Is the IPL still the ticket?

A new financial year and a new test for Indian cricket. The first week of April will give us an idea of what the fan, and those who monetise his passion, think about the future of Indian cricket.

A bit like a mid-term poll, the BCCI has asked for a new television partner midway into the arrangement with Nimbus, which is an acknowledgement, maybe, that Indian cricket was overpriced, given that the last deal was valued at the same price as the one before it. Remember, this is not as much about the price as about the returns at that price, something investors in stocks know very well. A State Bank of India share might be a very good asset to possess at Rs 1500, but not quite as good at Rs 3000 maybe.

People good at assessing risk and evaluating assets will take a call on the valuation of Indian cricket early next week. They will budget for the fact that Australia, England and South Africa are all due to visit India in this contract period; that India play better at home than away, which is a factor; that political uncertainty and the fear of an economic slowdown might hit advertising budgets, even the fear that the big cricket stars are slowly moving on. Why, the future of Tendulkar might be a factor, for there is no denying that he pulls in more viewers than anyone else.

Bidders will have to weigh that against the cost of not having Indian cricket on their channels, for that has a rub-off effect on other programming; it provides bargaining power with cable operators, who, in spite of Direct-to-Home, are significant players in the television industry. Some big names, existing channels, and some who desire to establish themselves, are apparently in the fray, and so the 2nd of April should be an important date.

It is not only the on-field itinerary that counts, though. I hope that there is as much emphasis on the content on television and radio as there is on the price. In good markets, product quality and price have a very close relationship.

The first week of April also sees the start of IPL 5. It is a very important year for the IPL. The viewership and attendance figures will give us an idea of whether it is still the hot property it was in its first three years. The reason for the little suspicion is that IPL 4, by its own standards alone, was a slight disappointment. But it was also a peculiar year because India had just won the World Cup, a deeply emotional event, and the IPL began even before the shadows had lengthened. Not only was there a lot of cricket on television, people had already spent fair sums of money on going to cricket grounds. But there was another factor too.

In the months leading up to IPL 4, the presence of two new teams had necessitated another auction, and that led, however gross the parallel might seem, to mass migration. The relationship between fans and players, at the heart of all sport, was severely affected, and everyone, including commentators, was confused initially about who was playing for whom. Things will be better this year on that front, and given how little India have played in India this year, there might be a greater temptation to head towards the cricket ground. Already the Chennai Super Kings are reporting that all Rs 700 and Rs 1200 tickets have been sold for all home games; apparently internet sales have also been pretty good and these are good signs, even if some commentators have recently been spotted shaking a leg in a promo!

IPL 5 will also test the strength of the disillusionment of the Indian fan over recent performances by the national team. History suggests that such disillusionment tends to be short-lived, that the search for a good meal is rarely hampered by the experience of a bad one. There is also the usual debate in some quarters of playing for money over playing for the country. Most people saying that seem to have few problems with accepting it in football and basketball. Just as there are accountants and politicians and artists of all kinds, so too do we have cricketers of many dispositions. And don't forget, not all of them have the option of representing India. The IPL gives them a stage too. But in the end, like with a free and fair election, the public will vote, and this is a big election for Indian cricket.

Don't discount another factor, though. The front pages of India's newspapers, repositories of bad news, have to outdo themselves these days. Poverty needs to be alleviated as much in public life as in our villages. When the news is grim, entertainment has a chance.

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Is the IPL still a summer blockbuster?

In its short but eventful life, the IPL, with its combination of cricket and entertainment, has resembled an unstoppable juggernaut. Above all, it has been television-ratings gold, attracting a wide audience, including women and children, that has mostly ignored the longer versions of the game. Even film ticket sales dropped in its wake, with production houses choosing to withhold new releases until after the IPL. Its domination was total, and it seemed like nothing could slow it down.

Until this season.

The 2011 IPL produced the lowest television ratings of any of the four seasons, an average Television Viewer Rating (TVR) of 3.91 per game, down 29% from 5.51 a year ago. Even the final, which pitted the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, against Royal Challengers Bangalore, failed to draw the bumper ratings of years past, despite the presence of India's captain, MS Dhoni, and Chris Gayle, this season's most explosive and exciting player. Their contest drew a TVR of 6.96, healthy by normal standards but pale in comparison to the 12.85 rating in 2010. It was also the first final to draw a single-digit rating.

The comparatively low numbers represent the first signs that there could be trouble in paradise, and provide empirical data to back up the general perception that this IPL season was lacklustre and suffered in comparison to India's victorious World Cup campaign, which preceded it. But while media experts and the various stakeholders in the league admit there are concerns to be addressed, the consensus seems to be that there is no cause for alarm because the IPL is still the best property on television.

Sundar Raman, the chief executive of the IPL, was measured in his reaction to the ratings when he spoke to ESPNcricinfo two days before the tournament final. Among the reasons offered by media experts for their decline was confusion among fans because of the shuffling of players between teams, but Raman didn't think that was much of a factor. He thought the lack of close games and the increase in the number of afternoon games were likelier culprits.

"I haven't had the opportunity to go into the depth of the analysis, which I will certainly do after the season is over to understand what we can do better, and [if there is] anything that will ensure that we get more number of people watching more amount of time."

Perhaps the problem was how high the bar was set in the first few seasons. "[The 2011 season] was not according to expectations," R Gowthaman, the managing director of Mindshare (part of Group M, India's largest media agency), told ESPNcricinfo. "Definitely below par. If you think of any other programme that will give you a four rating for non-stop [episodes] over six weeks, you won't find anything. Its own performance is its own bane."

Rohit Gupta, the president of Multi-Screen Media (MSM), which owns Set Max, the channel that broadcasts the IPL, differed with Raman, in that he felt the new teams and players switching franchises could have been factors, along with more afternoon games, and cricket fatigue caused by the World Cup. But he said these problems could be fixed.

"There is no World Cup next year. You are familiar with the teams now. Had the reach come down, then there would have been a concern. That means people are moving away from the IPL. That would be the larger concern."

Gupta pointed out that the reach, the absolute number of people who watched the tournament, had risen from 55.48 million last year to 58.83 million. "It shows that people are interested in the IPL. The only thing is they have spent less time than last year."

Set Max is expected to rake in about Rs 1000 crores in revenue this year, a 25% jump over 2010, but they will probably have to scale back their expectations for next year, according to Gowthaman. He expects that 2011 "will be hanging on the head as the Damocles sword in terms of [the] pricing" Set Max can charge for advertising spots next year, but says advertisers wanting a better deal are about as far as the repercussions will go.

"We are now used to consuming 200 days of cricket. After two series, the West Indies series and England-India series, we won't feel as tired as we are feeling now about the IPL. The mood will be completely different at the end of the year when it comes to the bullishness of the tournament."

 

"Eventually only sport survives. If you celebrate Barcelona today, it has everything to do with the sport. No entertainment show lasts forever. It has five seasons and then it starts fading"
Brand consultant Santosh Desai believes cricket should be the spotlight of the IPL

Despite the lower ratings, Abhijit Avasti, national creative director of advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather, said the league delivered for those advertisers who came up with the right approach. O&M were responsible for the Vodafone 3G campaign, which, he said, got a great response.

Avasti doesn't believe a show should be judged solely on the basis of ratings. "If I was to evaluate a media property, I wouldn't get into too much granularity. Otherwise you reach a level where you are evaluating a serial and you say only when one chacha [uncle] comes on, people watch." Rather than going into such detail, he prefers to pick a programme that has the nation's attention, and thinks Twenty20, which requires less time and attention than one-day or Test cricket, is "a great platform for brands to make noise on".

Away from the television screens, the franchises had reasons to cheer as well. Arvinder Singh, the chief operating officer of Kings XI Punjab, said his franchise met all their targets and business objectives. He too was sceptical about regarding television ratings as the key barometer of the league's success, saying they are essentially a numbers game. He also thought the World Cup's impact on viewers was a circumstance unique to this year.

"[The IPL] is the biggest sporting event in the country. Nothing comes close to it, really speaking. It is well documented. Well known. The IPL is after all the IPL."

Venky Mysore, the chief executive of Kolkata Knight Riders, was surprised by the television ratings and the empty seats at some of the playoff games, but remains convinced of the league's long-term prospects. While ratings may have dropped, Mysore said ticket sales for Kolkata were very good, and that the franchise's social-media initiatives had proven to be hugely popular ("Our community is growing at a rate of between four to five thousand a day"), demonstrating that interest in the league is alive and well. Kolkata have built a strong platform of sponsors, and Mysore expects to not only break even this fiscal year but possibly even post a profit.

At the same time, he said it was important to realise the league is not a start-up anymore, and that it can no longer take the fans for granted. "We have to earn interest. Demonstrate that we can add value for them." In order to accomplish this, he said he would like to see more collaboration between the franchises and IPL management - perhaps the franchises could be given a place at the decision-making table - as well as more transparency. "I'm very bullish about the future," he said, "but for us to really continue to build on this, it has to be a joint responsibility."

Raman said it was unlikely the BCCI would give the franchises a formal role in the running of the league, but that the league would consult with the franchises on an informal basis.

Not everyone is convinced the IPL has taken root in the hearts and minds of India's cricket fans, though. Santosh Desai, the head of Future Brands, a brand consultancy firm, believes the club-versus-country debate could grow louder if India were to suddenly lose a series or two, with a potential for a backlash against the league as a result. His prescription is to abandon the notion of "cricketainment" and allow cricket to occupy the entire stage.

"Eventually, if you look at sport across the world, only sport survives. If you celebrate Barcelona today, it has everything to do with [football]... No entertainment show lasts forever. It has five seasons and then it starts fading."

Desai believes the key to building the future of the league lies in giving the franchises the wheel; in giving them a chance to build their own identities and giving fans a reason to not just follow them but to become loyal in the way a Barcelona or Manchester United fan is loyal - because of what the team represents.

That is why he thinks the IPL missed a trick when they reshuffled the teams. Not only did it confuse the fans, most of whom were suddenly forced to root against their favourite players, but it also smacked of shaking up the cast on a soap opera to create new storylines (for example, Ganguly and Kolkata), and got in the way of treating the IPL like a sport.

"They lost an opportunity. There is such a thing as too much cricket. There is something like too many sixes."

Still, like the others, Desai believes the IPL's problems can be fixed, and that the odds are in the league's favour. A lot of money has been invested to make the league the grand spectacle it is, and there is no doubt about India's passion for the sport. If meaningful rivalries can be developed between the teams, and the franchises continue to build their fan bases, the IPL should expect to settle in for a long innings. Yet after this season there is the possibility, if slim, that its continued success is no longer a sure thing.

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Ankle surgery rules Ishant Sharma out of IPL

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the IPL after undergoing an ankle surgery earlier this month, which is likely to keep him out of action for at least six months. Deccan Chargers, Ishant's IPL franchise, confirmed the development, saying they would now be seeking permission from the IPL for a replacement player.

Ishant had been delaying the surgery for nearly a year, but finally decided to take the plunge after he returned from Australia in January, where he had played the Test-leg of the tour. Though he impressed in patches, Ishant remained inconsistent and only managed five wickets at an average of 90.20 in the four-Test series.

It is understood that he had considered delaying the surgery post this IPL season, but that would have ruled him out of the home series against England, starting in November. Ishant is likely to plan his rehabilitation so that he can make a return during the home series against New Zealand, also later in the year.

"The wound is likely to heal in three months' time and he is solely focussing on that," a source close to Ishant told ESPNcricinfo.

Last year, Ishant's India team-mate Virender Sehwag was in a similar scenario with a shoulder injury but he chose to delay his surgery. After the World Cup, he played through pain at the start of the IPL but withdrew midway through the tournament. He was ruled out of the West Indies tour and missed the start of the Test series in England.

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Flintoff sale rigged at 2009 IPL auction - Modi

Lalit Modi, the former IPL commissioner, has said he was arm-twisted in to rigging the 2009 player auction to ensure Andrew Flintoff was sold to the Chennai Super Kings. N Srinivasan, the BCCI president and the managing director of Indian Cements, the company that owns the Super Kings, dismissed Modi's allegations as lacking in "substance or truth".

Modi, who was sacked as the league's commissioner on charges of financial irregularities and is currently based in London, also claimed that the exclusion of Pakistan players from the 2009 IPL season was because of "arm-twisting" by BCCI officials.

"I shouldn't have let that [the rigging of Flintoff's sale] happen", Modi said during an interview to CNN-IBN, an Indian news channel. He also said the IPL was no longer the level playing field on which it was built, and that rules were changed to suit the bigger franchises. He conceded there was a lack of transparency and said the tournament had moved far enough from its basic principles to affect its long-term viability.

Srinivasan, who was BCCI secretary at the time of the 2009 auction, denied the allegations. "All I can say is that there is absolutely no substance or truth in what he [Modi] is saying," he said. "If he is talking about 2009 why is he saying all this in 2012."

The most damaging of Modi's statements concerned Flintoff's auction. Asked whether it had been rigged, he said: "Yes that is a fact. I made it clear that time. That onus was on me and as chairman I should have not allowed that to happen then. I was arm-twisted to allow Andrew Flintoff to go to Chennai Super Kings. I'm to blame for that. It's a fact."

Chennai bought Flintoff for $1.55 million at the auction in Goa, making him the most expensive player at the time alongside Kevin Pietersen. In buying JP Duminy for $950,000, Mumbai Indians had effectively ruled themselves out from the bidding for Flintoff, and Royal Challengers Bangalore did not enter the bidding for him at all. Rajasthan Royals tried to keep pace, but after buying Shaun Tait they had only $1.5 million left in their purse. The Deccan Chargers showed no interest in Flintoff, and Chennai eventually got him. Flintoff, however, played only three matches in the 2009 season before returning home injured. Knee surgery then ruled him out of the 2010 tournament.

In the interview, Modi also commented on the absence of Pakistan players from the 2009 tournament. They played the first season in 2008 but the Mumbai terror attacks in November that year put their future participation in doubt. Some Pakistan cricketers were part of the 2009 auction but they did not attract a single bid from any of the eight franchises. Modi said "arm-twisting" by the BCCI "that nobody should pick them" had led to the shut out of Pakistan cricketers.

The BCCI has been under scrutiny and criticism following the decision by Sahara, the sponsors of the Indian team and owners of the Pune Warriors IPL franchise, to pull out of its association with Indian cricket. Pune Warriors did not take part in the IPL's supplementary auction held in Bangalore on February 4. Modi said that in the light of the Sahara dispute, he would not have allowed the auction to take place. "I would have not allowed the rules to be changed at first place. There would have not been a problem with Mr Subrata Roy or anybody had the rules been consistent."

The pullout he said was "a big blow" for the BCCI, which was struggling to retain its sponsors. "We cancelled the contract with Nimbus without encashing their bank guarantee. With Kochi, Sahara, Nimbus and Sony contracts going down, it's close to Rs 10,000 crores [approximately $2 billion] loss to BCCI."

Modi also criticised the IPL's decision to allow the franchises to retain up to four players after the contracts expired at the end of the 2010 season. Chennai and Mumbai Indians were the only teams to retain four players.

"The retention clause was only for first three years. All players were supposed to go back to auction after first three years," Modi said. "In the fourth year [2011] that did not happen and they allowed the players to stay back. That became a problem... [it] was at the detriment of the new teams. When the new teams come in, that's a problem for them and I had pointed it out last year. If you pull out few things the entire model is going to fall apart."


QUICK COMMENT

Modi kills his own dream
Lalit Modi turned up on India's TV screens again, earnest, confessional, talking about what had happened to the IPL and Indian cricket in his absence. One IPL team has pulled out, two more are in arbitration, a fourth in litigation, the BCCI has dissociated with its broadcast partner Nimbus, lost its team sponsor Sahara, the team itself is losing and rights are hard to sell. Modi spoke forcefully about a list of the errors committed by BCCI's honchos in the IPL and its discriminatory practices that worked against all but the two strongest teams and even admitted to wrongdoing on his part - of being "arm-twisted" by "senior BCCI officials."

During his tenure, Modi was the IPL's chief mascot and the BCCI's most energetic fund-raiser, earning the clout to twist a few arms himself. Not the meek accessory he says he was in the cases of Flintoff and the Pakistan players. Unlike the IPL's current governors, Modi ensured that the league always looked like its marketing plan. It was a shiny, megabucks, high-octane package of cricket and glamour that drew big spenders towards its bonfire of vanities. To make that happen, though, the IPL's rules became its bendy toys - starting in Modi's time itself. Sometimes the rules were applied, sometimes rejigged, to suit a few beneficiaries. Money from public auctions "tie-breakers" was kept private and team ownership patterns were equally opaque and could never really be understood.

Now in exile, Modi's new marketing strategy is to become the IPL's lone truth-teller when he is in fact the man who wrote its source code. What he said on TV is merely affirmation of what was largely known: that the IPL's glitter disguised a closed-door clique of the wealthy who, rather than playing by the rules, played with them.

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Ryder to play IPL with support structure

Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman who had taken an indefinite break from cricket to resolve personal issues, will play for his IPL franchise Pune Warriors in the fifth season of the league, beginning on April 4. Ryder will be supported in India by his manager Aaron Klee and clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo.

"Jesse has been making steady progress over the past few weeks. While the IPL has clear challenges, and is a big step, I believe he's ready to take it," Nimmo said. "Cricket is Jesse's job and what he's good at, so I was keen to see him return to the game as soon as practical, but only with the right structures in place."



Klee said Ryder was going to significant extents and expense to overcome his issues, and that their planning of his recovery was thorough. "Karen is travelling to India the day after Jesse and will continue her work with him there while I'll be going over a little later to carry that work on," Klee said. "The franchise has been wonderful and Jesse is desperate to perform on and off the field, and get his career back on track.

"We are also very grateful for the support of New Zealand Cricket [NZC] and Cricket Wellington for their assistance and support. Also, Heath Mills [New Zealand Cricket Players Association chief] has been incredible in his support as always."

NZC chief executive David White was supportive of the move. "It's really positive that Jesse has reached the point where here is ready to play competitive cricket again," he said. "He has clear expectations from NZC in terms of what is required from him to make a return to international cricket and playing in the IPL is a good first step. We are proud of the progress he has made and we will continue to support him through what has been a tough time."

On March 8, Klee had issued a statement saying Ryder had pulled out of Wellington's squad for their Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts and had not decided when he would make himself available again. The announcement came a week after Ryder was dropped from the New Zealand squad for the third ODI against South Africa for breaking team protocol, and then left out of the Test series as well.

After the defeat in the second ODI against South Africa, Ryder, along with Doug Bracewell, went to a hotel and became involved in an argument with a patron. "Team protocols dictate that players who are rehabilitating from injury should not consume alcohol and unfortunately both players went to a Napier hotel following the conclusion of the match," NZC had said in a release. "Also, while at the hotel both players verbally reacted to taunts from a member for the public."

The incident was the latest of Ryder's several indiscretions. In August 2010, Ryder was fined for "intoxicated and rowdy" behaviour at a hotel during an indoor cricket tournament and he said he had feared for his career while NZC was investigating the incident. The most serious of Ryder's indiscretions was in 2008, when he put his right hand through a glass window during a late-night session at a Christchurch bar. In January 2009, NZC said Ryder had given up alcohol after another incident, which resulted in him missing an ODI against West Indies.

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Clarke signs with Pune Warriors

Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has joined IPL franchise Pune Warriors. On Tuesday, Sourav Ganguly, the Warriors captain and mentor, had said Clarke was close to signing a contract which would be valid for the next two seasons. On Wednesday, the deal was confirmed by the IPL.

Ganguly, who was appointed captain for this season in the absence of Yuvraj Singh, said having Clarke on board would bolster the Warriors in all departments of the game.

"He can bat and he can bowl. He is a big player," Ganguly told ESPNcricinfo.

Clarke had, in 2009, pulled out of the IPL auction, citing Australia's busy schedule, and has never played in the competition. In fact the only domestic Twenty20 games he has played were way back in 2004, for Hampshire in England. He also retired from Twenty20 internationals in January 2011 in order to focus on ODIs and Tests. Asked why Warriors were interested in Clarke, despite his lack of T20 experience, Ganguly said Clarke had the talent and was considering a return to Twenty20 cricket.

"It is his ability," Ganguly said. "He also wants to re-start playing Twenty20 cricket."

Clarke had acknowledged that his manager was in talks with the franchise but said a decision would be arrived at in due course. Clarke landed in the Caribbean on Monday to join the Australia squad. He is still recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the CB Series, but is expected to play in the warm-up match ahead of the three-Test series against West Indies.

Clarke will only feature in the second half of the Warriors' campaign, as the West Indies tour finishes at the end of the April.

Warriors are now left with just one more overseas slot to fill. Ganguly also confirmed that the franchise had opened talks with Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener, but it was too early to say anything definitive. "We are still chatting to Tamim," Ganguly said.

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A day in the life of a physio

"What is it like working for an IPL team?" is a question I get asked a lot. Following the last column, in which I introduced the topic of sports medicine, it seems fitting to describe an average day of a physio on tour.

My most recent stint as a cricket physio has been with the Kolkata Knight Riders. During the IPL we have a number of different daily scenarios to plan for, and these can be broadly divided into: camp, match day, travel day, practice day and recovery day.

Preparatory Camp
Ideally, every IPL team wants its players arriving for the tournament with plenty of time to get accustomed to local conditions, get over jet lag, and to get to know the rest of the team. This applies not only to players but to the coaching and support staff as well.

Most physios like to start the preparatory camp with medical screenings. The threat of litigation is very real in professional sport, so it is important to assess each player on his arrival for a number of details, with his current medical/fitness status being the main concern. In a squad of up to 30 players these screenings take up a lot of time. It is critical to assess a player's current condition because while he might not have an injury on arrival, a lack of basic physical fitness in Twenty20 cricket can predispose him to one. This is obviously a liability to the team from a performance and availability perspective.

Screenings also identify potential problems, which, if addressed early, could prevent injuries. IPL teams pay fat salaries to players and have every right to expect them to arrive and stay in top physical condition. Adrian Le Roux, our legendary fitness expert, likes to measure a number of physical fitness parameters, such as the yo-yo intermittent recovery test for testing repeatability of efforts, and skinfolds measures for an estimate of body fat levels. This information supports my injury assessments.

Practice days
I start a standard practice day by organising and prioritising a treatment list. I'll do a recce at breakfast of players who have been undergoing treatment. Then it's a matter of guessing how much time I need with each player and scheduling treatment around other team commitments such as practice. Some treatments are relatively quick, taking no more than 20 minutes, whereas with those who have multiple injuries or niggles, I can spend over an hour. The treatment room is often a hive of activity as players hang out and chat whilst waiting for their turn on the table. When there are so many players it is often challenging examining them all in the available time.

The thing about practice days in the IPL is that since all the matches are under played under lights, it makes sense to have most practice sessions under similar conditions. But this is not always the case because of the cost involved in switching on the stadium lights. Lights also attract trillions of flying insects and these can become a real issue, with various mosquito-borne diseases being endemic. It doesn't seem to bother local players but the foreign ones are justifiably cautious. I go through a lot of repellent.

At practices, I need to be present to work with anyone who needs me - from managing acute injuries, strapping bodies, mobilising joints or testing whether the player is ready to return. Many injuries also occur during practice and need to be managed correctly, and various medical interventions tested before match situations. Often I need to try various strapping techniques to obtain the best functional result. The first practice at a new ground is also an opportunity to evaluate the local facilities, meet the doctors, assess the medical room and emergency plan, and even review the food provided.

 

Match day doesn't end with the last ball. Injury and recovery management begin immediately after the players come off the field. There is also frequent drug-testing, usually a lengthy process, since you wait until a suitable urine sample can be produced. I have returned to the hotel after 3am on more than one occasion

Match day
Due to the late start and finish times of IPL matches, players often come down late for breakfast or miss it entirely. If this means a good night's sleep then it isn't a bad thing. The players' absence gives me the opportunity to catch up on administrative work or to schedule any doctors' or radiology visits. The post-lunch period is reserved for fine-tuning the playing squad, with individual appointments either in the treatment room or in the gym for specific rehabilitation. At some stage in the afternoon, there will be a team meeting to discuss the match strategy and team composition. We aim to allow approximately one and a half hours at the ground before the start of the match. The players like to use this time to unpack their kitbags, have a snack, wander onto the field to discuss the wicket, and to generally calm the nerves. Warm-ups begin about an hour before start. I use this time to set up in the medical room, prepare ice packs and stock the run-on medical bag before proceeding to work with players who need my assistance. One particular player needs specific ankle-taping that takes me 15 to 20 minutes to complete, so I usually do such work at the hotel.

Any fitness issues might also need to be resolved during this time, and decisions must be made on the status of the player before the toss. Such decisions are better made before match days, but because of the packed itinerary we're sometimes forced to take a last-minute call after putting the player through a battery of fitness tests.

One night on arriving at the ground, one of our key foreign players tweaked his upper back getting out of his seat on the team bus. I recall working frantically to settle it down as best as possible and then test his "fitness" before the toss. He said he'd be okay and decided to play. Fortunately in this case, he loosened up as the match progressed and woke up feeling okay the next morning. This is just one of the challenges of working in the IPL.

Throughout the match we must be ready for any medical or non-medical situation. The usual suspects include impact injuries, muscle strains, joint sprains, cramping, headaches, concussion, bugs in the eyes, nausea, and split finger webbing, to name a few. But we're also frequently asked to cut shoe toe-boxes, provide superglue (to repair bats) or cover inappropriate logos with tape. It is surprising how many players do not prepare themselves more professionally. One has to be prepared for as many eventualities as possible during a match.

Match day for me doesn't end with the last ball. Injury and recovery management begin immediately after the players come off the field. We encourage them to use ice baths and cryotherapy, and most of them are professional enough to know when they need it. There is also frequent drug-testing, usually a lengthy process since you wait until a suitable urine sample can be produced. I have returned to the hotel after 3am on more than one occasion.

Travel day
The team management meets at the start of the season to discuss the flight schedule so we can optimise player recovery. Early-morning flights after a match are avoided wherever possible to allow players time to sleep. Some coaches feel a travel day is not strictly a full recovery day but it does allow time for a 30-minute recovery pool-and-stretch session before we fly. A later flight also gives the players an opportunity to get medical treatment, a massage, or to squeeze in a gym or rehab session.


Pool and stretch sessions can often be squeezed into a travel day © Associated Press
Enlarge
If a pool session isn't possible before leaving, we usually try to sneak one in immediately after arriving at the new hotel. Soon after arriving, I check out the hotel's gym and see what equipment is available, for it differs from place to place. A rehab programme in one gym might need to be modified to suit different equipment in another. Then it's time to set up and start planning treatment times again. As funny as it seems, players often don't come forward with injury information, not because they want to hide it but because they might consider it insignificant.

Recovery day
The IPL is a hectic tournament. Lots of travel, training, matches and practice. A recovery day is a complete day off for the players from all team commitments. T20 might not be the most physically tiring form of cricket but the length of the IPL and the number of matches can get mentally tiring.

For the physio, recovery days are opportunities to work intensively with the injured. It also means we don't get days off throughout the tournament. But that's the IPL

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IPL Shifts Matches And Venues Due To Election Clash

 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed a number of changes to the schedule of the 2012 Indian Premier League due to the Delhi Municipal Elections in April.

Matches have been moved to different dates and some others have been moved to alternative venues as follows:

Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers moves from Saturday 14th April 2012 (4:00 pm) in Delhi to Thursday 19th April 2012 (4:00 pm) in Delhi

Deccan Chargers vs Pune Warriors India on Tuesday 1st May 2012 (4:00 pm) moves from Hyderabad to Cuttack (4:00 pm).

Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils moves from Thursday 19th April 2012 (4:00 pm) in Cuttack to Thursday 10th May 2012 in Hyderabad (4:00 pm).

The Play-off match to be played on Tuesday 22nd May 2012 has been shifted from the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to the MCA Stadium, Pune.

The Play-off match on Wednesday 23rd May 2012 will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

Furthermore, if the Royal Challengers Bangalore are placed first or second in the league table then the Eliminator Play-off match will be played on Tuesday 22nd May 2012 in Pune, and the Qualifier 1 Play-off match will be played on Wednesday 23rd May 2012 in Bengaluru.

If the Royal Challengers Bangalore are placed third or below in the league table, then the Qualifier 1 Play-off match will be played on Tuesday 22nd May 2012 in Pune and the Eliminator Play-off match will played on Wednesday 23rd May 2012 in Bengaluru.

The Qualifier 1 Play-off match will feature the teams that finished the regular season in first & second place. The Eliminator Play-off will feature the teams that finished the regular season in third & fourth place.

As previously announced, the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will host the Qualifier 2 Play-off match and the Final.

"The start of the DLF IPL 2012 is exactly three weeks away. We are confident that the fifth season of this phenomenon will turn out to be the best ever, on and off the field," Rajeev Shukla, Chairman, IPL, said.

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Chennai Super Kings Mascot To Be Named By Fans

 

In its endeavour to engage its ever-growing fan base, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), launched a fan engagement contest for the upcoming Indian Premier League around the corner. For the first time we see a club allowing young fans to come up with a cool and exciting name for their favorite mascot.

CSK mascot, a strapping young lion, symbolizing the city’s fighting spirit and winning attitude, is a huge hit with the younger fans of the team. Even though it has been a long standing fixture in the CSK brand for over 4 years now, it has remained nameless for all these years.  Team CSK is now set to change all that. From cheering the team on the sidelines, to coloring the field yellow celebrating victory, the mascot is now going to be a more visible member of the team with the responsibility of entertaining young and old fans who watch the match in the stadium.

Through this contest the young Chennai Super king Fans are encouraged to participate in giving a name to their favorite mascot that is not only cool but is reflective of the attitude of the city and the team it stands for. In order to help the fans, there are some likes and dislikes that have been mentioned, that will help them in naming the lion. These attributes are:

What he Likes:
•    He loves Whistling, dancing, playing cricket and watching movies
•    He can’t resist South Indian food, especially curd rice and pickles.
•    He’s a Thalaivar fan (just like everyone else) and he always watches Rajini movies first day first show
•    He loves showing off his cricketing prowess with the helicopter shot… well just about any shot that gets him a six.
•    His favourite Super Kings moments include the nail biting last over at Dharamsala and going up to receive all the trophies with the entire Super Kings team

What he doesn’t like:

•    He hates the offseason and any other time that takes him away from his cricket.
•    Empty stadiums are another downer for him
•    He hates bullies and cheats
•    He can’t stand laziness in any form

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Rakesh Singh , Jt. President, Marketing said, “A mascot is a platform to engage with our young fans. It allows a certain freedom to bring humour and sarcasm into a serious sports brand. Moreover, It can have a opinion on anything and everything and put a smile on faces. We are excited to get our young fans involved in the naming of their favorite mascot and hope that we will receive great response from them. The lucky winner, will not only have a chance to name the lion, but also receive a host of goodies from the team. 10 runners up will win post cards jointly autographed by the captain M.S.Dhoni and the mascot.”

The contest is for fans aged between 4 – 15 years and will be conducted through SMS and Online entries. All our fans will send their entries (Their choice of name for the mascot) as SMS CSK space <MASCOT NAME> space <YOUR NAME> space <YOUR EMAIL ID> to 56161.  They could also log onto and fill in the online form hosted there. The last date of entry for the contest would be 28th of Feb, 2012.

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Gilchrist to coach and lead Kings XI Punjab

 

Adam Gilchrist will double up as coach-cum-captain at Kings XI Punjab starting this season. The franchise has appointed Gilchrist, the former Australia wicketkeeper, as head coach for the next three years.

Gilchrist will find ample Australian support on the coaching bench: Joe Dawes, the newly-appointed India bowling coach, and Mike Young, fielding consultant previously with Cricket Australia, would serve as Kings XI bowling and fielding coaches respectively. Vikram Rathour, currently coach of the Punjab state team in domestic cricket, will be the assistant coach to Gilchrist.

Gilchrist replaced his former Australia teammate Michael Bevan, whose contract was not renewed by the franchise. "We were impressed with his leadership and his technical skills in his first year at Punjab. So it was a natural progression to make him in charge of everything cricket at KXIP," Arvinder Singh, the head of the franchise's management, told ESPNcricinfo.

Arvinder said the franchise felt there was no need for an exclusive head coach for various reasons. "You don't have access to your players through the year. You just get to meet them a week to ten days before the IPL starts and then you play sixteen games through the season. So the coach per se is not going to be somebody who is going to upgrade your skills during that period," Arvinder said. "You need a person who can understand each individual and the kind of value he brings to the team and utilise it to the maximum."

Gilchrist, Arvinder pointed out, was the right person in the right place to accomplish that. "Gilchrist is the captain and with his vast experience is in a good position. It is best to let one guy decide along with the right support staff and let him decide things."

Meanwhile, Patrick Farhart, who served as Kings XI physiotherapist in the first three seasons of the IPL before moving last year to Mumbai Indians has returned

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Clarke possible target for Pune Warriors

 

Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, is being considered as "one of the options" to fill the 11th and last overseas players' slot at Pune Warriors for the fifth season of the IPL. ESPNcricinfo understands that the franchise and player have had initial talks but there has been no constructive development. Clarke has always been firm in his prioritisation of international Test cricket above domestic Twenty20 competitions. That added to the fact that he is currently injured and will be unavailable till the end of April due to Australia's tour of the West Indies has made the situation uncertain.

"Clarke is contemplating," a source privy to the discussions said. "He is one of the options to replace the absent Yuvraj Singh."

Sourav Ganguly, the Warriors mentor and senior player, was quoted in the Kolkata newspaper, the Telegraph, as saying the franchise was close to signing Clarke. "We're on the verge of signing [Michael] Clarke. However, he will be available from May," Ganguly was quoted as saying by the paper at a public function in Kolkata on Wednesday. But the Warriors' officials declined to comment on the issue.

Clarke had, in 2009, pulled out of the IPL auction, citing Australia's busy schedule, and has never played in the competition. In fact the only domestic Twenty20 games he has played were way back in 2004, for Hampshire in England. He also retired from Twenty20 internationals in January 2011 in order to focus on ODIs and Tests.

He is currently recuperating from a left hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the third final of the Commonwealth Bank Series and the one-day series in the West Indies. The five-match ODI series, which starts on March 16, will be followed immediately by two Twenty20s before the three-Test Frank Worrell Trophy is played between April 7 to 27.

Ganguly had pointed out that Clarke, if signed, would only be available after that, for the backend of the Warriors' campaign. A source told ESPNcricinfo that things were far from finalised. He said the problem was that Clarke would only be available for the final seven matches of the league phase. "It is too early. It might not happen too," the source said of the proposed deal.

Clarke's T20 strike-rate of 108.85 meant he was never a marquee player in the format but he has been in outstanding form in the past year, and has shown aggression with the bat in ODIs, as was evident during his 117 off 91 balls in the second final of the CB series

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Best Batsman

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Best Bowlers

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Best Fielders

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IPL 2011 Winners

 

IPL 2011 winner is Chennai Super Kings: 2011 IPL is the boring tourney among the four editions till date. The final match did stand up tall among the boring ever IPL matches. After CSK posted a massive 205, RCB were stunned in their first over when Ashwin got Chris Gayle. And that is it for Bangalore that has been riding high on the Jamaican big man.

After Chris Gayle departed in the first over of Bangalore’s innings, the
IPL 2011 final match lost its sheen and from then on it is all one sided. Cricket lovers have literally waited for 19 long overs for Chennai to complete the formalities. The shock on Vijay Mallya’s face when Gayle departed, tells you the story of Bangalore, how much they have depended upon him to reach this far.

Gayle might have thought one last time before DLF IPL 20ll final match, but Murali Vijay had other plans. Vijay did to Bangalore what Gayle has been doing all the season to other teams. To sum it up, the deserved team won the IPL and it is high time for other teams to take a cue out of Dhoni’s strategies to work as a unit.


Chennai Super Kings beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs in the final of the IPL 2011 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Chennai Super Kings who won the toss and elected to bat were given a great start by their openers, Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey, with a opening partnership of 159 runs. Murali Vijay scored 95 of 52 ball with help of four fours and six sixes.

Chennai Super Kings lost some quick wickets towards the end which restricted them to 206 runs which was still a very good score.

In reply, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their opener Chris Gayle early to Ravichandran Ashwin. After losing Gayle early Royal Challengers Bangalore were unable to build any partnerships and they ended with only 147 in their 20 overs.

Saurabh Tiwary and Virat Kohli contributed 42 and 37 respectively.

Chris Gayle won the Orange Cap for maximum runs in the tournament. He scored 608 runs from 12 matches. Lasith Malinga who plays for the Mumbai Indians got the Purple Cap for most wickets. He took 28 wickets from 16 matches.

Kieron Pollard was awarded for taking most catches in the tournament. Kings XI Punjab batsman Paul Valthaty was awarded the Best Individual Performance in the IPL for his 120 against Chennai.

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IPL 2010 Winners

 

IPL winner 2010: IPL 3 final 2010 finals between strong contenders Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings was won by Chennai Super Kings with a margin of 22 runs. The finale was thrilling, as expected with Sachin Tendulkar’s presence in the match, as it was doubtful whether is would play the finale owing to his right arm injury. But it seems that even Sachin could not stop Dhoni’s ferocious team who were in for the victory right from the beginning.

IPL 3 final at the packed to capacity D Y Patil stadium was a cricketers’ delight. It was nothing less than a clash of the titans. CSK played consistently well from the start with Raina accumulating 57 off 35 balls and remained not out thanks to MI who dropped two of his catches on 13 and 28. He was instrumental in adding precious 110 to CSK’s score board in the last 10 overs. It was clearly CSK’s day at the IPL 2010 finals as they managed to put a target of 169 runs before MI. The IPL 3 winner CSK enjoyed this sweet success that could not make it to IPL first season at the hands of Rajasthan Royals.

IPL 3 final at the D Y Patil stadium could not go to Mumbai Indians as the team found it difficult from the very start to chase the victory target of 169 runs. Sachin Tendulkar, captain MI scored a decent 48 with his right arm that had 5 stitches. The middle order of MI failed dramatically and much was left for Kieron Pollard but that was too late for MI who needed 55 runs off 18 balls. Pollard could not survive Hayden’s ball and got caught by Morkel on 27 off 10 balls.  Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed at 0 and Nayar was run out on 27. Even S Tiwary got out at a duck.

The trophy of IPL 3 final went to CSK who emerged as real kings by registering a 22 runs victory over Mumbai Indians. Captain Mahender Singh Dhoni also became the 5th Indian to score 1500 runs in T20 cricket. Suresh Raina also completed his 1500 runs on his 57 run trail.

The IPL 3 Final 2010 score card:
Chennai Super Kings- M Vijay c Tiwary b Fernando 26, M Hayden c Rayudu b Pollard 17, S Raina not out 57, S Badrinath c Malinga b Fernando 14, M S Dhoni c Fernando b Khan 22, A Morkel run out 15, S Anirudha not out 6.

Mumbai Indians-S Dhawan c Dhoni b Bollinger 0, S Tendulkar c Vijay b Jakati 48, A Nayar run out 27, A Rayudu run out 21, S Tiwary c Raina b Jakati 0, JP Duminy c Jakati b Muralitharan 6, K Pollard c Hayden b Morkel 27 Zaheer Khan run out 1, L Malinga not out 1, D Fernando not out 2.

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IPL 2009 Winners

 

Johannesburg: Spirited bowling performance helped Deccan Chargers defeat Bangalore Royal Challengers by 6 runs in the second IPL final at New Wanderers Stadium.

RP Singh bowled a good last over. He still keeps the purple cap. Gilchrist leads Deccan on a lap of victory. Kumble bowled superbly, taking four wickets, and Deccan were kept to 143. It looked an achievable target but Bangalore's batsmen fell to a mixture of good bowling and reckless shots. Dravid, Roelof and Taylor all fell to loose shots.

This wasn't an easy track to bat on. In the end you can look back and see Gibbs innings in perspective. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't massive, he made a few strange calls in the last over but he hung on and helped Deccan to 143. Bangalore just failed to chase it.

Early wickets put pressure on the middle order. You have to say Symonds double blow - the second down to excellent work from Gilchrist - and Harmeet's wickets and outstanding catch were key moments. Champion moments and the champions of IPL 2009 stand deserving winners.

Earlier, Bangalore captain Anil Kumble took 4 wickets as Deccan scored 143 for six in 20 overs.

Electing to bowl after winning the toss, Kumble dismissed Deccan captain Adam Gilchrist in the first over for a duck. Gilchrist charged down the pitch, tried to play across the line, missed the wrong that pegged back the leg stump.

Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist was declared the Gloden Palyer of 2009 IPL while his teammate RP Singh walked away with Purple Cap for taking maximum number of wickets in the tournament. Matthew Hayden of Chennai Super Kings grabbed the Orange Cap for becoming the leading run-scorer of this year's tournament.

Brief Score: Deccan Chargers 143/6 (Gibbs 53*, Kumble 4-16) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 137/9 (RE van der Merwe 32, PP Ojha 3-28) by 6-runs.

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IPL 2008 Winners

 

Indian Premier League Cricket Tournament 2008, a.k.a. the first season of IPL, ended on 1st June 2008, with Rajasthan Royals being the winners.

DLF Indian Premier League made its debut in the year 2008, with the opening of its first season. The tournament started on 18th April 2008, with the first match having Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers (Bangalore) as the opponents. Over the next 43 days, matches continued to take place between the eight IPL teams. A double round robin group stage paved the way for the competition. Each of the eight teams in the tournament played a home match and an away match, against all the other seven teams. After the double-round matches, four teams went to the semifinals.

The semi-finalists were Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings. The first semi-final took place between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, on 30th May 2008. The second semi-final was played by Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings, on 31st May 2008. Both the matches were played in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Rajasthan Royals, winners of first semi-final, and Chennai Super Kings, winners of second semi-final, played the final on 1st June 2008, the venue being DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Rajasthan Royals emerged as the winners of IPL Cricket Tournament 2008.
Results
Winners of IPL 2008 - Rajasthan Royals
Player of the Final Match - Yusuf Pathan
Player of the Tournament - Shane Watson
Purple Cap - Sohail Tanvir, for being the Top Wicket-taking Bowler
Orange Cap - Shaun Marsh, for being the Leading Run-scorer in the Tournament
Best under-19 Player Award - Shreevats Goswami
Special Award for Fair Play - Chennai Super Kings, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni

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WINNING OVERS - MATCH54 - IPL 2010 - KXIP v CSK

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IPL 2009: Funny missed run-out

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brendon mccullum-158 ipl 1

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Oops! Those Funny Moments

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IPL 2009: Fastest 50, Dhoni

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DHONI FAN FOREVER :):)

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Yusuf Pathan to MS Dhoni

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Dhoni's Brilliant run out

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Match 32, CSK vs RR: Doug Bollinger's catch

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IPL 2010: Best Catches

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IPL 2009: Spectacular Catches

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Yuvraj Does A Jonty

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IPL 2009: Best Run Outs

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Watch Yusuf Pathan IPL Century Video World Cricket Watch

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Chennai Super Kings

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Royal challengers bangalore

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Mumbai Indians

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