Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

BCCI investigator Sudhir Nanavati has met both Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth separately for about half an hour.He said that he is satisfied with his conversations with both the players and that there is no need to cross-examine them.

The BCCI appointed commissioner says he will not be meeting Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh and Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput who was seen laughing after Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth. Nanavati has already met the umpires of the match as also Farooq Engineer who held the enquiry on behalf of the DLF IPL and banned Harbhajan for 11 matches. The BCCI verdict is expected on Monday.

Earlier, both the cricketers arrived on time for the hearing at the Gujarat Law Society building in Ahmedabad.

Nanavati will now submit his report to the BCCI which will be referred to the BCCI’s disciplinary committee after Board president Sharad Pawar goes through it.

Harbhajan has already been banned for 11 matches of the DLF IPL, which rules him out of the tournament. The off-spinner has written to the Board pleading for another chance and a lenient punishment.

According to sources both the players expressed there desire to forget the incident and move on.

Tags: , ban, banned, BCCI, bhajji, Harbhajan Singh, lalchand rajput, Sreesanth, Yuvraj

Editorial : Mohit Goyal 

Indian Premier League Match Preview

Rajasthan Royals Vs Deccan Chargers at Jaipur

Rajasthan’s wagon which was on a roll, was halted in the last match by Mumbai. While the pre tournament favourites, Chargers who had been pretty disappointing registered a thumping win over Chennai in their last match.

Men at the Helm

Shane Warne’s leadership has been the story of the league thus far. Laxman’s absence due to injury in the last match might have been a jolt to Chargers’ batting but Adam Gilchrist coming in as stand in captain was certainly a blessing in disguise.

We have the bat

On paper Chargers are a far superior batting unit but big names like Gibbs, Afridi and Styris haven’t really fired till now. But when they do, not many teams would like to take on them. On the other hand, not so starry batsmen of Royals like Watson, Pathan, Asnodkar and Jadeja have been executing the roles given to them by their captain to perfection.

We have the ball

Rajasthan look a better bowling unit then Deccan with Tanvir, Munaf and Trivedi showing good control, Watson bowling quite quick and Warne turning the ball big. Chargers’ bowlers too bowled pretty good lines in their last match against Chennai Super Kings. Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh seemed to find their rhythms.

Patrolling Party

Both the teams are very good fielding units. If Deccan have Gibbs, Afridi and Styris, Royals have Kaif, Watson and Pathan.

High on betting meter

Such is the talent in the Deccan team that even with them winning just two of the seven matches and Rajasthan loosing only 2 of their seven, Deccan are high on most betting meters. Deccan are placed at 4 on 6 while Rajasthan on 11 on 10.

Who gets the tick?

Deccan have the momentum with them and the star power too while Rajasthan have shown better adaptability and flexibility. Gilly v Warne and Pathan v RP Singh would be battles worth watching for.

© IPL Cricket Forum

Tags: afridi, Deccan chargers, gibbs, IPL Match Preview, Kaif, pathan, Rajasthan Royals, Shane Warne, Styris, VVS laxman, Watson

Sussex all-rounder Luke Wight, has joined Ravi Bopara and Sajid Mahmood and rejected the chance to join the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 23-year-old was approached to play in the lucrative Twenty20 tournament but has decided to focus his efforts on his international career.

Wright’s decision follows that of Mahmood, the Lancashire fast bowler, and Bopara, the Essex all-rounder, who, despite not being centrally contracted, have put their England prospects ahead of the IPL.

“Obviously I was very pleased to be considered for the IPL,” Wright said. “However, my main focus and priority is playing for my country. If the timings were different and it wasn’t going to affect my chances of playing for England, then it would be something I would seriously have to consider.

“I am now looking forward to the match for England Lions today against New Zealand, which is a great chance for me to prove myself in the longer version of the game and hopefully push for a Test place.” - reports Times Online UK

Tags: lankashire, Luke Wright, offer, Ravi Bopara, Sajid Mahmoodrefuse, sussex

A sad resposne and miserable TRP ratings of 3- 5 in target markets due to the popular Indian Premier League, Star Plus has decided to air repeat telecasts of Shah Rukh Khan-anchored quiz show Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai? till June 1, the day the Twenty20 league ends.

The programme with Bollywood’s reigning mega-star Shahrukh Khan as the anchor was conceived by Star Plus to win over prime time viewership from Sony’s IPL cricket telecast.

The Episodes of the Shah Rukh Khan starrer, which is the Indian clone of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?, was aired on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (8 to 9 pm), but now will be repeated Monday to Wednesday (11:30 to 12:30 pm) and again on a back-to-back slot on Sunday (1 to 4 pm).

Commercials aired during the original show time will also be re-run without charging advertisers additional fee, said sources. In other words, an advertiser will get three times more air time on Star Plus for the same amount it had paid originally.

Like in our earlier editorial in which we thanked IPL for putting and end to the the Saas Bahu Saga, this ratings prove once again that a realty show or a original format can easily drive the blues out of any programmes currently aired in Indian Television.

Tags: ads, indian, indian premier league, panchvi paas, Ratings, saas bahu, sales, serial episode, Star Plus, tam, television, TRP

With the Indian Premier League already in its second half - Vodafone joins the tournament as official Telecom Partner in a deal estimated at $25 Million.

Tickets for the DLF Indian Premier League matches will now be available on Vodafone live! — a service the teleco offers to customers. Vodafone customers will also be able to participate in the ‘Predict the Man of the Match’ contest and the winner will be announced as the Vodafone Winner of the contest after match.

Vodafone Essar director-marketing and new business Harit Nagpal said: “We are now cementing our relationship with DLF Indian Premier League with this natural next step and we hope to create added value propositions for our customers through this association.”

Tags: , deal, ip tickets, official, PArtner, telecom, Vodafone