My IPL XI

Twice in a row that we have seen the IPL title being crowned upon the under-dogs. But this time, in 2009, the team is considered so only because of their performance last year. With Gilchrist, Gibbs, Symonds, Afridi, Rohit Sharma each of whom are renowned for their skills in this format, in their ranks, they ended up as the only side that could not win a match in their home-ground last year. One weak-link then was the lethargic Laxman with the bat and his captaincy. This time Gilly has led from the front, his performances lifted the spirit of the team and so has it come in handy to be able to demand performances from his side. Rohit Sharma was exceptional when it came to handling pressure situations. T Suman was a revelation. He bowled decent off-spinners and is a strong player of spin.

KKR, on the other side, missed the great captain in Ganguly who can be inspirational despite being the least performing player. Mc Cullum could not hide his emotions on his non-performing days which had had a severe impact on the confidence of the team that has the weakest domestic players. Ganguly tried to over-perform, that i say when i saw him dive on the boundary which is so not like Ganguly. Agarkar finding his place in the XI for most of the tournament is a marvel of a captaincy decision!! He did not give a chance to Langeveldt on his home pitches until the last match!!!

Mumbai Indians is a very strong team on paper, just that none has performed when its most needed. they crumbled under pressure so many times now that they could have easily been in the semifinals both times in the tournament had they held their nerve. Their biggest disappointment being Sanath Jayasuriya, I feel Duminy has his part in the team's journey to the bottom half. He made runs alright, but the rate at which he got them was a concern and on some days it proved seriously costly.Malinga seemed all geared up at the start of the tournament to only lose his sting in the latter part of the tournament. At times Sachin Tendulkar seemed to be very defensive considering the days when he has sent rookie domestic players to the crease in the first six overs when every other team look to make the most of the power-plays.

Rajasthan royals, I should say, they have done well to be where they are considering the non-availability of two of their biggest stars last year: Shane Watson and Tanvir. They have it in them to give nerveless performances in crunch games, the game against KKR that went in to the super over and then the game against the Mumbai Indians. Had Graeme Smith performed to half his potential they would have ended up at least a place higher on the table.

Kings XI punjab is as confused a side as its fortune. Domestic players not performing has become too big a pressure on the shoulders of Sangakkara and Yuvraj who himself was not in his elements. They missed Shaun Marsh dearly as it turned out their batting is the ruining factor most of the times. Jayawardene was injured when he was just about regaining his touch. Sreesanth's performance in his captain's words(Courtesy:FIP) :"Attitude toh poora masala dosa ka deta hai, aur bowling Appam jaisa karta hai". Hardly any positives from their performance.

Chennai on its day has the fire-power to chase down a target of over 200 with ease. But we have seen the same side posting 120s and being unable to chase down targets of less than 150. Hayden has fired through out the tournament and others performance was sporadic. Albie Morkel and Jacob Oram have never been their usual-selves when it came to batting. I feel Jacob Oram is a good T20 bowler and he was never quite used to his full potential. Suresh Raina was good with the ball using his delayed action wisely.

Bangalore's run this tournament is no short of a fairy tale. They started on a high note, then gave it away with the 1.55 million dollar purchase being the chief culprit. Only later when he gave way to the champion bowler Anil Kumble to lead the side that their fortunes changed. Using the word fortune is undermining their performance because kumble set them an ideal example and showed them what they can do. Kallis, Taylor who were largely ineffective until then proved their worth. The way kumble raised his hand to bring their side on track by bringing himself on to bowl against biggies is exceptional. Even in the final he opened the bowling only to get Gilly out and brought himself back to remove Symonds. It's unfortunate that his performance in the final was so brutally let down by their batsmen in the final.

Delhi has been surprisingly successful even without their top-guns Sehwag and Gambhir firing. It is wonderful the way everyone else in the team gave in and performed. AB DeVilliers , Dilshan were rock-solid in the middle order and Dinesh Kartik has played some crucial knocks in the death overs. They were never really tested in pressure situations to say whether or not they succumb to pressure. But to not be under pressure is as significant an achievement. Nehra was great throughout the tourny, Sangwan bowled some terrific spells when others are finding it difficult to get one dot ball. It is unfortunate for them to receive the high intensity flak that they received from Gilly's gun.

Finally My IPL XI would be:(4 Foreigners and 7 Indians)

Matthew Hayden.
AC Gilchrist(wk)
SK Raina
AB de Villiers
RG Sharma
MS Dhoni
Yusuf Pathan
Ashish Nehra
Lasith Malinga
Anil Kumble(c)
PP Ojha

IPL-08

happy to see the IPL teams abiding to our poll results :). Although unhappy with mumbai not taking a place in the final four, they deserve not being for the semis as for their inability to conquer pressure situations, not once but twice in the last three matches that they lost from what is a safe position to post a win. Anyway they have comeback strongly after the initial array of defeats, and brought the competition alive.
I was hoping to see how punjab would play when Marsh fails, he gave me only one chance and that proved enough for me to think that punjab is riding on marsh's luck. He buckled out to Dhoni's mightier fortuity ;).. things would have been different, then. Gambhir was as good as Marsh, only that he did not have his share of luck unlike the latter.My tendency is to support the weaker team when both the teams aren't the ones I was looking forward to see. So, for the final I wished and hoped for chennai to win. wish Raina had taken the catch of pathan. Rajasthan deserved to be the winners. they have come out to be the winners,out of nowhere defying everyone's views about them. One of the cheapest players in the IPL, shane watson, turned out to be the man of the series and rightly so. he had his impact felt in both the semis and the finals with both bat and ball.
lets wait for the next edition to see what surprise packages are in store for us!!

some compliments to sachin by some legends of cricket

LEGENDS' QUOTES ON SACHIN TENDULKAR

Andrew Symonds wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed specially for Sachin. "To Sachin, the man we all want to be" Mathew Hayden: I have seen GOD , he bats at no.4 for india in Tests. Ravi Shashtri: He is someone sent from up there to play cricket and go back. Mark Taylor: We did not lose to a team called india...we lost to a man called Sachin. Brain Lara: Sachin is a genius , i am a mere mortal! Barry Richards: Sachin is crickets GOD Martin Crowe: The shot played on this ball is only possible for the GOD of cricket. Ian Botham: If someone says that Sachin is not a big match player , throw that person from the highest peak of the world. Paul Strang: What we [zimbabwe] need is 10 tendulkars. Steve Waugh: There is no shame losing to such a great player(sachin). Shane Warne: I would go to bed having nightmares of sachin dancing down the ground and hitting me for sixes. Sourav Ganguly: He batted like GOD today. Mathew Hayden: His life seems to be a stillness in a frantic world... [When he goes out to bat], it is beyond chaos - it is a frantic appeal by a nation to one man. The people see him as a God... Viv Richards: He is 99.5% Perfect.. I’ll pay to watch him play. Dennis Lillie: If I had to bowl to Sachin I would bowl with a halmet on. He hits the ball so hard. Steve Waugh: After being defeated in the Coca-Cola Cup finals in Sharjah) "It was one of the greatest innings I have ever seen. There is no shame being beaten by such a great player, Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don'' Sir Don Bradman: I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel! in reference to Sachin Tendulkar. Michael Kasprowicz: Don't bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours." Shane Warne: I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player." Wasim Akram: Today, he showed the world why he is considered the best batsman around. Some of the shots he played were simply amazing. Earlier, opposing teams used to feel that Sachin's dismissal meant they could win the game. Today, I feel that the Indian players, too, feel this way. Wasim Akram, after game at Hobart, CUB series, 1999 Brett Lee: You might pitch a ball on the off stump and think you have bowled a good ball and he walks across and hits it for two behind midwicket. His bat looks so heavy but he just waves it around like it's a toothpick. Brett Lee, on Sachin Tendulkar’s batting, 1999 Viv Richards: I think he is marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of Cricket that has been played or will be played, from the first ball that has ever been bowled to the last ball that’s going to be. He can play in any era and at any level. Barry Richards: Consensus is that Sir Donald Bradman was the best batsman ever to play Cricket. Sir Don did not play One-Day Cricket but if he did, he could easily be Sachin Tendulkar. BBC Sports: Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives. Wasim Akram: "I dont know what to bowl at him. i bowled an inswinger n he drove me thr covers of d front foot. then i bld an outswinger n he again punched thr covers of d backfoot(for tamil fans-dai avan eppadi pottalum adikaranda). he is d toughest batsmen i 've bowled to. he shold live long n score lots of runs, but not against pakistan(smiling) "--LEGENDARY WASIM AKRAM on our own SACHIN on 24th april 2004 on espn Sachin's 30th B day program.(i think) on his knock in 2003 worldcup. Sunil Gavaskar: India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing. Richie Benaud: He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling. Geoffrey Boycott: Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow nothing is a problem. Eddie Barlow: He is Sachin Tendulkar. I hope he stays Sachin Tendulkar. We need a new player, a player in his own way. He has a technique which is the hallmark of a great player. Everything indicates that he will be a great player and I am sure he will prove me right. Reminds me of Barry Richards. Greg Chappell: He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease. Abdul Qadir: I Was fielding in the covers Tendulkar came out to bat in his debut Test at Karachi. I still remember Waqar Younis was at his peak form at that time. Tendulkar tried to drive Waqar through the covers off his very first ball in Test cricket but was beaten all ends up. But I walked to captain Imran Khan and told him 'this kid looks very good' and Imran agree with me. Sir Garfield Sobers: I have watched a lot of Tendulkar and we have spoken to each other a lot. He has it in him to be among the very best. Peter Roebuck: Sometime back I had written a piece that said that Sachin's the master and Lara a genius with his head high up somewhere. That's it! Jeff Thompson: Sachin is an attacker. He has much more power than Sunny. He wants to be the one to set the pace. He has to be on top. That's the buzz about him. Ian Healy: Tendulkar is the most complete batsman I have stood behind. I saw the hundred in Perth on a bouncy pitch with Hughes, McDermott and Whitney gunning for him he only had 60-odd when No 11 came in. I've seen him against Warne too. Mike Coward: Sachin's the best. I've had this view since I saw him score that hundred in Sydney in 1992. He's the most composed batsman I've ever seen. Hashim Amla: Nothing bad can happen to us if we're on a plane in India with Sachin Tendulkar on it. Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a flight. Shane Warne: "Sachin Tendulkar is, in my time, the best player without doubt - daylight second, Brian Lara third." Shane Warne delights the Indian press with his views on batting greats of this era Shahrukh Khan: "Maybe the country doesn't pray for me like they do for Sachin Tendulkar, but I know I'm on a good wicket as well. " "Sachin was so focused. He never looked like getting out. He was batting with single-minded devotion. It was truly remarkable. It was a lesson." Martina Navratilova: Tennis legend joins the Sachin Tendulkar fan club after watching him bat at Sydney. Alistair Campbell: After loosing to India in the Coca Cola Cup final at Sharjah in November '98 "He has everything a top batsman needs. Tendulkar is a classic example of a player being so good that his age is an irrelevance" David Boon: "Technically he stands out as the best because of his ability to increase the pace at will" Cricket Historian Vasant Raiji: "I have always felt C. K. Nayadu was the best. I now think sachin has the honour of being the most outstanding batsman of all time." Steve Waugh: "You take Don Bradman away and he is next up I reckon." Adam Hollioke: "In an over I can bowl six different balls. But then Sachin looks at me with a sort of gentle arrogance down the pitch as if to say 'Can you bowl me another one?'" Tony Greig: He is cool, has magnificent temperament, and is so mature you tend to forget his age. I can't think of any other example of a player who has so dominated the world before the age of 25. Allan Border: (after India won the Coca-Cola cup ) "Hell, if he stayed, even at 11 an over he would have got it." Ajay Jadeja "I can't dream of an innings like that. He exists where we can't." David Gower "In the last session in Nagpur, when the Indian chase was still on, Tendulkar hit a reverse sweep, an orthodox sweep and a lofted cover drive to (Ian) Blackwell. They were all exquisite cricket shots. To play those shots deliberately in such quick succession, off almost similar deliveries, was genius. That was a little jewel, just those 3-4 minutes. "It reminds you how very few people are special. It was a case of great thinking and good technique." Gavaskar..back in 1988 to tom alter I sat in the office of Sportsweek magazine with that same Sunil Gavaskar. Ayaz Memon and I were listening to Gavaskar in one of his rare, priceless moods. The ?Little Master? was delving deep into his own experience, his own genius, and bringing forth pearls of wisdom as sudden, and as effective, as his straight- drives back past the bowler. Then Gavaskar came up with the following statement (remember, this was in 1988, when Dilip Vengsarkar was about to become captain of India): "The two best batsmen in Bombay today are Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar." Full stop. End of statement. The ball crosses the boundary-line underneath the sight- screen. Desmond Haynes In terms of technique and compactness, Tendulkar is the best: Desmond Haynes. Mark Taylor He's a phenomenon. We have to be switched on when he plays allow him no boundries, for then he doesn't stop Wasim "Cricketers like Sachin come once in a lifetime and I am privileged he played in my time," "Tuzhe pata hai tune kiska catch chhoda hai?" Wasim Akram to Abdul Razzaq when the latter dropped Sachin's catch. Allan Donald His shot selection is superb, he just lines you up and can make you look very silly. Everything is right in his technique and judgement. There isn't a fault there. He is also a lovely guy, and over the years I've enjoyed some interesting chats with him… Sachin is in a different class to Lara as a professional cricketer. He is a model cricketer, and despite the intolerable pressures he faces back home, he remains a really nice guy… Sachin is also the best batsman in the world, pulling away from Brain Lara every year… We'd heard all about him modelling himself on Sunil Gavaskar, and he had the same neatness, the same time to spare, the same calmness - and a very heavy bat. Anil Kumble -he's shy little gentleman I am very privileged to have played with him and seen most of the runs that he has scored. I am also extremely happy to have shared the same dressing room... He is a very reserved person and generally keeps to himself. He is very determined, committed and doesn't show too many emotions. He just goes about doing his job. The thing I admire most about this man is his poise. The way he moves, elegantly without ever looking out of place in any condition or company, suggests his pedigree. I remember he had once come to New Delhi in the 1990s to collect his Arjuna Award (India's highest award to its top sportspersons) and he asked me if I would attend the function. He is a very sensitive human being…. Sometimes you feel he really hasn't felt the kind of competition in the world his talent deserves. I would have loved to see him perform against top quality cricketers of the previous generation. It would really have brought out the best in him. Greame Pollock Tendulkar is the best in the world at the moment. Why I've always liked him is that batsmen tend to be negative at times and I think batting is not about not getting out - it is to play positively. I think you got to take it to the bowlers and Sachin is one such player. When you do so, you change the game, you change bowlers because they suddenly start bowling badly because they are under pressure. Ian Chappell Whenever I see Sachin play I am reminded of the Graeme Pollock quote of Cricket being a 'see the ball, hit the ball game.' He hits the ball as if it's there to be hit. Ravi Shastri: "We always knew that Sachin Tendulkar is a great cricketer, but after the Coca-Cola Cup here, we have seen the birth of a legend. I can't think of anybody who has batted more authoritatively in one day cricket for India, or even in the world except for Vivian Richards." Navjot Sidhu: "His mind is like a computer. He stores data on bowlers and knows where they are going to pitch the ball." Mark Taylor: "We did not lose to a team called India...we lost to a man called Sachin" - Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997) Dravid Playing in the same team as Sachin is a huge honour. His balance of mind, shrewd judgement, modesty and, above all, his technical brilliance make him my all-time hero... You can't get a more complete cricketer than Sachin. He has everything that a cricketer needs to have. As a batsman, he has the technique, the hunger and the desire for runs. He always contributes with the bat as well as on the field. He also is a good fielder and bowls when needs. You really can't ask for a better cricketer than Sachin... He is a terrific person and has handled pressure brilliantly. He has handled his success very well and doesn't have any airs about him. He is a great guy and very good team man. In his heart of hearts, he is a very simple and down to earth person. Azhar The more I see him, the more I want to see him. Sunil Gavaskar: India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing Harsha bhogle if sachin plays well..india sleeps well SOURAV GANGULY The thing I like most about Sachin is his intensity. After being in the game for so long, he still has the same desire to do well for India in any international match.I tell you what, this man is a legend. Kris Srikkanth "He is the only match-winning batsman we have" Ranatunga "You get him out and half the battle is won" Andy Flower: There are 2 kind of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all the others. Martin Crowe: A flighted full toss on Leg stump by spinner. any other will play this shot on leg side by pull shot or glance or flick. but sachin made a space and played a perfect cover drive for four runs. Martin Crowe (New Zealand's ever best bats man) said " the shot played on this ball is only possible for GOD Of CRICKET " Shane Warne: You have to decide for yourself whether you're bowling well or not. He's going to hit you for fours and sixes anyway. Kasprowicz has a superior story. During the Bangalore Test, frustrated, he went to Dennis Lillee and asked, "Mate, do you see any weaknesses?" Lillee replied, "No Michael, as long as you walk off with your pride that's all you can do". Rudy Kortzen "I never get tired during umpiring whenever sachin is on crease" sunny gavaskar This was after a wonderful century by sachin(in england i guess in a test match..not sure) Sunny: The other day i was just trying to think of a bowler who can go through sachin's defenses when sachin is in total defense. I am sorry but i could not think of even one name who could do that. If sachin decides he doesnt want to give away his wicket, he wont. be it any bowler in the world. Cheers to Sachin... PONTING Ponting make comparisons btn sachin,Lara& jayasuriya. Sachin is the best ever batsman in the world.He is brilliant in his technique 7 he is always hungry for runs.Sachin is better than Lara in his techniques & thats why he is No.1 among others.On his day,Lara wiil be more destructive.He is the only man 2 fight for west indies.Jayasuriya also played gr8 knocks 4 his team.But compared 2 them Sachin is the BEST Pradeep Mandhani ..a Photographer “Barely two hours after landing in Johannesburg on the 1992-93 tour to South Africa, the team was to visit Tolstoy Farm, Mahatma Gandhi’s first Satyagrahi Commune founded in 1910. It was situated 35 kms from Jo’burg and most of the Indian players showed little interest, longing to rest in the hotel after the long flight. But Tendulkar, still a teenager, looked keen and hungry to learn more about Gandhi. His volley of questions to the guide reflected his national pride.” NKP Salve, former Union Minister This was when he was accused of ball tempering “Sachin cannot cheat. He is to cricket what (Mahatma) Gandhiji was to politics. It’s clear discrimination.” "In my several years of international cricket, Tendulkar remains the best batsman I have ever bowled to. It’s been a pleasure to bowl at the master batsman even though one hasn’t always emerged with credit from the engagements." Allan Donald Allan Donald "During our team meetings, we often speak about the importance of the first 12 balls to Tendulkar. If you get him then you can thank your stars, otherwise it could mean that tough times lie ahead." Saurav Ganguly: SACHIN MADE 9 CENTURIES IN ONE YEAR BUT MANY CRICKETER DIDNOT MAKE 9 CENTURIES IN THEIR WHOLE CARRIER. Ricky Ponting: “Sachin is the most complete batsman I have seen. His technique is so good and he has played well in all conditions. To have 41 one-day international tons shows what an appetite he has for scoring runs.” Harsha Bhogle: There’s no better sight on the cricket field than watch Tendulkar bat. Rev David Shepherd, England. "Sachin Tendulkar! If he isn’t the best player in the world, I want to see the best player in the world".