight Riders management tried to sell Ricky Ponting, but not a single franchise are interested to take him at this moment.

Joy Bhattacharya, chief executive officer of Knight Riders, said they respected Ponting’s wishes, they would seek a replacement for the Australian captain.

And finally it is officially said, wicketkeeper-batsman Morne Van Wyk of South Africa will be Ricky Ponting’s replacement. The 29-year-old has played six ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals.

Ponting said part of his decision not to play in the IPL this year was that Twenty20 cricket was physically demanding and he wanted to preserve himself for the World Cup in England in June.

“I could have played for two free weeks in the IPL and in many ways that is not satisfactory, not for the Knight Riders and not for Australian cricket either.

“And then there was the issue of giving up the chance to be with my family for a fortnight. It is always hard to leave Rianna and I cherish every second I spend with my daughter Emmy.

“Having said that, it will be painful not to be with the Knight Riders and I am going to be sneaking out in the night to catch as many of their matches as I can on the television.

“Before we go a step further, I want to say that this is not an indication of any intention to ease myself out of Twenty20 cricket. I am really looking forward to the World Cup. It’s one trophy we do not have on the shelf and have never had.

In conclusion, Ponting did not forget his commitments for next season. “I haven’t looked ahead to next year but it would be perfect if I could get over and play every game with the Knight Riders.

The IPL is one of the most exciting competitions in world cricket and I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on that trophy too, but until then it is the trophy cabinet at Cricket Australia that matters the most.”

Shilpa to perform for IPL music video

2009-02-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

Hot and sexy images of Shilpa Shetty :

Shilpa Shetty will Perform in Rajasthan Royals’s New Music Video as Item Number :

When she had swung her hips to Aayee hoon UP, Bihar lootney, Shilpa Shetty had clean bowled many people across India.

But Shetty wants to better her performance when Warne and his boys in the Rajasthan Royals look to loot runs and wickets in IPL Season 2.

“Shilpa’s item songs have always been special. She wants her IPL music video to be her best item song ever,” said an official of the team in which the actress recently bought a stake.

The music video will be part-sponsored by her boyfriend Raj Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals who emerged surprise winners in the first season of Indian Premier League.

Shilpa Shetty will dance to the team anthem Halla Bol, sung by the popular Indian actor, TV personality & a folk-pop singer Ila Arun and composed by Anand Raj Anand.

Ken Ghosh, who’s now making the film Kaminey with Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, will choreograph and direct the video. Ken Ghosh is a former ad-filmmaker who will direct a music video after seven years.

“Shilpa gave the final green signal for both Ken and Anand. She had worked with both before,” the Royals official said. “She’s totally involved in the project and is working on the costumes, accessories, everything in advance. She wants to sizzle like never before in the video and that is the mandate she has given Ken.”

The music video, featuring the item number, will be shot in March in Jaipur.

It will cost approximately Rs. 3 crore. Kundra will contribute one-third the amount while the rest will come from the team kitty.

It is rumored on Shilpa’s cards also is a television reality show on the lines of Shah Rukh Khan’s Kings and Angels, anchored by Shilpa, to find cheer-leaders for her team.

“Shilpa will have the final word on the styling and the costumes of the cheerleaders. The show will be produced by Shilpa’s S2 Productions We are in talks with television channels to air the show,” said the Royals source. Shetty was unavailable for any comment on this topic.

Knight Riders deal with Coca-Cola

2009-02-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

Kolkata Knight Riders Make Deal with Coca-Cola, Not with Pepsi Again :
Tit for tat. First PepsiCo did not renew their endorsement contract with Shah Rukh Khan after a decade-long association and then Shah Rukh Khan’s IPL did not renew their endorsement contract with PepsiCo for this year. This is called exact retaliation.

Coca-Cola on 19th February, 2009, announced it would be an associate sponsor of Kolkata Knight Riders, the DLF Indian Premier League team owned by the actor Shah Rukh, actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jai Mehta, for three years, starting this season (IPL Season II).

The negotiations with PepsiCo for title sponsorship began to look tough in this season; the actor’s Indian Premier League team then has begun talks with Coca-Cola for a new deal. Finally the deal fixed with Coke rival PepsiCo fizzled out.

“We had a meeting with PepsiCo yesterday evening after which we decided that there was no point expecting much from them. Coke was making a much better offer as per their letter of intent. It was a multi-year deal — so we picked Coke,” said a Knight Riders source.

Pepsi was the associate sponsor and beverage partner of Kolkata Knight Riders last year.

PepsiCo, which did not renew its endorsement contract with SRK after a decade-long association, had been willing to offer a “golden handshake” to the superstar in the form of a sponsorship for his IPL team.

Sources said the three-year deal with Coca-Cola - which would promote Sprite brand (the company’s clear lemon drink) — would fetch KKR around Rs. 5 crore annually. Though it was first heard that Coca-Cola is expected to pay around Rs 6 crore, but may be after negotiation the price came down to Rs. 5 crore per annum.

PepsiCo did not comment on the development. But sources said it wasn’t ready to offer more than a one-year contract, worth around Rs 4 crore.

As part of the new deal, Sprite will be the official beverage of the Kolkata team.

“Twenty20 cricket is clearly a growing passion with today’s youth. The success of IPL 2008 has taken the game to a new high. It provides Coca-Cola India with a very exciting platform to connect with all its consumers. We are happy to bat with Kolkata Knight Riders as an associate sponsor and pouring partner,” said Venkatesh Kini, vice-president (marketing), Coca-Cola India.

Coke will get branding rights for Sprite on players’ apparel (leading arm) as well as on the helmet.

“The KKR partnership will further help entrench the brand among consumers not only in Bengal but across India. As part of the association, Sprite will have in-stadia presence and activation rights for all seven home matches at Eden Gardens, India’s most loved cricketing venue,” said Coke spokesperson Viraj Chauhan.

Sachin retired from Twenty20 International

2009-02-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

Photos of Sachin Tendulkar :

Sachin Tendulkar Retired from Twenty20 Internationals but Will Play the IPL :

Sachin Tendulkar on 12th February, 2009 (Thursday) confirmed his retirement from Twenty20 Internationals saying that he did not wish to be part of the scheme of things for India in the shortest version of the game.

Tendulkar ruled himself out of India’s two Twenty20 Internationals for the upcoming tour of New Zealand which will start from 25th February 2009, and said that he did not want to “disturb” the team’s winning combination.

Sachin has played only one T20 International, against South Africa in 2006, and opted out of the T20 World Championship in South Africa in 2007.

Speaking on the sidelines of a promotional event, Tendulkar said he no longer wanted to be in contention for a place in the team.

“When I made the decision to miss the T20 Championship in 2007, I was tired after the England tour and wanted rest. I did not feel that I would be able to give my best, so it was a conscious decision not to play then,” Sachin said.

“Now the team is doing well and I do not want to disturb the winning combination. I do not want to be part of the (India) T20 team.”

He, however, said that he would continue to play for the Mumbai Indians in the DLF Indian Premier League.

Tendulkar said he was “not convinced” with the umpire referral system in which the bating and fielding teams are allowed to ask the umpire to refer a decision to the third umpire.

“Leg before wicket decisions on referrals are not convincing enough,” the 35-year-old Mumbaikar said.

Sachin was philosophical about the debatable decisions that went against him in the three One Day Internationals he played against Sri Lanka recently.

“The whole world has seen. You think about all going well for you but they don’t,” he said. “During a long journey, there are red and green signals along the way.”

Following are the 2009’s schedule of forthcoming International cricket matches which will be played between India and New Zealand in New Zealand –

February 25 : First Twenty20 meet in Christchurch
February 27 : Second Twenty20 meet in Wellington
March 3 : First ODI in Napier
March 6 : Second ODI in Wellington
March 8 : Third ODI in Christchurch
March 11 : Fourth ODI in Hamilton
March 14 : Fifth ODI in Auckland
March 18-22 : First Test in Hamilton
March 26-30 : Second Test in Napier
April 3-7 : Third Test in Wellington

Knights & Angels on NDTV imagine to choose cheerleaders

2009-02-10T01:47:00.000-08:00

Juhi Chawla to Choose Cheerleaders at Knights & Angels Program :

Knights & Angels on NDTV imagine to Choose Best Cheerleaders for Kolkata Knight Riders :

Whatever happens to the team, Bollywood Baadsha Shah Rukh Khan always make sure that the entertainment aspect must be on top for Kolkata Knight Riders.

For making the Indian Premier League more entertaining, one of the most prominent entertainers are cheerleaders. So, SRK thought why we don’t hire the best cheerleaders, who will cheer for the team and obviously entertain the crowd. And to fulfill that they (SRK and Juhi Chawla) are going to telecast a reality show titled as “Knights & Angels” on NDTV imagine, through which they will choose the best cheerleaders ever possible.

But in previous year those cheerleaders were one of the most controversial subjects for approving them in cricket IPL, because they can ruin Indian culture (obviously some people thought like that), specially at Kolkata. And final result is known to everyone; they are not only accepted at the ground but also cheered for every franchise.

Juhi Chawla, who has selected the Bangladesh cricketer Mashrafe Mortaza in the season 2 IPL auction, it is heard that she will also choose the cheerleaders finally.

“It’s cricket, it’s entertainment and we will play to win,” announced Juhi Chawla, the co-owner of Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders, about the upcoming second season of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

The actress, who is excited about her “first-ever blonde look” in her latest release Luck By Chance, also revealed KKR’s off-field plans of 2009. “We are having a reality show on TV called Knights and Angels, where all the aspiring cheerleaders will be trained by Shiamak Davar. The best of the lot will be actually cheering for our team on the ground.”

And will we see the Rani Mukerjis and the Bipasha Basus finally donning the black-and-gold jerseys and rooting for the Knight Riders at Eden this time? “You give me a list of people you want from Mumbai... we will try and get them here,” Juhi signed off.

Following are the complete details about the reality show “Knights & Angels”

Show Name : Sunsilk presents Knights & Angels (in short “Knights & Angels”)
Show Starts From : 28th February 2009
Show Time : 10pm
Show Day : Friday
Will Telecast on Channel : NDTV imagine
Presenter : Sunsilk
Judge By : Sourav Ganguly
Cheerleaders will be Inspired By : Juhi Chawla
Purpose : To find the best cheerleaders for Kolkata Knight Riders

Juhi-Preity-Shilpa trio light up IPL auction stage

2009-02-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Photos of Juhi-Preity-Shilpa Trio IPL Auction Stage :

Bollywood Queens Juhi-Preity-Shilpa Trio Light up IPL Auction Stage in Goa, but SRK Missing :

With the Badshah of Bollywood staying away, the glam quotient at friday’s auction for the DLF Indian Premier League’s Season II was definitely lower than last year’s.

Two of Shah Rukh Khan’s leading ladies, though, did their best, not only adding glitter to the show but giving it its most dramatic half-hour.

While SRK nursed his injured shoulder in Mumbai, his friend and the female lead of his second film, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, filled in for him at the bidding table in her capacity as co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Juhi Chawla, dressed in white Knight Riders T-shirt and jeans, made a contrast with Preity Zinta, who was a study in scarlet. Kings XI Punjab co-owner Preity, who also wore red at the last IPL player auction, “thought red would be her lucky colour this time as well”, said a friend of the actress.

Not so much. Preity was beaten by Juhi in a fast and furious battle for Bangladesh bowler Mashrafe Mortaza - the high point of the show. Red worked for Vijay Mallya, though - his Bangalore Royal Challengers bagged Kevin Pietersen for a record $1.55 million.

Shilpa Shetty was dressed for business in white-and-blue striped shirt, tucked into formal grey trousers.

“I am just soaking the atmosphere in. It is a learning curve for me and I am having to be quick at understanding the nitty-gritty because I came in late,” she smiled.

Preity and Ness Wadia, who reached Goa on a Go Air flight yesterday afternoon, arrived separately at the auction, held at the Fort Aguada resort.

Mukesh Ambani, unlike last time, skipped the auction. Nita, dressed in a simple pink salwar kameez, bid on his behalf, flanked by cricket board official Rajiv Shukla and Nikhil Meswani of Reliance.

Almost all the owners and officials camped at the Taj Holiday Village, adjoining Fort Aguada and connected with it by an internal walkway.

As they began walking in since around 10am, Fort Aguada, one of Goa’s prime luxury resorts built near a 16th-century Portuguese fort rampart and lighthouse, turned into Fort Knox.

“We have been extra careful with security since the 26/11 attack on Taj property in Mumbai. We were on our toes at Aguada for the IPL auction since it involved the presence of some very high-profile people,” a Taj Group of Hotels security official said from Mumbai.

Most of the owners left after lunch while the team officials attended an IPL workshop to be briefed on the decisions the governing council had taken on thursday.

Pietersen and Flintoff’s reaction after becoming highest bid player

2009-02-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

Reaction of Pietersen and Flintoff after Becoming Highest Bid Player :

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff won record contracts of $1.55 million each in the second edition of the DLF Indian Premier League Twenty20 auction held in Goa. They said they are absolutely thrilled and could not wait to feature in the lucrative Twenty20 extravaganza.

Now in the Caribbean for their Test series against the West Indies, the duo, who were bought for a whopping $1.55 million each, were taken by surprise by the huge “amount of money”. Even though they will only play for three weeks in the Twenty20 tournament, giving $60,000 of their salary to their counties, they will still trouser around $7,38,748 for the jaunt.

Pietersen, who was bought by Vijay Mallya-owned Royal Challengers Bangalore, said: “I’m really excited about it. It is an unbelievable amount of money and I can’t wait to get out there.

“It looked like an absolute blast last year and the England lads just want to be involved in what is such an amazing tournament,” the 28-year-old, whose new teammates in Bangalore would include Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, was quoted as saying by the English media.

Flintoff, bought by Chennai Super Kings, considers the IPL dollars a massive bonus and said: “It’s worked well, hasn’t it? We would not have had any problem with different prices, but I guess being the same might stop a few of the other lads taking the mick. I’m very pleased. I went in at $950,000. So to get that much, it’s unbelievable really, it has not quite sunk in, I guess. I regard it as a massive bonus. My team includes guys like my friend Murali, Matthew Hayden and M.S. Dhoni as captain. So it’s a very exciting team.”

Expressing satisfaction on the way the Auction went Mr. Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner, DLF Indian Premier League said, "This was a very strategic auction with each franchisee knowing exactly what they wanted in terms of international talent to strengthen their playing squads. I look forward to the prodigious talents of Pietersen and Flintoff making their debuts in Season II for the Bangalore Royal Challengers and Chennai. I am certain now more than ever that fans across Indian and indeed the world are in for an exciting second season."

The elegant left-hander was bought for a whopping $950,000 at the IPL auction by Mumbai Indians, more than thrice his reserve price of $300,000.

Fight between Juhi and Preity for Mortaza in 2009 IPL auction

2009-02-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

Photos of Juhi-Mortaza-Preity in 2009 IPL Auction :

Fight between Juhi and Preity for Bangla Boy Mortaza in 2009 IPL Auction :

Two Bollywood beauties fought over a baby-faced boy next door at the DLF Indian Premier League auction which held on 6th February, 2009 in Goa, with Juhi Chawla finally bagging Bangladesh pacer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Juhi and Kings XI Punjab franchisee Preity Zinta — leading ladies in many a film opposite the Knights’ co-owner Shah Rukh Khan — went for the unassuming Mortaza with 83 bids needed to settle the issue.

An electric half-hour had passed by then and the 25-year-old’s price had shot to $600,000 from the listed base of $50,000. It was the longest bidding in IPL history, and the 12-fold improvement on the base price the steepest ever.

The beginning, however, had as much action as a dot ball.

Knight Riders sources had hinted that Mortaza was on their wish list apart from South African batsman J.P. Duminy and Australian quick Shaun Tait. Yet when auctioneer Richard Medley announced the Bangladeshi’s name, the ladies, in true Bollywood heroine fashion, feigned initial indifference.

“There was utter silence; no one raised (the electric sabre used for bidding). Then, just before the hammer went down, KKR made a bid. Till then, it had seemed like Mortaza might go unsold,” a source from an IPL franchise said.

Preity’s Kings XI immediately joined the fray. “The bids went up by $5,000. When KKR touched $400,000 (on the 71st bid), Medley asked Preity if she was game for $410,000. She was quiet for a while and then nodded,” the source said.

The bids rose by $10,000 till the Knights touched $500,000 on the 81st. The next bid, from Kings XI, was for $550,000.

“(Then) KKR hit the match-winning sixer: a $50,000 jump over Punjab’s last offer,” the source said. “The whole thing was very dramatic — there was pin-drop silence in the room and Medley made it even more frenzied by quickening the pace of bidding. It was like speed chess.”

As Juhi and Preity fought, Kings XI co-owner Ness Wadia, unable to contain his excitement, chipped in towards the end by raising the bids a couple of times. “Our budget for Mortaza was $550,000 and we decided to stop after that,” Wadia said.

Mortaza was not surprised by the bidding war over him: he told PTI that Kings’ XI captain Yuvraj Singh had promised to take him into his side.

He also told “only a couple of days ago, the Knight Riders had offered me $150,000 to play for them but I took a chance and waited for the auction. Now I’ve been taken for $600,000. Wow!”

Following are the complete information about Mashrafe Mortaza

Name : Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (Also known as Koushik)
Born : October 5, 1983, Norail, Jessore
Current Age : 25 years 124 days
Major Teams : Bangladesh, Asia XI, Kolkata Knight Riders, Khulna Division
Batting Style : Right-hand bat
Bowling Style : Right-arm fastmedium
Career Averages :
●78 wkts in 35 Tests at an average of 41.19
●135 wkts in 103 ODIs at an average of 29.81
●6 wkts in 9 Twenty20 Internationals at 51.50
Best Bowling :
4 for 44 against New Zealand in 2008

Do you think KKR has done the right job by taking Mortaza using so much money?

2009 IPL auction result - Pietersen & Flintoff highest paid $1.55m

2009-02-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

Images of Pietersen & Flintoff, the Highest Paid Player for 2009 IPL Auction :

Auction Result of 2009’s IPL - Pietersen & Flintoff Set Record Breaking Highest Bid $1.55 Million :

What a welcome for English players in DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009! Two most popular England cricketers Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen start their debut as record breaking highest paid players in season II IPL happened on 6th February 2009, Friday.

With a mere nine weeks to go, all the eight franchisees utilized distinct strategies to pick up the players that formed a tactical fit for the playing squads. The highlight of the auction though was the historic bids for the two Englishmen at US $ 1.55 million for all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and batsman Kevin Pietersen from the Chennai Super Kings and the Bangalore Royal Challengers which should make them the highest paid players in the League.

Another player that saw multiple bidding and a distinctly higher final auction price of US $ 950,000 compared to his reserve price was South African batsman Jean Paul Duminy, who will now turn out for the Mumbai Indians.

Bangladeshi pace bowler Mashrafe Bin Mortaza though was the surprise package at the auction going for a final bid of US $ 600,000 to the ShahRukh Khan owned Kolkata Knight Riders.

Season II will see 5 Englishmen, 2 South Africans, 2 Bangladeshi’s, 2 Australians, 2 New Zealanders, 3 West Indians and 1 Sri Lankan make their debuts in the DLF Indian Premier League in 2009. A grand total of US $ 7.65 million was bid for the 17 new Indian Premier League debutants as below…

Season II IPL : 17 Debutant Players Auction Result
Sr No.	Player Name with Specialty	Nationality	Base Price (in US $)	Winning Bid (in US $)	Winning Franchise with Owner's Name
01	Kevin Pietersen (Batsman)	England	1,350,000	1,550,000	Bangalore Royal Challengers (Vijay Mallya)
02	Andrew Flintoff (All rounder)	England	950,000	1,550,000	Chennai Super Kings (India Cement)
03	J P Duminy (Batsman)	South Africa	300,000	950,000	Mumbai Indians (Mukesh Ambani)
04	Tyron Henderson (All rounder)	South Africa	100,000	650,000	Rajasthan Royals (Emerging Media)
05	Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (Bowler)	Bangladesh	50,000	600,000	Kolkata Knight Riders (Shah Rukh Khan & Juhi Chawla)
06	Ravi Bopara (All rounder)	England	150,000	450,000	Kings XI Punjab (Preity Zinta & Ness. Wadia)
07	Shaun Tait (Bowler)	Australia	250,000	375,000	Rajasthan Royals (Emerging Media)
08	Paul Collingwood (All rounder)	England	250,000	275,000	Delhi Daredevils (GMR Holdings)
09	Owais Shah (Batsman)	England	150,000	275,000	Delhi Daredevils (GMR Holdings)
10	Jesse Ryder (Batsman)	New Zealand	100,000	160,000	Bangalore Royal Challengers (Vijay Mallya)
11	Kyle Mills (Bowler)	New Zealand	150,000	150,000	Mumbai Indians (Mukesh Ambani)
12	Fidel Edwards (Bowler)	West Indies	150,000	150,000	Hyderabad Deccan Chargers (Deccan Chronicle)
13	Jerome Taylor (Bowler)	West Indies	150,000	150,000	Kings XI Punjab (Preity Zinta & Ness. Wadia)
14	Thilan Thushara (All rounder)	Sri Lanka	100,000	140,000	Chennai Super Kings (India Cement)
15	Dwayne Smith (All rounder)	West Indies	100,000	100,000	Hyderabad Deccan Chargers (Deccan Chronicle)
16	Mohammad Ashraful (Batsman)	Bangladesh	75,000	75,000	Mumbai Indians (Mukesh Ambani)
17	George Bailey (Batsman)	Australia	50,000	50,000	Chennai Super Kings (India Cement)
Grand Total for 17 New Cricketers in 2009's IPL = US $ 7.65 million

Availability of slots in every IPL team

2009-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Number of Slots Available for Taking Players in Every Team at IPL Auction :
Kolkata Knight Riders fans won’t get to see the lip-smacking entry on the scorecard again, with Shah Rukh Khan’s team today terminating the Pakistani speedster’s contract for the Indian Premier League, whose auction for Season II will take place in Goa tomorrow. The eight franchisees will pick 17 players from a pool of 50 with a total auction purse of US $ 13.59 million at stake.

The IPL authorities had given the franchisees the option to either terminate or suspend the contracts of Pakistani cricketers. The players had been asked by Pakistan to stay away from the Twenty20 championship, slated to get under way from April 10.

The eight franchisees will spend a total of $13.59 million, with a cap of $2 million per team, tomorrow at the auction to be held at Fort Aguada. But since most of the teams have used up part of the money in purchasing full-time players in the run-up to the auction, only Chennai Super Kings is left with the full purse. Knight Riders has the smallest purse available, at $1.21 million.

Following are the list of number of slots available for taking players in each team at IPL auction with the price that each franchise can pursue.

Team Name	Auction Purse (Figure in US $)	Slots Available in Team
Chennai Super Kings	2,000,000	3
Deccan Chargers	1,900,000	2
Delhi Daredevils	1,450,000	2
Kolkata Knight Riders	1,210,000	1
Kings XI Punjab	1,450,000	2
Mumbai Indians	1,760,000	3
Rajasthan Royals	1,875,000	2
Royal Challengers Bangalore	1,945,000	2

Total Purse	$13.59 million
Players on Auction	50
Players Required	17

Scheduled for a 10 am start, the 50 cricketers up for grabs at the player auction have been divided into two initial sets of 5 players each and then subsequent sets of 10 players. The first sets will include the players with the highest reserve price. Within each set, there will be a random selection to determine the order in which players will be presented for auction. The auction list includes 18 Australians, 7 Englishmen, 5 Sri Lankans, 3 New Zealanders, 7 South Africans, 6 West Indians and 4 Bangladeshis.

Mr. Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner, DLF Indian Premier League further added, "I am very excited about Season II, which is set to kick off on April 10th 2008. Season II will see a host of new innovations being attempted for the first time amongst which is the one-over eliminator, which will replace the bowl-out to determine the outcome of a tied match. Also in keeping with our tradition to bring the best to play in the IPL, tomorrow’s auction should see some prodigious talents like Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and J P Duminy make their debuts in Season II."

Season II of the DLF Indian Premier League is set to kick off on April 10th, with the Final to be played on May 24th, 2009.

Final list of players for IPL II auction

2009-02-05T04:20:00.000-08:00

Final List of International Players Nominated for IPL II Auction :
After lots of drama that has been taken place before the IPL auction of season II, fifty players are selected for 2009’s DLF Indian Premier League auction.

You already know that Pakistani cricketers are not joining in this IPL because of their playing permission are not been granted by country’s Foreign Office. Also Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke is not attaining in the IPL.

Before giving the final players list of this year, let’s take a look at last year’s (2008’s IPL) five highest bids players.

Players Name	Nationality	Bid Amount (in USD)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni	India	1,500,000
Andrew Symonds	Australia	1,350,000
Sanath Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	975,000
Ishant Sharma	India	975,000
Irfan Pathan	India	925,000

Now, finally 50 players will go under the hammer in the second Indian Premier League players’ auction, in Goa on Friday. The list, with the base price of the players, is as follows:

Sr. No	Player Name	Base Price (in US$)
AUSTRALIA
01	Aaron Bird	45,000
02	Brett Geeves	45,000
03	Bryce McGain	50,000
04	Daniel Harris	50,000
05	Dominic Thornley	50,000
06	George Bailey	50,000
07	Jonathan Moss	50,000
08	Brad Haddin	250,000
09	Michael Dighton	85,000
10	Michael Hill	50,000
11	Phil Jacques	100,000
12	Shane Harwood	75,000
13	Shaun Tait	250,000
14	Steven Smith	75,000
15	Aiden Blizzard	75,000
16	Michael Klinger	75,000
17	Ashley Noffke	100,000
18	Stuart Clark	250,000
BANGLADESH
19	Mashrafe Bin Mortaza	50,000
20	Mohammad Ashraful	75,000
21	Shakib Al Hasan	75,000
22	Tamim Iqbal	50,000
ENGLAND
23	Andrew Flintoff	950,000
24	Kevin Pietersen	1,350,000
25	Luke Wright	150,000
26	Owais Shah	150,000
27	Paul Collingwood	250,000
28	Ravi Bopara	150,000
29	Samit Patel	100,000
NEW ZEALAND
30	James Franklin	50,000
31	Jesse Ryder	100,000
32	Kyle Mills	150,000
SOUTH AFRICA
33	Gulam Bodi	100,000
34	J P Duminy	300,000
35	Morne Van Wyk	100,000
36	Tyron Henderson	100,000
37	Andre Nel	100,000
38	Ashwell Prince	150,000
39	Yusuf Abdullah	25,000
SRI LANKA
40	Chamara Kapugadera	150,000
41	Kaushalya Weereratne	50,000
42	Nuwan Kulasekera	100,000
43	P. Jayawardene	100,000
44	Thilan Thushara	100,000
WEST INDIES
45	Dwayne Smith	To be confirmed
46	Fidel Edwards	150,000
47	Jerome Taylor	To be confirmed
48	Kemar Roach	50,000
49	Darren Powell	50,000
50	Kieron Pollard	60,000

Michael Clarke not playing in 2009’s IPL

2009-02-05T02:20:00.000-08:00

Images of Australian Vice-Captain Michael Clarke :

Michael Clarke Not Playing in 2009’s IPL and Unavailable for IPL Auction :As usual Michael Clarke again said no to 2009’s Indian Premier League. On Thursday (February 06, 2009) Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke announced his unavailability for the second edition of the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament, citing a busy international calendar for the national team. He also missed the inaugural edition of the lucrative tournament.

“I won’t be going to the IPL,” Clarke was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press on the eve of the auction in Goa. He also added “The lead up to the Twenty20 World Championships is the IPL so it’s good preparation… so it does not surprise me that a lot of players are going. (But) the most important thing for me is we’ve only got a couple of weeks off, we’ve got a very busy schedule. With me, with my body and time with my family, I want time off this year,”

“It’s a wonderful thing for cricket, it’s definitely improved Twenty20 cricket, it’s played a part in improving one-day cricket,” he added. Clarke had attracted a reserve price of whopping $1 million in the list of 43 foreign players nominated by the eight franchises for Friday’s auction.

IPL chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said Clarke’s last-minute withdrawal was due to his fear of remaining unsold. “I don’t think anybody is ready to pay that kind of price,” Modi said. “The reality is in front of him. He didn’t want to be unsold in the auction and so decided to pull out,” an upset Modi told to a news channel.

He, however, said the IPL had this year waived off penalty for last moment pull out.

Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra in Rajasthan Royals

2009-02-05T01:20:00.000-08:00

Photos of Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra in Rajasthan Royals Franchise :

Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra Picked up an 11.7% Stake in the Rajasthan Royals Franchise :

After Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, now Shilpa Shetty has bought herself into the slice of cricket IPL.

The Bollywood actress and her boyfriend Raj Kundra have picked up an 11.7 per cent stake in the Rajasthan Royals franchise, the champions of the DLF Indian Premier League, last year, for $15.4 million (Rs 75.5 crore).

Commenting on this new development, Mr. Lalit Modi, Chairman & Commissioner, DLF Indian Premier League, said, “The 11.7 per cent stake which has been acquired by Shilpa and Raj places the overall valuation of the Rajasthan Royals at nearly US $ 140 million, which translates into an astronomical figure of 3733% capital appreciation for Emerging Media. In my view this is probably the highest appreciation for any franchise, in the history of modern day sports. The Indian Premier League is thus emerging as an investment destination of choice in the present economic environs and am certain will also set a very positive trend for our other franchises to unlock value of their own teams.”

Shilpa, whose career was sagging before Celebrity Big Brother made her a hot and popular star overnight in Britain, said, “I relate with them, they were the underdogs and they scored. I expect a re-run from them this year. Their story is exactly like mine — I have always been the underdog. I think when there is no expectation and you score, it really works”.

She further promised, “I will cheer for the team, dance for a music video — bring in greater glamour in whichever way I can.”

“I believe that the addition of Shilpa Shetty creates a multitude of commercial opportunities — for sponsors, for merchandisers and for ancillary development opportunities,” said Shilpa’s boyfriend Raj (popular name in Bollywood Industry), who owns a trading company in Dubai.

The Season II of the DLF Indian Premier League is set to kick off on April 10th, with the Final to be played on 24th May, 2009.

England players are available for IPL 2009

2009-02-05T01:10:00.000-08:00

BCCI and ECB Confirmed England Players are Available for a Minimum of a Three Week in IPL 2009 :
Top England cricketers, including Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, will be available to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on February 6 and to play in the IPL for a minimum of a three week period in 2009 and 2010, announced by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), after successfully completing many meetings, the BCCI and the ECB reached on that agreement on 3rd February, 2009(Tuesday).

The Boards have further agreed to work together to seek materially similar dates for the IPL in 2010 as 2009 within the International Fixture schedule.

The BCCI and ECB added they had also agreed to schedule Test match and one-day International series over a four-year cycle starting in 2011.

ECB Chief Executive David Collier commented that “The discussions held between our respective Boards have been most productive and ECB is grateful to the President and Honorary Secretary of BCCI for the excellent relationship which has been developed with the BCCI on a wide ranging number of issues. Our agreement is good for the players, the respective Boards, our Counties and for cricket. We look forward to welcoming India, the reigning ICC T20 World Champions, to England for the T20 World Championship this summer and for the tour of England and Wales in 2011.”

BCCI Secretary N. Srinivasan said “We are very pleased with the out come of the discussions. BCCI looks forward to building upon our warm relationship with the Senior Officers of ECB.”

List of players for 2009 IPL auction

2009-02-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

Photos of International Players Nominated for 2009 IPL Auction :

List of International Players Nominated for 2009 IPL Auction :
Last week, the IPL named 114 interested world cricketers for the second player auction but has pruned the list down after consultation with the eight franchises.

The Indian Premier League on 3rd February, 2009 (Tuesday) announced a final list of 43 international cricketers nominated by the eight franchises for the second season players’ auction to be held at Goa on 6th February, 2009 (Friday). The Indian Premier League second season will be DLF IPL 2009 which is scheduled between April 10 and May 29, 2009.

As per the guidelines set by the Governing Council for the DLF IPL 2009, each Franchisee will have a maximum purse of US $ 2 million, less any amount spent on signing temporary replacements from last year to select the cricketers best suited for their team’s strategies.

So, the final list of players nominated for 2009 IPL auction is following

Sr. No	Player Name	Reserve Price (in US$)
AUSTRALIA
01	Aaron Bird	45,000
02	Brett Geeves	45,000
03	Bryce McGain	50,000
04	Daniel Harris	50,000
05	Dominic Thornley	50,000
06	George Bailey	50,000
07	Jonathan Moss	50,000
08	Michael Clarke	1,000,000
09	Michael Dighton	85,000
10	Michael Hill	50,000
11	Phil Jacques	100,000
12	Shane Harwood	75,000
13	Shaun Tait	250,000
14	Steven Smith	75,000
15	Stuart Clark	250,000
BANGLADESH
16	Mashrafe Bin Mortaza	50,000
17	Mohammad Ashraful	75,000
18	Shakib Al Hasan	75,000
19	Tamim Iqbal	50,000
ENGLAND
20	Andrew Flintoff	950,000
21	Kevin Pietersen	1,350,000
22	Luke Wright	150,000
23	Owais Shah	150,000
24	Paul Collingwood	250,000
25	Ravi Bopara	150,000
26	Samit Patel	100,000
NEW ZEALAND
27	James Franklin	50,000
28	Jesse Ryder	100,000
29	Kyle Mills	150,000
SOUTH AFRICA
30	Gulam Bodi	100,000
31	J P Duminy	300,000
32	Morne Van Wyk	100,000
33	Tyron Henderson	100,000
34	Yusuf Abdullah	25,000
SRI LANKA
35	Chamara Kapugadera	150,000
36	Kaushalya Weereratne	50,000
37	Nuwan Kulasekera	100,000
38	Thilan Thushara	100,000
WEST INDIES
39	Dwayne Smith	To be confirmed
40	Fidel Edwards	150,000
41	Jerome Taylor	To be confirmed
42	Kemar Roach	50,000
43	Kieron Pollard	60,000

Pietersen commands the highest base price of $1.35million, above Australia vice-captain Clarke at $1 million. Flintoff’s base price is $950,000.

Five Pakistan cricketers were in the original list (in the previous 114 players list), but none of them find a place in the final one - after their country’s Foreign Office refused to grant them permission to travel to India.