roflmao kab ayega manoranjan ka baap !

Ausie skipper to debut in IPL ;)

Michael Clarke, Australia's Test and ODI captain, has been signed by Pune Warriors India for the forthcoming season of the DLF IPL 2012.

“We are thrilled to have Michael Clarke on board. The reigning Australian skipper is one of the world's best cricketers. His presence in the side, and cricketing proficiency, will boost the prospects of Pune Warriors India in the DLF IPL 2012” Sushanto Roy, Managing Director, Sahara Adventure Sports Ltd, said.

DLF IPL 2012 will mark Michael Clarke's IPL debut. "Clarke was exceptional in the recent Test series against India, as batsman and captain. He is a very popular cricketer in India, and followers of the sport are eagerly looking forward to his participation in the DLF IPL 2012," Rajeev Shukla, Chairman, IPL, commented.
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Sehwag is dynamite: Irfan

Having landed in Mumbai on Monday afternoon, Irfan Pathan practiced tirelessly in the sultry summer heat at the Bandra Kurla Complex ahead of the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. The Baroda pacer, who represents Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League, batted and bowled through the late afternoon till almost after sunset. Keen as he was to get as much practice as possible, the left-arm pacer obliged fans and the media during his short breaks later in the evening, even as he kept an eye on the fading light. 

Pathan ended his gruelling session with a few overs of spot bowling. A pair of shoes in front of the stumps serving as the batsman’s feet, the paceman made sure he hit the target regularly. Practice done, Irfan spoke to iplt20.com about an exciting couple of months ahead with the Daredevils. 

On his form since his comeback
It is God’s grace. Since I have made my comeback, I feel pretty good about my game. Good or bad I want to take it in my stride – whatever happens in the future as well. Being in a good [mental] space is helping me a lot. Playing a lot of cricket, playing domestic cricket, helps me or rather helps any cricketer. I find myself lucky to be playing for the country again and want to make sure I stay this way and keep going ahead. 

On enjoying his batting apart from bowling well

Absolutely! I want to make sure that I keep getting better. Whenever I leave practice, whenever I finish practice, I shouldn’t be [energetic]. The day I am [energetic] it means I haven’t worked hard enough in the nets. So that’s what my motto has been, especially in the nets. I am trying to get better as a cricketer, be it bowling or batting. So yes, I am definitely not leaving my batting behind. Getting an opportunity or not is not in my hands but I want to make sure I am ready for the situation whenever I get [an opportunity]. I am trying my best. 

On whether he has made any changes to his action

I have made changes to my action with the help of TA Sekar Sir and that has helped me regain my line and length, which is pretty good. When you bowl with a close-to-body action, it is always going to give you a better direction in terms of your alignment. I am pretty happy with the changes I have made. It took me some time, but with Mr. TA Sekar’s help, I am able to effect this change of action. It is not an easy thing. It takes a lot of time, patience and hard work. A lot of small details go into it as well. But I am happy with the way things have gone in terms of fitness, cricket or the changes in my action.

On being back in the India side with brother Yusuf Pathan

It feels fantastic, we feel blessed. In a small way it feels special because not everyone gets to play for the country but here is a family in which two brothers are playing for the country. We find ourselves very lucky and blessed and want to make sure we play as many matches for the country and make sure that we contribute to the team. It is a great moment for the family. My family is very happy as well, especially my parents. 

On IPL 2012 and Delhi Daredevils

This year is definitely going to be very good. We have got a very good team. We have got some really exciting cricketers coming into the side this season like Mahela Jayawardene and Kevin Pietersen. They really are world-class batsmen and when you have those kinds of batsmen in your team, it makes a huge difference. It makes a huge impact in terms of their experience as well. We are going to have a very good season, I have no doubt about it. I am looking forward to contributing as well be it with the ball or bat. I am looking forward to a challenging but good season for the Delhi Daredevils.
 
On Kevin Pietersen and other international players 

I have played against [KP]. Playing against Kevin Pietersen has always been a good and challenging experience. He is a world-class act. At the same time, I am very excited about Mahela’s inclusion because he is one smart guy. He is a very smart cricketer and the way he plays cricket, [the intelligence] shows on the field – and [I’m] also [excited about] Ross Taylor. [Ross] is a very exciting talent, a very exciting cricketer – some of the shots he hits [feature] his own style. I am really excited for these three cricketers and I am looking forward to playing alongside them. 

On fellow DD pacer Morne Morkel

We have just played one season together. He is a bowler who gets a lot of bounce and it is always good to have a different kind of bowler bowling at the opposite end because it complements you really well. It does [help] other bowlers as well because he gets the bounce and a lot of other guys have different strengths – Umesh [Yadav] has pace, I have swing. Last year we managed to lose games where 10-15 runs could make the difference so this year hopefully we won’t make those mistakes and make sure we do better. 

On his DD skipper Virender Sehwag

He is like dynamite. He is a world-class act. I really think it is going to be a very special IPL for him. He is definitely going to murder someone on the cricket field this year and I am looking forward to witnessing that. It is going to be an exciting two months playing under him. It is a different experience all together. His whole personality – the way he thinks – is fearless and I really admire that spirit. 

On what Umesh Yadav brings to the side

I think he is the fastest bowler I have seen in Indian cricket. The way he swings the ball and the raw pace [he possess] are really special and exciting to see. As a bowler he is going to get better and better from experiences but there is no doubt that he is a real talent. 

On Sachin Tendulkar’s hundredth international century

It is an achievement that is not going to be replicated. I don’t think anyone else can break that record. Only Sachin could so something like that, something special. How can you say it in [an appropriately grand] way? Words like great, amazing, outstanding are too small when it comes to those kinds of records. The other guy who is behind Sachin paaji still has about 30 hundreds less so that’s no child’s play. What [Tendulkar] has achieved is something he has done over the years. A lot of hard work has gone into it. A lot of thinking has gone into it. A lot of pain has gone into it [...]. When I see him, I think he is God’s favourite child because no ordinary man can do something like this.


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Bhaji's favorite cuisine ! :P

Funniest sixes ever in cricket ! :D

tiCKEtS FOR opENING night AVAILABLE ! :p

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MEDIA RELEASE


Where there is IPL, celebration can’t be too far behind. The fifth edition of the iconic competition will not only promise unprecedented action and on-field entertainment, but will also launch an evening of glitz and glamour as international stars take to the stage on the eve of the first match.

The curtain will open at the YMCA College of Physical Education Nandanam in Chennai on 3rd April 2012 to a galaxy of star performances.

Shri Amitabh Bachchan in his true inimitable style will usher in a sizzling new season of the world’s hottest cricket league, whilst former Miss World and die hard cricket fan, Priyanka Chopra and dancing sensation Prabhudheva, will set the stage alight with dynamic performances.

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan will do what he does best in turning heads and setting pulses racing, leaving the audience asking for more. The Chennai heat is set to sizzle more with performances by International musicians & Colonial Cousins, back together with Once Again!

All nine team captains will be present to take the MCC Spirit of Cricket pledge, reaffirming the values in IPL’s commitment to the spirit of cricket, which has been on display since the competitions inception in 2008.

IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla is delighted to welcome stars, cricketers, fans and connoisseurs to the latest season of IPL.

“With four highly successful seasons behind us, we hope to raise the standards of the competition even higher, as we look forward to celebrating DLF IPL 2012 with much fanfare, starting with Opening Nite,” said Shukla. “We want to thank all the supporters for their continued support as they have made the league what it is today. We are proud to boast a lineup of big names to kick start the 2012 Season in style, as fans both local and abroad get ready to cheer for their teams who will be playing at 12 venues across the country,” he said.

The Opening Nite will also feature performance from a Leading International artist who will be announced soon.

DLF IPL Opening Nite Quick facts:

Venue: YMCA College of Physical Education, Nandanam Chennai

Date: 3rd April 2012

Time: 1930 onwards

Gates Open: 1700 onwards

Tickets: Available 16th March 2012 onwards

To book tickets online click here

Ticket Prices: Starting at ` 1500/-

Event by: Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. 

OPENING NIGHT IPL T20 - KATY PERRY PERFORMING

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Snap, crackle and Pop. It’s time to uncork another sparkling edition of DLF IPL. And this year, it’s going to be an unforgettable opening bash with Katy Perry joining the party. The DLF IPL Opening Nite will be held at the YMCA Grounds, Chennai, on April 3, 2012.

Katy Perry fulfilled her ‘Teenage Dream’, set the trend for ‘California Gurls’, and became Pop’s biggest ‘Firework’. All this while being ‘One Of The Boys’. 

Katy Perry, the international musical sensation, shows the boys how it’s done before they speed away into a new season of DLF IPL. Having ruled the music charts and won every prestigious award from the Billboard to the Brit, the pop princess is all set to storm the DLF IPL 2012 Opening Nite, an evening that will set the tone for a summer of high-quality cricket. 

Having toured around the world and now making her debut performance in India, Katy will help flag off the latest season of the world’s favourite cricketing league in her trademark style. The International Pop Star flaunts a unique mix of talent, spirit and innovation, reflective of the tournament that has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. 

“We look forward to Ms. Perry’s participation at the DLF IPL 2012 Opening Nite. A performer of her calibre makes the occasion even more special for the IPL family – players, organisers and fans. The verve and originality of her music matches that of the competition and we look forward to an inspired performance from her,” IPL Chairman, Rajeev Shukla, said about the star’s much-anticipated act.The nine teams participating in DLF IPL 2012 have announced their captains who will represent them on the IPL Opening Nite on April 3 in Chennai. All teams except the Deccan Chargers will be represented by the captains they have named in their registered squads for the season.
ALSO ..

The Chargers have nominated Cameron White to do the honours in the absence of their regular skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, who will be playing a home Test series against England at the time. The Sri Lankan will join the team after fulfilling his national commitments.

Following are the names of the captains who will be present at the IPL Opening Nite to kick-start IPL 2012 and pledge their allegiance to the MCC Spirit of Cricket:

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni

Deccan Chargers: Cameron White

Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag

Kings XI Punjab: Adam Gilchrist

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar

Pune Warriors India: Sourav Ganguly

Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Daniel Vettori


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DLF adverts

BHARAT BAND :P

ikyavan dino ke liye bharat band hoga aur ismein kisi bhi political party ka haath nahi :P

DLF CARNIVAL VIDEO

Its simply awesome teaser video :)

How RP singh feels to be part of MI

IPL PLAYER AUCTION 2012

The IPL Player Auction 2012, held in Bengaluru ahead of the tournament’s fifth season, was marked by a whopping USD 2 million dollar bid for all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made by two franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers. The player was sold to the Chennai franchise on the basis of tie-breaker involving a silent bid.

Medium pacer Vinay Kumar was the other big purchase at the auction conducted by auctioneer Richard Madley. The Karnataka bowler was picked up by home franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore for USD 1 million.

Each of the franchises had a purse of USD 2 million to shop with. The franchises can use the remaining purse only to buy uncapped players during the trading window which opens on February 6.

Auction highlights:

Round 1

• Ravindra Jadeja was the most sought after player in the first stage of IPL Player Auction 2012 involving marquee players. Starting at a base price of USD 100,000, he was eventually bought for USD 2 million by Chennai Super Kings after winning a tie-breaker against Deccan Chargers.

• Kolkata Knight Riders snapped the swashbuckling New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman Brendon McCullum for USD 900,000. McCullum was a part of the Kolkata franchise for the first three seasons.

• Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan will now play for Royal Challengers Bangalore after being bought by them for USD 220,000. Along with Daniel Vettori, RCB, perhaps have the most formidable spin-pair.

• Delhi Daredevils secured the services of former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene (base price 300,000) for USD 1.4 million. He joins another new recruit at the franchise this season, along with Kevin Pietersen.

• England pace bowler James Anderson was the only player among the first five names to remain unsold.

Round 2

• Indian medium pacer R Vinay Kumar attracted the highest bid, that of USD 1 million, in the second stage of the IPL Player Auction 2012. Bangalore boy Vinay, who was a part of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala team last season, was bought by his home team Royal Bangalore Challengers after entering the auction at the base price of USD 100,000.

• West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine was another big catch, with Kolkata Knight Riders securing his services for USD 700,000.

• The second stage of the auction saw 43 players, divided into five categories – batsmen, wicketkeepers, allrounders, fast bowlers and spinners – go under the hammer. Out of these, 13 players, including five Indians, found bidders.

• RP Singh went to the Mumbai Indians for USD 600,000 after entering the bid at a base price of USD 200,000. Rajasthan Royals bought S Sreesanth for his base price of USD 400,000.

• Out of the nine batsmen, South African Herschelle Gibbs went to Mumbai Indians for USD 50,000, while Australia’sBrad Hodge (BP USD 200,000) was taken by Rajasthan Royals for USD 475,000.

• Deccan Chargers added wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel to their squad at USD 650,000 and the Rajasthan franchise went with Sri Lankan keeper Dinesh Chandimal for a base price of USD 50,000.

• Among the allrounders, West Indies’ Andre Russell, who entered at a base price of USD 50,000, was eventually grabbed by the Delhi Daredevils for USD 450,000. Australia’s Mitchell Johnson will don the Mumbai Indians blues, after they bought him at his base price of USD 300,000.

• Apart from Narine, Ramesh Powar (USD 160,000 to Kings XI Punjab), Australia’s Brad Hogg (USD 180,000 to Rajasthan Royals) and South Africa’s Robin Peterson (USD 100,000 to Mumbai Indians) were the other spin bowlers to be bought in the second round.

Round 3

• 22-year-old Sri Lankan fast bowler Thisara Perera struck big at the auction, attracting a final bid of USD 650,000 from Mumbai Indians. His selling price was significantly higher than his base price of USD 50,000.

• Australian medium pacer Daniel Harris will play in IPL 2012 as a Deccan Charger after the team from Hyderabad shelled out USD 70,000 for him in the third round. His bidding started off at USD 50,000.

• Another young Australian pacer, James Faulkner, was snapped up by Kings XI Punjab for USD 190,000 after entering the bid at a base price of USD 100,000.

• All-rounder Azhar Mahmood will be the only player from Pakistan to play in IPL 2012 after Kings XI Punjab bought him for USD 200,000, double his base price.

• A sensational Test debut in 2011 has earned young South African pacer Marchant de Lange his first IPL contract. Marchant was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for his base price of USD 50,000.

• Having played for Trinidad & Tobago in the Champions League Twenty20, 23-year-old medium pacer Kevon Cooperwill now make his IPL debut. He was bought by Mumbai Indians for his base price, USD 50,000.

Re-auctioned players

• Fourteen out of the 30 players who went unsold in the previous rounds were put under the hammer for the second time. Only two of them managed to find a bid in the second attempt.

• Stylish young West Indies batsman Darren Bravo found a bidder in Deccan Chargers who secured his services for his base price of USD 100,000.

• New Zealand all-rounder Doug Bracewell, who made an impressive international debut in 2011, is set to have his first taste of the IPL at Delhi Daredevils who made the first and successful bid for him, of USD 50,000.

Summary

• In all, 25 players from across the world were bought by the franchises, with MI and RR bidding successfully for five players each. DD, KKR, KXIP and DC snapped up three players each while RCB took two. CSK used their entire purse of USD 2 million in their successful bid for Jadeja.

• Some of the big names that failed to find bidders were James Anderson, Ian Bell, Owais Shah, Matt Prior and Graeme Swann from England; Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Mark Boucher from South Africa; and Steven Smith, Xavier Doherty and Peter Siddle from Australia. Sri Lankan spinners Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath too remained unsold, as did West Indies’ Ravi Rampaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Ireland’s World Cup 2011 hero Kevin O’ Brien too failed to attract bidders.

• Among the Indian players who remained unsold were middle-order veteran VVS Laxman and Punjab medium pacer VRV Singh.

List of players sold in the auction:

Sr.No	Name of the Player	Country	Previous Team(s)	RP	Sold at	2012 Team
2	Ravindra Jadeja	India	RR/KTK	100,000	2,000,000	CSK
3	Mahela Jayawardene	Sri Lanka	KXIP/KTK	300,000	1,400,000	DD
4	Brendon McCullum	New Zealand	KKR/KTK	400,000	900,000	KKR
5	Muttiah Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	CSK/KTK	200,000	220,000	RCB
8	Darren Bravo	West Indies	-	100,000	100,000	DC
9	Herschelle Gibbs	South Africa	DC	50,000	50,000	MI
10	Bradley Hodge	Australia	KTK/KKR	200,000	475,000	RR
17	Dinesh Chandimal	Sri Lanka	-	50,000	50,000	RR
18	Parthiv Patel	India	CSK/KTK	200,000	650,000	DC
22	Doug Bracewell	New Zealand	-	50,000	50,000	DD
23	Mitchell Johnson	Australia	-	300,000	300,000	MI
26	Andre Russell	West Indies	-	50,000	450,000	DD
35	Rudra Pratap Singh	India	DC/KTK	200,000	600,000	MI
38	S Sreesanth	India	KXIP/KTK	400,000	400,000	RR
40	R Vinay Kumar	India	RCB/KTK	100,000	1,000,000	RCB
43	Brad Hogg	Australia	-	100,000	180,000	RR
45	Sunil Narine	West Indies	-	50,000	700,000	KKR
47	Robin John Peterson	South Africa	-	100,000	100,000	MI
48	Ramesh Powar	India	KXIP/KTK	100,000	160,000	KXIP
50	Daniel Harris	Australia	-	50,000	70,000	DC
66	Kevon Cooper	West Indies	-	50,000	50,000	RR
67	James Faulkner	Australia	PWI	100,000	190,000	KXIP
70	Azhar Mahmood	England	-	100,000	200,000	KXIP
73	Thisara Perera	Sri Lanka	CSK/KTK	50,000	650,000	MI
75	Merchant de Lange	South Africa	-	50,000	50,000	KKR

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Ganguly named PWI captain-mentor

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The Pune Warriors India have made it official that Sourav Ganguly will be the team’s mentor-cum-captain for IPL 2012. 

"We are extremely proud that Sourav Ganguly is the captain and mentor of Pune Warriors India in this season of IPL,” Sahara chief Subroto Roy said in the press release issued by the franchise. 

“I am sure that his experience, expertise and deep understanding of the nuances of the game will definitely infuse an exemplary spirit of passion and commitment amongst the members of the team,” he said of the former India captain, who takes the reins of the team in absence of the ailing Yuvraj Singh.

Former South African pacer Allan Donald is the team’s bowling mentor while Praveen Amre will coach the batsmen. Pady Upton is the mental and high performance coach of the team.

The Pune-based team will also don a new jersey, which is turquoise blue and silver in colour, which a change from their last season’s black uniform.


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Commentary experts converge for IPL T20 2012

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The 2012 season of the DLF IPL is set to commence on Wednesday, 4 April 2012, and some of the world best commentators will be there to bring the best ball-by-ball action.

This year sees 9 teams playing a total of 76 matches played across 12 venues starting with defending champions Chennai Super Kings hosting the Mumbai Indians at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

IPL has invited the best commentators the game has ever seen from all over the globe, to share their experience and expertise with television viewers around the world.

Robin Jackman, who was born in the Punjab and played for both England and Rhodesia, has settled in South Africa as a commentator. He will be joined by recently retired HD Ackerman and former South African captain Kepler Wessels, who coached Chennai Super Kings in the inaugural season in 2008. 

Tom Moody is the lone Australian on the panel. He was coach of Kings XI Punjab from 2008 to 2010. He was part of two World Cup winning teams and also coached Sri Lanka between 2005 and 2007.

Another World Cup winner who will be seated in the commentary box is Pakistan’s Rameez Raja, who was part of Imran Khan’s victorious team in 1992, whilst former Zimbabwean captain Alastair Campbell will be joined by his national team mate Pommi Mbangwa.

New Zealand speedsters Danny Morrison and Simon Doull, and batting ace Craig McMillan will join the panel from New Zealand, whilst Dermot Reeve, assistant coach to Pune Warriors India in 2011, will be coming from England. 

India will have the largest representation of commentators and will feature the renowned Sunil Gavaskar, who is better known as test cricket’s first ‘five-figure’ man, who also carries the credibility of being the most experienced of all commentators in the tournament. 

The commentary panel will boast the ‘spin twins’ Ravi Shastri and L. Sivaramakrishnan who will be joined by ‘Mr. Technique’ Sanjay Manjrekar, and the popular Harsha Bhogle. 

IPL Chairman, Rajeev Shukla, commented: “One of the many highlights of the DLF IPL is the manner in which the skills of the cricketers on the field are complemented by those of the experts sitting in the commentary box. There is no doubt that the commentary team for this year’s tournament will enhance the viewing experience for television audiences across the globe.”

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IPL schedule undergoes changes

The match schedule of the DLF IPL 2012 has undergone a change on account of the Delhi Municipal Elections in mid April 2012.
 
The changes are as follows:
 
· Delhi Daredevils v/s 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 v/s Pune Warriors India on Tuesday 1st May 2012 (4:00 pm) moves from Hyderabad to Cuttack (4:00 pm).

· Deccan Chargers v/s 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.

If 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 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, commented.

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