IPL cricketers set to earn more next year

If you thought that the IPl cricketers were earning more then you are in for a shocker. After the success of the first edition IPL commitee is set to remove the $5 million cap on the spending of the team on the players next year.

"If we hadn't done that, I can tell you that our players would already be the highest-paid across any sport in the world," IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi was quoted as saying in 'The Daily Telegraph' .

"It will happen - if not today, then tomorrow. Because once the franchises have established themselves, it will be a free-for-all," he added.

The report stated some leading Australian cricketers like Matthew Hayden and Brett Lee can expect a several-fold hike in their pays when they go back to play the next season after their short stints this time.

Indian ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who fetched the maximum bidding price of Rs 6 crore this season, reportedly told a senior Australian player last week that extraordinary contracts of up to $14-15 million were likely to be introduced by the next season.

Hayden confirmed that players were up for a financial windfall when the next season of the IPL gets underway.

"From what I have heard, some of the stuff (payments) this year could be just the tip of the iceberg," Hayden said.

Where are the consumer rights in IPL ?

I went for the two IPL matches which was played in the newly built D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The stadium is superb. Unlike Wankhede stadium of Mumbai which has benches, this stadium has bucket seats with seat nos. So, no problem regarding where to sit as we get our nos. on the ticket we purchase. The stadium has no pillars, hence, we can have full view of the stadium and field of play without any obstruction. The good things end here.

Feeling thirsty or hungry? Then you are going to be looted. You are not allowed to bring water from outside but then if you want to buy from the stalls Aquafina mineral water which costs Rs. 12 is being sold for Rs. 40. You might have noticed ads on TV, newspaper and radio exhorting you to complain if any shopkeeper asks you to pay a couple of Rupees extra for cooling any drinks. But here in such a big event things are being sold at sky-high price. Not just water. Soft drinks worth 40 being sold for 100. Food items worth 10-40 being sold for 40-100.

No wonder it is said that watching any live event in India is a painful experience. I understand Mukesh Ambani has purchased the most expensive IPl team and he is building a two billion dollar worth home but that doesn't mean he should extort money from loyal cricket fans.

Not slap, it was slugfest with Harbhajan: Sreesanth

Sreesanth has told a Malayalam news channel that he had fist fight with Harbhajan sing after the IPL match.


COOL!!! Why didn't he tell this before.

Maharashtra Government to ban IPL cheerleaders

Maharashtra Government looks to play 'moral police'. They are planning to ban cheerleaders from Mumbai matches. They argue that if bar dancers were banned for indecency so should these cheerleaders.It should be noted that the IPL teams have spent a lot on these cheerleaders. Notable is Vijay Mallya's Team Bangalore Royal Challengers who have brought Washington Red Skins.

Hats off to these stupid politicians who are extremely able to find anything Under The Sun to protest and create some controversies. They don't seem to understand vulgarity depends on one's perception. These cheerleaders just adds to the colour and festivities of Twenty20 cricket and does not makes it an 'immoral' event.

A Salsa dance, depending on one's perception, will be the most beautiful form of dance or the most vulgar.

Dignitaries booed at IPL opening ceremony ! WOW!!!

The crowd had enough of politicians and beurocrats hogging limelight at cricket events. When the eight captains names were announced you could hear the crowd cheering. The living legend received the loudest cheer. But the best part was when the crowd booed BCCI president Sharad Pawar. Ray Mali was given some respect but Lalit Modi reading out from four pages of written material was also not shown any respect.

Now I hope that Shahrukh Khan get this treatment. I had enough of him in cricket. Why doesn't he let new upcoming stars get some limelight.

IPL cricket twenty20 web resources

Official IPL site- iplt20.com
BCCI site- BCCI.tv (not yet fully launched)
Exclusive online partner- cricket.com (not yet launched)

MumbaiIndians - Mumbai
Knightriders - Kolkata
RoyalChallengers - Bangalore
Superkings - Chennai
DareDevils - Delhi
Royals - Jaipur
DeccanChargers - Hyderabad
Kings X1 - Mohali

Tickets- Ticketpro.in ( except for matches in mumbai )
for mumbai matches kyazoonga.com

iPL Twenty20 schedule

April 18: Bangalore v Kolkata at Bangalore
April 19: Mohali v Chennai at Mohali and Delhi v Jaipur at Delhi
April 20: Mumbai v Bangalore at Mumbai; Kolkata v Hyderabad at Kolkata
April 21: Jaipur v Mohali at Jaipur
April 22: Hyderabad v Delhi at Hyderabad
April 23: Chennai v Mumbai at Chennai
April 24: Hyderabad v Jaipur at Hyderabad
April 25: Mohali v Mumbai at Mohali
April 26: Bangalore v Jaipur at Bangalore; Chennai v Kolkata at Chennai
April 27: Mumbai v Hyderabad at Mumbai; Mohali v Delhi at Mohali
April 28: Bangalore v Chennai at Bangalore
April 29: Kolkata v Mumbai at Kolkata
April 30: Delhi v Bangalore at Delhi.
May 1: Hyderabad v Mohali at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Kolkata at Jaipur
May 2: Chennai v Delhi at Chennai.
May 3: Hyderabad at Bangalore at Hyderabad; Mohali v Kolkata at Mohali
May 4: Mumbai v Delhi at Mumbai; Jaipur v Chennai at Jaipur
May 5: Bangalore v Mohali at Bangalore
May 6: Chennai v Hyderabad at Chennai
May 7: Mumbai v Jaipur at Mumbai
May 8: Delhi v Chennai at Delhi; Kolkata v Bangalore at Kolkata
May 9: Jaipur v Hyderabad at Jaipur
May 10: Bangalore v Mumbai at Bangalore; Chennai v Mohali at Chennai
May 11: Hyderabad v Kolkata at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Delhi at Jaipur
May 12: Mohali v Bangalore at Mohali
May 13: Kolkata v Delhi at Kolkata
May 14: Mumbai v Chennai at Mumbai; Mohali v Jaipur at Mohali
May 15: Delhi v Hyderabad at Delhi
May 16: Mumbai v Kolkata at Mumbai
May 17: Delhi v Mohali at Delhi; Jaipur v Bangalore at Jaipur
May 18: Hyderabad v Mumbai at Hyderabad; Kolkata v Chenna at Kolkata
May 19: Bangalore v Delhi at Bangalore
May 20: Kolkata v Jaipur at Kolkata
May 21: Mumbai v Mohali at Mumbai; Chennai v Bangalore at Chennai
May 22: Delhi v Kolkata at Delhi
May 23: Mohali v Hyderabad at Mohali.
May 24: Delhi v Mumbai at Delhi; Chennai v Jaipur at Chennai
May 25: Bangalore v Hyderabad at Bangalore; Kolkata v Mohali at Kolkata
May 26: Jaipur v Mumbai at Jaipur
May 27: Hyderabad v Chennai at Hyderabad
May 28 and 29: Rest days
May 30: First semi-final at Mumbai
May 31: Second semi-final at Mumbai
June 1: Final at Mumbai

How IPL must publicise itself

Big money has been spent by the franchisees to buy stars. But money can't buy you loyal fan base. IPl with it's international stars are already a hit in India, but for such a huge league being dependent only Indian market is too risky. How many do you think will bye original merchandise of the teams in India. Hence, they need to search for new markets. But most other cricketing nations are sceptical about this. In order that they benefit the teams can play practice matches with the local teams. This will benefit both. For example, English county is struggling and this will give them required boost. Also these matches can be held in the US,Canada which has huge amount of Indian expatriates. This will help publicise the league and importantly cricket.
It is similar to the English Premiere League's plan to play matches outside England.

IPL marginalises other atheletes training for olympics

Sections of India's sporting community fear that the cricket board's new professional Twenty20 league will eat into sponsorship revenue that could have gone to athletes preparing for the Beijing Olympics in August.

The multi-million dollar Indian Premier League (IPL), featuring a majority of the game's leading international players in the eight franchises, will get underway on April 18 and is poised to become one of the most lucrative sporting events in Asia.

India's thriving advertising industry sees the IPL as a potential goldmine in a retail-booming economy and the franchises are also looking to acquire individual sponsorships.

What IPL now require is hooligans

IPL has been a huge success so far.It has proved to be money churner for every one.You can say that it has become the English Premiere league of cricket. The twenty20 format will generate soccer style violence. You might have hooligans,especilly in Mumbai. With our trigger happy cops we can have Serie A kind of situation arising because of this.
I hope they have good preventive measures in place.

IPL schedule

The opening Twenty20 encounter in the Cricket Board-promoted Indian Premier League will see liquor baron Vijay Mallya's Bangalore outfit take on Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata side at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium under lights on April 18.

The final of the multi-million dollar League, as well as the two semi-finals, would be held in Mumbai - and in all probability at the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium, Lalit Modi, IPL Commissioner and Chairman, said on Friday.

"The final will be on June 1 and the semi-finals on May 30 and 31, all in Mumbai. We have the option of hosting these matches either at the CCI or DY Patil stadium (in Navi Mumbai). I guess they will choose CCI," Modi told reporters.

The IPL Governing Council had a day-long meeting on Friday with the eight franchise owners and representatives of the match staging associations for explaining the entire format of the IPL, the marketing strategy and guidelines, according to Modi.

"Seven or eight ICC Elite Panel umpires along with 16 Indian umpires would officiate in the tournament. The match referees are being appointed and we already have the anti-corruption and anti-doping measures in place," Modi said.

Modi reiterated that no national team sponsors would get protection in the IPL as demanded by Cricket Australia.

For complete updated schedule
Also read Why IPL model does not make sense

IPL or ICL whatever!!! will fail

The media is abuzz with reports that ownership of teams of BCCI backed Indian Premiere league is being sought after several industrialist and teams of English Premiership league and National Basketball Association. But I feel that the league will fail as in case of other sports club matches are played more than than international matches . Whereas in cricket more interntional matches are played . In soccer hardly four international matches are played in a month and most of matches are qualifiers.So there is craze for club matches. In cricket, there are three format. So International matches plus club matches together will in end kill the passion for the game.
For IPL to survive it will have to eat into the market of international cricket especially of test matches .