Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

The DLF Indian Premier League today announced that Kingfisher Airlines, the country’s only 5 Star Airline has been chosen as the Official Airline for the league. The appointment as the official airline partner is in addition to Kingfisher Airlines’ earlier commitment to the DLF Indian Premier League as the Umpire Partner. As per the official airline partner agreement, Kingfisher Airlines will extend its world-class, award-winning hospitality to all teams of the DLF IPL and BCCI officials. Also on offer will be dedicated check-in counters, VIP lounge access, an exclusive ground handling team at all airports and a special helpline number for all air travel needs.

Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner, DLF Indian Premier League said, “I am very pleased to have the country’s premier 5 star airline Kingfisher Airlines join us as our Official Airline Partner. I am certain that the cricketers and officials alike will enjoy the 5 star hospitality of the airline while flying the good times across the country getting from one match to another. Their decision to extend the association beyond being umpire partners further bears testimony to the fact that the DLF Indian Premier League is here to stay and is set to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the international cricketing calendar.”

Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman & CEO, Kingfisher Airlines Limited said, “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the DLF Indian Premier League as the official airline partner. Our multi-year agreement with the DLF Indian Premier League is further testimony of our commitment to Indian sports. I am certain that all the players and officials of the DLF Indian Premier League will undoubtedly enjoy our hospitality and fly the good times during the forty-four days of intense competition. The DLF Indian Premier League is a highly innovative concept and the Twenty20 format will undoubtedly take cricket’s popularity to a new high. I welcome all DLF IPL guests to sit back, relax and enjoy the Kingfisher experience.”

Kingfisher Airlines has a long association with a variety of sports at both the domestic and international level including Tennis, Formula 1, Polo and now Cricket. Earlier Leading sports broadcaster Sony Max & World Sport Group had bagged DLF Indian Premier League’s global media and production rights for USD$ 1.026 billion. DLF Ltd., India’s leading real estate company is the league’s title sponsor, while Hero Honda, the country’s largest two-wheeler maker, won the Co-Sponsorship rights for the cricket extravaganza. PepsiCo India, one of the country’s leading beverage companies, has been chosen as the Official Beverage Supplier and Kingfisher Airlines, the country’s only 5 Star Airline, is the Official Umpire Partner for the league.

The DLF Indian Premier League is ready to kick off on April 18th 2008, with some high voltage action expected between Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata franchise and Dr. Vijay Mallya’s Royal Challengers of Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bangalore. The DLF Indian Premier League will feature eight Franchises and will run for 44 days. Each Franchise will play others on a home and away basis with 7 matches at home. The top 4 Franchises in the league will contest the semi-finals and the victorious semi-finalists will meet in the Grand Final all over one weekend, which will be played out in Mumbai.

The inaugural season of the DLF Indian Premier League will showcase a grand total of 59 matches providing broadcasters and in-stadia spectators with 177 hours of live “family entertainment”, which will also be viewed by a significant international audience. All matches will be during late afternoon and evening to coincide with prime time for television and providing a convenient time for the stadium audience.

Get ready for the IPL series starting from April 18,2008. Set MAX has launched a Ad campaign to promote DLF IPL league tournament.
The DLF IPL will change the Entertainment landscape in India forever. MAX has conceptualized its DLF IPL broadcast campaign with the view to prime its viewers for this mega entertainment feast.

MAX, India’s premier entertainment channel will be the sole destination for the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) that starts on 18th April. Drawing learnings from the best sporting formats from around the world, DLF IPL is poised to completely change the way the world consumes Cricket. The DLF IPL will change the Entertainment landscape in India forever. MAX has conceptualized its DLF IPL broadcast campaign with the view to prime its viewers for this mega entertainment feast.

Aptly titled ‘Manoranjan Ka Baap’, the 75-second magnum opus is a tribute to the high-on-entertainment movies of the 80s and pitches DLF IPL as the ultimate destination for entertainment on TV. The commercial literally amplifies the expression ‘the Baap of all Entertainment’. The film narrates the travails of a family of three – a mother and her twin sons named Mano and Ranjan – who go about their lives without the presence of the children’s father. The family is constantly victimised and subjected to barbs by the entire village. Kab aayega tumhara baap? (When will your father come?) is a never-ending taunt. The twins keep retaliating that their father will definitely return one day. The narration builds to a climax with the woe-ridden woman contemplating ending her life and that is when the miracle occurs. Her children stop her just in time by screaming that their father has arrived. Cut to children dancing deliriously and kissing the TV set and the voice over announcing “Aagaya Manoranjan Ka Baap. DLF Indian Premier League. Sirf MAX par”

Kings XI Punjab, the IPL Mohali team has added another of the aussies onto it’s bandwagon.

West Australian batsman Shaun Marsh has joined the growing band of Aussies jumping onboard the Indian Premier League bandwagon.

Marsh starred in the domestic Twenty20 competition last year, smashing 290 runs at an average of 58 and has been rewarded by the Mohali franchise with a three-year contract.

Marsh will join a large WA contingent at Mohali’s “Kings XI Punjab” - with Luke Pomersbach, coach Tom Moody and assistant Trevor Penney already members of the team.

The Kings XI Punjab line-up will also include international superstars Brett Lee, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Irfan Pathan.

The tournament is scheduled to start on April 18 and Marsh is excited about taking part in the inaugural season.

“I’m very excited to have the chance to play in a tournament of such high profile,” Marsh said.

“Like so many others that are taking part, I’m just looking forward to the experience that I wll gain from lining up with so many greats of world cricket.”

The IPL contract is caos a golden fortnight for Marsh, who has been named the Warriors Player of the Year, been selected in Australia’s one-day squad to tour the West Indies and received a 12-month Cricket Australia contract.

All Katrina fans rejoice! The bollywood beauty will be performing in the IPL opening ceremony along with Actor Zayed Khan.

Vijay Mallya’s Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Bangalore Royal Challengers has not only kept the glam element intact, but is adding to with every passing day. Mallya who signed up Katrina Kaif for his team’s promotional video, has now roped in the stunning actress to perform at the opening ceremony of IPL along with Zayed Khan.

Initially, Mallya only wanted to make an ad film to promote his team but Sanjay Gupta came up with the idea of a music video. The video, which will feature Kat along with Mallya’s team members Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan and other cricketers will be directed by Gupta himself.

Now, Kat performing at the opening ceremony with Zayed, has upped the glam quotient again for Bangalore Royal Challenegers.

Says a source, “Zayed and Katrina is an unusual combo. However, they make for an interesting duo as they both are good dancers.

Let’s see if people too dance to their tunes!

The Rajasthan Royals family has just added a new member.
Leicestershire spinner Jeremy Snape has agreed a deal to join Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals as high performance coach for three weeks.

It means Snape, who was an assistant coach during England’s 2007 World Cup campaign, becomes the second English player after Hampshire skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas to miss the early part of the domestic season to take part in the multi-million pound Twenty20 tournament.

Snape, 34, joins Mascarenhas and Somerset captain Justin Langer at the Jaipur-based side.

His recruitment to the lucrative competition is of no immediate concern to England as he last appeared in the international arena during last year’s World Twenty20 in South Africa, but it is sure to make an impact with the England and Wales Cricket Board, who are keen to stop any senior stars compromising their Test futures for the lure of quick money.

But David Smith, Foxes’ chief executive, is certain the stint can only be beneficial to both player and county.

He said: “Leicestershire CCC are very supportive of his involvement and are sure that he can pass on the experiences gained in India to our younger players, particularly, in our 20/20 campaign starting on 11th June at Grace Road against Lancashire.”

Snape was due to fly out on Wednesday will return on May 2 meaning he will miss one Friend’s Provident Game against Northamptonshire on 20th April and three LV County Championship games.

That call for a Royal feast for all the Rajasthan Royals Fans.