Australian All-rounder Tom Moody has signed up to coach one of the franchises of the money-spinning Indian Premier League (IPL), a senior Indian cricket official said on Friday.
"He had already signed with one team. I know he has signed, but cannot confirm if all the final, definite agreements have been done," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Moody, 42, a member of two World Cup-winning Australian teams, coached Sri Lanka for two years before leaving in May last year to take up the reins for Western Australia.
"All the top coaches will be here," the official said.
The inaugural edition of the International Cricket Council-sanctioned Twenty20 league gets underway on April 18.
More than 80 international cricketers are expected to feature in a players' 'auction' in Mumbai on February 20 with each franchise allowed a cap of $5 million.
Organisers said in a statement that Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has confirmed his availability for the bidding process.
Indian media on Friday said former India coach Greg Chappell, former Australia coach John Buchanan and Victoria's Greg Shipperd were the other coaches being targeted by IPL teams.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tom Moody to coach in Indian Premier League
IPL only gonna have 'entertainment' value: Adam Gilchrist
Australian wicketkeeper and opener batsmen Adam Gilchirst today said the cash-rich Indian Premier League would remain only as an 'entertainment' option which will not be able to lure cricketers away from their national commitments.
Gilchrist said the players would be more interested in their achievements in the Test and one-day arena than raking money through IPL.
"I understand the fear of that happening, (but) I just really believe what motivates players to take on the journey, you have got to take and endure and enjoy to play for your country, it comes from more than just the financial side of it," Gilchrist said.
"It is a genuine passion, if you don't have it you are going to get found out. I think they will have genuine desires to fulfil their career, to make sure they get every bit out of their international careers as possible," he was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.
The 36-year-old Australian said it would be more of an evening out process for players as they end their careers.
"We see players at my age (36), there is going to be a natural transition from international cricket," he said.
"Probably when the real professional era has kicked in there has been a bit of a tendency for guys to hang on too long, and we don't see younger guys getting in as young as we used to.
"It might be the evening out process that there is something for the older guys to move into."
Money vs Loyalty will confront cricketers: Andrew Symonds
Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds believes that international cricketers are in for a tough time with the arrival of cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) as they will have to decide between "loyalty and money".
Symonds said the massive financial carrot dangled by the Indian premier league would make any cricketer to think of premature retirement and reap the dividends.
"The loyalty of Australian players and other top international cricketers is going to be tested over the next few years," Symonds wrote in his column in The Daily Telegraph's Sunday edition.
"Loyalty versus money always makes for an interesting debate. Who wouldn't be tempted to take a job offering more money for less work? On the flip side, there's a big argument that logic doesn't apply when you are representing your country in professional sport," he said.
Cricket boards' around the world have already raised their concern on players falling to the lure of money on offer in IPL and retiring early, but Symonds said the administrators would have to be careful and see that the game does not suffer.
"Right now, you would have to be nervous if you are a cricket administrator of any of the big cricket-playing countries. I'm talking the likes of Australia, South Africa and England. The pressure is on big time to look after the players, especially those at their peak and then coming down the back end of their careers."
"A lot of countries must confront the serious threat that it's more financially viable for blokes to retire and play IPL or even ICL. So the administrators want to be careful that international cricket doesn't suffer. They need to find a way to work with the IPL so that everyone is available," he said.
The all-rounder said another interesting element would be the reaction of fans if players decide to retire earlier and chase the money. However, for him baggy green will always be the first preference.
"For me, there's no question the baggy green cap is still the jewel in the crown of Australian cricket. But the way things are heading, loyalty is going to become a major issue, particularly when you can make more money in six or eight weeks than you can in a season," he said.
I could not refuse the tempting offer from ICL: Rusell Arnold
Former Sri Lankan batsmen Russell Arnold said that the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) made him an offer so tempting that he couldn't refuse and he should not be seen as a traitor for signing.
Arnold, who retired after the World Cup in the West Indies, said that he did not hang up his boots for the ICL and added that the new 20-20 format would give him a lifestyle he wanted at this stage of his career, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying.
He was apparently paid a fee to the tune of $150,000 by the ICL, which is now seen as a competitor of the Indian board backed Indian Premier League (IPL).
Asked whether the aforesaid figure was true, Arnold said: "It's much more than that. You need to look after yourself and if you can do that without harming anybody, then why not?"
Arnold is based in Sydney at the moment and plays for the Sydney Cricket Club.
"The ICL offered me a contract that was fantastic in all senses. I get to play cricket and earn good money. I can play in the ICL, I can play in Sydney and enjoy that and then play also in England. It's what I wanted and suits where I'm at," he was quoted as saying.
On the IPL, which is scheduled to start in April, Arnold said: "They might try to make us look like rebels but the IPL is the same thing. The IPL is really sanctioning the ICL. Whatever goes on at ICC level or whatever is out of my realm."
There has been a concerted effort to discredit the ICL based primarily on the lower quality of its players compared to the IPL and the standard of facilities available to it.
Arnold said the ICL will allow him to play and earn money without the strain of a heavy cricket schedule.
"ICL takes me away for 30 days and there is the chance for my family to be with me," he said.
'Twenty20 cricket should be banned by Govt'
The government should ban 20-20 cricket and ascertain the source of income for the BCCI-backed multi-billion dollar Indian Premier League, veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta demanded on Saturday.
Describing Twenty20 cricket as a 'gamble' involving 'widespread betting' and 'free investment of unaccounted money', Dasgupta alleged that a Cabinet minister was involved in the "caricature of the game and looting cricket lovers."
Dasgupta was actually refering to Agriculture Minister and Maharashtra political Sharad Pawar, who heads the cash-rich BCCI.
"No player can exhibit talent in this format. It's a shameful attempt by unscrupulous people to make money. Unfortuantely, there is no opposition to this, either from cricketers or from the government," the senior parliamentarian told PTI.
"The standards and morality of cricket will go down because of Twenty20 cricket and events like IPL. Cricket will be destroyed," Dasgupta said.
Filmstars Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Preity Zinta, and industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Ness Wadia were among those who recently shelled out billions of rupees in bids to become franchise owners of Indian Premier League teams and rope in star players from India and abroad.
The tournament would be held at 8 venues in India from April 18, 2008 to June 1, 2008.
IPL Will boost 20-20 cricket -Viv Richards
Welcoming the cash-rich Indian Premier League, West Indian great Vivian Richards said the huge money associated with the venture would do a world of good to cricket.
The original master blaster said there was nothing wrong in bringing a lot of money to the game as it would be beneficial for the players.
"If it can be arranged I don't think anything would be wrong with that. Others, establishment-wise, see these things sometimes as threatening but I think it must be discussed," Richards was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.
"We have long complained about the finances in cricket. I think it's great for those guys, now that they know financially they can secure their future," he said.
Richards, one of 14 legends on the payroll of Texan billionaire Sir Allen Stanford and a board member and ambassador for Stanford 2020 in the Caribbean, said with its money power IPL would help Twenty20 cricket grow bigger.
"The sort of money that was attached to cricket did run a lot of people away to try other careers, but now that we have the perks there will be a lot more cricketers trying to hit that jackpot.
"So long as the Indians are going to be on board with the mass audience and power they have in world cricket, it is a great endorsement for the Twenty20 form to go further."
A big fan of Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, Richards said players of his calibre would enhance the glamour of IPL. "I am a great fan of Andrew Symonds, his fielding and the way in which he plays his cricket, with that sort of aggression. Having people like that on board is certainly going to add to the (IPL) razzmatazz," he said.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
16 Umpires from India to officiate in IPL
16 Indian umpires along with members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Elite Panel will officiate in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning in April, a top board official said on Monday.
"In all, 16 Indian umpires will be deployed for the IPL. In addition, we are trying to get all the members of the ICC Elite Panel," Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told IANS.
"Since we need many umpires - like the TV officials and the fourth/reserve umpires - we will require the services of a lot of Indian umpires as well," he said.
The names of the 16 Indian umpires are yet to be finalised, according to Niranjan.
An ICC source said the world governing body would not have objection to the IPL using those Elite Panel umpires who are free from any Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs) duties during that 44-day period beginning April 18.
The eight-team tournament will have 59 20-20 matches. The winning team will receive $3 million.
The eight franchises spent more than $718 million to buy the team at the auction. The franchise and the owners are: Mumbai team (Mukesh Ambani), Bangalore (Vijay Mallya), Kolkata (Shah Rukh Khan), Chandigarh (Preity Zinta), Jaipur (Emerging Media), Hyderabad (Deccan Chronicle), Chennai (India Cements) and Delhi (GMR Group).
While India has no umpires in the elite panel, there are three - A.M. Saheba, S.L. Shastri and G.A. Pratapkumar - in the International Panel.
The BCCI, which has its own Elite Panel, has a number of umpires on its list for 2007-08 and it is from here that the IPL umpires will be chosen.
The umpires are: SK Tarapore, K Hariharan, AV Jayprakash, SN Bandekar, SD Ranade, AY Gokhale, CR Mohite, R Radhakrishanan, Sudhir Asnani, MSS Ranawat, Ravi Subramaniam, I Sivaram, VN Kulkarni, Sanjeev Rao, HS Sekhon, KG Laxminarayanan, Suhas Pahdkar, SK Sharma, P Bhanuprakash, PS Godbole, MS Mahal, K Murali, RY Deshmukh, S Dendapani, A Bhattacharjee, S Laxmanan, Balwant Sharma, Sanjeev Dua, SM Raju, MG Mandale, Rajiv Risodkar, Anil Chaudhary, VD Nerurkar, Nandan, NRS Prabhu, RM Deshpande and MS Pathak.
What Bollywood Has To Say About IPL
The Bollywood film fraternity is proud that Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta have helped filmdom forge a lifetime's bond with cricket with the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions.
The industry reactions are like this:
Bipasha Basu: "It's fantastic that Preity and Shah Rukh now own a part of the team. If you have the money and the interest in the game, why not invest? I think it's great for our country because ample infrastructure can be invested into strengthening of the teams and the players. And Bollywood into cricket means more fun for viewers when the league matches happen.
Shekhar Kapoor: If I knew about the IPL I'd have bid for it too. It's perfect!!
Javed Akhtar: When I first heard about it my reaction was, 'Wow!' I'm very proud of Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan, particularly SRK. He has done it on his own.
Hema Malini: It's wonderful to see our film industry extending its wings to other territories. It just shows that entertainment is no longer restricted to the cinema.
Naseeruddin Shah: I couldn't care less.
Irrfan Khan: To me, it just shows that there's lots and lots of money in cricket.
Arshad Warsi: With all this, I feel I'm in Hollywood. It's superb.
Mahesh Bhatt: Mixing two colours to create a third one is always exciting. This is the age of entertainment. This alliance of cricket and movies ushers in a new brave world. It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Simi Garewal: I'm very pleased that the stars are coming out in support of sports. I feel cricketers are at the top and financially well rewarded. I would be happier if they support less popular games like chess, hockey, football and tennis. It would make India an all-round sports force to reckon with. In this context, it's wonderful to know Akshay Kumar is supporting wrestling.
Zayed Khan: I think it's great investment and an indication of forward thinking. The amount Rs 300 crore sounds like something we'd all like to make.
Sameera Reddy: I think it's a fantastic alliance. It's important to invest wisely and this is definitely a sound business move for both Bollywood and cricket.
R Madhavan: Well, when the two biggest passions of the country come together, it has to be a super-alliance. I want to see where cricket goes from here.
Nandana Sen: This is more about business than entertainment. And I don't understand business. But I'm always happy to see more cricket on television. That's what this alliance will lead to.
Neil Mathur: I guess talent has found talent. Only good can come out of this alliance.
Aftab Shivdasani: Personally, I think it was expected. There has always been some sort of link between Bollywood and cricket. This alliance can only take the two industries further.
Vashu Bhagnani: It's a great business opportunity. Bollywood and cricket provoke maximum passion in India. The combination has to be lethal.
Nikhil Dwivedi: I can speak for Shah Rukh since I know him well. He is an extremely intelligent and sensible man and has genuine passion for every sport. He won't treat cricket as a business venture and will invest everything he has into making the game a force to reckon with.
You can rest assured about one thing. With Shah Rukh around, spectators will get their money's worth. You take it from me. Shah Rukh will rule even in the world of cricket.
Victor Banerjee: Gulli-danda was a plebian pastime that the British elevated with the willow into Lords. Cricket in India is largely played by the sportingly incompetent.
There's a just a handful of tough exceptions. Don't give me a bellyache by saying we are a 'sporting' nation of 'sportsmen'. We're a nation of businessmen who have destroyed the game with its worldwide corruption centred in India.
The reason we love cricket is because it's dependent on the vagaries of fiddling with the ball, rain that determines decisions, ground conditions that can be tweaked and the odd upwardly mobile player willing to accept a bundle under the table and even on a flight. We were wonderful in hockey and even winners of the gold medal in football in the 1st Asian Games when my father who couldn't play for the team because of his commitment to the Indian army was a selector.
It's hilarious that we take the Australian Kerry Packer's resurrection of an idiotic colonial game so seriously.
Monday, February 25, 2008
IPL Match Schedule, IPL Time table
Alright, so the teams were sold, the players were sold and now the latest update on the IPL front is the Match schedule.. I have got the IPL match schedule or the IPL match time table if you wanna call it... The IPL match schedule is goes like this
# 2008 April 18: Bangalore v Kolkata at Bangalore
# 2008 April 19: Mohali v Chennai at Mohali
# 2008 April 19: Delhi v Jaipur at Delhi
# 2008 April 20: Mumbai v Bangalore at Mumbai
# 2008 April 20: Kolkata v Hyderabad at Kolkata
# 2008 April 21: Jaipur v Mohali at Jaipur
# 2008 April 22: Hyderabad v Delhi at Hyderabad
# 2008 April 23: Chennai v Mumbai at Chennai
# 2008 April 24: Hyderabad v Jaipur at Hyderabad
# 2008 April 25: Mohali v Mumbai at Mohali
# 2008 April 26: Bangalore v Jaipur at Bangalore
# 2008 April 26: Chennai v Kolkata at Chennai
# 2008 April 27: Mumbai v Hyderabad at Mumbai
# 2008 April 27: Mohali v Delhi at Mohali
# 2008 April 28: Bangalore v Chennai at Bangalore
# 2008 April 29: Kolkata v Mumbai at Kolkata
# 2008 April 30: Delhi v Bangalore at Delhi.
# 2008 May 1: Hyderabad v Mohali at Hyderabad
# 2008 May 1: Jaipur v Kolkata at Jaipur
# 2008 May 2: Chennai v Delhi at Chennai.
# 2008 May 3: Hyderabad v Bangalore at Hyderabad
# 2008 May 3: Mohali v Kolkata at Mohali
# 2008 May 4: Mumbai v Delhi at Mumbai
# 2008 May 4: Jaipur v Chennai at Jaipur
# 2008 May 5: Bangalore v Mohali at Bangalore
# 2008 May 6: Chennai v Hyderabad at Chennai
# 2008 May 7: Mumbai v Jaipur at Mumbai
# 2008 May 8: Delhi v Chennai at Delhi
# 2008 May 8: Kolkata v Bangalore at Kolkata
# 2008 May 9: Jaipur v Hyderabad at Jaipur
# 2008 May 10: Bangalore v Mumbai at Bangalore
# 2008 May 10: Chennai v Mohali at Chennai
# 2008 May 11: Hyderabad v Kolkata at Hyderabad
# 2008 May 11: Jaipur v Delhi at Jaipur
# 2008 May 12: Mohali v Bangalore at Mohali
# 2008 May 13: Kolkata v Delhi at Kolkata
# 2008 May 14: Mumbai v Chennai at Mumbai
# 2008 May 14: Mohali v Jaipur at Mohali
# 2008 May 15: Delhi v Hyderabad at Delhi
# 2008 May 16: Mumbai v Kolkata at Mumbai
# 2008 May 17: Delhi v Mohali at Delhi
# 2008 May 17: Jaipur v Bangalore at Jaipur
# 2008 May 18: Hyderabad v Mumbai at Hyderabad
# 2008 May 18: Kolkata v Chennai at Kolkata
# 2008 May 19: Bangalore v Delhi at Bangalore
# 2008 May 20: Kolkata v Jaipur at Kolkata
# 2008 May 21: Mumbai v Mohali at Mumbai
# 2008 May 21: Chennai v Bangalore at Chennai
# 2008 May 22: Delhi v Kolkata at Delhi
# 2008 May 23: Mohali v Hyderabad at Mohali.
# 2008 May 24: Delhi v Mumbai at Delhi
# 2008 May 24: Chennai v Jaipur at Chennai
# 2008 May 25: Bangalore v Hyderabad at Bangalore
# 2008 May 25: Kolkata v Mohali at Kolkata
# 2008 May 26: Jaipur v Mumbai at Jaipur
# 2008 May 27: Hyderabad v Chennai at Hyderabad
# 2008 May 30: First semi-final at Mumbai
# 2008 May 31: Second semi-final at Mumbai
# 2008 June 1: Final at Mumbai
Keep visiting this space for regular updates on IPL match schedule and IPL time table
Sir Viv Richards backs IPL Progress
The great West Indian legend Sir Viv Richards has revealed his support for the Indian Premier League and claimed the 20-20 competition allows players to really exploit their market value.
India one-day skipper M.S Dhoni and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds attracted bids of more than US 1million in the player auction for the IPL in Mumbai on Wednesday and Sir Richards thinks more players will be tempted to play in lucrative competitions in future.
"We have long complained about the finances in cricket," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I think it's great for those guys, now that they know financially they can secure their future.
"The sort of money that was attached to cricket did run a lot of people away to try other careers, but now that we have the perks there will be a lot more cricketers trying to hit that jackpot."
And Richards, who is the ambassador for the Caribbean`s Stanford 20-20, believes the IPL could point the way for further Twenty-20 franchised leagues around the world.
"So long as the Indians are going to be on board with the mass audience and power they have in world cricket, it is a great endorsement for the Twenty20 form to go further," he added.
"If it can be arranged I don't think anything would be wrong with that. Others, establishment-wise, see these things sometimes as threatening but I think it must be discussed."
Michael Clarke skipped IPL due to father's illness
His father's terminal illness forced Australian Michael Clarke to opt out of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the cricketer disclosed here Saturday.
Clarke, who captained Australia's Twenty20 team, would have fetched millions of dollars at the players' auction held in Mumbai Wednesday, but he preferred to be with his ailing father, Les, who is battling cancer for almost a year.
'When IPL was first mentioned, dad and I talked about it. I told him what it was - the money they were offering and things like that,' Clarke was quoted as saying in Sydney Morning Herald.
'But Lara (his girl friend), mum (Debbie), dad, my sister (Leanne) and I had dinner on Monday night and I told them then that I wasn't going to go. They asked why, but they were very supportive of my decision. Dad just said that money's not a worry and at this stage of my career it's worth enjoying time at home.'
The lucrative 44-day IPL tournament, based on Twenty20 matches, will be played in India from April 18. Some of the eight franchise owners bought players for over a million dollars at the historic auction.
Australians Andrew Symonds (sold for $1.35 million), retiring wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, captain Ricky Ponting, retired Glenn McGrath, Michael Hussey, Matthew Hayden and some others will be playing in the IPL either this year or from the next edition.
But Clarke would be with his father during the IPL tournament.
'It (cancer) brings you back to reality. Cricket is a big part of my life but I know now that things can change quickly. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do. Cancer doesn't discriminate,' said the 26-year-old of his father's situation.
'Things like that can just happen. It makes me want to enjoy every day of my life. It has made me want to appreciate my whole family much more.'
Clarke will be fishing with Les, who recently started a charter-boat business, About You Fishing Charters, and spending time with Lara.
'He's just finished chemo and radiation treatment and the results have been pretty good. So I'm looking forward to spending as much time as possible with him. He's bought a fishing charter and he's been wanting me to get out there with him. I also wanted to spend time with my mum and sister,' he said.
'Lara's father also has cancer, so we want to be there with him, too.'
Clarke said he was first told about Les's illness during last year's World Cup in the West Indies, when his sister rang him up.
Franchises to get first preference for Under-19 Players
Each of the franchises in the Indian Premier League will get the first option for picking Under-19 players from their own catchment areas, the Indian board has said. The decision comes in the wake of franchises voicing concerns over player-poaching, with local players being lured by other teams.
"Under-19 domestic cricketers will not be allowed to join any team on their own and franchises will have to go through the BCCI," Niranjan Shah, the board secretary, said. "Franchises will be given a preference to pick players from their own catchments and it's only the spill-over players that will be available for the rest.
"We will give each franchise a certain time-frame to pick their players. It's only after that period that others can try for them."
Delhi and Jaipur had raised concerns that their local catchment players are being "poached" by the rival teams. The Jaipur team even sent a letter to the IPL council. The BCCI's move was welcomed by some of the franchises.
"One of the reasons for this exercise was to develop young talent across the country and that can only be done by giving franchises a choice of picking their local players," TA Sekar, cricket operations chief of GMR Holdings, the owners of the Delhi Daredevils, told Cricinfo. "Imagine if a franchise develops three or four players through the junior ranks, only to see them play for another team because they are being offered more money. The purpose is defeated."
VB Chandrashekar, the selector for the Chennai Super Kings, and Fraser Castellino, the CEO of the Jaipur franchise, were also upbeat but wished the ruling covered U-22 players as well, instead of being limited to U-19.
The process is likely to take place in the beginning of March, with the board not keen to "distract" India's Under-19 cricketers currently taking part in the World Cup in Malaysia.
One-year contracts
To counter the rising concern over young cricketers being paid so much money early in their careers, the board decided Under-19 cricketers would be eligible only for a one-year contract.
The board had earlier instructed all junior domestic cricketers to not sign up on an individual basis after many franchises complained about player-agents getting involved, demanding higher sums even after the cricketers had agreed on a figure. The board were also concerned that a few agents had landed in Malaysia to tie up with India's U-19 cricketers.
Chennai & Hyderabad are IPL's dream teams
The players have been bought, but the big question is who has got the right ones. Powered with the findings of an opinion poll on Cricketnext.com, here's the expert view on who have the best team to go all the way in the IPL.
After a day of hectic buying and selling, everyone is wondering who got the mix right? That may not be easy to answer but the experts reckon some have no chance at all after the players they picked up, like team Jaipur.
"Serendipity. Whatever that lands up on the auction day. We might have picked out a few players and targetted them, but during the course of the auction, if you have been a little off target, there is a possibility of going off balance," VB Chandrasekhar, former India cricketer and selector of the Chennai Super Kings, told CNN-IBN on Saturday's Cricket 360.
Just one per cent of Cricketnext users thought Jaipur would win the league. Bangalore faired a touch better with four per cent, and Mumbai was at nine per cent.
"When you have these iconic players with you, and you pay them loads of money, I think it will call for true professionalism in them, and you have got to make sure that they win," notes former India speedster Javagal Srinath.
But one team that gets the accolades from nearly everyone is Hyderabad, who have Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, Herschelle Gibbs, VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma among others to call on.
"They have got the best balance because they have got players who can win the game single-handedly," explains former India spinner Maninder Singh.
Cricketnext users tend to agree. Hyderabad, along with Chennai fetched the highest number of votes with 26 per cent.
And the mastermind behind Chennai's selection is in no doubt they have hit the nail on the head. "I would tend to think that it's all ours already," Chandrashekhar beams.
What of the dark horses? Shahrukh Khan's Kolkata and Priety Zinta's Mohali are pretty close; 17 per cent go for Kolkata while 13 per cent back Preity's Mohali. Delhi managed just two per cent.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Indian Premier League
The league is supposed to start in April 2008 and will go on for 44 days, with 60 matches approx and the prize money will be a whopping Rs.13 crore.
Each team will be having a pool of 16 players, with a maximum of eight foreign players and a minimum of four under-22 players. Adding to that, at least four players must be from the catchment area where the team is from.
The governing council have names like Lalit Modi, Sunil Gavaskar, MAK Pataudi and Ravi Shastri, Rajiv Shukla, Chirayu Amin, Inderjit Singh Bindra and Arun Jaitley.
Each team will be playing the other 7 teams at home and away, the top four teams at the end of the group stages will go through to the semi finals. Here's the list of the 8 teams for the competition with the links to their respective websites.
Kolkata
Jaipur
Chennai
Mohali
Mumbai
Bangalore
Hyderabad
Delhi
On 14th Jan, 2008, BCCI announced that a consortium consisting of India's Sony Television network and Singapore-based World Sports Group secured the rights of the Indian Premier League. The record deal has a duration of ten years at a cost of US$1.026 billion. As part of the deal, the consortium will pay the BCCI US$918 million for the telecast rights and US$108 million for the promotion of the tournament.
The BCCI also announced that the bulk of the proceeds from this deal would initially go to the IPL franchisees themselves, gradually reducing this amount over the life of the contract.
Network Ten has bought the rights to show every game live in Australia on free-to-air television for the next five years at a cost of AU$10 - $15 million.
Indian real estate giant DLF Group won the exclusive rights to the Indian Premier League title sponsorship worth INR 200 crore (over US$50 million) for 5 years.