Source: Rediff.com
March 30, 2010
Buying the Kochi Indian Premier League(IPL) team was more about passion for the game than actual business, say the owners.
Rendezvous Sports World Limited won the bid for the Kochi franchise for a whooping US $333 million (Rs 1533 crores), sending the state of Kerala [ Images ] on cloud nine.
The Kochi IPL team consortium includes Rendezvous Sports, Anchor Earth, Film Waves, Parinee Developers and the Elite and Choliyal group.
It just happened over a casual meeting between friends; they decided why not buy an IPL team. The rest, as they say, will now be history.
But the purchase was just the start. The franchise is now running against time to get everything arranged. Work on an under-construction stadium in Kerala has speeded up since the takeover, while the owners are also burning the midnight oil to identify players they hope to sign up during the auction later this year.
Co-owner Vivek Venugopal, who is a part of the Elite and Choliyal group of companies, spoke to Chief Correspondent Harish Kotian on the franchise's plans for the Kochi team.
There are around five partners involved in buying the Kochi IPL franchise. How did all of you get together and decide to buy this team?
Everybody is passionate about cricket and they all wanted to be a part of the IPL. We all decided one day over a casual get together that we should also look to buy a team; that is where the idea started. Over the last six months we have put in a lot of effort and time to put everything in place, get all the partners on board, and, I think, the hard work has paid off.
It is a great feeling that we finally managed to win the bid for the Kochi franchise; we all are very thrilled. It is a big achievement for Kerala as a state and its cricketers too.
How was the response in Kerala and overseas, like the Middle East where there is a huge Malayalee community?
The response from people in Kerala was very positive; people from all over the state are very excited. We are very happy to have delivered them this IPL franchise.
Even the response from Indians working in the Gulf was very good. It was extremely positive. People from all over the world have been calling me and congratulating me. After this, for another few years, no other team will be added to the IPL, so it is a very big development for Kerala.
Will the stadium in Kerala be ready in time? How much support has the Kerala Cricket Association given Rendezvous Sports World Limited in getting the stadium ready?
The Kerala Cricket Association has been very supportive and they really want to help. They have been very progressive, but we don't know if the stadium will be ready or not. The important thing is that everybody is trying for that and we are working as a team and trying to get it done.
We will have to wait and see if the stadium will be ready in the time. Of course, we would like to play in Kerala, but there is also the question of infrastructure around it, like the roads connecting to the stadium. When you have 50,000 people coming to watch a match you have to make sure they have a good experience. All things are being considered because we want to build a world class stadium in Kerala.
We have taken over the stadium only four days ago, so we are just getting started, getting the machinery in place. It won't happen overnight, but soon we will get the process started.
So, if the stadium is not ready, which other alternate venue would you want to play at?
We are talking to the IPL. It is not just that we decide; there are so many processes involved. Also, everybody has to agree with the alternative available.
The IPL will help us get a stadium, which we will use as our home base if the stadium in Kerala is not ready in time. So we will have to work jointly with them.
How important will it be getting S Sreesanth in your team for IPL 4, since he is one of the most successful Kerala cricketers at the international level?
Sreesanth is a great player. He is a national level player and he has been very successful at the top. There are so many external factors and you just can't say he is in or he is out. You have to look at things like his contract; whether his current owners let him go or whether he wants to join us. So we can't just speculate.
One thing is that we need to get the right team of players and look to get the best combination possible.
Even if you don't manage to sign Sreesanth, wouldn't the team compromise mostly cricketers from the state, because you'll have said that you'll are looking to develop cricket in Kerala?
Of course, we would like to have as many players as possible from Kerala. We think it is a great opportunity for players from Kerala to showcase their talent. There are a couple of good players in the Kerala Ranji Trophy, so it is about giving them a platform to show the world their talent.
Earlier, the players used to be disheartened because there was nobody watching them, and the pipeline to get them in the Indian team was limited. Now they might give it a little bit more and it could prove as a stepping stone for them.
With 10 franchises in the fray in the auction for IPL 4, don't you think the player prices will hit the roof? In that case, for a new franchise like you, the US $7 million dollar won't be enough if you want to rope in top players?
The US $7million purse is for all the franchises in the next auction, so I don't think it is a disadvantage for the two new teams. I don't think the talent pool is finite. It is fluid and I am sure there will be new talent coming along everyday.
Today, if you look at it, the senior players are doing well and also leading their teams with great success. I am sure new players will come and every year we see so many talented players being unearthed.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Like IPL, Kings XI fines only get bigger
Source: Yahoo.com
Mohali, March 29 -- A sum of Rs 1.8 crore may be the savings of a lifetime for many. In the IPL, it's the amount the Kings XI Punjab players have to pay in fines. They didn't commit a crime and they didn't say anything libelous. But they did bowl really, really slow.
Preity Zinta's men are used to sticky wickets. Disciplinary issues, run-ins with authorities over smoking in public areas, court summons for using pictures of freedom fighters in their promos and allegations of racism (by cheerleaders) have chased them.
On Saturday, days after they were fined $1,40,000 (Rs 64 lakh approximately) for slow over-rate, came an even bigger fine - $2,50,000 (Rs 1.13 crore approximately) - for the same reason. The franchise holders are yet to say if they will absorb the fine. While the top players have contracts worth hundreds of dollars, the earnings of other members hang in the balance. Pegged as a money-spinner, the IPL may well turn out to be the only tournament that leaves its cricketers with less money than they began with.
Mohali, March 29 -- A sum of Rs 1.8 crore may be the savings of a lifetime for many. In the IPL, it's the amount the Kings XI Punjab players have to pay in fines. They didn't commit a crime and they didn't say anything libelous. But they did bowl really, really slow.
Preity Zinta's men are used to sticky wickets. Disciplinary issues, run-ins with authorities over smoking in public areas, court summons for using pictures of freedom fighters in their promos and allegations of racism (by cheerleaders) have chased them.
On Saturday, days after they were fined $1,40,000 (Rs 64 lakh approximately) for slow over-rate, came an even bigger fine - $2,50,000 (Rs 1.13 crore approximately) - for the same reason. The franchise holders are yet to say if they will absorb the fine. While the top players have contracts worth hundreds of dollars, the earnings of other members hang in the balance. Pegged as a money-spinner, the IPL may well turn out to be the only tournament that leaves its cricketers with less money than they began with.
The Master Blaster remains the best
Source: rediff.com
March 30, 2010
It is a young man's sport, they said.
The older players will struggle to make an impact, they predicted.
The naysaysers had warned that the Twenty20 version in general, and the Indian Premier League in particular, will mark an end to the careers of veterans in the sport.
Three years on, they have been made to eat their words.
The success of the veteran players in the third edition of the IPL is proving the critics wrong.
In continuing its analysis of the ongoing edition of the IPL, rediff.com takes a look at the veterans who have, with a string of good performances, proved that age is just a number.
He may have kept himself away from the newest version of the game, but Sachin Tendulkar is showing everyone that age is just another number.
Leading the Mumbai Indians side, Tendulkar is amongst top four run-scorers of the tournament thus far. With 303 runs from six innings, at an average of 60.60, the skipper has been responsible in giving the team good starts.
His knock against the Kolkata Knight Riders was perhaps his best innings so far; it helped the side post a convincing win. Chasing a modest 156 for victory, Tendulkar led from the front with 71 from 48 balls, as Mumbai Indians registered a convincing seven-wicket win.
In the process, he registered his seventh IPL fifty overall and fourth in this edition; it was inclusive of 10 hits to the fence.
March 30, 2010
It is a young man's sport, they said.
The older players will struggle to make an impact, they predicted.
The naysaysers had warned that the Twenty20 version in general, and the Indian Premier League in particular, will mark an end to the careers of veterans in the sport.
Three years on, they have been made to eat their words.
The success of the veteran players in the third edition of the IPL is proving the critics wrong.
In continuing its analysis of the ongoing edition of the IPL, rediff.com takes a look at the veterans who have, with a string of good performances, proved that age is just a number.
He may have kept himself away from the newest version of the game, but Sachin Tendulkar is showing everyone that age is just another number.
Leading the Mumbai Indians side, Tendulkar is amongst top four run-scorers of the tournament thus far. With 303 runs from six innings, at an average of 60.60, the skipper has been responsible in giving the team good starts.
His knock against the Kolkata Knight Riders was perhaps his best innings so far; it helped the side post a convincing win. Chasing a modest 156 for victory, Tendulkar led from the front with 71 from 48 balls, as Mumbai Indians registered a convincing seven-wicket win.
In the process, he registered his seventh IPL fifty overall and fourth in this edition; it was inclusive of 10 hits to the fence.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Shah Rukh Khan: Bollywood cricket boss takes the cheers and the jeers
Source: cnn.com
March 24, 2010
(CNN) -- Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood superstar, has become more than a little accustomed to being adored by millions.
"I don't want to be anonymous... I'm very honest about that. I love being recognized, I love people liking me, I love the fact that people scream when I go out. I think I'll miss all that when it's taken away," he told CNN.
But earlier this year comments by Khan, the owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders, caused a storm of controversy and attention he didn't want.
Watch the exclusive clip from CNN's interview, above, as Khan discusses what kind of a cricket boss he is.
Khan questioned the lack of Pakistani players in this year's competition, and Indian Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena interpreted the comments as inflammatory. Threats were made to boycott his latest film and some activists made some threats against him and his family's safety.
"It just went onto a political agenda platform, onto an activist platform. I'm not on the same playing field. I'm an actor, I'm not a politician," he said.
"This was my point of view... it wasn't as if I was saying something new. I didn't know it would cause so much trouble, and especially when a film was releasing, you don't want that kind of trouble. It just went completely through the roof."
Khan is keen to keep his roles as an actor, cricket team boss and icon for millions as far from the political realm as possible. His face is one of the most salable in India with his image used in a raft of adverts and supporting products.
Yet his recent film "My Name is Khan" did touch upon religious sensitivities, striking a chord among cinema goers in Muslim countries across the world. In the film Khan, himself a Muslim, plays an autistic Muslim immigrant in American soon after the terrorists attack on September 11, 2001.
"I really thought the film was about humanity. It's not about Islam, it could have been about any religion to be honest," he said.
"But I simply thought we made a film about humanity. I knew it would do well but I didn't know it would this well because it is a very niche sort of a subject."
March 24, 2010
(CNN) -- Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood superstar, has become more than a little accustomed to being adored by millions.
"I don't want to be anonymous... I'm very honest about that. I love being recognized, I love people liking me, I love the fact that people scream when I go out. I think I'll miss all that when it's taken away," he told CNN.
But earlier this year comments by Khan, the owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders, caused a storm of controversy and attention he didn't want.
Watch the exclusive clip from CNN's interview, above, as Khan discusses what kind of a cricket boss he is.
Khan questioned the lack of Pakistani players in this year's competition, and Indian Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena interpreted the comments as inflammatory. Threats were made to boycott his latest film and some activists made some threats against him and his family's safety.
"It just went onto a political agenda platform, onto an activist platform. I'm not on the same playing field. I'm an actor, I'm not a politician," he said.
"This was my point of view... it wasn't as if I was saying something new. I didn't know it would cause so much trouble, and especially when a film was releasing, you don't want that kind of trouble. It just went completely through the roof."
Khan is keen to keep his roles as an actor, cricket team boss and icon for millions as far from the political realm as possible. His face is one of the most salable in India with his image used in a raft of adverts and supporting products.
Yet his recent film "My Name is Khan" did touch upon religious sensitivities, striking a chord among cinema goers in Muslim countries across the world. In the film Khan, himself a Muslim, plays an autistic Muslim immigrant in American soon after the terrorists attack on September 11, 2001.
"I really thought the film was about humanity. It's not about Islam, it could have been about any religion to be honest," he said.
"But I simply thought we made a film about humanity. I knew it would do well but I didn't know it would this well because it is a very niche sort of a subject."
New galaxy of stars arrive
Source: iplt20.com
23 Mar 2010
DLF IPL 2010 has well and truly taken off. In just over 11 days, we have had everything that can be hoped for from the world's fastest growing league. As if the excitement wasn’t enough, it’s time to welcome on board a new range of stars that’s expected to dazzle in this already glittering carnival of cricket.
Joining the party first up was Chris Gayle on a blockbuster Monday night clash in Mumbai. Turning out for his beloved Kolkata Knight Riders, Gayle hit form straightaway with a measured 75 against Mumbai Indians.
His knock may not have been enough to turn the tide for Kolkata Knight Riders, but Gayle showed the kind of impact he could have on the rest of the tournament. Gayle's return is only good news for the Kolkata Knight Riders. They further await the arrival of Brendon McCullum and David Hussey.
McCullum has just slammed a Test hundred and is in top form in all formats of the game. His arrival will brings the much-needed X-factor to the Knight Riders. McCullum led the side last season and felt that the extra responsibility affected him. "I think the messages that I was preaching I actually wasn`t following myself in terms of that aggressive style of cricket. In hindsight, I think I let the captaincy affect my batting, but fortunately, towards the end of the competition I produced some performances that helped the team win as well," McCullum was quoted as saying.
Gayle and McCullum at the top of the order could spell doom for most bowling attacks. "It’s going to be awesome. We did it in South Africa but we played on some fresher wickets and obviously our games are helped by flat decks, so hopefully we get some flat ones in India. If all goes well we’ll open together and get a few away," added McCullum.
Up north, there was some more good news awaiting fans as the swiftest bowler in the world, Brett Lee, was back again in India. He linked up with his Kings XI Punjab teammates in Mohali. He is fit again and just raring to go.
“[Brett] Lee went to Sydney to get an injection on his injured elbow. He is fit and raring to go. He has obtained necessary clearance from Cricket Australia, but a final call on his playing on Wednesday will be taken on the eve of the match,’’ Col Arvinder Singh, senior vice-president (Cricket Operations), KXIP was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Also joining the Kings XI Punjab squad was the Orange Cap holder of IPL 2008, Shaun Marsh. The entry of the left-hander from Western Australia means the Kings XI Punjab will have a more prolific profile at the top.
Kings XI Punjab coach Tom Moody was cautious about building up pressure on Marsh straightaway. ``He is ready to go, fit. But again he, like all the other players that currently aren't in the XI, will have to find their way back into the side. It’s not going to be a walk back into the side. Shaun's form two years ago was awesome. But that was two years ago and we hope when he gets his opportunity, whether it’s Wednesday or whenever it may be that he recaptures that form [he performs],'' said Moody.
Two very resourceful cricketers, Paul Collingwood and Daniel Vettori, are set to rejoin Delhi Daredevils. In their own way, the duo will look to lift the morale of the side.
But the team that looks to benefit most from the arrivals is Royal Challengers Bangalore. Arriving in a couple of days is the switch-hit man Kevin Pietersen. He travels straight from Chittagong to Bengaluru after finishing a Test match.
Then a few days later, Cameron White joins RCB, adding another dimension to the line-up. And to round it all off, in the first week of April, Royal Challengers will welcome another dynamic player, Ross Taylor.
So get ready to take off yet and fasten your seat belts – it’s showtime all over again!
23 Mar 2010
DLF IPL 2010 has well and truly taken off. In just over 11 days, we have had everything that can be hoped for from the world's fastest growing league. As if the excitement wasn’t enough, it’s time to welcome on board a new range of stars that’s expected to dazzle in this already glittering carnival of cricket.
Joining the party first up was Chris Gayle on a blockbuster Monday night clash in Mumbai. Turning out for his beloved Kolkata Knight Riders, Gayle hit form straightaway with a measured 75 against Mumbai Indians.
His knock may not have been enough to turn the tide for Kolkata Knight Riders, but Gayle showed the kind of impact he could have on the rest of the tournament. Gayle's return is only good news for the Kolkata Knight Riders. They further await the arrival of Brendon McCullum and David Hussey.
McCullum has just slammed a Test hundred and is in top form in all formats of the game. His arrival will brings the much-needed X-factor to the Knight Riders. McCullum led the side last season and felt that the extra responsibility affected him. "I think the messages that I was preaching I actually wasn`t following myself in terms of that aggressive style of cricket. In hindsight, I think I let the captaincy affect my batting, but fortunately, towards the end of the competition I produced some performances that helped the team win as well," McCullum was quoted as saying.
Gayle and McCullum at the top of the order could spell doom for most bowling attacks. "It’s going to be awesome. We did it in South Africa but we played on some fresher wickets and obviously our games are helped by flat decks, so hopefully we get some flat ones in India. If all goes well we’ll open together and get a few away," added McCullum.
Up north, there was some more good news awaiting fans as the swiftest bowler in the world, Brett Lee, was back again in India. He linked up with his Kings XI Punjab teammates in Mohali. He is fit again and just raring to go.
“[Brett] Lee went to Sydney to get an injection on his injured elbow. He is fit and raring to go. He has obtained necessary clearance from Cricket Australia, but a final call on his playing on Wednesday will be taken on the eve of the match,’’ Col Arvinder Singh, senior vice-president (Cricket Operations), KXIP was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Also joining the Kings XI Punjab squad was the Orange Cap holder of IPL 2008, Shaun Marsh. The entry of the left-hander from Western Australia means the Kings XI Punjab will have a more prolific profile at the top.
Kings XI Punjab coach Tom Moody was cautious about building up pressure on Marsh straightaway. ``He is ready to go, fit. But again he, like all the other players that currently aren't in the XI, will have to find their way back into the side. It’s not going to be a walk back into the side. Shaun's form two years ago was awesome. But that was two years ago and we hope when he gets his opportunity, whether it’s Wednesday or whenever it may be that he recaptures that form [he performs],'' said Moody.
Two very resourceful cricketers, Paul Collingwood and Daniel Vettori, are set to rejoin Delhi Daredevils. In their own way, the duo will look to lift the morale of the side.
But the team that looks to benefit most from the arrivals is Royal Challengers Bangalore. Arriving in a couple of days is the switch-hit man Kevin Pietersen. He travels straight from Chittagong to Bengaluru after finishing a Test match.
Then a few days later, Cameron White joins RCB, adding another dimension to the line-up. And to round it all off, in the first week of April, Royal Challengers will welcome another dynamic player, Ross Taylor.
So get ready to take off yet and fasten your seat belts – it’s showtime all over again!
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