IPL to go beyond Rs.500 crore sponsorship mark

The numbers sounded so unbelievable that for a while it seemed like Lalit Modi was pulling a fast one on the Indian cricket market.

But the sponsors are queuing up at the gates of the Indian Premier League, and projections are turning into fat cheques. The IPL central revenues were hovering on the 500-crore mark and still the dust hasn’t settled.

The latest to come on board are Kingfisher Airlines, who have paid 106 crore to become official umpire partners for the tournament.

This deal gives Kingfisher Airlines branding on the clothing that match officials wear, and crucially on giant screens when the third umpire’s decision is pending.

DLF was the first to come on board, as title sponsor, and they pay out 200 crore over five years. Hero Honda then came on as one of potentially six associate sponsors at 90 crore. The cola wars fuelled the next bonanza as PepsiCo forked out 50 crore to become official beverage partners of the tournament.

What’s interesting is that Kingfisher, part of the UB Group, own the Bangalore Royal Challengers franchise, but this did not stop them from becoming associate sponsors of the Delhi Daredevils.

“Kingfisher’s decision bears testimony to the fact that the DLF Indian Premier League is here to stay and is set to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the international cricket calendar,” said Modi soon after the signing.

What’s more, at least two others, a major oil company and a designer jewellery line are on the verge to signing on the dotted line as associate sponsors.

What these deals do is lessen the financial burden on individual franchisees each of whom receive 80% of central revenues for the first five years. A number-cruncher closely monitoring IPL finances believed that each franchise would end up getting close to Rs 28 crore annually for the first five years, from these central revenues.

In addition to this franchisees have 100% rights over local revenues, which include gate receipts, team shirt sponsorships, merchandising, local sponsorship and licensing, hospitality and match day promotions.

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.