India's world is just one more win away


New Delhi: Twenty eight years from that glorious June day at the Lord's, Indian cricket is yet again one win away from being the undisputed world champions.
The next four years may see a sway in fortunes, a change in the ICC rankings, and even a change in the team composition. One thing, however, will remain constant. We will be the World Champions. And we will travel Down Under for the next edition of the Cricket World Cup in 2015 as the holders. And all of this is just one win away.



That one win on Saturday against the Sri Lankans at the Wankhede will make India the No. 1 ODI team according to the ICC rankings, in addition to the No. 1 Test status that they already hold. That one win will be the greatest gift the team can give to Sachin Tendulkar. The bestest farewell it can give coach Gary Kirsten. And for millions born after the triumph of 1983, the first real experience of knowing what it is like to be crowned World Champions.
Overwhelming favourites to lift the Cup before the tournament started, the men in blue have reached the final through determination and not through domination. The bowling was patchy, the combination was being debated upon till the very last game, chasing low scores proved to be a challenge, and the batting powerplays looked like an albatross around their neck. But what was lacking in strategy and implementation was taken care of by belief and by unity.
Indian skipper MS Dhoni has himself admitted that it was this unity that ensured the team's march to the final. "Team unity has been the factor; the way we are backing each other, how we don't criticise. When somebody is not doing well we are helping each other."
India have been tested time and again and each time they have managed to wriggle out of a tight spot and win the battle. And they have found heroes in every game, with the bat and the ball. They have had the players with the heart to take the fight into the opposition camp. And the emotions have been there for everyone to see and be inspired from. Even a generally muted Munaf Patel was a sight to behold in Mohali when he clean bowled Abdul Razzaq.
India's matches have almost seem like a gamble, but the team has kept their poise. And it has been their desire to win games that has seen them through. Somewhere the loss of 2007 has egged them on. There have been situations where they have gone weak in the knees, but they have refused to buckle down. And if fortune has favoured them, it is because they have been brave.
These men now stand at the cusp of glory. They stand at the edge of being immortalised. They stand to prove that India's era of domination is right ahead. And all of this is just one win away.


Posted by

Djokovic facing first serious test against Del Potro

Novak DjokovicParis: The sledgehammer groundstrokes of Juan Martin del Potro will provide the ultimate test of Novak Djokovic's armour-plated confidence in the most eagerly anticipated match of the French Open so far later on Friday.

They are only colliding in the third round because of Del Potro's injury problems which sent him tumbling down the rankings and their clash would not look out of place as a grand slam final.

Lee-Hesh enter second round of men's doubles in French Open

Djokovic has been supreme so far, taking his winning streak this year to 39 with two comfortable rounds but the 25th-seeded Del Potro, who has been plagued with wrist and then hip problems, is capable of beating anyone on his day.

"It's going to be a great match, a battle, and he has always had a quality to be at the top of the men's game," Serbian Djokovic said of the 2009 U.S. Open champion.

"He is playing equally well on any surface. Big serve, great groundstrokes. For his height he's moving really well. He's just overall a top player for me.

"He's unfortunately had to take some time off because of the injury, but he's coming back now.

"It's going to be a big challenge for both of us, obviously a great match for people to see."

World number four Andy Murray will definitely be tuning in.

Sania Mirza crashes out of French Open

"Because the court is playing fast, I think that that's good for Juan," the Briton told reporters. "And I'll definitely watch a little bit of that match.

"It's a great, great third round."

Before Djokovic and Del Potro lock horns, last year's women's runner-up Samantha Stosur of Australia opens proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier against Argentina's Gisela Dulko as the eighth seed continues her search for a maiden slam title.

Third seed Roger Federer, who has cantered through his first two matches, will be up against Serbian 29th seed Janko Tipsarevic on court Suzanne Lenglen.

Women's defending champion Francesca Schiavone, who has revelled in her return to the scene of her most memorable moment, will be on the same court against China's Shuai Peng.
Posted by

Sania records impressive win in French Open

Sania MirzaParis, May 23: Desperate to improve her Grand Slam record, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza began her French Open campaign with an impressive 6-3 6-3 win over Kristina Barrois in the women's singles, here today (May 23).

World number 72 Sania, who has never moved beyond the second round here, put up a clinical performance against the German, who enjoyed a career-best ranking of 57, a couple of weeks back but has now slumped to 73.

Sania, whose left leg was strapped just below the knee, completed the win with a backhand winner after an hour and 15 minutes on court number six.

Sania has not been able to cross the second round hurdle in the Grand Slams since 2009 and the fourth round appearance in the US Open in 2005 remains her best performance.

She will next face either 12th seed Polish Agnieszka Radwanska or Austria''s Patricia Mayr-Achleitner.

The clay court surface is not of the liking of Sania but the Indian looked quite comfortable against her opponent and played with a lot of confidence.

Sania played aggressively and thus committed a lot of unforced errors and also struggled with first serve but the overall game was so dominating that Kristina had no clue how to stop the Indian.
Posted by

IPL 2011




Team List 2011



There are Ten Teams which participate in the Indian Premier League popularly known as IPL launched by Board of Cricket Control in India.



Below is a list of IPL Teams
  1. Mumbai Indians
  2. Delhi Daredevils
  3. Chennai Super Kings
  4. Deccan Chargers
  5. Pune Warriors
  6. Kings XI Punjab
  7. Kochi IPL
  8. Rajasthan Royals
  9. Royal Challengers Bangalore
  10. Kolkata Knight Riders
Of above ten teams, Sahara Pune Warriors and Kochi IPL teams are newly inducted teams in the year 2011. Earlier Eight teams use to participate in the IPL Seasons.


1. List of Players of Mumbai Indians


Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Mumbai Indians. Please refer to below table for list. It would not be easy for Sachin Tendulkar to manage the Mumbai Indians team as they have now Symonds in their team. Earlier MI retained Harbhajan Singh and therefore he was not for sale in auction.

It is known by everyone that, Harbhajan Singh doesn’t have fruitful relations with Andrew Symonds. In tour to Australia, Andrew Symonds alleged Harbhajan Singh for racial comments and calling him Monkey.

Let’s see how Sachin Tendulkar keep both aggressive players, cool and calm.

Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left480,00022,080,000
Sachin Tendulkar (retained)India180000082800000
Harbhajan Singh (retained)India130000059800000
Kieron Pollard (retained)West Indies90000041400000
Lasith Malinga (retained)Sri Lanka50000023000000
Rohit SharmaIndia200000092000000
Andrew SymondsAustralia85000039100000
Davy JacobsSouth Africa1900008740000
James FranklinNew Zealand1000004600000
Munaf PatelIndia70000032200000
Clint McKayAustralia1100005060000
Moises HenriquesAustralia500002300000
Aiden BlizzardAustralia20000920000
Total Spent8,520,000391,920,000





2. List of Players of 

Delhi Daredevils 



Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Delhi Daredevils. Please refer to below table for list. This time they gave up their captain Gautam Gambhir which was purchased by KKR.


Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left750,00034,500,000
Virender Sehwag (retained)India180000082800000
Irfan PathanIndia190000087400000
David WarnerAustralia75000034500000
Naman OjhaIndia27000012420000
James HopesAustralia35000016100000
Morne MorkelSouth Africa47500021850000
Aaron FinchAustralia30000013800000
Matthew WadeAustralia1000004600000
Ajit AgarkarIndia2100009660000
Ashok DindaIndia37500017250000
Umesh YadavIndia75000034500000
Roelof van der MerweSouth Africa500002300000
Venugopal RaoIndia70000032200000
Andrew McDonaldAustralia800003680000
Travis BirtAustralia20000920000
Colin IngramSouth Africa1000004600000
Robert FrylinckSouth Africa20000920000
Total Spent8,250,000379,500,000

3. List of Players by CSK


Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Chennai Super Kings. Please refer to below table for list


Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left335,00015,410,000
MS Dhoni (retained)India180000082800000
Suresh Raina (retained)India130000059800000
M Vijay (retained)India90000041400000
Albie Morkel (retained)South Africa50000023000000
Michael HusseyAustralia42500019550000
Wriddhiman SahaIndia1000004600000
Dwayne BravoWest Indies2000009200000
Doug BollingerAustralia70000032200000
R AshwinIndia85000039100000
S BadrinathIndia85000039100000
Scott StyrisNew Zealand2000009200000
Ben HilfenhausAustralia1000004600000
Joginder SharmaIndia1500006900000
Nuwan KulasekaraSri Lanka1000004600000
Sudeep TyagiIndia24000011040000
Suraj RandivSri Lanka800003680000
George BaileyAustralia500002300000
Faf du PlessisSouth Africa1200005520000
Total Spent8,665,000398,590,000



4. List of Players by Deccan Chargers

Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Deccan Chargers Hyderabad. Please refer to below table for list.

Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left2,125,00097,750,000
Kevin PietersenEngland65000029900000
Cameron WhiteAustralia110000050600000
Kumar SangakkaraSri Lanka70000032200000
JP DuminySouth Africa30000013800000
Shikhar DhawanIndia30000013800000
Ishant SharmaIndia45000020700000
Dale SteynSouth Africa120000055200000
Pragyan OjhaIndia50000023000000
Amit MishraIndia30000013800000
Dan ChristianAustralia90000041400000
Manpreet GonyIndia29000013340000
Chris LynnAustralia20000920000
Rusty TheronSouth Africa850003910000
Michael LumbEngland800003680000
Total Spent6,875,000316,250,000


5. List of players by Pune Warriors


Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Sahara Pune Warriors Team. Please refer to below table for list. This was first time Pune Warriors was in for Live Auction. Looking at their body language, they were certain what they want. Not only they wanted to get interested player but were playing nice poker game to reduce other teams budget. The team was with cricket and maths experts to get the solid team with all round performers. They have got quality players and that too at low price. They didn’t started bidding at the start but remain calm until last minute. They are one with lots of players and still have good budget to get some more quality players.

Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left930,00042,780,000
Yuvraj SinghIndia180000082800000
Graeme SmithSouth Africa50000023000000
Robin UthappaIndia210000096600000
Tim PaineAustralia27000012420000
Angelo MathewsSri Lanka95000043700000
Ashish NehraIndia85000039100000
Nathan McCullumNew Zealand1000004600000
Callum FergusonAustralia30000013800000
Wayne ParnellSouth Africa1600007360000
Mitchell MarshAustralia29000013340000
Jerome TaylorWest Indies1000004600000
Alfonso ThomasSouth Africa1000004600000
Jesse RyderNew Zealand1500006900000
Murali KartikIndia40000018400000
Total Spent8,070,000371,220,000



6. List Of Players by Kings XI Punjab 


Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Kings XI Punjab Team. Please refer to below table for list. For Kings XI Punjab it was bad decision not to retain key players looking from their desperate fight to get their earlier players. According to Preity Zinta what we thought, got wrong. We didn’t have enough time to think and probably that cost us lot. It was not expected, that there such huge price war between teams. This has left us with few money to spend.

Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left2,055,00094,530,000
Adam GilchristAustralia90000041400000
Shaun MarshAustralia40000018400000
David HusseyAustralia140000064400000
Dinesh KarthikIndia90000041400000
Stuart BroadEngland40000018400000
Abhishek NayarIndia80000036800000
Praveen KumarIndia80000036800000
Ryan HarrisAustralia32500014950000
Piyush ChawlaIndia90000041400000
Dmitri MascarenhasEngland1000004600000
Nathan RimmingtonAustralia20000920000
Total Spent6,945,000319,470,000

7. list of players by Kochi 


Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Kochi IPL Team. Please refer to below table for list. This was first time Kochi was in for Live Auction. They were new but still calm in the auction. They were with their coach Lawson. They bagged 11 players and still have $2 million to spend. Most funny part of the Kochi auction was Sreesanth. They bid for him at the last movement not for penny but for 900,000 USD thats pretty huge looking at his performance in the previous IPL. So, they did balance with solid team and local support.

Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left1,210,00055,660,000
Mahela JayawardeneSri Lanka150000069000000
VVS LaxmanIndia40000018400000
Brendon McCullumNew Zealand47500021850000
SreesanthIndia90000041400000
RP SinghIndia50000023000000
Parthiv PatelIndia29000013340000
Ravindra JadejaIndia95000043700000
Steven SmithAustralia2000009200000
Muttiah MuralitharanSri Lanka110000050600000
Ramesh PowarIndia1800008280000
Brad HodgeAustralia42500019550000
Thisara PereraSri Lanka800003680000
Vinay KumarIndia47500021850000
Steve O'KeefeAustralia20000920000
Owais ShahEngland2000009200000
Michael KlingerAustralia750003450000
John HastingsAustralia20000920000
Total Spent7,790,000358,340,000

8. List of Player by Rajasthan Royals 


Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Rajasthan Royals Team. Please refer to below table for list.

Remember due to court orders Rajasthan Royals had only $7 million to spend out of which little less than half was spent on retaining their top two players.

They purchased Ross Taylor, a key player from New Zealand. Another player bagged by them includes Rahul Dravid and Paul Collingwood.

Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left805,00037,030,000
Shane Warne (retained)Australia180000082800000
Shane Watson (retained)Australia130000059800000
Ross TaylorNew Zealand100000046000000
Rahul DravidIndia50000023000000
Johan BothaSouth Africa95000043700000
Paul CollingwoodEngland25000011500000
Shaun TaitAustralia30000013800000
Pankaj SinghIndia950004370000
Total Spent6,195,000284,970,000

9. List of players of RCB 


Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Royal Challenger Bangalore Team. Please refer to below table for list. This year Vijay Mallya didn’t rushed for big names and tried to concentrate on young and small names. He was himself present with his team mentor Anil Kumble, former captain of RCB and India.

Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left445,00020,470,000
Virat Kohli (retained)India180000082800000
Tillakaratne DilshanSri Lanka65000029900000
Zaheer KhanIndia90000041400000
AB de VilliersSouth Africa110000050600000
Daniel VettoriNew Zealand55000025300000
Saurabh TiwaryIndia160000073600000
Dirk NannesAustralia65000029900000
Cheteshwar PujaraIndia70000032200000
Charl LangeveldtSouth Africa1400006440000
Luke PomersbaschAustralia500002300000
Abhimanyu MithunIndia26000011960000
Johan van der WathSouth Africa950004370000
Rilee RossouwSouth Africa20000920000
Nuwan PradeepSri Lanka20000920000
Jonathan VandiarSouth Africa20000920000
Total Spent8,555,000393,530,000

10.List of Player by KKR 


Below is list of players purchased, retained or bought in the live auction being held at Bangalore by Kolkata Knight Riders. Please refer to below table for list. Shocking for Dada fans as he remains unsold. KKR didn’t even bid for Saurav Ganguly. KKR looking for Gautam Gambhir to be made captain. They also manage to get Yusuf Pathan and Jacque Kallis in their team. Solid team but disappointed fan club. But remember this is business.

Player NameNationalityCost (USD)Cost (INR)
Money Left425,00019,550,000
Gautam GambhirIndia2400000110400000
Yusuf PathanIndia210000096600000
Jacques KallisSouth Africa110000050600000
Brad HaddinAustralia32500014950000
Shakib Al HasanBangladesh42500019550000
Brett LeeAustralia40000018400000
Eoin MorganEngland35000016100000
Manoj TiwaryIndia47500021850000
L BalajiIndia50000023000000
Jaidev UnadkatIndia25000011500000
Ryan ten DoeschateNetherlands1500006900000
James PattinsonAustralia1000004600000
Total Spent8,575,000394,450,000

Posted by
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)