Battle lines are drawn to take the star studded trophy and Lalit Modi si all set to preside over the second edition of IPL on Sunday . Lets take a peek at the four finalist . Go thru this and predit who will be the IPL2 winner . Remember the Poll here closes on Saturday 2400hrs Pacific Time .

Delhi Daredevils: This is Viru or Virender Sehwag’s team with some very good combination of experience and young talent. Although this time it missed the aggression of Pakistan players it there are seasoned campaigners in Daniel Vettori, Gautam Gambhir, and Ashish Nehra and lately Dinesh Karthik coming back to form is a big plus. They play with attitude and true cricketing spirit. Although there have been some losses, the team is a strong contender for winning IPL 2009 title. VIRU and GAUTI both looked dangerous in todays clash . Good for them and the game.

Chennai Super Kings: The team looks one of the very impressive ones with handful of talent as well as star power. It has experienced players like Hayden who is playing well in every match and with a captain like MS Dhoni any franchise can rest assured to have great show. His current form although is not amazing, he can still prove most valuable on his day. Muralitharan, Jacob ram, Michael Hussey and Makhaya Ntini (didn’t play yet) add strength and solidity to this team. It has all qualities to clinch the title

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Vijay Mallya surely tried to impress bringing in captaincy change. The team now doesn’t look like a test squad even though it has veterans like Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis playing. In fact, Kevin Pieterson left IPL 2009 half way around and it is Anil Kumble who is reviving the team with superb bowling performance. Ross Taylor is playing very well and so Jesse Ryder. Praveen Kumar adds strength to bowling If you think that this is batsmen rich, you are wrong they won some on batting and some games by bowling. It will be interesting to watch how the team of experienced lot will invent ways to win the IPL 2009 title. Wasn’t suprising about the RCB to try Manish at the top and take a risk . Kumble is a hppy man after the first Indian to hit a ton in T20.

Deccan Chargers: One of the no-hopers of IPL 2008 surprised everyone this DLF IPL 2009 season. Change in captaincy changed the way it played and they are now a team with electrifying charge and spirit under Adam Gilchrist Symonds joining late still proved that he can add immense value to the team. There are again West Indies’ Dwayne Smith and Fidel Edwards. Pragyan Ojha is a new found and is performing very well.


Teams with nerves of steel will win from here on and I take a stand that it will be a close finish between the predicted finalists Delhi and Chennai. But I will put my money on Chennai guys. What say folks . If you consider yoruself a cric buff and that you have invested enough time from home and office over the last one month, put in a one liner comment to predict the winners.

Dhoni says “…. we witnessed some of the worst bowling in the IPL..”as the Super Kings lost to the Knight Riders. Infact Kolkata actually won! McCullum fired 12 games too late, he certainly salvaged some pride for his team. Dhoni’s outburst was probably targeted at Balaji and to some extent at Morkel. They actually did bowl leaving their brains in warmer conditions, bowled and fielded with cold hearts and hands, no desire to win. I still wouldn’t panic though, CSK is more than likely through to the semi-finals. This game, however, showed the sharp contrasts in talent and intelligence that captures this side. Dhoni’s presence of mind in standing ground to ensure he retained strike after Raina was caught, his moving to the outfield to lend some speed to the fielding unit, Murali’s brilliant spell and Raina amazing batting were examples of sheer brilliance. Badrinath’s poor fielding, Balaji’s stroll in the park (Morrison’s calls this village cricket), Jacob Oram’s clueless presence on the field were the contrasts.
Dhoni calls his a safe side without any exceptional talent. He is probably true. They are batting heavy and miss a strike bowler to support Murali. They should seriously consider looking out for some pacemen for IPL 3 and onward. I also feel that they still do not have the right team on the field. They should consider playing Ntini instead of Oram in the next game, bring in Gony for Balaji and bring Vijay back for Parthiv Patel. It will take a herculean effort for Chennai to outplay the Daredevils to contemplate winning IPL 2.
Lost favorites , Mumbai Indians, were quite disappointing towards then end. They blew several opportunities to move to the next stage of the tournament, thanks to inexperience, some strange captaincy, and constant changes to the team. They did miss Zaheer Khan sorely in the final games and Jayasurya hasn’t fired at all in the tournament. They should consider trying to acquire Rohit Sharma, somehow, and strengthen their middle order. This would allow Tendulkar to go back to the top of the order, reduce the dependence on Duminy and Nayar, and bring an added spinning option.
At the end of it all, three of 4 teams from IPL-1 should make it through to this year’s semi-finals also. Deccan Chargers seem most likely to replace the Royals as the 4th team. It should be an interesting finale to the IPL-2.

Think about it .. there has been so much in so little a time that the mind at times takes a sigh . Multi captain theory ,Dada – no dada , Fake IPL player , security concerns moving making IPL Internatinal Premier League,Strategic breaks , Million dollar english sand babies flopping . first ball goldern ducks , beer sipping fielders and McGrath sitting out . Fixing scandals and Miandad’s “joke” All this and more makes me think if it is a “league”

The Indian Premier League 2009 was in troubled waters even before its start, when the Government of India had refused to provide security to the extravagant tournament due to its clash of dates with the General Elections.

There was anger all over with rumours about the second edition being scrapped due to security issues. But before something unfortunate happened, Cricket South Africa came to the rescue of the tournament and its fans. Political parties making hay terming it as a “national shame ”. However the first edition was a winner hands down! It had the perfect start with a mammoth 158 flowing out of Brendon McCullum’s bat in the very first match. And there was a dream ending too – a mighty close encounter between eventual champions Rajasthan Royals and MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings. No one, in their wildest dreams would have thought that the de-glam squad of Rajasthan would lay their hands on the gorgeous trophy.

Things haven’t changed much even now in the sense that there still prevails uncertainty in the extravagantly lucrative tournament. The 2009 edition has been full of surprises so far and there have been incidents that have left a bitter taste in the mouth of fans forcing them to draw comparisons with IPL 2008. Let us have a look at a few mis-hits of the second edition.

Kolkata Flight Riders


No one expected Kolkata Knight Riders to take the exit route even before half the number of games in the competition was played. No ‘build up’ to the series, no PR activities, no advertisements and no star power worked. No one Korbo-ed anything, so the lorbo and jeetbo part remained out of the question, completely. And yes, the over hyped ‘Multiple Captains Theory’ did not work, or better, was a blunder.

Depriving Ganguly of captaincy, calling in Sanjay Bangar and keeping the expensive Mashrafe bin Mortaza to warm the benches in the cool Kingsmead were only a couple of the innumerable mistakes that the SRK owned team committed. Keeping one of the most successful captains of international cricket away from the helm of all action is something that no management in proper mental sanity would do. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan had once said on national television that Sourav Ganguly would remain the captain till the time he owns KKR. Talk about a change of heart…Bollywood style!!


Strategic Time-Out


This one is a complete torture, honestly. Seven and a half minutes of stoppage time after 10 overs in every innings takes away the seriousness and the set mood of the viewers. Such a long break in a micro format is absolutely not required. It is not good for the spectators and not even for the players. It has already received flak from all corners of the cricketing fraternity and the irritation is spreading big time amongst its audience.

The strategy break might work in favour of either team in the match. The break gives both the teams to analyze their progress in the match and change their approach if required. The gap breaks the concentration of the batsman and as we have seen, in almost every match, there has been a wicket or two falling in the 11th over of the game. The strategic time out might work for the team that has been on the backfoot as they get the time to resurrect their plans while it might put brakes on the team going all guns blazing.

The main objective, however, is to generate revenue. Seven and a half minutes of break gives the IPL generate ample revenue from its advertisers, twice in a match. Lalit Modi, the chairman and commissioner of the IPL, has said that it will definitely be a part of the ongoing season. As of next year, it will be decided after the tournament.

Competitive Pitches, Dropped Catches


First ball ducks and wickets in the 11th over (thanks to the strategic break) have become a common sight in the latest edition of the IPL. There are bets being laid on first ball ducks and inning scores of less than 150. Being a T20 game, the spectators expect a cracker of a match with runs flowing out of the blade like water from a broken dam. They do not want to see wickets at regular intervals and scores of 120-140 being chased for victory.

The 20 over format has, more often than not, been a high scoring format and that is what is expected out of it. We want to see the bowlers being thrashed and bashed out of the park. Ironically, this IPL has seen only one score of over 200 in all.

Catches are dropped more than they are taken. Run-out opportunities missed in a fashion that can be related to gully cricket, or even worse. Till the 33rd match of the IPL (Rajasthan v Bangalore), 55 catches had been dropped, with Kolkata (ahem, ahem) leading the table.

Flop Shows
Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff…whew…! Big names, small show. The above are only a few to name. The English duo of KP and Freddie were the most expensive catches at 7.5 crores each, but neither could do much for their respective teams, and now, have returned with their hefty pay packets to their homeland to play West Indies.

Delhi Daredevils captain Sehwag and his deputy, Gambhir, are known to be tailor-made for the 20 over format. Fearless hitting is their characteristic, bludgeoning the opposition, their charisma. But both have failed to give their team a rock solid quick start. Thanks to the middle order suspension, they have sustained the top order shocks and scares comfortably. Gambhir, however, looked like getting back to his best when he won the Man of the Match award for his 71 off 57 balls versus KKR (31st match).

Brendon McCullum’s stint in IPL can only be remembered by his 158 n.o in the very first match of the IPL in 2008 - a perfect start that a tournament like the Indian Premier League could get. Nothing could have been better. Chris Gayle set the stage ablaze with a scintillating century in the first match of the T20 World Cup in 2007, but it seems like someone has poured a bucket of water on his fiery blade in the IPL.

With the bigwigs (in context to both names and age) like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Matt Hayden, Dravid, Adam Gilchrist and Gibbs performing well, it would be great if the rulers of the format come to the fore and take the series to a different altitude altogether.

DLF Maximum or CITI Moment of Success?

Is it all about money honey? Yes it is. IPL is all about money, money and more money. Millions of dollars to buy players, hefty advertising costs, security budget etc. It’s raining cash in IPL.

The latest addition is the renaming of a SIX. It is now known as the ‘DLF Maximum’. A crucial wicket is called a ‘Citi Moment of Success’. Gone are the days when commentators spoke just for the love of the game. Sadly, it is just about the commercial proliferation and we get capitalist fabricated emotions to hear when an exciting moment comes in a game. Needless to say, it takes away the beauty of the effort and leaves us with an incomplete feeling. But as they say, ‘In Rome, do as the Romans do’, we must also take a cue and leave the poor commentators do their ‘job’ of making their sponsors happy and keep the money flowing.

Australian Rajasthani for Beer

Hopefully, you readers know what is being talked about here. Yes, it is the ‘sip of beer’ on the boundary lines by none other than the very cool and mischievous, the Australian Rajasthani, Shane Warne in the match against the Royal challengers Bangalore.

The spin legend was captured on camera gulping a mouthful of beer from a mug that was supposedly offered to him by a spectator. Now if that is something to be angry over, be amused or just enjoy the video, is up to the viewers to decide.

Check it out!

Some might be wondering what does teh areticle on advertising to do with Cricket. Well dear friends , it has a remote connection .I love the simplicity and creative appeal these ads have. Its a great idea to use humans as animated characters.
There are a series of commercial ads rangind from 25 to 35 seconds which I would archive shortly for you to injoy .

ZooZoos are the most entertaining and intelligent things on TV. Or so we thought until we learnt they’re not things at all but thin, young people transformed into TV commercials for Vodafone. Well, they could and have fooled us. Anyone who thinks those flat, white, elastic creatures without a bone or curve in their bodies are human, hasn’t seen the male or female form, lately.

Not that it matters. We love ‘em. So much so, we wish they would replace IPL (where the ads appear most often) as the main attraction. Zoozoos are inventive, unexpected; most IPL matches are predictable. We don’t know what zoozoos will do next; we’ve seen what’s happening most often in IPL. The team batting first has struggled but manfully put up a woefully low score so we switch channels only to be lured back by the sight of half of the team batting second being out halfway through and the last over deciding the match when, as commentators say, “We have a match on our hands”.
Vodafone international roaming ad uses words which are basically Kerala dishes - 1. Parota (Similar to Chapatis made from Maida) 2. Puttu Kadala (Rice cakes with chana) 3. Kappa meen (Fish and tapioca)

Let me give you a clue . This Superstar was carted by Abhishek Nayar for three sixes in an over before AB de Villiers tore him apart in their Daredevils match .You guessed it right
Will Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, IPL’s two most expensive players, ever think of paying back 2 cents from their fat paychecks by performing for their teams ? Is it the weight of expectations or the mountain of money they will make from the league that has grounded them? Or has the can’t-be-away-from-my-wife-for-long bug struck Pietersen again like it did in the West Indies earlier this year?


Well, whatever might be the reason, the high-flying South African – err Englishman – needs to deliver fast, for we all know Vijay Mallya’s penchant for chopping and changing at the drop of a hat. The boss, as coach Ray Jennings calls him, was simply over the moon after the team won their first game. “Can the critics who ran down my team as the ‘Test’ squad now explain the success of Dravid and Kumble,” he asked? Never mind the fact that he himself wasn’t happy with the ‘Test’ squad.

Anyway, Mallya was terribly sure that the team is surely on it glorious path of the IPL DOOSRA unlike the test team last year . Alas, that wasn’t to be.

Pietersen’s compatriot and friend Flintoff (I assume they are still friends) is in no better situation, though he has fewer excuses than KP for his below-par performance. He is neither captaining the side, nor the pangs of homesickness get to him as quickly. Yet, he’s being taken to the cleaners by just about by anyone.

The management was even thinking of benching Flintoff (before he he helped himself with an injury ) for it would surely hurt to pay the kind of money Flintoff is getting for just warming the bench. They would rather make him sweat a little, if nothing else, to earn the fat purse.

Time is running out for the English stalwarts. They have just a few more matches before they head for national duties to actually earn the money they would be taking home.

1. Seen on a banner ..
For fishing tips contact Andrew Symonds..
For slapping tips contact Harbhajan Singh..

2. "Commit your sins when Sachin is batting. You won't be punished because even God will be watching him bat."

3. This strategy break in IPL 2 reminds me of 'taste maker' in Maggi... both don't serve their intended purpose.

Who has the most Economical spell in IPL – Its Fidel Edwards

The West Indies fast bowler, who was crucial in Deccan Chargers’ eight-wicket win, gave away just six runs from his four overs that also included a maiden at an economy rate of 1.5 at the Newlands.

Next to him in the second spot is Bangalore Royal Challengers’ Anil Kumble, the former India skipper, who recorded an economy rate of 1.57 during his career-best 5 for 5 off 3.1 against defending champions Rajasthan Royals Saturday.

The following are the other statistics of the match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders:

Pragyan Ojha (2/14), Scott Styris (2/32) and Rudra Pratap Singh (4/22) have registered their best figures in the IPL.

Rudra became the first bowler from Deccan Chargers to capture four wickets in an IPL innings. Thanks to his outstanding feat, Rudra got his first MOM award.

Kolkata (101) posted their second lowest score in the IPL. Against Mumbai Indians, they were dismissed for 67 at Wankhede Stadium on May 16, 2008.

With two stumpings in an innings, Adam Gilchrist became the second wicketkeeper to accomplish the feat in an IPL innings. In the last edition, Wriddhiman Saha was the first to accomplish the feat against Kings XI at Mohali on May 3, 2008.

Gilchrist, with three dismissals (1 catch + 2 stumpings), has recorded his best wicketkeeping performance in an IPL innings.

Deccan Chargers’ eight-wicket victory is their third in 15 IPL matches.

Deccan Chargers’ win is their first in three games against Kolkata Knight Riders.




IPL Franchisee Owners set to make 4-5 times more money than previous edition

Investors who paid top dollar to own a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) opportunity are now on a good wicket.

Franchise owners expect to earn around four-five times more this year than they did during the inaugural season of the 20-over league in 2008, thanks to a deluge of sponsorships and brand associations, according to estimates put together by Mint after speaking with franchise owners and media buyers .

This comes after initial reports that sponsors and advertisers were sceptical about IPL’s success this year, when it had to be moved to South Africa after the Indian government said it could not provide security cover to the league during the election season, and that many had walked away from earlier commitments.

The team owners will also earn significantly more from the new broadcast deal the IPL management signed with sports marketing company World Sports Group (WSG) and Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd (MSM) this year. Last year, the deal had been signed for around Rs4,000 crore for 10 years, while this year it was renegotiated at Rs8,200 crore for nine years.

While the three partners did not share the details of the new broadcast deal officially, two executives from IPL and WSG said that the new deal has been linked with IPL’s viewership. IPL’s management may only get 33% of the contracted revenues for the first five years. Franchisees will get 80% of this 33%.

Based on this, the eight franchisees are likely to take home between Rs60 crore and Rs90 crore each. Last year, the teams earned Rs20 crore each from broadcast rights.

There will be no change in the income from central sponsorships, because the IPL board could not attract any new sponsor this year. Last year, each franchisee had got Rs15 crore from the sponsorships pool.

For franchisees, however, it has been raining sponsorships and brand associations this year. All franchisees but one have at least nine brand associations or sponsorships this year. The more aggressive ones, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have, 15, 13 and 12 “partners”, respectively, on board.

“Despite the last-minute move to South Africa, there has been a lot of interest from companies to partner with us for IPL 2,” said Rakesh Singh, chief marketing officer, CSK.

Last year, most franchisees had managed to rope in between three and six sponsors and partners. The most prominent franchisee sponsors this year include cola rivals Coca-Cola and Pepsi, sports shoes and apparel makers Adidas and Reebok, motorcycle manufacturer Hero Honda and mobile handsets maker Nokia India.

Chewing gum maker Wrigley India Pvt. Ltd has picked up sponsorships across the eight teams. “The idea behind partnering with the eight IPL teams was to associate with each of the individual franchisee and reach out to their respective fans,” said Himanshu Khanna, director, marketing, Wrigley.

The only team that has not had such splendid run this time is Bangalore Royal Challengers. The team, which belongs to Vijay Mallya-owned UB Group, only has Wrigleys and its in-house brands sponsoring it but, according to the company, that’s how it had planned it. “We have enough of our own brands to ride on the IPL so why should we share this space with any outside brand,” said Vijay Rekhi, president, United Spirits Ltd, part of the UB Group.

Incidentally, the group’s brands such as Royal Challenger, McDowells, and Royal Stag are sponsoring at least five other teams as well.

Along with the increase in the number of brand associations, the price of the deals has also seen a steep increase this time. “The rates for franchisee sponsorships went up at least 30-40% this year,” said two senior executives of two teams. “There are teams that have signed title sponsorships at 20 times the price they charged in 2008,” one of them said. They both did not want to be named. According to estimates from media buyers and various team executives, deals for associate and title sponsors this year have varied from Rs50 lakh to Rs15 crore.

Teams such as CSK, defending champion Rajasthan Royals, and KKR are, thus, expected to have closed deals worth Rs80-100 crore. Others have also raised around Rs50-60 crore. Last year, the teams had raised around Rs15-20 crore from such associations.

“Some partnerships, such as media associations, are purely in kind terms,” one of the two executives said. The size and the duration of independent deals could not be confirmed.

Franchisees credit this success to IPL’s popularity. “IPL makes it possible for advertisers to reach out to consumers across regions, demography, age groups and gender,” said CSK’s Singh, “…which is perhaps why the move overseas has not made a difference for sponsorships at the franchisee level.”