Although concerned about the "hectic" IPL and the impact of non-stop cricket on Team India's players, chairman of selectors
Krishnamachari Srikkanth is confident India can retain their World T20 crown in England.
"There are clearly no favourites in the tournament, but our top order can tear apart any attack. Starting from the openers to the middle-order batsmen, all of them are capable of turning it around. The depth in batting is huge," Srikkanth told TOI on Saturday.
Asked if he was worried about openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir's lacklustre form in the IPL, Srikkanth said, "No, I am not at all worried. Viru and Gambhir have won many matches for India in the past and they must be itching to come back strongly. They are classy players and will surely play huge roles."
Srikkanth also said he sympathised with the overworked players, some of whom have expressed concerns about mental fatigue after the long-drawn IPL. "In today's world, every nation is playing non-stop cricket. I feel bad for the cricketers but yet we can't help it. You have to get used to it and carry on in a professional way," he said.
I also agree that IPL was hectic for the cricketers, but it also gave a lot of match practice. Keeping in mind the World Cup factor, the event was really useful. There were so many close games and featuring in them makes a player mentally tough.
"The IPL also witnessed a lot of improvisation. We saw part-timers like Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma winning matches with the ball, which means (skipper) Dhoni will have a lot of options on the field. I am very happy with the intensity of the players," Srikkanth, who is expected to join the Indian team after the India-Bangladesh match on June 6, said.
"Moreover, the conditions in England will suit our medium-pacers well as they can move the ball. Undoubtedly, the World Cup will be a closely-fought event and in that way, every team is a favourite. But India certainly have the edge over others. T20 is not only slam bang cricket, you must have an intelligent approach to the game. Making the right moves at the right time is crucial," Srikkanth added.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
IPL inaugural edition more vibrant than IPL II: Sachin
KOLKATA: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday said the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in India last year was far more
vibrant than the IPL II which was held in South Africa in April-May.
The Mumbai Indians captain, who featured in both editions of the Twenty20 extravaganza, said, "The first year was definitely better. When you play in India, it's a different ball game altogether. (But) the reception we got each time (in South Africa) was terrific."
The cricket icon, here for a promotional event, was, however, all praise for South Africa for hosting the tournament grandly in such a short notice.
"They got very little time - three and half weeks - to put everything together to organise such a great tournament. They have done a terrific job. But if you give me a choice, then obviously it's going to be India. The response was much bigger and better (in IPL I)," the 36-year-old said.
The batting great, who has opted out of the ICC World Twenty20 in England, said India would successfully defend the title.
We have an explosive batting line-up, backed by a good bowling attack. On the whole, our team is quite nicely balanced. I don't see any reason why we cannot live up to the expectation," Tendulkar said.
He, however, said cricket is a game of uncertainties and so anything can happen on any given day.
"Obviously, in cricket no one can guarantee what's going to happen. The game is full of uncertainties, but going by our strength and the balance in the team, we stand a very good chance. I have confidence in our team."
IPL can be a big hit at global venues: Shah
RAJKOT: Buoyed by the success of the second season of IPL, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) plans to organise T20 tournaments on
international venues at least once in three years.
Talking to IPL's vice-president Niranjan Shah said here that the tournament can become a global event and this has been proved by its recent success in South Africa. "IPL can be organised in the US too. Though it is domestic cricket tournament, I am sure it can be huge hit there," said Shah. He, however, added that the US does not have proper infrastructure for conducting cricket tournaments on larger scale.
About the tourney's success in South Africa, Shah said that though it was organised there as a part of strategy and for security reasons, the response was tremendous. "IPL will be India's gift to international sports," the former BCCI secretary said, adding, it can usher in a beginning of this game in those countries where cricket is virtually unknown.
IPL 2009 Final: Deccan Chargers Win Close Game
The umpires were jived up, with Rudi Koertzen challenging the packed crowds and the players, "Are you ready?" Anil Kumble won the toss and chose to field, somewhat like Vishwanathan Anand picking black, I guess.
The first men in for the Deccan Chargers were the fearsome Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs, and Jumbo himself took the ball. The kids were tucked off the bed just in time for the first ball, although they popped their heads out soon enough as Gilchrist went for the second. The Royal Challengers of Bangalore (RCB) seemed off to a good start, and it promised to be a great evening of cricket, if only the repetitive ads could be quelled.
Gibbs batted through the innings, and one expected much fireworks but the Bangalore bowlers kept the Deccan Chargers in check, with Anil Kumble taking 4 wickets for 16 runs, and Vinay Kumar chipping in with 2 wickets for 30 runs. The Deccan Chargers wrapped up at 143 for 6, perhaps wishing they had put in a bit more effort and brought the score closer to 160.
The RCB came out the field to face some chatter from Andrew Symonds directed at young Manish Pandey, behaviour he appeared to repeat with every batsman. The first couple of overs were uneventful, and Jacques Kallis looked like he was getting off to a good start when he was bowled out by RP Singh at 16. This wasn't Manish Pandey's night either, when he got out for 4. van der Merwe had better luck, making it to 32 off 21 balls. There was a bit of slapstick along the way, with Roelof first tripping over himself in response to a yorker from Symonds, and then barrelling into the stumps as he completed a 3-run streak.
At the end of ten overs, the RCB were pretty much neck to neck with the DC, needing 75 from 60 balls, and with three wickets gone. Rahul Dravid and Ross Taylor were at the crease. The filled-to-capacity Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg thirsted for some excitement, and television viewers suffered through the same old advertisements through the time-out. The Zoozoos were out in force, probably deciding to reprise everyone of their by-now interminable spots. A Pepsi Quick Gun Dhoni spot in the strategic time out was new, but beaten to death, as always.
Rahul Dravid didn't contribute much, being bowled out for 9 in the 12th over. Ross Taylor kept up the pace, maintaining a steady run-rate until he was taken for 27, when the RCB were 99/5 in the 15th over. Mark Boucher came up to the crease, but the very next ball took Virat Kohli just off the line, taking then to 99/6. It was now Boucher and Robin Uthappa, both still to get off the mark. Andrew Symonds hoped for a hatrick, but Uthappa knocked it away for a double, easing some of the pressure.
At the end of 15 overs, the Deccan Chargers were 101-3, compared to the RCB 101-6. No one could say who had the edge, and the 16th over started with a boundary, but Boucher was taken by Gibbs in the fifth ball. The RCB seemed all but done in, 107-7 with four overs to go.
Praveen Kumar went in the very next over and the Chargers had the game well in hand. At the end of the 18th over, the RCB needed 27 off 12 balls, with just two wickets in hand. Vinay Kumar contributed a boundary and Uthappa knocked a much-needed sixer in the 19th over, only to see Vinay Kumar caught by Harmeet Singh off the last ball.
Anil Kumble came up to the crease with 15 runs needed, and he gave Robin the strike with a single from the first ball. Robin scanned the field, as Gilchrist nudged fielders into position and RP Singh sported a wry smile. He missed the next ball, keeping strike. The next ball was poorly played again by Uthappa, as Gilchrist donned a helmet in preparation to move closer to the stumps. Two runs off the next ball meant two sixes would be needed from the last two balls for the RCB to win. A leg-bye boundary was signalled and the purple-capped RP Singh knew he needed to just bowl a legal ball to win the game, with 8 needed. He delivered in style, and the Deccan Chargers lifted the IPL trophy for 2009.
The IPL 2009 finals gave us the very best of the action-packed, tense scenes that have become the keynote of this format. The Deccan Chargers turned the game around and in effect, came from the bottom of last year's league to win this tournament. The Royal Challengers of Bangalore demonstrated admirable consistency after Anil Kumble took the captaincy from Kevin Pietersen.
Twenty20 seems to be spreading across the cricket spectrum, with a T20 World Cup in England in June and the ICC Champions Twenty20 League in India in October. There are reports of Lalit Modi wanting two IPL tournaments each year. The commercial minds behind this innovation seem intent on getting the most out of it, but they might end up killing the golden goose if they're not careful. Burnout in the Twenty20 format will likely be faster than in more traditional cricket, and audiences might get confused with blurred loyalties, seeing players in different teams through the year, based on format and championship.
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