Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Kieron Pollard, Jasprit Bumrah, M Ashwin, Basil Thampi, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Sanjay Yadav, Ramandeep Singh, Aryan Juyal, Arjun Tendulkar, Tilak Varma, Hrithik Shokeen, Rahul Buddhi, Arshad Khan, Tymal Mills, Jofra Archer, Fabian Allen, Daniel Sams, Anmolpreet Singh, Tim David, Riley Meredith.

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Robin Uthappa, KM Asif, Tushar Deshpande, Mahesh Theekshana, N Jagadeesan, Hari Nishaanth, Subhranshu Senapati, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Bhagath Varma, Prashant Solanki, Chris Jordan, Dwaine Pretorius, Devon Conway, Adam Milne, Mitchell Santner.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Washington Sundar, Marco Jansen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, J Suchith, Shreyas Gopal, Kartik Tyagi, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Saurabh Dubey, Shashank Singh, Sean Abbott, R Samarth, J Suchith, Romario Shepherd, Vishnu Vinod, Glenn Phillips, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

IPL Mega Auction: Ambani, Iyer, Karim give perspective on building teams in high demand time for domestic pacers

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Suyash Prabhudesai, Luvnith Sisodia, Aneeshwar Gautam, Jason Behrendorff, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Siddarth Kaul, Chama Milind, Mahipal Lomror, Sherfane Rutherford, Finn Allen.

Delhi Capitals: David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, KS Bharat, Mandeep Singh, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed, Ashwin Hebbar, Ripal Patel, Yash Dhull, Vicky Ostwal, Lungi Ngidi, Tim Seifert, Praveen Dubey, Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav.

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhinav Manohar, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia, Dominic Drakes, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Jayant Yadav, R Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, David Miller, Matthew Wade, Gurkeerat Singh, B Sai Sudharshan.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Sam Billings, Anukul Roy, Rasikh Salam, Abhijeet Tomar, Pratham Singh, Aman Khan, Ramesh Kumar, Ashok Sharma, Tim Southee, Alex Hales, Mohammad Nabi, Umesh Yadav, B Indrajith, Chamika Karunaratne.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, K Gowtham, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mark Wood, Dushmantha Chameera, Ankit Rajpoot, Shahbaz Nadeem, Manan Vohra, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Karan Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Kyle Mayers, K Gowtham, Evin Lewis.

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Odean Smith, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Sandeep Sharma, Atharva Taide, Vaibhav Arora, Ansh Patel, Raj Angad Bawa, Benny Howell, Rishi Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Baltej Singh, Writtick Chatterjee, Nathan Ellis, Prerak Mankad.

Rajasthan Royals: Devdutt Padikkal, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna, KC Cariappa, Navdeep Saini, Tejas Baroka, Anunay Singh, Kuldeep Sen, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldip Yadav, Shubham Garhwal, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rassie van der Dussen, James Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Karun Nair, Obed McCoy.

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Abu Dhabi, Sep 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowling coach Kyle Mills feels the team has a good blend of young players and experienced ones that will bode well for them in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Mills, the former New Zealand pacer, has joined the squad after completing his quarantine.

On his first day at the job, Mills was seen working closely with Omkar Salvi, the assistant bowling coach, and Abhishek Nayar, KKR's assistant coach, to set a plan for the season for the team's bowling unit.

"It feels great on a couple of things. I am out of quarantine. So, it's good to be out of my room and to be finally engaged with the team. Obviously, I have watched a lot of (KKR) matches on Youtube in the last couple of years and also in the lead-up to the auction," Mills told kkr.in, the franchise's official website.

"But it's great to get down on the ground and have those one-on-one chats. It's my first day, so I'm really still building those relationships with the boys. We still have about three weeks before we get into it (IPL). So, that's nice."

Talking about the players and how they have been doing the lockdown period with not much cricket to play, Mills said: "The boys had been in lockdown and didn't play any cricket. These are whole different dynamics we are experiencing. So, we have to get the guys up to speed.

"Some young guys had injuries in the past. These young lads are eager and keen, so I need to tell them to calm down. It's just the first week on the ground. We need to build them up to their first game. Match techniques will come into play from the next week onwards.

"Omi (Omkar Salvi) has been fantastic because he has been on the ground in India and I have been in New Zealand. Abhishek has been great as well. He has great knowledge of the game and local players in India. He is a vastly experienced First Class cricketer. These two have been instrumental for me to get up to speed with the local boys."

"It's exciting because these youngsters don't have too many scars. They haven't had too many lows. Young lads keep bringing in fresh approaches to any environment. So, it's exciting to be coming into this group for the first time, surrounded by some young local boys and some heavy overseas guys as well like Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Sunny (Sunil Narine), and Andre (Russell). So, there is a lot of talent there," he added.

Source: IANS

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Dubai, Sep 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Dwayne Bravo feels that M.S. Dhoni will lead the transition in the side just as he did for India. The 39-year-old Dhoni, who announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, was captain of the Indian team and led their transition from the era with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble to the current one dominated by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Bravo feels that Dhoni's task at CSK will be of less pressure than what he must have faced while being the captain of India but that won't change the veteran wicketkeeper's approach.

"I know it's been in the back of his mind for some time, I mean all of us have to step aside at some point of time. It's just the matter of when to step aside and hand it over to whether it's a Raina or someone younger," Bravo told media when asked about Dhoni's plans for his successor in CSK.

"He doesn't have to worry about a billion people now, it's just CSK the franchise but I don't think that'll change the person he is, won't change how he leads the team, definitely he'll be the same person," said the Trinidadian.

CSK were known to have one of the highest averages in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and yet they have remained the side to beat.

"We have a very talented squad full of experience and also we have a management staff, that is very relaxed and balanced and also the owners. All these things come together and play a part in making CSK a successful franchise. We don't have any outside pressure from the owners or the management. We don't feel under pressure with M.S. Dhoni as captain," said Bravo who recently became the first cricketer to claim 500 T20 wickets.

"I think CSK have one of the most loyal fans whether we play in Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore, you see a lot of yellow shirts in the stands. We enjoy each other's success, so these are the main reasons behind the success of CSK."

Source: IANS

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By Chetan Sharma

New Delhi, Aug 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) It has been more than a week since all Indian Premier League (IPL) teams landed in UAE. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce the schedule for the upcoming season.

According to sources, some of the franchises have 'requested' the Indian Cricket Board to announce the schedule 'quickly'. "God knows, when will they (BCCI) share the schedule with us. We have requested the BCCI -- both orally and through texts -- to make it quick as we have to plan accordingly," a team source told IANS from UAE.

"Someone said by Monday or Tuesday, we will get it, but can't confirm it."

The BCCI recently met Emirates Cricket Board officials and most of the issues concerning the schedule and inter-city travel protocols have been resolved.

The reason behind the delay could be the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in Abu Dhabi, which is one of the main venues of the tournament apart from Sharjah and Dubai, sources said.

The tournament has already come under threat as 13 members of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad have tested positive for coronavirus. Batsman Suresh Raina has also pulled out of the tournament citing personal reasons. The BCCI issued a release and confirmed the news about the infected members without sharing their names.

This also irked some franchises. "They should have at least told us about the members, who all got infected. For our safety," added a team source.

The 13th edition of the IPL is scheduled to begin from September 19 with the final set to be played on November 10. The lucrative league was originally scheduled to take place in March-May but had to be suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg feels Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are among the favourites to win the 13th edition of the India Premier League (IPL) in the UAE.

IPL chairman Brijesh Patel, on Friday, had confirmed to IANS that this year's league will be played around the September 19 to November 8 window and the same has been communicated to the franchises.

Following this news, Hogg took some questions from the fans regarding the cash-rich league and also spoke about his two favourite teams to lift the title in the UAE.

"They (RCB) will have a big chance to take out an IPL. They have always had good stock on paper but they have never been able to go out and get the job done," Hogg said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

"Now, with the inclusion of (Aaron) Finch at the top, he will be able to dominate the powerplay overs... get some quick runs and relieve the pressure off AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli in the middle-order," Hogg opined.

"Also, their bowling attack looks strong with Dale Steyn and Kane Richardson, and they have a better team balance as compared to last couple of years. They will have a better strategy going into the tournament," he added.

Apart from RCB, Hogg believes defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will also be up there, challenging for the title once again. MI remains the most successful team in the history of the competition, having lifted the trophy a record four times.

The spinner also tipped all-rounder Hardik Pandya to return from injury with a bang and win the man of the tournament prize in the UAE.

"The reason is that they (MI) have got a good top-four... they also have good all-rounders and their bowling attack is stable, led by two geniuses with the new ball and in death overs -- (Jasprit) Bumrah and (Lasith) Malinga," Hogg said.

"Also, the all-rounder Hardik Pandya. He is looking to get back into cricket after a long time off due to injury. He has also got a baby on the way as well."

"I just think those things will give him extra energy and he will become man of the tournament in the UAE," he added.

Source: IANS

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Crime Branch officials were keeping a watch for two days on the suspicious activities in the Cafe Stock Exchange, owned by Tushar Arothe, and situated behind a police outpost.

When the police raided the place, an IPL match was being projected live on the big screen in the cafe and around 35 people were present. According to the police, Arothe was taking bets from youngsters on IPL matches and Android application 'CrickLive' was used to place the wagers.

A former Ranji and India (I) team playher, Arothe had set up the cafe for his son Rishi. According to the police, Rishi Arothe is also suspected of involvement in the racket.

Police have, so far, arrested a total of 19 persons including Arothe and Hemant Patel, the manager of the cafe.

Police has also confiscated cash and valuables worth Rs 14,39,960 including 21 cell phones.

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Hyderabad, March 29 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League clash here on Friday.

Sunrisers made two changes from their previous match which they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders, with skipper Kane Williamson returning to the team after a shoulder injury. Shakib Al Hasan made way for the New Zealand captain.

Spinner Shahbaz Nadeem was also drafted in, with Deepak Hooda making way.

Rajasthan Royals named an unchanged team from their controversial first game which they lost to Kings XI Punjab. The game was marred by R. Ashwin 'Mankading' Jos Buttler.

Sunrisers Hyderabad XI: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson (Captain), Vijay Shankar, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shahbaz Nadeem, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul

Rajasthan Royals XI: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Jos Buttler, Steven Smith, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, K. Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

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By Veturi Srivatsa

Seldom have the franchises, players and fans waited with so much excitement as they have for the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) to kick off.

In the inaugural game of the 12th edition in Chennai on Saturday, former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings play his successor Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Both are key members of India's World Cup squad and know exactly the amount of workload they can take or the number of matches they could play in the summer heat to preserve their body juices for the mega event, starting on May 30.

The team management must definitely have had a word with players at the end of the home series against Australia they lost 2-3 as to how they should stay fit without throwing themselves at everything in the field or going flat out with the white ball even though they bowl the four overs in three spells.

These days Kohli makes authoritative statements. He first said the performances in the IPL will have no bearing on the selection of the World Cup squad since the selection exercise has been on for a year and selectors and team management have more or less finalised the squad. Now he says there cannot be a cap on the number of matches the London-bound players should play.

Kohli, however, expects his teammates to play smart cricket since they know how many matches each can play depending on one's own physical and mental stamina.

Elaborating, Kohli said "If I'm able to play 10, 12 or 15 games, it doesn't necessarily mean the other guy can play that many."

Yet, he wants players to "strive towards excellence and improve every day. Each player will take this tournament as an opportunity to go to the World Cup in a good frame of mind."

The players who suddenly got off the selectors' radar in the last month or so and those who still believe that a good performance in the Twenty20 tournament can catapult them into the scheme of things are bound to go all out to impress their captain and coach.

Some coaches have already started plugging for players from their franchises. Strangely, the noises are coming from former overseas players who are now coaches of IPL teams.

While Kohli's talk is about the 11 he is going to field in the World Cup, others are happy to find their wards in the 15. The selectors are silent, except for making the odd statement like the door being not shut on any player. They are still to make up their mind on going with a fifth pacer, preferably a left-armer, or a third spinner. For a fifth pacer to get in, a batsman or an all-rounder has to be sacrificed and they would not like to disturb the balance of the side by taking three spinners. It's going to be a tough call.

Not only the Indian players, some overseas players are also looking for a good IPL ahead of the World Cup. Two Australians, former captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner, are racing against clock to be both fit and regain form.

Smith has rejoined Rajasthan Royals and Warner is back with Sunrisers Hyderabad, though both won't be captaining the sides. Ideally, they would have liked to be playing in the Gulf against Pakistan, the series starting on the day the IPL gets underway, but their suspension following ball tampering in South Africa last March will end only by the month-end.

The two had a stopover in Dubai on their way to India to meet members of the Australian team. They made identical statements saying they felt like they never left their teammates. "The boys were very accepting of us, coming in with open arms and a lot of big hugs and cuddles," says it all. Coach Justin Langer likened the reunion to two brothers returning home.

Most overseas players will be returning home after the first phase of the IPL to join preparatory camps whereas the Indians will get two weeks before leaving for the World Cup.

They all see the IPL as an important event for playing competitive cricket, and for Smith and Warner it is that much more important to get a good hit out in the middle.

Is Twenty20 cricket good enough to prepare for a tough 50-over tournament like the World Cup? We will know soon.

(Veturi Srivatsa is a senior journalist and the views expressed are personal. He can be reached at sveturi@gmail.com)

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Kolkata, March 17 (IANS) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) scouts always had an eye on Sandeep Warrier and the little-known Kerala pacer was "highly" recommended by them, the team's bowling coach Omkar Salvi said here on Sunday.

The 27-year-old medium-pacer was drafted in the squad after Kamlesh Nagarkoti was ruled out for this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a foot injury.

Karnataka spinner K.C. Cariappa was also signed as replacement for the injured Shivam Mavi.

"Warrior has done really well in the domestic season. Our talent scouters watched him and recommended his name strongly," Salvi told reporters on the sidelines of KKR's practice session at the Eden Gardens.

"KKR has been blessed with a lot of unique and versatile bowlers. We are excited to work with them," he said.

Warrier took eight wickets in the recently-concluded T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. During the domestic tournament, he also starred in Kerala's nail-biting win against Andhra by picking up a hat-trick.

With 12 wickets, he was also the highest wicket-taker for Kerala in the Vijay Hazare trophy this season. The 27-year-old has also been a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore setup in the past.

Meanwhile, leg-spinner Cariappa, has represented Kings XI Punjab in 10 matches, taking eight wickets.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, 24-year old Cariappa played a pivotal role in Karnataka's title triumph by taking 10 wickets at an average of 20.60.

"He did really well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali and throughout the year in Vijay Hazare too. He deserves a spot and that's why he is there. He has developed himself into a much better bowler," Salvi said when asked about bringing Cariappa back despite not getting success in his first attempt with the franchise.

KKR have a lot of variety in the bowling department, salvi said and added, with the Eden track having good bounce and carry, the two-time champions would look to thrive on the conditions.

"We have lot of variation in our attack. From what I have seen, the wicket has good bounce and carry," he said.

KKR will start their campaign with a clash against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on March 24.

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Hyderabad, March 16 (IANS) Last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad have unveiled a stellar line-up of sponsors for the forthcoming season of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

The squad which was table toppers in the last season promises to better its performance by clinching the coveted trophy this time around.

Coolwinks.com, Red FM, Rupa, Astral Adhesive, Grado, Nerolac and Jio have been signed as principal sponsors for the twelfth edition of the IPL. The sponsors' logos and branding will be distinctly exhibited on the team's jerseys and match kits. Other sponsors who are on board with the franchise for this season are Double Horse and Car2Drive. Tyka, UB and Coke are franchise partners.

"We are extremely happy to have such stellar partners for our team as we prepare ourselves for the twelfth edition of the Indian Premier League. Like every season, we are keen to give a superlative performance on ground and the support from our sponsors always motivates us to excel and win the IPL championship. Along with our sponsors we are looking forward to re-create history and make it a victorious journey," Sunrisers Hyderabad CEO K. Shanmugham said.

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New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced Dream11, Indias biggest sports game, as the official partner for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

This four-year exclusive partnership will begin with the upcoming IPL 2019 season. Additionally, the 'Official Fantasy Game' of IPL will also be powered by Dream11.

This collaboration between India's biggest cricketing event, IPL, and India's biggest sports game, Dream11, will provide a platform for millions of fans to create their own fantasy cricket teams thereby deepening their engagement with their favourite sport. There will also be several Dream11 brand integrations and on-ground activations at various touchpoints during the VIVO IPL matches.

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New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) India skipper Virat Kohli has picked out the Champions League T20 game in 2010 against Mumbai Indians in Durban as his most memorable match for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

"I clearly remember the Champions League T20 Game in 2010 against Mumbai Indians in Durban, where I scored 49 runs, but we lost the game in the last delivery. I consider it as one of my most memorable innings wearing the RCB jersey," Kohli was quoted as saying in a statement on Friday.

"When everyone had given up, I stayed till the end and almost won us the game. This gave me a lot of confidence, and everyone who watched that game, appreciated me," he added.

Pointing out that the then Mumbai team contained a host of stalwarts including Zaheer Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, the RCB skipper asserted that the innings is one of the high points of his distinguished career.

"That was my #GameBanayegaName moment,the innings that gave me extensive recognition. Mumbai Indians team consisted of Zaheer Khan who bowled that last over along with Sachin Paaji and Bajju pa; and they all saw the game and noticed what I could potentially do, and for me that was a big moment," Kohli said.

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Kolkata, March 13 (IANS) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore said, here on Wednesday, he was hopeful that it would be able to play most of their home games at the Eden Gardens, despite seven-phase polling in West Bengal during the general elections.

"We have had some good meetings with the authorities concerned today. We are waiting for some clarification. I think they (authorities) are keen to ensure that we play in the Eden. If all goes well, we will play our home games here only," Mysore told reporters after KKR's first practice session here.

The IPL will start on March 23 and end on May 12 while the general elections are slated to be held between April 11 and May 19.

Since West Bengal will have elections in all seven phases, there is a possibility that some of KKR's home matches will be shifted to neutral venues.

As per the two-week schedule, KKR are playing two home games vs Sunrisers (March 24) and KXIP (March 27) and two away games against Delhi Capitals (March 30) and RCB (April 5).

"Now that the date of the elections have come out, the authorities are taking a hard look at how they can ensure we play as many as matches in Kolkata," Mysore said.

"In case we cannot play at the Eden, then we have a plan B and plan C ready. We had a meeting today. Let's see. All our fans as well as the team wants us play at the Eden," Mysore said.

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New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday announced Indian sportswear brand Alcis Sports as their official multi-year knitting and merchandise partner.

This announcement has come soon after the Royals disclosure that pink would be their official colour, which has been created with the help of Alcis Sports.

The Rajasthan Royals' players apparel range comprises match jerseys, training wear, gym wear and everyday wear, and features some of the most advanced garment technology. Stylish, easy and comfortable to wear, they are equipped with features like dry-tech, which helps evaporate sweat and moisture early, and are made with anti-microbial, anti-odour and anti-static finishes.

Commenting on the partnership, Royals brand ambassador Shane Warne said: "Alcis brings in a dash of freshness to the Rajasthan Royals brand and stands for everything that defines the attributes of our brand -- young, styled with innovation, aspirational and consistent."

"We are excited about this association and hope to have an exciting journey with Alcis this IPL," Warne said.

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Kolkata, March 11 (IANS) Two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders may use the ground at the Jadavpur University's second campus for preparations for the upcoming season from March 13, according to sources.

The Knights, led by Dinesh Karthik, will also practice at the Eden Gardens ahead of their IPL opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 24.

Going by the fixtures released for the first two weeks, KKR take on Kings XI Punjab at home next on March 27.

For the past three seasons, KKR have not been able to go beyond the playoffs, losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 in 2018. They won the coveted crown in 2012 and 2014.

Squad: Dinesh Karthik (captain & keeper), Robin Uthappa (vice-captain), Chris Lynn, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shubman Gill, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Nitish Rana, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Carlos Brathwaite, Lockie Ferguson, Anrich Nortje, Nikhil Naik, Harry Gurney, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Joe Denly and Shrikant Mundhe.

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New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) After a poor finish in the last couple of years of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who have a very strong side at least on paper, will be aiming for a better outing in the 12th edition of the cash-rich league.

Despite having some big names in the side, Bangalore finished eighth in the 2017 edition and then finished sixth in the last edition.

One of the original eight teams in the IPL, the team has made three final appearances in the IPL, losing all (in 2009 to the Deccan Chargers, in 2011 to the Chennai Super Kings and in 2016 to Sunrisers Hyderabad).

For the 12th edition, the Virat Kohli-led side has retained several players like AB de Villiers, Parthiv Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Nathan Coulter-Nile.

The side also retained Moeen Ali, Mohammed Siraj, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kulwant Khejroliya, Marcus Stoinis.

Bangalore also snapped up nine players from this edition's auction. Shivam Dube , Shimron Hetmyer , Akshdeep Nath , Prayas Barman , Himmat Singh, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Heinrich Klaasen , Devdutt Padikkal , Milind Kumar were the players who were traded.

In the recent auctions, RCB invested in many lesser known young faces like the uncapped Shivam, West Indian Hetmyer (Rs 4.2 crore), Akshdeep (Rs 3.6 crore) and Prayas Raj Barman (Rs 1.5 crore).

In the opening match, Bangalore will be facing last year's winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru that will begin on March 23.

On an interesting note, Bangalore is the team which holds the records of both the highest and the lowest totals in the IPL (263/5 and 49).

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New Delhi, March 2 (IANS) Having never won the Indian Premier League (IPL) title, Kings XI Punjab will aim to claim the title for the first time in the 2019 edition of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

The 2018 squad of Kings XI Punjab included Indian and international stars like Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuvraj Singh, Lokesh Rahul, Aaron Finch and Chris Gayle.

They have retained these stars for this year's tournament as well.

Perennial under-achievers in the IPL, KXIP entered the play-offs during the first edition in 2008 and the final in 2014.

But three consecutive poor campaigns in 2015, 2016 and 2017 prompted the team owners to overhaul the entire squad, retaining only spinner Axar Patel.

One of the areas where KXIP have made major changes is their opening and top order combinations. They now have a host of options in Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal.

They also have a strong middle-order comprising veteran star Yuvraj Singh, David Miller and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

KXIP also has a strong Indian contingent which is one of the basic requirements for success in the IPL.

In Stoinis, they have an all-rounder who can single-handedly decide the course of a match on his day.

So overall, KXIP have a strong squad who have the potential to make a difference in the upcoming IPL edition. It remains to be seen whether they can live up to the promise.

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Virat Kohli. (File Photo: IANS)

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019, a couple of youngsters of the Indian squad fired warnings at its most decorated players -- Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant sledged Dhoni and Kohli ahead of the upcoming edition of the cash-rich T20 tournament.

In a video released by Star Sports, Delhi Capitals player Pant warned Dhoni and said that he is coming to haunt the Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings' bowlers with his swashbuckling game.

Dhoni, later reacted to the video and said he had a similar attitude when he was a youngster and also asked Pant to bring on the challenge.

In the second video, Bumrah, who plays for Mumbai Indians, said he has not tasted success against the world's best batsman Kohli so he is still not there as the best bowler in the world.

He also said that the RCB skipper will have to face his deadly yorkers.

Reacting to the video, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Kohli said: "Its good that you have also learnt how to sledge now but don't expect any favours from your Cheeku bhaiya."

After facing a two-year ban due to the betting activities of its top officials, star-studded Chennai Super Kings made a roaring comeback in the last edition, winning the title for the third time.

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By Gaurav Sharma

New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) With a new name, new crest and new colours, Delhi Capitals will be aiming to make their mark in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after almost a decade of below-par outings in the cash-rich league.

Previously named Delhi Daredevils, the franchise is now jointly owned by the GMR Group and the JSW Group. In December 2018, the team renamed itself from the Delhi Daredevils to the Delhi Capitals.

After doing well in the initial couple of years, the Delhi franchise have never appeared in an IPL play-off. The last time they qualified for the play-offs was in 2012.

Delhi dominated the charts initially under the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori and Amit Mishra, but as the seasons went by it struggled to find their old charm and mostly finished at the bottom.

For the upcoming edition, Delhi Capitals have strengthened the middle-order batting by investing a lion's share on Colin Ingram (Rs 6.4 crore), besides spending Rs 2 crore each to bag services of all-rounder Hanuma Vihari and Sherane Rutherford.

It also got veteran India pacer and local boy Ishant Sharma for Rs 1.10 crore. India discard Axar Patel was then bought for Rs 5 crore.

For the 2019 edition, Delhi retained 14 players and traded in 1 player (Shikhar Dhawan from Sunrisers Hyderabad).

The retained players are: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Jayant Yadav, Manjot Kalra, Colin Munro, Trent Boult, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada and Sandeep Lamichhane.

In the 12th edition of IPL, fans could witness the old charm of Delhi as several quality players were retained and bought by the franchise. Last year, Delhi finished at the bottom, losing nine matches out of 14.

(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at gaurav.sharma@ians.in)

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By Gaurav Sharma

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) After facing a two-year ban due to betting activities of its top officials, star-studded Chennai Super Kings made a roaring comeback in the 10th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) last year and will be aiming to maintain the same momentum in the 2019 edition of the cash rich tournament.

Back in the mix after a two-year hiatus and playing almost all of their home games away from home, Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side defied all odds to lift their third title and once again proved why the 'Yellow Brigade' is one of the best teams in the league.

The main reason Chennai Super Kings has been a powerhouse over the years is because of the Indian talent at their disposal. One of their primary aim has been to keep the core of the team intact.

Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Murali Vijay, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mohit Sharma, David Willey, and Sam Billings are the backbone of the outfit and are in the squad for this edition.

The southern outfit is a team that has never gone for fancy Twenty20 International stars names like Chris Gayle, Lasith Malinga or Kieron Pollard. They maintain their stability, unperturbed by the auctions. For 2019 edition, the franchise announced the retention of 22 players.

In the 2019 edition, the Chennai franchise just bought two players to complete their squad. They bought pacer Mohit Sharma and uncapped player Ruturaj Gaikwa for the upcoming edition. Mohit had earlier played for the same side and took 57 wickets in 47 matches.

On Tuesday, BCCI has released the schedule for the first two weeks. Dhoni's side will take on Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match in Chennai on March 23.

There are several good news for the Southern outfit. Their middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav and New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner are back in the mix. In the 2018 edition, the duo got injured and had to miss the entire season.

The franchise will be playing this edition at its home ground. Last year they had to shift their base to Pune.

So in the upcoming edition, the conditions and several other factors are favouring the defending champions and the fans can expect to witness another thrilling edition.

(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at gaurav.sharma@ians.in)

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Kolkata, Feb 19 (IANS) Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Dinesh Karthik said here on Tuesday he would miss playing at the Eden Gardens terribly if some of their home games are shifted out to neutral venues because of the coming Lok Sabha polls.

"I will really miss Kolkata because there is a certain vibe, certain energy playing at Eden. Playing in front of 60,000 cheering for you makes a massive difference," Karthik told reporters on the sidelines of the Mayor's Cup at Eden Gardens.

"If we do miss a few games, I would miss Eden gardens terribly," said Karthik.

The IPL dates are likely to clash with the Lok Sabha elections towards the second-half of the tournament. The BCCI is considering possibility of changing the competition's home and away format and making it venue-specific.

Matches will be scheduled at neutral venues where polling would have already concluded or coming up at a later date.

According to fixtures released for the first two weeks, KKR will play two home matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 24 and Kings XI Punjab on March 27.

Talking about the team, Karthik who took over the captaincy of the side last year said they have a slightly different team from last year and he is looking forward to the new season.

"We are slightly different to the team we had last year. We are really looking forward to it as a team. We have realised what we lacked last year and we have added resources accordingly. Thus, we are a more well-rounded team this year," the 33-year old said.

The Kolkata outfit shelled out Rs 5 crore for West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite and another Rs 1.6 crore for New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson.

They are additions to an already stacked side that has the likes of Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Karthik and Kuldeep Yadav.

Karthik will lead the team for the second season running and will look to continue the run-making heroics that yielded him 498 runs as the team's highest scorer in the last campaign.

Asked about his personal goal, Karthik said: "I am not somebody who sets goals per se. For some strange reason, it is not something I have enjoyed doing."

"If we can go out there and put our best foot on the park, and the best we can, I will be very happy," he said.

Mumbai stalwart Abhishek Nayar, KKR's academy coach and also one who Karthik credits for his recent success, was also present along with KKR Chief Executive Venky Mysore at the Eden Gardens.

Asked about Karthik using IPL to prove a point to Indian selectors ahead of the ICC World Cup, Nayar said: "He has already made a statement playing for India. When he plays the IPL, it's more about making sure his team wins. It's more about KKR the team than DK the individual."

"With the limited opportunities he has got for India, he has proven himself in the role he has been assigned in terms of being a finisher for the team. He has been consistent in doing that," Nayar said.

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Bengaluru, Feb 4 (IANS) As part of their preparation for Season 12 of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have announced a five-day conditioning camp under the guidance of coaches Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra at the National Cricket Academy at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here.

Among those attending the camp, which began on Sunday, are all-rounder Washington Sundar, along with Akshdeep Nath, Devdutt Padikkal, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Himmat Singh, Kulwant Khejroliya, Milind Kumar, Prayas Ray Barman and Shivam Dube.

The camp is focused on strenuous fitness drills for conditioning and strengthening regimes including the yoyo test under the guidance of their trainers, A.I. Harsha, Evan Speechly and Shravan Kumbagowdana.

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New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has denied that his family was interested in picking equity stake in any of the franchises of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).

"This news is incorrect," Bachchan told IANS when asked about media reports on the issue.

Earlier, there were reports that the Bachchans had approached the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals with proposals to buy stakes in the franchises.

While the talks with three-time champions CSK were reportedly unsuccessful, discussions with the Royals did not progress beyond the first round.

Interestingly, the Bachchan family already has stakes in Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Chennaiyin FC and Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) franchise Jaipur Pink Panthers.

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Mumbai, Jan 13 (IANS) Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals have roped in experienced coach Paddy Upton for the forthcoming season of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

"Upton has outstanding credentials and has been closely associated with Rajasthan Royals in the past. He was the Head Coach for four years, wherein the Royals made it to the semi-finals in the 2013 edition, sensationally pushing its way forward from the bottom of the heap, and also reached the finals of the Champions League (2013)," the Royals said in a statement on Sunday.

"The Royals won 13 straight home matches under him, a feat that stands the test of time in the IPL."

The South African has guided and mentored several teams in the IPL, Australia's Big Bash League and in the Pakistan Super League.

He guided Sydney Thunder -- a team which had finished last in the three previous seasons and had endured a 19-game losing streak -- to the Big Bash League title in 2016.

His biggest achievement came as a mental conditioning coach with the Indian team, when he combined with head coach and compatriot Gary Kirsten to guide India to the 2011 ODI World Cup title and the World No.1 rank in ICC Test rankings.

"The experience and knowledge that he brings to the table is unparalleled. As coach, mentor and scientific trainer, Paddy Upton is well versed with the rigours of modern day sport. We are thrilled to have him back in our team and can't wait to put on our pads and get going in the new season," Zubin Bharucha, Head of Cricket, Rajasthan Royals, said.

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New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) The hugely-popular two-month-long Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played in India from March 23 despite the Lok Sabha elections due in April-May, ending the uncertainty over whether it would be shifted to some other country.

The announcement on the commencement of the 12th edition of IPL was made by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) here on Tuesday after a meeting of the committee headed by Vinod Rai.

"Based on the preliminary discussions with the appropriate central and state agencies / authorities, it was decided that the 12th edition of the world's most popular and competitive T20 tournament will be scheduled to be played in India," an IPL release stated.

"It is proposed that the IPL 2019 will commence on March 23. The detailed schedule will be finalised in consultation with the appropriate authorities. The CoA will then have a detailed discussion with all the stakeholders before releasing the IPL 2019 Schedule," it added.

In 2009, the cash-rich tournament was held in South Africa due to the general elections while the 2014 edition was partly played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before returning home for the latter half.

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New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Mumbai Indians on Thursday completed the transfer of experienced all-rounder Jayant Yadav into their fold from Delhi Capitals.

The India discard is the second addition to Mumbai Indians through the transfer process, with South African wicketkeeper-bat Quinton de Kock being the first from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) earlier.

Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani expressed satisfaction over the transfer and feels 'the squad is complete with the right balance in all aspects'.

"We were delighted to bring in Quinton in the pre auction transfer window. His multi-tasking abilities and recent exploits with the bat including player of the tournament performance at the recently concluded Mzansi Super League in South Africa has been a delight to watch and am sure he will carry the current form into the IPL season as well."

On Jayant's inclusion, Akash said: "I am delighted Jayant is now an @mipaltan. His experience and skills with both the bat and ball adds to the MI squad tremendously and I am happy to have him join us within a few days after our successful auction."

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Jaipur, Dec 18 (IANS) The 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Tuesday witnessed a new list of millionaires with Varun Chakaravarthy and Jaydev Unadkat topping the charts among the Indian players with a hefty purse of Rs 8.4 crore each, while Englishman Sam Curran emerged as the highest paid overseas player with a price tag of Rs 7.2 crore.

Varun, a little known mystery bowler, was purchased by the Kings XI Punjab while Unadkat, the left-arm quick, was snapped up by his former franchise -- Rajasthan Royals, who had released him after a satisfactory stint last season.

Among other Indian players to breach the five-crore club are Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals), Mohit Sharma (Chennai Super Kings) and Shivam Dubey (Royal Challengers Bangalore).

Besides Curran, the other sought after overseas players were South African Colin Ingram, bought by the Delhi Capitals for a whopping Rs 6.4 crore, while West Indian power-hitter Carlos Brathwaite was snapped up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 5 crore.

But the major highlight of the day was the emergence of lesser known Indian players earning big in the auction. The trend was initially set by the Punjab franchise, who went for leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, before further bolstering their bowling attack with the addition of Curran, and India's pace spearhead Mohammed Shami for Rs 4.8 crore.

The Punjab side also bought 17-year-old wicket-keeper Prabhsimran Singh for a whopping Rs 4.8 crore while splurging Rs 4.2 crore for West Indian Nicolas Pooran and Rs 1 crore for Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques.

RCB also invested in many lesser known young faces like the uncapped Shivam, West Indian Shimron Hetmyer (Rs 4.2 crore), Akshsdeep Nath (Rs 3.6 crore) and Prayas Raj Barman (Rs 1.5 crore).

Delhi Capitals, formerly known as the Delhi Daredevils, also strengthened their middle-order batting by investing a lion's share on Ingram besides spending Rs 2 crore each to bag the services of all-rounder Hanuma Vihari and Sherane Rutherford. It also got veteran India pacer and local boy Ishant Sharma for Rs 1.10 crore.

Coming to the Mumbai Indians, the side bolstered its bowling attack by buying Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga for Rs 2 crore while splurging Rs 3.4 crore to buy India discard Barinder Sran.

Another India discard Yuvraj Singh finally found a buyer in the Mumbai franchise, who bought him for his base price of Rs 1 crore. Interestingly, the southpaw went unsold in the first round.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad focused on getting a wicketkeeper-batsman to balance their batting and in the process, bagged the services of Englishman Jonny Bairstow for Rs 2.2 crore and India Test stumper Wriddhiman Saha for Rs 1.2 crore. It also got New Zealander Martin Guptill for Rs 1 crore after the right-hander went unsold in the first round.

Having retained the bulk of their side, defending champions Chennai Super Kings hardly required any fresh faces after regaining Mohit Sharma for Rs 5 crore.

The Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also kept their focus on a number of rookies, besides splurging crores on Brathwaite (Rs 5 crore) and Lockie Ferguson (Rs 1.6 crore).

Inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals got their main man back in the form of Unadkat but despite that spent big on bagging other quicks in Varun Aaron (Rs 2.4 crore) and Oshane Thomas (Rs 1.10 crore).

Meanwhile, South African pace spearhead Dale Steyn was among some of the biggest names to miss out even in the second and final round.

The other stars who went unsold are India Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, New Zealanders Brendon McCullum, James Neesham and Corey Anderson, Englishmen Chris Woakes, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan, South Africans Hashim Amla and Morne Morkel, and Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera.

Former West Indian skipper Jason Holder and Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim also failed to find any buyer along with Australians Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja and stumper Ben McDermott.

Besides Pujara, the other notable Indian names to miss out in the auction include Naman Ojha, R.Vinay Kumar, Parvez Rasool, Baba Indrajith, Sheldon Jackson, Sachin Baby and Manoj Tiwary.

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Despite the fact that Varun does not have any IPL experience, he had many takers which led to a bidding war before Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) finally bagged him for a whopping Rs 8.40 crore. Varun, also known as the Tamil Nadu mystery spinner, had a base price of Rs 20 lakh but went on to become the joint most expensive buy along with Jaydev Unadkat.

Former India cricketer Hemang Badani, who featured in 40 ODIs for the country, spoke on Varun's ability and pointed out why the Tamil Nadu boy grabbed everyone's attention.

"About three years ago, I first saw Varun and back then he wasn't even a spinner so forget about being a mystery spinner. I'm very happy that he has become a millionaire but the thing that has stuck me about him, is his consistency in spinning," Badani was quoted as saying by IPL's official broadcaster Star Sports.

"He (Varun) is extremely skilled as he can spin with both old and new balls and in fact, he has about 50 percent of his balls as dot balls. Another thing I like about him is that he handles pressure really well. Like IPL is far bigger platform which carries a lot of expectations and pressure and it will be exciting to see how he handles it," the 42-year-old further pointed out.

Significantly, Varun bowled to Chennai Super King (CSK) players in the nets, which helped him improve his skills which later helped him to come up with several impressive performances for Madurai Panthers in the 2018 Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).

"Varun is a product of the Tamil Nadu Premier League and if not for TNPL, the world wouldn't have known him," Badani said.

"Yes, its very important to have such tournaments (TNPL)."

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Jaipur, Dec 18 (IANS) English left-arm quick Sam Curran emerged the costliest overseas buy after being snapped up by the Kings XI Punjab for a whopping Rs 7.2 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction here on Tuesday.

After bagging little known mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy for a massive Rs 8.4 crore, the Punjab franchise further strengthened their bowling attack with the addition of Curran, and India's pace spearhead Mohammed Shami for Rs 4.8 crore.

Chakaravarthy, the Tamil Nadu leg spinner, was bought by the KXIP after an intense bidding war with Kolkata Knight Riders.

Earlier, inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals were engaged in an intense battle with Delhi Capitals and later on with Chennai Super Kings before buying back left-arm paceman Jaydev Unadkat, whom they released for the auction. Unadkat is by far the joint costliest buy alongwith Chakaravarthy -- Rs 8.4 crore each.

Unadkat grabbed eye-balls last season when he became the highest paid Indian after being bought by the same franchise for a whopping Rs 11.5 crore.

Uncapped player Shivam Dube attracted a lot of attention as he was picked for Rs 5 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) while the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bagged pacer Mohit Sharma for the same price.

Mumbai all-rounder Dube had on Monday peeled off five sixes in five balls off left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh on the final day of their Ranji Trophy match against Baroda.

The Rajasthan Royals also bought Varun Aaron for Rs 2.40 crore.

After buying back Sri Lankan veteran Lasith Malinga for Rs 2 crore, Mumbai Indians got the services of left-armer Barinder Sran for Rs 3.4 crore.

Delhi Capitals bought veteran Ishant Sharma for Rs 1.1 crore before splurging Rs 6.4 crore for New Zealand hard-hitter Colin Ingram. Earlier, Axar Patel was also bought for Rs 5 crore by the Delhi franchise.

Delhi also bought all-rounder Hanuma Vihari for Rs 2 crore while West Indians Shimron Hetmyer and Nicolas Pooran were bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, respectively for Rs 4.2 crore.

Another Caribbean star Carlos Brathwaite went for Rs 5 crore to the Kolkata Knight Riders.

KXIP also bagged the services of Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques for Rs 1 crore while the Sunrisers Hyderabad spent Rs 2.2 crore for English wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow and Rs 1.2 crore for India's Test stumper Wriddhiman Saha.

Meanwhile, veteran Yuvraj Singh remained unsold from among the first set of players who went under the hammer.

The other stars who went unsold are Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, New Zealanders Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, James Neesham and Corey Anderson, Englishmen Chris Woakes, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan, South Africans Hashim Amla and Morne Morkel, and Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera.

Aussie stumper Ben McDermott and India's Naman Ojha also failed to find any buyers from among the eight IPL franchises.

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Jaipur, Dec 18 (IANS) With the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction underway, former India skipper and head coach Anil Kumble and ex-Australian batsman David Hussey have expressed their views on the purchase made by different franchises so far.

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami attracted an intense bidding war between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. However, with a limited price purse, the former lost the player to Punjab for Rs 4.8 crore.

Commenting on Shami's price, Kumble said: "That is a big buy for Kings XI Punjab, I thought they would have gone slightly higher up to Rs 6 crore, good for Shami and good pick-up for Kings XI, well spent."

"He is one of the better fast forwards and they needed a fast forward for the team and they took it early," Hussey was quoted as saying by IPL's official broadcaster Star Sports.

After losing Shami, Chennai once again started bidding hard for medium pacer Mohit Sharma, whose base price was Rs 50 lakh, and eventually pocketed him for a whopping Rs 5 crore.

"That is a fantastic buy. Mohit Sharma, he was one of our picks, bowls in all conditions, can change pace and is a good fielder," Kumble pointed out.

Hussey said: "A predicted buy from Chennai Super Kings, they have taken back their own player."

The auction also saw Mumbai Indians purchasing Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga at his base price of Rs 2 crore.

Speaking on Malinga's buy, Kumble said: "At some point Mumbai Indians will look to rest Jasprit Bumrah and at that point they will need the experience of Lasith Malinga and he could probably be in the starting line up."

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Jaipur, Dec 18 (IANS) Kings XI Punjab splurged a whopping Rs 8.4 crore for little known mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy who became the joint costliest buy along with Rajasthan Royals' left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction so far.

Chakaravarthy, the Tamil Nadu leg spinner, was bought by the KXIP after an intense bidding war with Kolkata Knight Riders.

Earlier, inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals were engaged in an intense battle with Delhi Capitals and later on with Chennai Super Kings before getting back the services of paceman Unadkat, whom they released for the auction.

Unadkat grabbed eye-balls last season when he became the highest paid Indian after being bought by the same franchise for a whopping Rs 11.5 crore.

Uncapped player Shivam Dube attracted a lot of attention as he was picked for Rs 5 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube had on Monday peeled off five sixes in five balls off left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh on the final day of their Ranji Trophy match against Baroda.

The Rajasthan Royals also bought Varun Aaron for Rs 2.40 crore.

Another discarded India pacer Mohit Sharma went for Rs 5 crore to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) while current pace spearhead Mohammed Shami's services were purchased for Rs 4.80 crore by Kings XI Punjab.

Mumbai Indians bought back Sri Lankan veteran Lasith Malinga for Rs 2 crore while veteran Ishant Sharma was bought for Rs 1.10 crore by Delhi Capitals.

Earlier, Axar Patel was bought for Rs five crore by Delhi while veteran Yuvraj Singh remained unsold from among the first set of players who went under the hammer.

Delhi also bought all-rounder Hanuma Vihari for Rs 2 crore while West Indians Shimron Hetmyer and Nicolas Pooran were bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, respectively for Rs 4.20 crore. Another Caribbean star Carlos Brathwaite went for Rs 5 crore to the Kolkata Knight Riders.

KXIP also bagged the services of Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques for Rs 1 crore while the Sunrisers Hyderabad spent Rs 2.20 crore for English wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow and Rs 1.20 crore for India's Test stumper Wriddhiman Saha.

Meanwhile, besides Yuvraj, the other stars who went unsold are Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, New Zealanders Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum and Englishmen Chris Woakes, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan.

Aussie stumper Ben McDermott and India's Naman Ojha also failed to find any buyers from among the eight IPL franchises.

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Jaipur, Dec 18 (IANS) Former India opener Gautam Gambhir was amazed as veteran Yuvraj Singh went unsold in the first round of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Tuesday, but believed the swashbuckling left-hander will surely be picked in the next round.

For the first time this year, Yuvraj had reduced his base price to Rs 1 crore. However, no franchise showed interest in picking the sixer king. The 37-year-old cricketer will be brought back in the auction pool later in the evening.

"I am surprised no team opted to pick him, he might not be able to do what he used to earlier or to perform the same way, but on a good day, Yuvraj can single-handedly win matches for his team," Gambhir was quoted as saying by IPL's official broadcaster Star Sports.

"In my observation the teams are currently being safe and picking their first set of players, and I am confident he will be sold in the second round," the former cricketer opined.

Yuvraj, who has featured for four franchises -- Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad -- till now, was the most expensive player in the history of the IPL auctions when Delhi Capitals, earlier known as Delhi Daredevils, spent a whopping Rs 16 crore for the all-rounder in 2015.

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Jaipur, Dec 18 (IANS) Inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Rajasthan Royals has splurged a whopping Rs 8.40 crore to buy back India discard left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction here on Tuesday.

The Royals were locked in an intense battle with Delhi Capitals and later on with Chennai Super Kings before getting back the services of the paceman, whom they released for the auction.

Unadkat grabbed the eye-balls last season when he became the highest paid Indian after being bought by the same franchise for a whopping Rs 11.5 crore.

The Royals also bought Varun Aaron for a sum of Rs 2.40 crore.

Another discarded India pacer Mohit Sharma went for Rs 5 crore to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) while current pace spearhead Mohammed Shami's services were purchased for Rs 4.80 crore by Kings XI Punjab.

Mumbai Indians bought back Sri Lankan veteran Lasith Malinga for Rs 2 crore while veteran Ishant Sharma was bought for Rs 1.10 crore by Delhi Capitals.

Earlier, Axar Patel was bought for Rs five crore by Delhi while veteran Yuvraj Singh remained unsold from among the first set of players who went under the hammer.

Delhi also bought all-rounder Hanuma Vihari for Rs 2 crore while West Indians Shimron Hetmyer and Nicolas Pooran were bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, respectively for Rs 4.20 crore. Another Caribbean star Carlos Brathwaite went for Rs 5 crore to the Kolkata Knight Riders.

KXIP also bagged the services of Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques for Rs 1 crore while the Sunrisers Hyderabad spent Rs 2.20 crore for English wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow and Rs 1.20 crore for India's Test stumper Wriddhiman Saha.

Meanwhile, besides Yuvraj, the other stars who went unsold are Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, New Zealanders Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum, Englishmen Chris Woakes, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan.

Aussie stumper Ben McDermott and India's Naman Ojha also failed to find any buyers from among the eight IPL franchises.

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Jaipur, Dec 18 (IANS) India discard Axar Patel was on Tuesday bought for a whopping Rs five crore by Delhi Capitals while veteran Yuvraj Singh remained unsold from among the first set of players who went under the hammer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction here.

Delhi also bought all-rounder Hanuma Vihari for Rs 2 crore while West Indians Shimron Hetmyer were bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, respectively for Rs 4.20 crore. Another Caribbean star Carlos Brathwaite went for Rs 5 crore to the Kolkata Knight Riders.

KXIP also bagged the services of Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques for Rs 1 crore while the Sunrisers Hyderabad spent Rs 2.20 crore for English wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow and Rs 1.20 crore for India's Test stumper Wriddhiman Saha.

Meanwhile, besides Yuvraj, the other stars who went unsold are Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, New Zealanders Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Englishmen Chris Woakes, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan.

Aussie stumper Ben McDermott and India's Naman Ojha also failed to find any buyers from among the eight IPL franchises.

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While 1003 players had initially registered, the final list has been pruned after the eight franchises submitted their shortlists of players.

According to a BCCI release, with Rs 2 crore as the highest reserve price, nine overseas players -- McCullum, Chris Woakes, Malinga, Shaun Marsh, Colin Ingram, Corey Anderson, Angelo Mathews, D'Arcy Short -- have opted to be slotted in the highest bracket.

Jaydev Unadkat, last season's top Indian grosser with a whopping final bid amount of Rs 11.5 crore, leads the pack among Indian players with a base price of Rs 1.5 crore.

Former Kings XI Punjab all-rounders Yuvraj Singh and Axar Patel have set their base price at Rs 1 crore.

With Rs 1.5 crore as the base price, Steyn and Morne Morkel will hope to return to action for the 12th season of the IPL.

Among the Indian quicks, Mohammed Shami has set his base price at Rs 1 crore while Ishant Sharma will invite the first bid at Rs 75 lakh.

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