The IPL Watcher
Newsfile: April 29
I was just a little bit rusty – McCullum: After scoring 36 runs in his previous four innings, Brendon McCullum was relived to more than double his aggregate for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2012 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
I was just a little bit rusty – McCullum: After scoring 36 runs in his previous four innings, Brendon McCullum was relived to more than double his aggregate for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2012 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday. After nudging his way too 11 off 20, McCullum went on to score 43 off 37 in a 95-run opening stand with Gautam Gambhir that set up Knight Riders for their big win. Batting on Saturday’s track, for him, wasn’t easy, McCullum said. “I found it pretty tough to start off. The way Gauti is playing, he just makes things look ridiculously easy. He played some unbelievable cricket and probably made the wicket look a lot better than what it was,” he told IPLT20. “I was just a little bit rusty as I haven’t spent too much time out in the middle. It’s always hard to come out when you are searching for a score and [then] try banging from the ball one. I tried to settle [down].”
Mahmood has had positive impact – Gilchrist: Azhar Mahmood had missed the early part of the IPL due to visa complications, but once he has come into the Kings XI Punjab team, he has had a ‘nice, little impact’, according to captain Adam Gilchrist. Mahmood has played the last four of Kings XI's games, and his controlled bowling at the death has been rather impressive. But it is his contribution off the field that has made a difference as well, Gilchrist said. “He has been impressive with his whole approach and the attitude,” PTI reported Gilchrist as saying. “He is level-headed and wants to share it with others on the field as well as off it. He certainly has made a nice, little impact for us. It's a shame that he couldn't convert that start [against Chennai Super Kings] into a big knock, but these are the sort of small moments of impact. It [his two sixes] definitely gave us the impetus.”
Harbhajan says his bowling is off: A lack of wickets has been Harbhajan Singh’s problem for quite a while now, resulting in him being dropped from the India XI last year. With one wicket from eight games (seven innings) in the IPL so far, it seems to be a problem that just won’t go away. After Mumbai Indians were thumped by Delhi Daredevils on Friday, their captain, Harbhajan, admitted to his form being poor. “I can just hope this will not continue for long,” he said. “The good days came to an end, so will the bad days. The Twenty20 format is such that even good balls can go for six. But I should have bowled much better in the last three games. I have been working really hard and hope my form turns around soon.”
Full postNewsfile: April 28
Sangakkara fined: Deccan Chargers’ captain Kumar Sangakkara has been fined $20,000 for his team’s slow over-rate in their game against Pune Warriors on Thursday
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Sangakkara fined: Deccan Chargers’ captain Kumar Sangakkara has been fined $20,000 for his team’s slow over-rate in their game against Pune Warriors on Thursday. Chargers registered their first win of the tournament in that game, successfully defending 177. Since this was Sangakkara’s first offence, he was fined as per the IPL’s code of conduct section relating to over-rate penalties, an IPL release stated.
Wright flies home: Pune Warriors are likely to be without the services of allrounder Luke Wright for the coming week, after he returned to England to attend the funeral of a relative. Wright had tweeted on Wednesday about the death of his uncle, who was suffering from cancer, and on Saturday afternoon he said:
Not sure how long I will be back, depends when the funeral is, mostly likely be back for Pune next weekend.
— Luke Wright (@lukewright204) April 28, 2012
Gibbs’ fracture still healing: Mumbai Indians’ Herschelle Gibbs is still recovering from a chipped index finger, an injury he sustained during a fielding session with coach Jonty Rhodes. He tweeted on Saturday afternoon that the finger could take another week to heal fully.
Full postWhite's IPL nightmare ends
Cameron White had come into the inaugural IPL touted as one of the hottest Twenty20 talents around, with Royal Challengers Bangalore betting big on him though he was still a fringe player for Australia
Siddarth Ravindran
25-Feb-2013
Cameron White had come into the inaugural IPL touted as one of the hottest Twenty20 talents around, with Royal Challengers Bangalore betting big on him though he was still a fringe player for Australia. The Royal Challengers stint was a debacle, but then White had his best phase in international cricket over the year or so leading into the 2011 auction, culminating in him being named Australia's Twenty20 captain and Deccan Chargers splashing $1.1m on him.
He proved an expensive liability for Chargers last season, and coming into the game against Pune Warriors, like his team, he had done little of note this year. In the interim he had not just been sacked from the captaincy of the Australia Twenty20 side, he had lost his place in it as well. The inaugural Big Bash League had also been a disaster, as he scratched out 55 runs in eight matches.
The nightmare finally came to an end at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in Pune, as he slammed 78 against Warriors, setting up Chargers' first victory of the season. The familiar, muscular straight hits made a reappearance in what was his first IPL half-century and, staggeringly, his first half-century in any official cricket since December 2010.
Full postNewsfile: April 27
Theron happy to get a game: In what was Deccan Chargers seventh match of the season, South Africa fast bowler Rusty Theron finally got a game, and he said he was pleased to be back amid the action
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Theron happy to get a game: In what was Deccan Chargers seventh match of the season, South Africa fast bowler Rusty Theron finally got a game, and he said he was pleased to be back amid the action. “I have been feeling good in the nets and I just needed to play in the middle to get [back] my confidence,” he told IPLT20.com. “You’ll get four yorkers right and miss one, which will go for six, whereas if you spend some time in the middle you will get the fifth one also right. I am pretty happy. It was a bit of mixed bag but I am playing in the middle after a long time and it’s good to be back again.” Theron was expensive, but claimed the wickets of Manish Pandey and Steven Smith, in what was Chargers’ first victory. A big talking point was their decision to replace Dale Steyn with Theron, who said he felt the pressure of taking Steyn’s place in the XI. “I had some big shoes to fill. I spoke to him [Steyn] before the game, he asked me to go there and enjoy my game. I could feel a little bit of match jitters ...”
Not worried about Harbhajan – Pollock: Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach, Shaun Pollock, has said team captain Harbhajan Singh’s lack of wickets is not an issue of concern. "Harbhajan sets very high standards for himself and his performance hasn't been that bad,” he told PTI. “Obviously, he hasn't got a lot wickets but that is not something we are worried about. There is no doubt about the fact that he has played a lot of cricket here and knows the conditions very well." In seven matches (six innings) Harbhajan has taken only one wicket, and conceded 7.45 runs an over, but Pollock said this was not because of his tendency to bowl flatter trajectories in the tournament – at times, the situation dictated that Harbhajan didn’t flight the ball, he said. "There are times when he is coming to bowl with two set batsmen at the crease. It is difficult to throw the ball up in these situations."
Smoking lands Shah Rukh in trouble: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, who also co-owns Kolkata Knight Riders, has been directed by a Jaipur court to appear before it on May 26, in relation to his flouting of local smoking laws – Shah Rukh was seen smoking at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium during Kinght Riders game there on April 8. The complaint, according to newspaper reports, was filed on April 9 by Anand Singh, who runs the Jaipur Cricket Academy. In his complaint, Anand had sought action against the actor under Rajasthan’s Prohibition of Smoking Act of 2000, which forbids smoking in public places.
T20 is slow for umpires – Rauf: Twenty20 may be all about frenetically paced cricket for the players and spectators, but for the on-field umpires, it’s rather “slow”, according to Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf. “People don’t understand this, but in this format very few decisions come to the on-field umpires and the ones that do come to us are usually straightforward,” Rauf told IPLT20.com. “The bowlers generally bowl a bit wide of the off-stump which is relaxing for the umpires.” However, Twenty20 and the shots it has inspired from batsmen leave the umpires more vulnerable on the field, he said. “The kind of shots that batsmen play these days, we’re seriously thinking of demanding protective gear for the umpires.”
Full postPeterson's audacity
Foreign players of varying degrees of experience and stardom in the IPL know that a place in the final XI is never guaranteed, with the cap fixed at four
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
Foreign players of varying degrees of experience and stardom in the IPL know that a place in the final XI is never guaranteed, with the cap fixed at four. Warming the bench is a part and parcel of the IPL experience, as the likes of Paul Collingwood and Glenn McGrath found out in earlier seasons. This season, even an in-form player like Muttiah Muralitharan can't be squeezed in.
South Africa allrounder Robin Peterson was bought by Mumbai Indians for $100,000 before this season. He sat out six games before finally getting an opportunity against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali, replacing Pragyan Ojha. He was mysteriously given just one over by his captain Harbhajan Singh, despite conceding just three. And despite his reputation as a hitter, he was shunted down to No. 8, one step below Harbhajan, who made a duck.
With Lasith Malinga set to return to the side shortly, this could well have been Peterson's only IPL audition before being relegated to the bench again. If he felt that pressure, he certainly didn't show it in during an audacious debut performance.
Full postNewsfile: April 26
Shakib focussing on batting: In his three matches in the IPL so far, Shakib Al Hasan had been effective with the ball for Kolkata Knight Riders, claiming six wickets and conceding less than a run a ball
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Shakib focussing on batting: In his three matches in the IPL so far, Shakib Al Hasan had been effective with the ball for Kolkata Knight Riders, claiming six wickets and conceding less than a run a ball. But he has managed just 24 runs in that time, and this is something he is looking to address. "From the three matches I played, I was Man of the Match once. I've done well as a bowler, but I'm now focussing on my batting,” Shakib was quoted as saying by PTI. “I hope to do well as a batsman.” His next chance to do so could be on Saturday, when Knight Riders host Royal Challengers Bangalore.
IPL experience important for Indian youngsters – Rhodes: Mumbai Indians fielding coach Jonty Rhodes has said it’s vital that the IPL produces future ‘all-round’ players for India. The tournament, he said, could help mould potential internationals. “It has always been my view that Indian cricket is going to strengthen and improve because of the IPL,” he said. “I think that was the key for the BCCI, who were very wise in making sure that the youngsters were getting great coaching and the opportunity to play with international cricketers. The IPL is a great platform where you get international players and international coaches working with the young players. Guys like Sachin can't play forever and it's important that the young Indian players who come through the IPL are all-round players, not just in batting and bowling, as most of the Indian players are, but also as good fielders.”
Full postDelhi belly strikes
One of the lesser known attractions of the IPL for international cricketers is the chance to experience the tastes of India
Firdose Moonda
25-Feb-2013
One of the lesser known attractions of the IPL for international cricketers is the chance to experience the tastes of India. Curry has become an almost universal dish but eating in the country that perfected it is still unrivalled and there are often updates from newly returned travelers about the quality of the food they have sampled in India.
Unfortunately for three players, they’ve been made to see that lunch twice, the second time in a not-so-pleasant fashion. Chris Gayle was padded up and ready to open the batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Rajasthan Royals when he suffered a violent bout of vomiting and could not make it out to the crease in time. Virat Kohli had to be sent in as a makeshift opener and Gayle went in at No.4. He only managed four runs and could not field.
Australian spinner Steve Smith may have been bitten by the same bug. It turned out to be a stroke of good fortune that Smith did not have to bat for Pune Warriors against Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday because he was clearly ill. When it was time to field, he walked to his position and spilled his guts on the boundary rope, only to be taken off the ground by the team’s medical staff, where he was shown struggling to even hold down water. Smith returned for two overs but had to leave again after being judged too ill to continue and Callum Ferguson fielded in his place for the rest of the match. His team-mate Luke Wright was a also victim, tweeting about his night-long agony.
Some of the television commentators attributed the illness to the blazing heat in India, but others suggested it may just have been a case of choosing the wrong food.
Full postTV ratings continue to dip
The latest television ratings for the IPL are in and they continue to paint a faltering picture for the broadcaster, Multi-Screen Media, and the BCCI.
Tariq Engineer
25-Feb-2013
The latest television ratings for the IPL are in and they continue to paint a faltering picture for the broadcaster, Multi-Screen Media, and the BCCI.
The average TVR (a time-weighted figure that accounts for time spent by viewers in addition to the number of viewers) for the first 27 games in 2012 was 3.53, down from 3.88 at the same stage a year ago and 4.75 in 2010, according to TAM Sports, a division of TAM Media Research. The ratings also indicate a potential downward trend this season, as the first 16 games had an average rating of 3.65. Moreover, the total viewership of the tournament continues to lag behind last season’s pace, albeit marginally. In 2011, 140.27 million had tuned in by this point but this season that number is 137.72 million.
The 2012 season is considered something of a litmus test for the league after ratings slumped last year by 29%, a reversal blamed largely on "cricket fatigue" arising out of India's victorious World Cup campaign that ended six days before the IPL. With no international cricket in India in the build-up to this edition, the league’s ratings were expected to bounce back.
Full postNewsfile: April 25
Luke Wright unwell: After Chris Gayle and Steven Smith, it’s now Pune Warriors’ allrounder Luke Wright who is unwell
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Luke Wright unwell: After Chris Gayle and Steven Smith, it’s now Pune Warriors’ allrounder Luke Wright who is unwell. Wright had played his first game of the season on Tuesday – he didn’t have the chance to bat and bowled only two overs – and was ill following the match. He tweeted the news on Wednesday morning, saying it was a ‘bug’ that got to him:
I have had a good run, but last night I went down hard with a bug! Up all night! Did not leave the bathroom! Struggling today
— Luke Wright (@lukewright204) April 25, 2012
Pandey hopes to keep opener’s slot: On Tuesday Manish Pandey opened the innings for Pune Warriors against Delhi Daredevils and went on to put together an unbeaten 145-run stand with Robin Uthappa – the highest partnership for any wicket so far in this year’s IPL. Pandey had last opened in Warriors’ first game of the tournament. In that game against Mumbai Indians, Pandey registered a five-ball duck, and has since batted between Nos. 4 and 8. However, following Tuesday’s 56-ball 80, he hopes to keep opening since that role ‘suits his style of batting’. “As I opened the batting today and played well, I’m hoping that I will open in the next game as well with Jesse [Ryder],” he was quoted as saying on IPLT20.com. “This was probably the opportunity I was waiting for. I got to open in one game [prior to this] and couldn’t capitalise [on] it. I was pushed down the order after that, which doesn’t suit my style of batting. If I keep doing well, I’ll stick to this position.”
Full postNewsfile: April 24
Gibbs recovering from fractured finger: If you were wondering what was keeping big-hitting opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs out of the Mumbai Indians' XI, even when they’ve been facing some issues at the top of their line-up, it was a fractured
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Gibbs recovering from fractured finger: If you were wondering what was keeping big-hitting opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs out of the Mumbai Indians' XI, even when they’ve been facing some issues at the top of their line-up, it was a fractured finger. The good news for Mumbai is, Gibbs should be back in action later this week. He tweeted as much on Tuesday morning:
I chipped the bone in my index finger during an intense fielding session with jonty that's why I haven't played yet..thursday I start again!
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) April 24, 2012
Darren Bravo doubtful for IPL 2012: Deccan Chargers have not been having the best of tournaments, and they could face another minor blow as West Indies batsman Darren Bravo might not be available at all for this season of the IPL. Bravo’s currently tied up with the Tests against Australia, which end on April 27, and West Indies’ first warm-up game on their tour of England begins on May 5. So, squeezing in a trip to India might be quite impractical, and Chargers’ manager Paul Skinner said Bravo may not make it. "Darren will only be available for two-three games even if he comes to India," Skinner was quoted as saying in the Times of India. "It's possible that he may not make the trip. A decision will be taken after consultation between the franchise and the WICB."
India snub has cost Yusuf – Akram: Yusuf Pathan has aggregated 29 runs in seven games for Kolkata Knight Riders this season, but bowling coach Wasim Akram is still backing the allrounder, and said it was his axing from the India squad last year that affected his confidence levels. “We need Yusuf because he is simply fantastic when he clicks. One of the best in limited-overs cricket,” Akram was quoted as saying in the Indian Express. “Why he was dropped is beyond me. The selectors didn’t do any favour to his confidence by omitting him. Pathan is a big match player and will surely come good.” Yusuf had missed last year’s ODIs against England (home and away), the home series against West Indies and the Australia tri-series, before returning for the Asia Cup in March.
Full post