Indian Premier League

[TT Boy]

I've been a big supporter of IPL, but this is absolutely unacceptable. You cannot allow players to miss Test cricket for any sort of other competition. You just can't go down that route. And this is a Test against the best side in the world!

WI board needs to take a stand ASAP. They should not release players for this.

Gayle’s the one at fault here not the IPL or ICC who have made it perfectly clear that your nation comes first but Chris seems to have missed that memo. He is the captain of the West Indies yet, his scant regard to his commitment as captain is quite appalling.

All the WICB have to do is object and if Gayle does storm out and quit West Indies cricket he would automatically be forbidden from playing IPL cricket for two years anyhow. He should be in no position to say his undecided on what to do.

 

[Craig]

If it weren't for the lack of options (and I may be wrong) I'd be tempted to take the captaincy off Gayle. You need a leader for 100% of the cause, not some primma donna who is only interested in his bank balance. I mean there would of been no way in hell Steve Waugh would have considered such a thing (like when he critised the England team in 2001 when they struggled to find somebody to captain England when Hussain got injured) and frankly that is the way it should be.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Still hoping Gayle will come to his senses very soon. I'd prefer him to Sarwan.

 

[ret]

I have heard of Gayle's involment in match-fixing, so won't be surprised if he choses money

the WICB has the power to stop him from playing IPL but then whats the use of having someone in your team when he is not mentally there?

And, I agree that it's Gayle who is at fault if he choses playing IPL over tests, not IPL .... Kol has enough overseas players to play with

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I have heard of Gayle's involment in match-fixing, so won't be surprised if he choses money

 

[Arjun]

Let's put together some team combinations, shall we?

Hyderabad, I can guess, will be a flop, with at least one of Gibbs, Gilchrist, Afridi, Symonds and Vaas likely to sit out, and Zoysa not likely to get a game. We may end up seeing some obscure players play for the team, or even Sanjay Bangar. Likewise, the Royals- putting together a good combination with the cap on foreign players will be tough.

Will there be a transfer window? Active during the season? Makes it more interesting.

 

[chaminda_00]

Reckon Chennai will look something like this at full strength:

Matthew Hayden
MS Dhoni
Subramaniam Badrinath
Michael Hussey
Jacob Oram
Suresh Raina
Parthiv Patel
Joginder Sharma
Shadab Jakati
Muttiah Muralitharan
L Balaji

Bowling they are bit light as I don't think Ntini or Mokel will get a start ahead of Hussey or Hayden. There will be big pressure on Jakati or Ashwin to step up in the spin bowling all rounders spot.

The other option is giving Raina, Hussey or Dhoni the last 4 overs. That would allow Mukund to come into the middle order or Anirudha or Einstein to bat at top of the order and Dhoni in the middle order.

Personally I reckon when the Aussies are away the side will have better balance.
i.e: Patel, Anirudha, Badrinath, Dhoni, Raina, Oram, Morkel, Mukund, Sharma, Muralitharan, Ntini

Fleming may struggle get games depending on how much well the young Indian batsmen go. As the squad has little depth when it comes to Indian bowlers, so they will go overseas all rounders and bowlers first.

 

[Craig]

Yeah I can't say I ever recall such a thing ever coming out or existing. It's comments like that can get this site in a lot of trouble.

 

[Craig]

Reckon Chennai will look something like this at full strength:

Matthew Hayden
MS Dhoni
Subramaniam Badrinath
Michael Hussey
Jacob Oram
Suresh Raina
Parthiv Patel
Joginder Sharma
Shadab Jakati
Muttiah Muralitharan
L Balaji

Bowling they are bit light as I don't think Ntini or Mokel will get a start ahead of Hussey or Hayden. There will be big pressure on Jakati or Ashwin to step up in the spin bowling all rounders spot.

The other option is giving Raina, Hussey or Dhoni the last 4 overs. That would allow Mukund to come into the middle order or Anirudha or Einstein to bat at top of the order and Dhoni in the middle order.

Personally I reckon when the Aussies are away the side will have better balance.
i.e: Patel, Anirudha, Badrinath, Dhoni, Raina, Oram, Mørkel, Mukund, Sharma, Muralitharan, Ntini

Fleming may struggle get games depending on how much well the young Indian batsmen go. As the squad has little depth when it comes to Indian bowlers, so they will go overseas all rounders and bowlers first.

Out of interest does this count towards their official T20 stats and so is the franchise said player will play for will included in their major teams played for?

 

[chaminda_00]

Out of interest does this count towards their official T20 stats and so is the franchise said player will play for will included in their major teams played for?

Yes

 

[Manee]

I can see Mumbai going like this:

1. Tendulkar
2. Jayasuriya
3. Rahane
4. Uthappa
5. Loots Bosman
6. S Tiwary
7. Pinal Shah
8. Pollock
9. Harbhajan
10. Malinga
11. Fernando/Nehra

 

[ret]

I can see Mumbai going like this:

1. Tendulkar
2. Jayasuriya
3. Rahane
4. Uthappa
5. Loots Bosman
6. S Tiwary
7. Pinal Shah
8. Pollock
9. Harbhajan
10. Malinga
11. Fernando/Nehra

there is NO way that Mumbai would go like that^ as a team can only field 4 overseas players in the 11 *wink* ..... and Pollock could bat up the order

 

[Arjun]

This would be a better Chennai XI-

• Hayden
• Aniruddha
• Badrinath
• Raina
• Hussey
• Dhoni (WK)
• Oram (RM)
• Ashwin (OB)
• Tyagi (RM)
• Muralitharan (OB)
• Balaji (RMF)

This will be a slightly warped lineup, especially when Ntini, Fleming and Albe Morkel have to sit out. Tyagi may make the team as a fourth seamer, while Jakati may edge out Ashwin, a better batsman, because he's a left-arm spinner, providing variation. Putting together a lineup from this will be tough.

A combination for Deccan Chargers will be even tougher-

• Ravi Teja
• Gilchrist (WK)
• Laxman
• Gibbs
• Symonds (RM)
• Venugopal
• Rohit Sharma
• Vaas (LMF)
• Ojha (SLA)
• RP Singh (LFM)
• Kalyankrishna (RM)

Predictably, Afridi had to sit out for this lineup. Zoysa would anyway warm the benches and only cover for Vaas. Styris and Silva have slimmer chances of making this team. One of them may have a chance only if Gilchrist is replaced by Halladar Das, which will be next-to-impossible.

 

[chaminda_00]

This would be a better Chennai XI-

• Hayden
• Aniruddha
• Badrinath
• Raina
• Hussey
• Dhoni (WK)
• Oram (RM)
• Ashwin (OB)
• Tyagi (RM)
• Muralitharan (OB)
• Balaji (RMF)

This will be a slightly warped lineup, especially when Ntini, Fleming and Albe Mørkel have to sit out. Tyagi may make the team as a fourth seamer, while Jakati may edge out Ashwin, a better batsman, because he's a left-arm spinner, providing variation. Putting together a lineup from this will be tough.

Personally with that side I think Dhoni and Oram are batting a bit too low for domestic Twenty20. Also considering Anruddha struggles to make the TN side ahead of Mukund and Patel bats at top for his domestic side and India A. I dare say one of those two will get selected ahead of him. I don't know much about Tyagi. But Sharma did quite well in the Twenty20 WC and has a better domestic record, also he is better batsmen. But yeah it will be a hard side to pick.

 

[Arjun]

The Bangalore Challengers' lineup? Here's a slightly different version of what's expected:

• Praveen Kumar (RM)
• Wasim Jaffer
• Kallis (RM)
• Dravid
• Ross Taylor
• Arun Kumar
• Kohli
• Boucher (WK)
• Kumble (LBG)
• Steyn (RF)
• Zaheer (LFM)

There's a chance for Bracken replacing Kumar and Chanderpaul replacing Taylor and opening. Bracken may also replace Steyn, who may be a target for quick-scoring batsmen. Kumar being an opener and also a frontline bowler will make him a critical player in this team, but this 50-for-no-loss-after-20-overs lineup is the wrong team for this fiery daredevil from Meerut.

 

[Arjun]

Personally with that side I think Dhoni and Oram are batting a bit too low for domestic Twenty20. Also considering Anruddha struggles to make the TN side ahead of Mukund and Patel bats at top for his domestic side and India A. I dare say one of those two will get selected ahead of him. I don't know much about Tyagi. But Sharma did quite well in the Twenty20 WC and has a better domestic record, also he is better batsmen. But yeah it will be a hard side to pick.

Frankly, I haven't seen (or even read) much of Mukund, but that other opener Vijay Krishnan is a lot better. Surprisingly, the owners have ignored him. Mukund may open, but we don't know if he's much of an opener. Parthiv Patel is a wicketkeeper, and let it stay that way. He's not much of an opener, and doesn't have the big shots needed at the top (for non-regulars). Dhoni, maybe, can go up to four. Sharma had a horrendous T20 debut on a flat pitch and came good (actually a lot better) only a little later, and has been out of ROD/Deodhar action of late, for some reason, so he's more or less a gamble, unless you're looking for versatility. Sudeep Tyagi was the leading wicket-taker for UP this Ranji.

 

[Arjun]

How will Rajasthan Royals fit so many of their foreign players together?

• Graeme Smith
• Yusuf Pathan (OB/LBG/Whatever it is)
• Younis Khan
• Taruwar Kohli
• Mohammed Kaif
• Ravindra Jadeja (SLA)
• Kamran Akmal (WK)
• Anup Revandkar
• Warne (LBG)
• Pankaj Singh (RM)
• Munaf (RFM)

An option would be to have Morne Morkel in for that extra batsman, and so Younis Khan would have to be replaced. Seriously, with a team so short of local players, putting together a proper playing XI would be tough. That's how you've got a specialist batsman (not even that great) at eight. Make no mistake, he's not even bowled more than two overs to be classified as a faster bowler than Shane Watson!

 

[chaminda_00]

Frankly, I haven't seen (or even read) much of Mukund, but that other opener Vijay Krishnan is a lot better. Surprisingly, the owners have ignored him. Mukund may open, but we don't know if he's much of an opener. Parthiv Patel is a wicketkeeper, and let it stay that way. He's not much of an opener, and doesn't have the big shots needed at the top (for non-regulars). Dhoni, maybe, can go up to four. Sharma had a horrendous T20 debut on a flat pitch and came good (actually a lot better) only a little later, and has been out of ROD/Deodhar action of late, for some reason, so he's more or less a gamble, unless you're looking for versatility. Sudeep Tyagi was the leading wicket-taker for UP this Ranji.

Yeah Vijay is far better then the other three TN openers in the squad. But I think the fact that the other three are under 22, had more to do with their selection then performance. Mukand missed out on the One Day leg of season due to being in the Under 19 squad and an injury. But he was preferred to Aniruddha for most of FC season scoring 403 runs @ 50. Even when he unaviable Anirudda wasn't the first always selected for TN. As I said I don't know much about Tyagi, but his FC record is very good

 

[Arjun]

Punjab Kings? Really short of ideas, but not short of options for a playing XI.

• James Hopes (RM)
• Karan Goel
• Kumar Sangakkara (WK)[*]Mahela
• Yuvraj
• Tanmay
• Irfan (LMF)
• Chawla (LBG)
• Powar (OB)
• Brett Lee (RF)
• Sreesanth (RFM)

Looks a very strong, versatile team. Mills may make the team as a bowler, replacing Powar, but for that, you'd have to replace James Hopes or one of the Lankans with a local. Uday Kaul is also a wicketkeeper, but replacing Sangakkara would be absolutely dumb. Besides, he's also only a part-time keeper. Even if Hopes is replaced, you may have non-regulars like Sanga or Kaul or Irfan opening the innings, but that's better than having someone whose batting has gone to sleep and fielding weaknesses have shown up lately. Strong title contenders.

 

[duffer]

Punjab Kings? I like it, but it'll be hilarious when they play the Super Kings. Also hope they have a winning franchise as it'll only be a matter of time before someone dubs them the Queens.

Anyone have their logo?

Wouldn't mind a cricketing version of either of these: