Brett Lee to mentor KKR bowlers

KKR announced today that Brett Lee their pace bowling spearhead will also take on an additional leadership role as bowling mentor.  

Announcing this, Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR said, “We are fortunate that someone of the caliber of Brett Lee, who in addition to being a key member of the team, will also mentor the bowling unit. The bowling unit and the entire team will benefit from Brett’s leadership in this area”

While accepting this role, Brett Lee said, “ The experience with KKR over the past 3 years has been fantastic. We have become a closely-knit unit under the leadership of skipper Gambhir and Head Coach Trevor Bayliss. As we get ready for IPL 2013 as the defending champions, I am honored to take on this additional responsibility”

Salt Lake Stadium to host IPL Opening Ceremony

 

MEDIA ADVISORY 

           

The Pepsi IPL 2013 will commence with an Opening Ceremony on the evening of Tuesday, 2 April 2013, at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata. The IPL has signed Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt Ltd as promoters for the Opening Ceremony.

“We are delighted to have tied up with Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt Ltd, which has a proven track record of organising and executing events on a grand scale. The Opening Ceremony of the Pepsi IPL 2013 will be one of the most spectacular events ever witnessed, in keeping with what will follow in the tournament itself, over the following seven weeks,” Rajeev Shukla, Chairman, IPL, said. 

Further details pertaining to the Opening Extravaganza will be announced over the next few days. 

The Pepsi IPL 2013 will be played across the country from 3 April 2013 to 26 May 2013.

IPL COO bats for commentary in regional languagues

The Chief Operating Officer of the Indian Premier League, Sundar Raman, has advocated the introduction of television commentary in regional languages to spread the reach of cricket in the interior parts of India.

"To me, we take India as one large mass of audience,” Raman said. “Cricket today is experimenting and there is a big opportunity. If you look at regional channels, they are doing reasonably well. There is no reason why you cannot hear sports commentary in Bengali, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil or Marathi. To me, that is another opportunity to expand cricket's fan base," he said.

Besides cricket, Raman also touched on matters concerning other sports in India and said that it is important for them to market themselves well to make an impact on the Indian public.

"Every sport needs to market itself well. We are a one-sport country and that is possibly because 'cricket' has marketed itself well. I was delighted to see the Hockey India League coming on television," he said.

However, the IPL COO advised other sports against fiddling with their formats just to join the advertisement bandwagon. "Cricket is an advertiser-friendly sport,” he explained. “On the other hand, the format of football is such that it does not suit advertisers. My fear is that it should not lead to tinkering of the format, which is not in the interest of the game," Raman said.

With a decade-long experience in advertising and marketing, Raman feels broadcasters should look for different means of revenue generation rather than depending heavily on advertisements.

"As long as one source of revenue is the only source of revenue, you will be playing into the hands of power brokers. That will lead to a downward spiral," he said.

"The amount of money a broadcaster gets for subscription revenue in UK, US or even in South Africa or Australia, when compared to that in India, it is really small. It is pittance," concluded Raman.

Moody to coach Sunrisers Hyderabad

Days after announcing the new name of the franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad unveiled their team logo and introduced their coach and mentors. Former Australia all-rounder and Sri Lanka coach, Tom Moody, will coach the new-look Hyderabad franchise in IPL 2013. Former India captain, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, has been appointed as the team’s mentor, while Indian batting legend, VVS Laxman, is their mentor-ambassador.

At the logo unveiling ceremony, Moody said, “This is a proud moment for us as we unveil our new name and logo and we are sure that the team will be successful in the forthcoming season of IPL 2013. We are keenly looking forward to it and our game will stand testimony to the competition we will give to other teams.”

Moody was in charge of the Sri Lankan team for two years and was at the helm when they made it to the final of the 2007 ICC World Cup. He also coached Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2008 and 2009.

Srikkanth, who was earlier the brand ambassador of the Chennnai Super Kings, said that he looked forward to a successful first season for the new franchise.

“The brand name ‘Sunrisers’ depicts the crowning glory of a team of dynamic and supersonic players taking the competition to a new height. We look forward to a great deal of success the new name is set to bring in combined with the team’s immense power and fortitude. We wish the team all the luck to put up a splendid show and break a leg,” he said.

While Laxman was unable to attend the ceremony due to a death in the family, he expressed pleasure at being part of the Sunrisers and hoped they prove their worth in the coming season.

“It’s a proud moment for me indeed to be a part of such a dynamic team. With such a charismatic brand name the team comes imbued with a new sense of aspirations and passion. All of us are agog to see the invincible ‘Sunrisers’ prove their mettle in the high-octane cricket field,” Laxman was quoted on the Sunrisers’official website.

Kumble is MI's new Chief Mentor

Mumbai Indians today appointed the former Indian captain and leg-spinner Anil Kumble as the team’s Chief Mentor ahead of the start of Pepsi IPL 2013 season. 

The 42-year-old Kumble not only holds the record of being the highest Indian wicket taker in both Test as well as ODI but is also a highly respected sportsman world over for his enormous experience and cricketing intelligence.

Commenting on his appointment, Anil Kumble said, “In my discussion with Reliance Group Management, I find that they have a great and compelling vision for sports in this country, which aligns with my venture Tenvic Sports’ aspirations in making ‘sports’ as the main catalyst of youth development.

“Mumbai Indians is a very competitive team in the IPL with high profile players and committed owners. It’s my honour to join the Mumbai Indians as Chief Mentor and to align our joint interest in making sports as an important agenda in youth development. I look forward to the new assignment,” added Kumble.

Mrs. Nita Ambani, Mumbai Indians said, “In Anil Kumble, we have a new Chief Mentor who has extensive cricketing knowledge not only as a player of international stature but also as an able administrator. He is one of India’s leading sporting icons and we have great pleasure in having him on board.”

Darren Lehmann to coach KXIP

Former Australia batsman, Darren Lehmann has been named as Kings XI Punjab’s new coach ahead of the Pepsi Indian Premier League 2013.

Lehmann has replaced his fellow countryman Adam Gilchrist, who was captain-cum-coach of the team in the last season. Gilchrist will continue to be part of the team while Lehmann takes over the mentoring role from him.

Lehmann played for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2008 before coaching the 2009 season winners.

Commenting on his appointment, Lehmann said, “I am extremely honoured to get a chance to coach Kings XI Punjab in this year’s IPL.

“The franchise has always excited me and I look forward to working with the owners, players, support staff and fans.

“I’m geared up for the challenges it brings and will always encourage our team to be an entertaining and aggressive brand that people love to watch and associate with.

“I’m also looking forward to working with Adam Gilchrist again and help all the players grow on and off the field. I would once again like to thank the owners for giving me this opportunity,” said the new KXIP coach.

The KXIP promoters welcomed Lehmann to the team. “We are extremely happy to have Darren Lehmann on-board as the coach of our team.

“Darren brings with him rich experience and immense knowledge about the game and the T20 format through his stints with IPL and other leagues.

“We firmly believe that he will be a great mentor to our team and will take us to new heights. We wish him all the best for his endeavours.”

2013 IPL Player Auction at a glance

The 2013 Pepsi Indian Premier League Player Auction, held in Chennai on Feb 3, 2013, saw 37 players being bought for a total sum of USD 11.89 million.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was the most expensive player to be sold at the auction as the Mumbai Indians shelled out a whopping USD 1 million for him.

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke were the biggest names of the 108 players to go under the hammer. While Ponting was snapped up by the Mumbai Indians, Clarke was bought back by his last year’s franchise, Pune Warriors India. Both the Australians were sold for their base price of USD 400,000.

Royal Challengers Bangalore bought the most number of players – seven [three Indians and four overseas] – while the new franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad, managed to get six players [one Indian and five overseas].

Australians dominated the auction with as many as 13 of their players sold at the event. Six players each from India and Sri Lanka, five from the West Indies, four South Africans and three New Zealanders found themselves a team during the bidding process.

Out of the 37 players sold, 14 have never played in the IPL before, while 23 will return to the tournament. Nathan Coulter-Nile was the only uncapped player to be bought [by the Mumbai Indians].

For the complete list of the purchased and unsold players and an overview of where the nine franchises stand in terms of finances post-auction, visit http://www.iplt20.com/playerAuction

Virat appointed RCB captain

Virat Kohli has been appointed the new Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. Kohli succeeds the highly respected and successful Daniel Vettori.

Kohli’s appointment follows a productive IPL 2013 auction in which RCB strengthened their bowling line-up significantly and added capable all-rounders to increase the amount of flexibility in the selection of the playing squad

Dr Vijay Mallya said, “We are delighted to announce Virat as our captain. His hunger to learn, lead, motivate and set an example is unquestionable.”

Virat is the 11th highest run scorer in overall IPL history. 1639 runs, Av: 28.25, highest score 73* and a strike rate of 119.28. He has scored 8 fifties, hit 154 fours and 49 sixes. He is also the 3rd highest run scorer in Champions League T20 history.

Virat holds the 2nd highest, IPL 2nd wicket partnership record (204*) with Chris Gayle against KXIP in 2012. The same two players also hold the 2nd highest 2nd wicket partnership (141) in the Champions League T20.

Virat Kohli said, ‘Glad to be appointed Captain of RCB ! It’s a great feeling… Being drafted as an U-19 in 2008 and now to be considered to lead the side of great players, is a big honor. I thank the Owners for reposing their faith and I am looking forward to the challenge and the responsibility to carry the Team to greater heights.’

Jesse Ryder in critical condition

New Zealand and Delhi Daredevils star Jesse Ryder is in an induced coma at a Christchurch hospital. He suffered a fractured skull and internal injuries, following an assault in the South Island city of Christchurch. The 28-year-old was beaten up by assailants in the early hours of Thursday. According to recent updates, he is said to be in critical condition.

As per reports and official statements, Ryder was attacked when he left a bar to go to a fast food joint across the street.

According to detective senior sergeant Brian Archer, there was a run-in between Ryder and "two or three" people when he stepped outside the bar. And when he crossed the road, he was attacked by one of those people.

"The hospital advised he is in a critical condition. He is in an induced coma as a result of suffering multiple injuries," Archer stated.

Fairfax Media quoted a witness named Adam stating that Ryder attempted to fight back as four men “absolutely smashed him.” He added that Ryder was unsure of his assailants’ identities, but they "damn knew who he was."

The attack was carried out when Ryder was out with his Wellington Firebirds teammates, after they had lost their season-ending one-day game to the Canterbury Wizards.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive, David White, expressed concern while backing Ryder. "We are all shocked by what has occurred and extremely concerned for Jesse. New Zealand Cricket's thoughts are with him and his family.”

Ponting to lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2013

Mumbai Indians, in consultation with its newly appointed Chief Mentor Anil Kumble, Head Coach John Wright along with icon player Sachin Tendulkar, today announced the appointment of Ricky Ponting as the teams’ new Captain.

The former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was awarded to Mumbai Indians at the recently held auction in Chennai. Ricky Ponting will lead the experienced Mumbai Indians side for the IPL 2013.

Commenting on the decision, Chief Mentor Anil Kumble said, “Ricky has a lot of experience to lead a competitive and a high-profile side like Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Sachin readily agreed to my suggestion that Mumbai Indians is best served when he leads the batting unburdened by the rigours of captaincy. It was our idea (Sachin and mine) to bring in Ricky as the captain of the Mumbai Indians.”

Ricky Ponting, on his new role in the team, said, “It’s a huge honor and I thank Mrs Ambani and the Mumbai Indians management for the faith they have reposed in my abilities. Mumbai Indians has the potent combination of Indian and International cricketers and I look forward to leading the team to play to its full potential.”

Nita Ambani of Mumbai Indians said, “On behalf of the Mumbai Indians family, I welcome Ricky Ponting to the team as the leader of the side. Today we have world’s two biggest cricketing greats in Sachin and Ricky, and I am sure the duo will be an inspiration for the youngsters in the team. Sachin will always be an integral and important part of Mumbai Indians’ leadership. Ricky will bring in fresh perspective in the team leadership and will have the support of the best cricketing minds like Sachin, Anil and John Wright.”

Mumbai Indians will start their IPL 2013 campaign on April 4 in Bangalore.

Rajeev Shukla visits SCG

IPL Chairman and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Planning, Rajeev Shukla, led a Parliamentary delegation that toured the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday.  The Indian representatives were hosted by Jamie Barkley (Trust Chief Executive Officer) and Dominic Perrottet MP (who was representing New South Wales’ Sports Minister, Graham Annesley) at the SCG.

The delegation was shown around the famous SCG Museum and the Members Pavillion, which included the home and away dressing rooms. During the tour, the group also witnessed SCG’s Honour Board of overseas Test players, which bears the names of Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, who have both scored centuries at this venue.

The delegation then made its way to the centre of the historic cricket ground. Here, Mr. Shukla met with Australian pacer Pat Cummins, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation after a back injury. The fast bowler even discussed his return to first-class cricket with Mr. Shukla during their chat.

Introducing all the teams and key players in 2013 edition of Indian Premier League

The Indian Premier League is back, ready to blend sublime skills with brute power for another hectic month and a half.

After the confusing and grossly entertaining IPL auction back in February, the teams are now settled and ready to battle for the title of the best T20 side in the world's most cricket-obsessed nation.
From Chennai Super Kings to Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals to Royal Challengers Bangalore, we present everything you need to know about this year's teams.
Read on for our ultimate guide to the 2013 IPL, and check in with foxsports.com.au throughout the tournament for all the latest news and highlights, starting Thursday April 4.

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Chennai Super Kings

David Warner ... he's an IPL regular. Source: AAP

Captain: MS Dhoni (India)
Coach: Stephen Fleming (New Zealand)
Owner: Indian Cements Limited
Aussies: Mike Hussey, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ben Laughlin, Dirk Nannes
One to watch: Ravindra Jadeja (India)
Odds: $5.50
The rundown: Chennai are one of the IPL’s most successful teams, having taken the title in 2010 and 2011 and falling just short last year. They possess an intimidatingly strong squad, with T20 specialists such as Dirk Nannes and Dwayne Bravo joining genuine superstars like MS Dhoni, Mike Hussey and Ravindra Jadeja. To top things off, they have one of the most astute cricketing brains going round as their coach. Chennai have been in the news recently after the local authorities tried to pressure them into not allowing any Sri Lankan players to take part in matches in the city, owing to political sensitivities. The Super Kings may drop Sri Lankan star Nuwan Kulasekara from their squad as a compromise.

Delhi Daredevils
Captain: Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)
Coach: Eric Simons (South Africa)
Owner: GMR Sports Pvt Ltd
Aussies: David Warner
One to watch: Jeevan Mendis (Sri Lanka)
Odds: $5.50
The rundown: The main thoughts of the Daredevils at this stage are probably with Jesse Ryder, who was due to link up with his new team before being brutally assaulted in New Zealand. That issue aside, Delhi boast a very strong batting line-up, even though they also won’t have the services of Kevin Pietersen as he recovers from injury. Their bowling stocks look a bit thin.
Kings XI Punjab
Captain: Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
Coach: Darren Lehmann (Australia)
Owner: KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited
Aussies: Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey, Luke Pomersbach, Ryan Harris, Shaun Marsh
One to watch: David Miller (South Africa)
Odds: $11.00
The rundown: Given their strong Australian connections, fans Down Under are likely to pick Kings XI Punjab as their sentimental favourites. Unfortunately for Lehmann and Gilchrist, they don’t have the strongest squad at their disposal, with the side dominated by players who have failed to crack India’s national team, or have had a crack and failed to hold their spot. Punjab have recruited well though, picking up Big Bash League star Luke Pomersbach for a bargain.
Kolkata Knight Riders

Shakib Al Hasan ... rising Bangladeshi star. Source: AAP

Captain: Gautam Gambhir (India)
Coach: Trevor Bayliss (Australia)
Owner: Knight Riders Sports Private Ltd
Aussies: Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, James Pattinson
One to watch: Sachithra Senanayake (Sri Lanka)
Odds: $5.50
The rundown: Kolkata are last year’s champions, and would fancy their chances of going back-to-back with the strong squad they’ve got this year. The team has a mix of wise old heads (Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Brad Haddin) and exciting youngsters (India’s Manoj Tiwary, Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan) combined with a captain who has a point to prove to his national selectors.
Mumbai Indians

Brad Hogg ... he's not Brad Hodge. Source: AAP

Captain: Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Coach: John Wright (New Zealand)
Owner: Indiawin Sports Pvt Ltd
Aussies: Ricky Ponting, Aiden Blizzard, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Phillip Hughes
One to watch: Kieron Pollard (West Indies)
Odds: $6.00
The rundown: You might have heard about Mumbai Indians recently – they’re the team that splashed $1 million on Glenn Maxwell. They also have a couple of guys by the name of Tendulkar and Ponting in their side. Throw in the world’s undisputed best T20 bowler (Lasith Malinga) and one of the most valuable all-rounders (Kieron Pollard) and you start to see why Mumbai are confident of improving on their third place from last season.
Pune Warriors
Captain: Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)
Coach: Allan Donald (South Africa)
Owner: Sahara Adventure Sports Limited
Aussies: Michael Clarke, Steve Smith, Kane Richardson, Mitchell Marsh
One to watch: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India)
Odds: $9.00
The rundown: Pune have been hit hard by the loss of Australia captain Michael Clarke through injury, although they still boast a decent batting line-up featuring Yuvraj Singh, Luke Wright and Ross Taylor. But the Warriors are likely to rely heavily on their bowling stocks, with a lot resting on the shoulders of Indian young gun Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who Australian audiences got to know over the past month, along with South Australia bowler Kane Richardson, West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels and Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis. Luckily for them, they’re coached by one of the best bowlers of the past 20 years in Allan Donald.
Rajasthan Royals
Captain: Rahul Dravid (India)
Coach: Paddy Upton (South Africa)
Owner: Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Ltd
Aussies: Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, James Faulkner, Shane Watson, Shaun Tait
One to watch: James Faulkner (Australia)
Odds: $15.00
The rundown: The Royals have never challenged for the trophy since Shane Warne led them to the inaugural IPL title in 2008, so they won’t be lacking for motivation this season. They have a squad that could pose a lot of problems for opposition teams, particularly their fast bowling stocks which feature frightening pacemen Fidel Edwards and Shaun Tait. However the most problems they’re likely to cause are for commentators, given they have both Brad Hogg and Brad Hodge in their side, as well as the curiously-named Sachin Baby.
Royal Challengers Bangalore

Dale Steyn ... helping out the new boys. Source: AAP

Captain: Virat Kohli (India)
Coach: Ray Jennings (South Africa)
Owner: Royal Challengers Sports Private Ltd
Aussies: Andrew McDonald, Dan Christian, Moises Henriques
One to watch: Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
Odds: $6.00
The rundown: The RCB, as they like to be called, have a point to prove after just missing out on the semi-finals last year. They’ve recruited well – or more specifically, they’ve recruited Australian all-rounders well. Just like Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, Bangalore will rely heavily on big-hitting opener Chris Gayle. Hopefully for their sake he’s in a bit better form now.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Captain: Kumar Sangakarra
Coach: Tom Moody
Owner: Sun TV Network
Aussies: Cameron White, Chris Lynn, Clint McKay
One to watch: Shikhar Dhawan (India)
Odds: $15.00
The rundown: This is Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first season of existence, coming into the IPL in place of Deccan Chargers. They’ve assembled an impressive team for their debut season, featuring international stars like Kumar Sangakarra, Daly Steyn and Darren Sammy to compliment a host of locals headlined by Shikhar Dhawan - current owner of the fastest century on Test debut. That being said, their lack of depth may come back to bite them. 

Get the full squad list for every team participating in 2013 Indian Premier League

Champions ... can Kolkata Knight Riders go back-to-back? Source: Aijaz Rahi / AAP

With the sixth season of the Indian Premier League set to kick off on Thursday, we present the full squad lists for every team.

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*All Australian players in bold
Chennai Super Kings
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Akila Dananjaya, Albie Morkel, Anirudha Srikkanth, Ankit Singh Rajpoot, B Aparajith, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ben Laughlin, Christopher Morris, Dirk Nannes, Dwayne Bravo, Francois Du Plessis, Imtiaz Ahmed, Jason Holder, Michael Hussey, Mohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, Nuwan Kulasekara, R Karthikeyan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ronit More, Shadab Jakati, Subramaniam Badrinath, Suresh Raina, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha.
Delhi Daredevils
Mahela Jayawardene (c), Ajit Agarkar, Andre Russell, Arisht Singhvi, Ashish Nehra, CM Gautam, David Warner, Gulam Bodi, Irfan Pathan, Jeevan Mendis, Jesse Ryder, Johan Botha, Kedar Jadhav, Kevin Pietersen, Manpreet Juneja, Morne Morkel, Naman Ojha, Pawan Negi, Roelof Van Der Merwe, Royston Dias, Siddarth Kaul, Sujit Nayak, Shahbaz Nadeem, Umesh Yadav, Unmukt Chand, Varun Aaron, Venugopal Rao, Virender Sehwag, Yogesh Nagar.

Kings XI Punjab

 

 

Adam Gilchrist (c), Aniket Choudhary, Azhar Mahmood, Bhargav Bhatt, Bipul Sharma, David Hussey, David Miller, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Gurkeerat Mann Singh, Harmeet Singh Bansal, Luke Pomersbach, Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Manpreet Gony, Nitin Saini, Parvinder Awana, Paul Valthaty, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, R Sathish, Ryan Harris, Sandeep Sharma, Shaun Marsh, Siddharth Chitnis, Sunny Singh.

Kolkata Knight Riders
Gautam Gambhir (c), Brad Haddin, Brendon McCullum, Brett Lee, Debabrata Das, Eoin Morgan, Iqbal Abdulla, Jacques Kallis, James Pattinson, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Manoj Tiwary, Manvinder Bisla, Mohammad Shami, Pradeep Sangwan, Rajat Bhatia, Ryan McLaren, Ryan ten Doeschate, Sachithra Senanayake, Sarabjit Singh Ladda, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Yusuf Pathan.
Mumbai Indians
Ricky Ponting (c), Abu Nechim Ahmed, Akshar Patel, Aditya Tare, Aiden Blizzard, Ambati Rayudu, Amitoze Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dinesh Karthik, Dwayne Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Harbhajan Singh, Jacob Oram, Jalaj Saxena, James Franklin, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Johnson, Munaf Patel, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Phil Hughes, Pawan Suyal, Pragyan Ojha, Rishi Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Suryakumar Yadav, Sushant Marathe, Yuzvendra Singh Chahal.
Pune Warriors
Angelo Mathews (c), Abhishek Nayar, Ajantha Mendis, Ali Murtaza, Anustup Majumdar, Ashoke Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dheeraj Jadhav, Eklavya Dwivedi, Harpreet Singh, Ishwar Pandey, Kane Richardson, Krishnakant Upadhyay Luke Wright, Mahesh Rawat, Manish Pandey, Marlon Samuels, Michael Clarke, Mitchell Marsh, Mithun Manhas, Parveez Rasool, Rahul Sharma, Raiphi Gomez, Robin Uthappa, Ross Taylor, Shrikant Wagh, Steve Smith, Tirumalasetti Suman, Tamim Iqbal, Udit Birla, Yuvraj Singh, Wayne Parnell.

Rajasthan Royals
Rahul Dravid (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan, Amit Singh, Ashok Menaria, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Dishant Yagnik, Fidel Edwards, Harmeet Singh, James Faulkner, Kevon Cooper, Kusal Janith Perera, Owais Shah, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Shukla, S Sreesanth, Sachin Baby, Samuel Badree, Sanju Samson, Shane Watson, Shaun Tait, Shreevats Goswami, Siddharth Trivedi, Stuart Binny.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Virat Kohli (c), AB De Villiers, Abhimanyu Mithun, Abhinav Mukund, Andrew McDonald, Arun Karthik, Cheteshwar Pujara, Chris Gayle, Christopher Barnwell, Daniel Christian, Daniel Vettori, Harshal Patel, Jaidev Unadkat, K P Appanna, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Moises Henriques, Murali Kartik, Muttiah Muralitharan, Pankaj Singh, Prasanth Parameswaran, R Vinay Kumar, Ravi Rampaul, Rudra Pratap Singh, S Aravind, Sandeep Warrier, Saurabh Tiwary, Sheldon Jackson, Sunny Sohal, Syed Mohammad, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Vijay Zol, Zaheer Khan.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Kumar Sangakkara (c), Akshath Reddy, Amit Mishra, Anand Rajan, Ankit Sharma, Ashish Reddy, Biplab Samantray, Cameron White, Chris Lynn, Clint McKay, Dale Steyn, Darren Sammy, Dwaraka Ravi Teja, Hanuma Vihari, Ishant Sharma, Jean-Paul Duminy, Karan Sharma, Nathan McCullum, Parthiv Patel, Quinton de Kock, Sachin Rana, Shikhar Dhawan, Sudeep Tyagi, Thalaivan Sargunam, Thisara Perera, Veer Pratap Singh.

Stay Calm and Watch IPL 2013

For a long time, football fan lovers have been honking about about the Champions League, about the mouthwatering quarterfinal fixtures starting from the 2nd April. They have been barking that the popularity of the cricket is on the decline and sports lovers are shifting their gaze from cricket to football. They have been telling you that it is only a matter of time before football catches the imagination of the masses. "Hold your breath", cricket lovers have been telling them. Cricket fans have been waiting for precisely this opportunity to corner their football counterparts - the great Indian Premier League.

The blue blooded Mumbai Indians led by one of the finest captains of world cricket - Ricky Ponting and the ably guided by world's best batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, the fiercely competitive Chennai Super Kings, whose captain, M.S Dhoni strikes fear in the minds of bowlers the world over, the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, led by the resilient Gautam Gambhir and spearheaded by McCullum, Bret Lee and Jacques Kallis, the Nawabs of Delhi - the Delhi Daredevils, flagged by Kevin Peterson, David Warner and Virender Sehwag, the Kings XI Punjab, who have not exactly been in roaring form but with Adam Gilchirist at the helm, can't really be put off, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captained by India's most dependable batsman of current times - Virat Kolhi and along with the orange cap holder of 2012 edition, swashbuckler Chris Gayle, who can tear and rip apart any opposition on any day and reduce them to tears, the prolific AB de Villiers and spin maestro Muttian Murlitaran, they can prove too hot to handle; the Pune Warriors India, still new to the IPl but can spring a surprise or two with Micheal Clark and Yuvraj Singh in their arsenal, the Rajastan Royals, winners of the inaugural IPL, ready to prove their mettle once again with Shane Watson, Shaun Tait and Rahul Dravid forming the backbone of the team, and finally Sunrisers Hyderabad, debuting this year, IPL 2013 promises to make you go wild. With its copious dose of Bollywood and razzmatazz of tinsel town, along with super sixes and dashing fours, life will not not be same this April. In your face football fans!


IPL 2013 begins with a bang! The grand and majestic Opening Ceremony is as big as it can get! The Opening Ceremony in Salt Lake Stadium on 2nd April, will feature Live performances from a medley of international artists including music sensation Pitbull along with Flying drummers, Chinese percussionists, awesome fireworks and some of the biggest Indian film stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone.

IPL begins with a nerve wracking encounter between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Daredevils in the historic Eden Gardens, Kolkata followed by another interesting tie between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Chinnaswamy Stadium on 4th April. Catch all the action live 8 pm on wards!

There is already a great buzz surrounding this IPL. For one it's the Pepsi IPL, not the DLF IPL that we are accustomed to! But more than that it is the squad of Mumbai Indians which has a billion cricket lovers feverishly excited. Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, the finest, the best and the most prolific batsmen of modern times in the same team - unbelievable. But this is the magic of the IPL - it brings players from around the world together, transcending all boundaries, religion, caste, creed, nationality. Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Dwayne Smith, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, apart from the two legends above, and others make up my favorite team in the IPL - Mumbai Indians. What's yours?

So Stay Calm and Watch the IPL!

Will Kolkata Knight Riders Retain Title?

Kolkata Knight Riders won IPL 2012. Image credit: BCCI/ BCCI/ iplt20.com

The games will kick off after the opening ceremony on Tuesday at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata. Bollywood superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan is expected to perform with his "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" co-star Katrina Kaif at the event, and international rapper Pitbull is also expected to perform.
IPL, which has been a story of phenomenal success since its start in 2008, will enter the sixth season on 3 April. Shah Rukh Khan's team Kolkata Knight Riders will try to reclaim the title but it's not going to be easy as all the teams have strong players who can turn a match around on their day.
A total of 76 matches will be played between nine teams at the upcoming sporting extravaganza, which will come to a close on 26 May.

IPL 2013: Muttiah Muralitharan joins Royal Challengers Bangalore camp

Bangalore: Mar 30, 2013

Amidst controversy over Sri Lankan players' participation in Chennai matches of the IPL, spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan today joined Royal Challengers Bangalore's conditioning camp at the National Cricket Academy for the Twenty20 league, starting April 3.

The 40-year-old off-spinner, who retired from international cricket in 2011, bowled in tandem with left-arm spinner Murali Kartik in the nets.

Muralitharan looked unfazed by the controversy and gave some tips to Tamil Nadu lad Kartik during the net session.

Muralitharan did not try anything unusual and concentrated on line and length. He surprised some RCB batsmen with his famous doosra. Muralitharan appeared friendly and jovial, making younger team-mates feel comfortable.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni lookalike Saurabh Tiwary also joined the training camp, first loosening his muscles and then going in for fielding and catching drills. Later, he sweat it out with his bat in the nets.

RCB spearhead Zaheer Khan, who took part in some sprinting yesterday, did not attend the session today.

Zaheer had sustained a calf injury during Mumbai's Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat last December and was then dropped from the Indian Test squad against England.

The RCB think-tank has decided to take rest tomorrow and resume the camp on April 1, expectedly in the presence of big stars Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan at the nets.

Deepika joins Shahrukh & Katrina in IPL 2013 opening ceremony

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan who is set to perform in the opening ceremony fo IPL 2013, will be accompanied by two Bollywood actresses, Katrina Kaif and Deepika padukone at the Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on April 2.

Reportedly, Deepika has accepted to perform at the launch IPL 6 ceremony though she will get a little time to practice as she currently is in Wai shooting for ‘Chennai Express’.

International rap artist Pitbull has also been roped in this year to perform alongside Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone.

This comes as Indian Premier League organizers have dropped pop diva Jennifer Lopez from the opening ceremony of its sixth edition, to be held in Kolkata on April 2.

According a report in The Sun, the 43-year-old singer was said to have demanded a private plane and dozens of hotel rooms for her entourage. She also wanted to bring along her personal stylists, assistants and chef as well.

Describing Jennifer’s demands as ‘idiotic’, a source quoted by NDTV said, “The demands were outrageous. She effectively priced herself out of an event which has a huge audience.”

The sixth edition of IPL will kick off on 3 April with a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils.

IPL Schedule 2013

Date	IST	Details	Venue
03-Apr	8:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils	Kolkata
04-Apr	8:00 PM	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians	Bangalore
05-Apr	8:00 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pune Warriors	Hyderabad
06-Apr	4:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals	Delhi
06-Apr	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians	Chennai
07-Apr	4:00 PM	Pune Warriors vs Kings XI Punjab	Pune
07-Apr	8:00 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore	Hyderabad
08-Apr	8:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Jaipur
09-Apr	8:00 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils	Mumbai
10-Apr	8:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings	Mohali
11-Apr	4:00 PM	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Bangalore
11-Apr	8:00 PM	Pune Warriors vs Rajasthan Royals	Pune
12-Apr	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Delhi
13-Apr	4:00 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Pune Warriors	Mumbai
13-Apr	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore	Chennai
14-Apr	4:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Pune Warriors	Kolkata
14-Apr	8:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab	Jaipur
15-Apr	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Pune Warriors	Chennai
16-Apr	4:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Mohali
16-Apr	8:00 PM	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils	Bangalore
17-Apr	4:00 PM	Pune Warriors vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Pune
17-Apr	8:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians	Jaipur
18-Apr	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings	Delhi
19-Apr	8:00 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab	Hyderabad
20-Apr	4:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings	Kolkata
20-Apr	8:00 PM	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals	Bangalore
21-Apr	4:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians	Delhi
21-Apr	8:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab vs Pune Warriors	Mohali
22-Apr	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals	Chennai
23-Apr	4:00 PM	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors	Bangalore
23-Apr	8:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils	Mohali
24-Apr	8:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians	Kolkata
25-Apr	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Chennai
26-Apr	8:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab	Kolkata
27-Apr	4:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Jaipur
27-Apr	8:00 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore	Mumbai
28-Apr	4:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Chennai
28-Apr	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils vs Pune Warriors	Delhi
29-Apr	4:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore	Jaipur
29-Apr	8:00 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab	Mumbai
30-Apr	8:00 PM	Pune Warriors vs Chennai Super Kings	Pune
01-May	4:00 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians	Hyderabad
01-May	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Delhi
02-May	4:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab	Chennai
02-May	8:00 PM	Pune Warriors vs Royal Challengers Bangalore	Pune
03-May	8:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals	Kolkata
04-May	4:00 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Daredevils	Hyderabad
04-May	8:00 PM	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab	Bangalore
05-May	4:00 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings	Mumbai
05-May	8:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors	Jaipur
06-May	8:00 PM	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Bangalore
07-May	4:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils	Jaipur
07-May	8:00 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Mumbai
08-May	8:00 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings	Hyderabad
09-May	4:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals	Mohali
09-May	8:00 PM	Pune Warriors vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Pune
10-May	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore	Delhi
11-May	4:00 PM	Pune Warriors vs Mumbai Indians	Pune
11-May	8:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Mohali
12-May	4:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore	Ranchi
12-May	8:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings	Jaipur
13-May	4:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab	Delhi
13-May	8:00 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Mumbai
14-May	8:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Pune Warriors	Ranchi
15-May	4:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils	Chennai
15-May	8:00 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals	Mumbai
16-May	8:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore	Dharmasala
17-May	8:00 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals	Hyderabad
18-May	4:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians	Dharmasala
18-May	8:00 PM	Pune Warriors vs Delhi Daredevils	Pune
19-May	4:00 PM	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings	Bangalore
19-May	8:00 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Hyderabad
21-May	8:00 PM	TBC vs TBC	Chennai
22-May	8:00 PM	TBC vs TBC	Chennai
24-May	8:00 PM	TBC vs TBC	Kolkata
26-May	8:00 PM	TBC vs TBC	Kolkata