Warriors look for revival at home

PUNE V PUNJAB, IPL 2013, PUNE

Match facts

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)

Robin Uthappa could play a key role at the top of the order

Big Picture

In a long tournament such as the IPL, one would be wise not to draw large conclusions from some early signs teams might display in their first few games. Pune Warriors would know that well. Last year, they began brightly, winning their first two matches, including one at the superb new stadium on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in front of a capacity home crowd. Things were looking up, but only temporarily, as Warriors’ fortunes slid rapidly. They won just two of their next 14 games.

This season, their campaign has begun with a defeat, in a game they should have won, and Warriors will be hoping for a reversal that’s as stark as the one they experienced in 2012. They were tied down in a small chase by some excellent bowling by Sunrisers Hyderabad, and their batting needs to come good against the Kings XI Punjab attack that can be a tricky opponent.

Kings XI Punjab are heavy on medium-pace and spin options that can restrict sides on slowish tracks, and the Subroto Roy Sahara Stadium appeared to produce a mixed bag last year, with several scores above 150 as well as totals as low as 121 that were successfully defended. Punjab have had their own concerns with deceptive starts. They had an impressive first season, but didn’t make it to the knockouts in the next four. Last season, they didn’t win more than two games on the trot and had a poor spell at home, just as Pune did.

 

 

Players to watch

Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey, both from Karnataka, can be an explosive duo at the top of the order, but found the going difficult against Dale Steyn in the first game. Both opened last season, but not regularly and never together. Uthappa did slightly better than his partner, amid frequent shuffling in the batting line-up, but how they – attacking batsmen who love to dominate the bowling – perform in tandem remains to be seen. They did give an indication, with a 145-run stand, albeit in a losing cause last year.

Parvinder Awana was in the limelight last IPL season with 17 wickets from 12 games, impressing many with his pace, at one point clocking 147 kmph against Mumbai Indians. He was ignored by selectors for the India A tour to the Caribbean last year, but a strong performance in the Ranji Trophy for Delhi won him a call-up to India’s Test squad during the series against England. Among the quicker bowlers in India, he’ll be closely monitored again.

 

2012 head-to-head

These two teams played back-to-back games last season, and shared honours. Warriors beat Kings XI by 22 runs in the first game. The second one was a low-scorer, with Warriors being bowled out for 115 and Kings XI chasing it down comfortably. Dimitri Mascarenhas picked up a five-for.

 

     Stats and trivia

• Pune Warriors have played 31 IPL games in all, but are yet to have a centurion.
• David Hussey stands an excellent chance of completing 5000 runs in T20 cricket. He is on 4821 now, 75 behind Chris Gayle and 453 behind leader Brad Hodge.

 

Quotes

“I have brought about some technical changes in my batting, and at the moment it is working for me. I am happy [with] the way I am batting now.”
Robin Uthappa

“In the last two seasons, we have been in the running for a semi-finals [berth] till [our] last game. We have strengthened the squad from last year.”
Adam Gilchrist, the Kings XI Punjab captain

Pattinson out of IPL for abdominal surgery

 

James Pattinson is expected to take four weeks to resume traning

James Pattinson, the Australia fast bowler, is out of the IPL and may also miss the Champions Trophy that precedes the Ashes after he was compelled to have surgery on what Cricket Australia has described as “a non-cricket related medical condition in his lower abdominal region.”

The departure of Pattinson to India for his stint with Kolkata Knight Riders was initially delayed until Friday as medical staff awaited the results of tests and the advice of specialists. However, on receipt of opinion that Pattinson should undergo surgery immediately, he has been ruled out of competing in the Twenty20 event, joining the national captain Michael Clarke on the sidelines.

Pattinson wishes to keep the condition private, but it is not believed to be serious, nor likely to affect his cricket future beyond the time required to recover from the surgery.

“James Pattinson will be having surgery tomorrow for a non-cricket related medical condition in his lower abdominal region that has troubled him during the latter part of the recently concluded tour of India,” CA’s chief medical officer Justin Paoloni said. “James has undergone tests and consulted specialists since returning from India, and it was felt that surgery is necessary at this time.

“The recovery times will [be] determined once the surgery is completed but James is expected to return to training in about four weeks. His preparation for The Ashes is not expected to be affected but his availability for the ICC Champions Trophy will be determined at a later stage.”

Chennai Super Kings again the team to beat

 

Chennai Super Kings might have bolstered their fast-bowling resources leading-up to IPL 2013, but R Ashwin will continue to be their lynchpin

Big Picture

Chennai Super Kings are the only team to make it to the semi-final stage – or the equal – of every IPL tournament so far. Twice, including in the previous season, they’ve finished runners-up. In 2010 and2011, they won. 

 

Like most IPL teams, they’ve had their share of controversy, not the least of it being claims of conflict of interest – BCCI president N Srinivasan also manages India Cements, the franchise’s owners. However, the on-field success has so far managed to keep the spotlight on the positives. This time, though, Super Kings face what is possibly their biggest off-field issue yet: that of the exclusion of Sri Lankan players from the games in Chennai, following political tensions. The other franchises, whose Sri Lankans play more central roles in the team, have voiced fears that this gives Super Kings an unfair advantage in their home games, while some have criticised the IPL’s softness in not moving the matches away from Chennai altogether. This means Super Kings will need a near-perfect showing to drag the headlines in the right direction, but even another triumph might leave a bad aftertaste.

Back to the real cricket then. Apart from being the IPL’s most successful franchise, Super Kings have also been the tournament’s most settled team. Few changes had been made to the squad over five seasons, with the batting and spin-bowling departments being their customary powerhouses. This year, though, the obvious focus is on bolstering the pace bowling, and the squad sports several new faces as a result. Australia’s Dirk Nannes and Ben Laughlin, West Indies’ Jason Holder and South Africa’s Chris Morris – for whom Super Kings paid US$625,000, a whopping 31 times his base price – were snapped up in February’s auction. Later, they signed Imtiaz Ahmed, Ankit Rajpoot, Mohit Sharma and Ronit More, domestic pacers who are all coming off solid Ranji Trophy performances. Given the nature of the Chepauk track though – which was on ample display during the recent India-Australia Test – how much of an impact this move will have is as yet unclear.

 

Key players

With Super Kings turning all that attention to their seam-bowling, it’s clear that they believe R Ashwin has the spin front well covered, with Ravindra Jadeja backing him up. Ashwin has the numbers, in the IPL and otherwise, to back up that notion. Currently India’s primary spinner, he has 49 IPL wickets for Super Kings – second only to Albie Morkel, who has played 21 more games. More importantly, at the end of the 2012 season, Ashwin boasted of an economy rate of just over six, the best among all Super Kings bowlers.If Super Kings look to Ashwin with the ball, they look first to MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina with the bat. In the absence of the injured Faf du Plessis, the now-retired and ever-dependable Michael Hussey will partner M Vijay (who comes in high on confidence after feasting on Australia’s bowlers) at the top, leaving Raina and Dhoni in charge of finishing duties. That was an area Super Kings struggled in during the round-robin stage in 2012, often lacking the late surge. It is an area Raina and Dhoni are more than capable of improving upon.

 

Big name in

Dirk Nannes: He now sits at No. 2 on the overall Twenty20 wickets charts, behind South African Alfonso Thomas. Despite his extensive T20 experience, he warmed the bench all through IPL 2012 for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was bought by Super Kings at the auction for US$600,000, and is likely to compete with fellow Australian quick Ben Hilfenhaus for the fourth foreign-player’s spot in their line-up. 

 

Big name out

Doug Bollinger: The Australia seamer was one of four overseas players released by Super Kings in the lead-up to IPL 2013, alongside George Bailey, Scott Styris and Suraj Randiv. Bollinger had galvanised Super Kings’ campaign in 2010, when he arrived halfway through the tournament. Since then, he had been the team’s principal fast-bowling new-ball option, claiming 37 wickets at 18.72. That is, until Hilfenhaus arrived in similar fashion halfway through last year’s event. 

Below the radar

Baba Aparajith: The eighteen-year-old allrounder from Tamil Nadu did not have a Ranji Trophy season that stood out. Where he did make his mark, though, was the Under-19 World Cup last year. A top-order batsman who can bowl handy offspin and a lively fielder, Aparajith knocked off Man-of-the-Match awards in the World Cup quarter-final and semi-final with all-round contributions. Considering Super Kings’ affinity for allrounders, he should fit into their scheme of things quite well. 

Availability

Super Kings will be without Faf du Plessis for at least the first month of the IPL, as he recovers from a back injury. Allrounders Albie Morkel and Chris Morris are doubtful for the first two games due to South African domestic commitments. The squad includes two Sri Lankans: seamer Nuwan Kulasekara and offspinner Akila Dananjaya. Given the circumstances, whether they will travel to India at all is as yet unclear. None of Super Kings’ players have international commitments during the course of the IPL.

IPL’s new partner raises the pitch

 

	The IPL is redefining the boundaries of advertising

Last week the BCCI and Star India, a Murdoch-owned, TV-centric media conglomerate, announced the latter’s association with IPL as an “official partner”. The announcement indicated that Star India was just another sponsor of the tournament but didn’t mention the significance – it had effectively entered the territory of one of their key competitors using the same platform and possibly changed the rules of the high-stakes advertising game.

Multi Screen Media are the IPL’s official broadcasters through Max, their Hindi film channel, and their recently launched 24-hour sports channel. The broadcast rights deal, revised ahead of the 2009 IPL, is worth around Rs 900 crore ($165 milion) per year till 2017.

Star India, however, have tied up with IPL to primarily promote their flagship channel, Star Plus. “We saw a great opportunity to use this platform to communicate our brand promise of Rishta Wahi, Soch Nayi [same relationship, new idea],” Uday Shankar, CEO of Star India, said in a statement after the deal.

The significance of Star’s entry into a property owned by one of its competitors goes beyond the boundary signage that was shown often and prominently on the screen during Wednesday’s opening game. While not being seen as ambush marketing, it has created ripples in the media and entertainment industry. “We view it as an act of desperation by Star to be part of the biggest sporting entertainment event,” Manjit Singh, CEO of MSM, told Mint, a business daily. “Star’s decision to be part of IPL simply validates our strategy of having bagged the telecast rights”.

Some industry experts are looking at the deal as an innovative method of branding. “It could be a trend-setting deal in Indian advertising, where a company enters into a property owned by one of its competitors,” says Kiran Khalap, a brand consultant. “It is kind of steal for Star to use a platform as big as IPL in such a way.”

The Star India deal is believed to be worth at least Rs 50 crore (about $10 million) per year. Even though both Star India and IPL have kept the form of the association under wraps, it is understood that the former plan to have characters from their 33-odd daily soaps attending most of the matches. After the first match against Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils on Wednesday night, one of the female actors from Star’s soaps handed out a Star Plus Nayi Soch Award at Eden Gardens. In fact, the unique partnership has also left franchises wondering “whether the players will be asked to make a guest appearance in Star’s reality shows, just like film stars”.

MSM’s tetchiness – as revealed by Singh’s unusually aggressive statement – is understandable, say industry experts. “It may turn out to be a profitable move, but Star India’s partnership with IPL is certainly not in a good taste,” a media buyer said on condition of anonymity. “It may start a vicious war between television media majors, similar to the ambush marketing campaigns run by the cola giants over sponsorship of cricket events in the late 90s and early 2000s.”

Khalap, however, says this isn’t ambush marketing. “I can’t call it an ambush. It’s effective deployment of resources by a media conglomerate to use a property that’s as big and reach out to the target audience in one more way.”

Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar speaks from a financial perspective. “Cricket is the biggest money-spinning factor in India. The IPL is the second-most followed cricket event after the World Cup,” Kakkar says. “So it doesn’t matter whether it’s ambush or not. Any association with a property like IPL will surely help a brand in a much bigger way.”

Royals have received death-bowling boost – Dravid

 

Rahul Dravid said Rajasthan Royals will think about at the opening options available to them

Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid has include  bowlers like Fidel Edwards and James Faulkner in the squad has strengthened their bowling, specially in the death overs, improving Royals’ chances in the IPL this year.

“[Last year] we were hampered by injuries to our main bowlers, Shaun Tait, Kevon Cooper and S Sreesanth,” Dravid said. “Moreover, Shane Watson was not available for most of the matches and that meant that, at times, the responsibility of bowling death overs was shouldered by rather inexperienced bowlers.

“We had to pay the price for that but this time we are better equipped. In the auctions, we went for Fidel Edwards and James Faulkner under our backup plans. Edwards can generate good pace like Tait, and Faulkner has done well in this version of cricket.”

Dravid was also happy with Sreesanth’s fitness. “He has bowled very well in the nets and practice matches,” he said. “He is eager to prove himself.”

While stressing that Watson’s “presence alone was great for the team”, Dravid said that the decision to bowl would rest with the Australian allrounder. “I feel at some point of time he will bowl but he will have to decide himself.” Watson did not bowl during the recent Test series in India because of fitness issues.

Dravid also refrained from stating who would partner Ajinkya Rahane at the top of the innings, saying that the team would think about the options it has.

IPL Tournament opener hit by injuries

Tournament opener hit by injuries

Match facts

Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

	Virender Sehwag will miss the game, but Gautam Gambhir is fit

 

 

 

Big Picture

For much of IPL 2012, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils were the form teams favoured to make it to the summit clash. Knight Riders got there and won it, putting the horrors of seasons past behind them. Daredevils always promised so much, but in 2012 they inexplicably left out top wicket-taker Morne Morkel from the knockout against Chennai Super Kings, a decision that contributed to their heavy defeat. 

 

The pre-season build-up has been bad news for Daredevils, who have had to suffer high-profile pullouts. Kevin Pietersen will miss the entire tournament due to a knee injury sustained in New Zealand, while Jesse Ryder was set to fly to India before being assaulted in Christchurch. The franchise has just replaced him with the Australian batsman Ben Rohrer, but their troubles do not end there.

Virender Sehwag, who captained Daredevils last year, has been ruled out of the opening game on Wednesday after he suffered back spasms and was advised rest. Morkel will miss at least the first game because he is in South Africa representing Titans in the final stages of their domestic T20 competition. Mahela Jayawardene, who took over as full-time captain, will have to deal with a depleted batting line-up.

Knight Riders don’t have a fully fit squad at their disposal either. Brendon McCullum is yet to join the squad in India, as he is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the England Tests. James Pattinson, the Australia fast bowler, is resting at home, as advised by Cricket Australia after the Test tour of India. Jacques Kallis is only just returning from injury and Gautam Gambhir, the captain, has just recovered from jaundice and insists he is fit to play from game one. On paper, Knight Riders look the stronger side and playing at home will give them an edge.

 

 

Players to watch

Mahela Jayawardene is coming off an injury layoff, having missed Sri Lanka’s entire home series against Bangladesh. In the absence of Pietersen and Sehwag, much will be expected from the captain, who might place himself as an opener. He wouldn’t have had much match practice going into tomorrow’s game, so his team will hope he finds his touch straightaway.

 

Manvinder Bisla made the world sit up and take notice on May 27, 2012, the night of the IPL final. In a high-scoring game, Bisla smashed 89 off 48 balls to stun Chennai Super Kings and help Knight Riders to the title. An aggressive top-order batsman-cum-keeper, he played only seven games for Knight Riders last season. He should expect more this year, following that knock.

 

2012 head-to-head

The teams met twice last season, both winning a game each. In the first match in Kolkata, a game reduced to 12 overs a side due to rain, Knight Riders managed 97 for 9, and Daredevils chased it down with five balls to spare. In the return match, Knight Riders hit back with a six-wicket win, with McCullum leading the way with a fifty.

 

       Stats and trivia

• Knight Riders have a 5-4 edge in 10 IPL games between these two teams (one match abandoned). In the last five matches between these two teams, Knight Riders have won four and lost one.
• In IPL 2012, Knight Riders’ spinners took the most wickets at the best average and economy rate: 43 at 19.65, conceding 6.34 runs per over. Daredevils’ spinners were the least effective, taking 18 wickets at 40.72, with an economy rate of 7.63.
• The average run-rate for Daredevils’ opening partnerships in all IPL matches is 8.87 runs per over, the best among all teams. Knight Riders’ opening stands have been far more sedate – they average 7.46 runs per over.

 

 

Quotes

“Being the defending champions does not add to the pressure, it only gives us some extra confidence.”
Gautam Gambhir, the Knight Riders captain

“It is unfortunate that KP and Jesse Ryder will not be a part of the squad this season. [But] that probably gives some of us Indian batsmen an opportunity to put our hands up and do well.
Unmukt Chand, the Daredevils batsman, on the immediate challenge facing the side

RCB look to fill gaps with seamers

 

 

	Virat Kohli will face his first real examination at captaincy

 

Big Picture

Two-time finalists and yet, no cup. Royal Challengers Bangalore have choked at the wrong moments and it must be frustrating for their supporters that a team with the likes of Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers – possibly the best T20 batsmen around – haven’t gone all the way. The feeling of unfulfilled promise was evident in 2012, when the team finished a disappointing fifth. They ended level on 17 points with Chennai Super Kings, who finished fourth in the league, but missed the playoffs because of a marginally inferior net run-rate after losing their last match to eighth-placed Deccan Chargers. In all, they won eight and lost seven out of 16 games, and had one washout. 

 

The over-dependence on overseas stars and lukewarm showing by the Indian players were the main reasons for their failure to make the playoffs. Gayle was the tournament’s top scorer (733), hit the most sixes (59) and scored 31% of the team’s runs. Virat Kohli, with 364 runs, was second for Royal Challengers. Zaheer Khan and Vinay Kumar failed to contain the runs consistently and the team rarely found the right combination.

A significant change ahead of this season is in the leadership. Kohli takes over as captain from Daniel Vettori and it will be an examination of his leadership skills, given he is touted to be India’s next captain. He has the backing of his coach Ray Jennings, who said he saw captaincy material in Kohli three years ago. With Vettori returning from injury – he has missed New Zealand’s recent commitments – it made sense for Royal Challengers to look for a new captain for the long haul.

The bowling needed attention after last year’s showing. At the February auction, the team went with the strategy of beefing up their seam reserves, buying seven fast bowlers – four specialists and three allrounders – four of them overseas picks. Their batting hasn’t been tinkered with. Zaheer hasn’t been feeling a million bucks over the last few months, down with fitness issues and dropped for the home Tests against Australia. Royal Challengers will need him to get his form and confidence back to lead the seam attack.

 

Key players

Royal Challengers’ overseas players are available throughout the tournament. Much will depend on Gayle, de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan to give electric starts. The expectations on Kohli will also increase. 

 

Big players in

Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik was bought outside the player auction and it could be a wise move by the team, given his experience. It’s his third IPL team, after Kolkata Knight Riders and Pune Warriors. He adds to the wealth of spin options, with Muttiah Muralitharan and Vettori in the mix. 

 

Big players out

Dirk Nannes was part of the squad last year but never got a game, due to the paucity of overseas slots. He is now the second-highest wicket-taker in T20s, after Alfonso Thomas. He was bought by Chennai Super Kings for $600,000, where he is likely to get more opportunities. 

 

Under the radar

It’s ironic that RP Singh should be considered ‘under the radar’, considering that he’s now third-highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 74 wickets. He was one of the several seamers bought in the auction ($400,000). He last played for India – out of the blue – in 2011 and hasn’t been in contention for a recall. His recent domestic form hasn’t been spectacular either, with five wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20. The coming IPL could spark a revival, if he is given the opportunities. 

 

Availability

De Villiers is likely to miss at least the opening game, due to his wedding. Cheteshwar Pujara is also doubtful for the opening games because of a finger injury sustained during the Australia Tests. S Aravind, the left-arm seamer, is out injured and he has been replaced by his Karnataka team-mate KL Rahul, a right-hand batsman. When Royal Challengers travel to Chennai, the Sri Lankans Muralitharan and Dilshan will be forced to sit out. Vettori, if picked to tour England, could be available only through April.

‘Spirit of cricket won’t be curtailed by such prejudice’ – Sangakkara

 

Kumar Sangakkara: “Had it been a nation versus nation issue then Sri Lankan players would not have been here” Manoj Ridimahaliyadda

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain, has said the decision to exclude Sri Lankan players from the IPL matches in Chennai will not “curtail” the spirit of cricket. The players, he said, continue to feel “very welcome” in other parts of India.

“Politics in this case has restricted our presence, our belief to play in every part of India. But I don’t think sports and spirit of cricket is ever going to be curtailed by such prejudice,” Sangakkara told PTI. “The build-up has been different and difficult for Sri Lankan players. But at the end of the day they are here to play IPL.”

“The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has made it clear that no Sri Lankan players will be [playing] in Chennai. [But] India is much more than Chennai and Tamil Nadu, and I think the rest of India has been very welcoming of us.”

The IPL’s governing council decided that the matches in Chennai will not feature any Sri Lankan cricketers or match officials, following growing political tensions, stemming from the treatment of certain ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Responding to comments from former players stating that the Sri Lankans should boycott the IPL due to the restrictions, Sangakkara said: “It has been a divisive issue back home as well. But this is not a nation versus nation issue. It’s only a state… and I don’t think it is the entire state [Tamil Nadu].

“So, we’ve got to put it in the right perspective. Foreign policies are not going to be dictated by that and had it been a nation versus nation issue then Sri Lankan players would not have been here.”

Sri Lanka’s Issue With IPL

SL players will not take part in Pepsi IPL 2013 matches in Chennai: IPL GC

Decision taken after SL Govt. issued travel advisory

 

This is about news reports last week that the government of Sri Lanka has issued a travel advisory that its citizens should exercise caution when travelling to Tamil Nadu.

Today, the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has written to the Prime Minister of India stating that she will not permit  take part in Sri Lankan players or umpires in matches in Chennai during Pepsi IPL 2013.

The IPL Governing Council met this afternoon to discuss the issue. Make secure all involved in the IPL, whether players, spectators or those working in the stadiums, is of paramount importance to the BCCI.

The Governing Council decided that Sri Lankan players will not take part in the Pepsi IPL 2013 League matches in Chennai and will tell the nine franchises so.

Rajeev Shukla of Chairman IPL 

 

Injured Dhawan in doubt for opening IPL games

 

 

Shikhar Dhawan is certain to miss the opening game of Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5

Shikhar Dhawan is likely to miss at least the opening match for Sunrisers Hyderabad, as he recovers from his hand injury sustained while fielding during the recent Mohali Test against Australia. Dhawan fractured his left hand and was ruled out for six weeks, keeping him out of the fourth Test in Delhi. Sunrisers play their first game on April 5 against Pune Warriors.

“Shikhar Dhawan at this stage will not be available for the first game. We are obviously working closely with the BCCI and the medical team with regard to his progress,” Sunrisers coach Tom Moody said before the team’s first official training session in Hyderabad.

“We are hoping that within a couple of weeks he will be available to join the team.”

Dhawan had made history in Mohali, his 187 being the fastest by a debutant in Tests. His knock opened India’s chances for pushing for a win in a high-scoring game, despite the opening day being washed out. He hurt his hand on the fourth day of the Test but wasn’t required to bat during the second innings.

Dhawan was the leading run-scorer for Deccan Chargers – as it was previously known before the ownership changed – in the 2012 season, scoring 569 runs with five fifties. He was one of the few positives in what was a forgettable campaign for the team, which finished second from last.