Team Kolkata’s Strategy For The IPL

Kolkata Knight Riders - 2012 IPL Champions

The Indian Premier League is not all about the battles on the field. It is a fact that we do get to see furiously exciting battles among the top stars of the game on the field at almost every match. That is what essentially constitutes the beauty of the IPL: the scope of viewing the top stars in action and the exciting contests that arise when top stars are pitted against each other. However, on field action takes second place to the battle of wits that takes place across board rooms and team dressing rooms.

Yes, team strategy and planning is what essentially brings about success in this type of format. This format requires solid planning, last minute expertise, presence of mind and seamless implementation. Franchises have already invested in building up core think tanks comprising of top coaches, support teams, analysts and managers along with CEO’s or chief heads. The functions of these members are not to be underestimated. The success of any franchise depends on the particular goals and strategies underlined for the players. Proper planning is the key to success in any team oriented sport. The IPL is no different in this regard.

When we talk of team strategy, the IPL auction immediately comes to mind. Indeed, it is the auction that sets the tone for the proceedings as far as building team strategy is concerned. As a result, all franchises go in with a set strategy and plan of action ahead of the auctions. This, after all, determines their course of action for the entire IPL season. The 2014 IPL auction as most teams went in with a pre-determined strategy that yielded almost near perfect results with regard to their choices and management of funds. However, there have been doubts and anxieties among Team Kolkata fans relating to the choice of players.

Experts have doubted some of the strategies employed by the Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL auctions. This essentially relates to the choice of players and the astronomical sums paid for the same among other decisions. Some of these decisions are:

• The acquisition of Piyush Chawla for a huge INR 4.5 crores which is substantially more than his original base price of INR 50 lakhs 
• The retention of Yusuf Pathan for an astronomical amount when he has not been performing as well as expected over the past six seasons 
• The retention of an ageing Jacques Kallis for INR 5.50 crores when a steady all rounder like Corey Anderson could be bought
• The purchase of Robin Uthappa for INR 5 crores when another marquee player could have been bought 

Alongside, Kolkata has also faced a lot of flak for not bringing back Shami Ahmed who is the man of the moment as far as the Indian bowling contingent is concerned. They also let go off useful all rounders in Rajat Bhatia and Laxmi Ratan Shukla and a handy batsman in Manoj Tiwary. However, the bowling has been beefed up with the purchases of Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav and R Vinay Kumar among others.

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Team Punjab’s Winning Strategy For The IPL

Team Punjab has always been a late bloomer in the IPL in a manner of speaking. This team has struggled to put together a decent combination each year. Alongside, they have also struggled to get to the semi final stages, let alone winning the coveted crown. However, this season, this team bears a new look and is surely one of the strongest ones on paper. Kings XI Punjab has hit on a winning strategy for IPL 7, one that has been manifested at the auctions perfectly. The team had gone into the auctions with a good purse after having retained only the swashbuckling David Miller and uncapped Manan Vohra. They snapped up some very good players at the auctions.

The 2014 IPL auction did witness loads of drama and excitement and Kings XI Punjab owners were spot on with regard to picking up the pieces. They successfully bid for some of the best players in the Twenty20 format. If this team comes together and functions as a solid unit, it can give even biggies like Mumbai and Bangalore a run for their money. Here’s presenting the top picks made by the Kings XI Punjab outfit at the IPL auction.

All Rounders

All rounders are a necessity in the Twenty20 format. Not only do they allow for greater batting depth lower down the order, they also provide a full fledged bowler option for the skipper. When it comes to all rounders, Kings XI Punjab sprang a surprise by picking talented Rishi Dhawan for a staggering INR 3 crores. Alongside, it also snapped up the highly effective Thisara Perera for 1.60 crores along with other domestic talents like Akshar Rajesh Patel and Mandeep Hardev Singh for INR 75 lakhs and INR 80 lakhs respectively. Youngster Karanveer Singh was also picked up for INR 10 lakhs. However, the biggest purchase made in this segment was Glen Maxwell, the highly coveted Australian all rounder for a price tag of INR 6 crores. This was a fabulous buy for the Kings XI Punjab.

Bowling Attack

Kings XI Punjab have also built up a solid bowling attack. They picked up the highly in demand Mitchell Johnson for INR 6.50 crores. Johnson is in roaring form after the successful Ashes series and is one of the most feared fast bowlers in the world. He is also handy with the bat, something that will give the team a lot of depth down the year. To accompany Johnson, Punjab also bought a handy Lakshmipathy Balaji for INR 1.8 crores and South African bowler Beuran Hendricks for an equal amount. Sandeep Sharma and Murali Kartik were picked up for INR 85 lakhs and INR 1 crore respectively.

The bowling attack is further strengthened by the inclusion of Indian talents Parvinder Awana who was bought for INR 65 lakhs and Shardul Narendra Thakur who came for INR 20 lakhs. Anureet Singh was bought for an equal amount while youngster Shivam Sharma was bought for INR 10 lakhs.

Batting Line-Up

The highly coveted Virender Sehwag (INR 3.20 crores) and George Bailey (INR 3.25 crores) are complemented by Shaun Marsh (INR 2.20 crores), Wriddhiman Saha (INR 3.20 crores), Gurkirat Singh Mann (INR 1.30 crores) and Cheteshwar Pujara (INR 1.90 crores).

Punjab seems to have built a formidable team which looks well balanced ahead of the IPL. Are you a Punjab fan? Pick up all your desired team merchandise, jerseys, caps and other sporting gear online!

IPL News Updates Especially For You

The Indian Premier League or IPL as it is popularly known is one extravaganza that has always dazzled spectators and cricket enthusiasts all over the country. The IPL will soon be back in its seventh avatar and this has cricket fans all excited and curious ahead of the main event itself. The entire IPL and the events preceding the event are being followed eagerly on all mainstream media outlets including cyberspace. People are curious about teams, their compositions, auction news and information on all the controversies and mysteries surrounding this tournament.

There have been loads of controversies that have dogged the IPL for the past few editions. However, these have done nothing to impact the popularity of this premier sporting league. Rather, these have only added to the charm and aura of the tournament, with people increasingly curious about the true story behind the proceedings reported in newspapers. Overall, the tournament still offers a fabulous entertainment prospect for cricket fans. One can still expect those nail biting contests, the battles between global stars, the battles between franchises, the blooming of unexpected domestic talents and much, much more.

Off field entertainment has been taken to a whole new dimension altogether with the inclusion of special events for the live audience and television audiences as well with exciting prizes to be won. Other off field interviews and interactions with celebrity team owners and their star studded entourages, special sessions with star cricketers and other similar activities also keep both live and televised audiences hooked for more. As a result, there has been no dip in the IPL’s popularity. Rather, the Indian Premier League has only grown from strength to strength in recent times. Curious about the 2014 IPL auction or other updates relating to the IPL? We bring to you the latest developments in the IPL scenario.

The 2014 IPL may not be held in India after all. In what may come as a shocker to fans of the game, the IPL 7 edition may be shifted to an alternative venue if the elections are held all throughout April. The holding of elections would mean lesser security and other administrative and logistical hassles. South Africa is already being considered as an alternative venue and the South African board may already have assented to being a backup venue of sorts. As far as the IPL auction is concerned, Sri Lankan superstars missed the bus owing to their limited availability for the tournament owing to international commitments.

As a result, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Ajantha Mendis, surprisingly, found no takers when marquee players were auctioned on day 1. World number 1 Twenty20 batsman Alex Hales was also a top draw but went unsold as well. This is attributed to his somewhat unique contract clause with his county which only made him eligible to play for the IPL if he garnered the most lucrative deal. Alongside, in-form and in-demand players like Shami Ahmed and Corey Anderson went for relatively lower sums, i.e. between INR 4.25-4.50 crores while surprisingly Yuvraj Singh and Dinesh Karthik garnered the highest bids at INR 14 and 12.5 crores respectively! You can now be a part of the action in style. Pick up fabulous team merchandise and sporting gear online without any delay!

IPL Auction Day 2 News

The Indian Premier League has always been a much awaited event for spectators and cricket fans across the globe. The IPL will kick off its 7th edition in style this year and cricket fans were waiting with bated breath for the 2014 IPL auction and its results. The auctions took place over Wednesday and Thursday and were a nail biting event in a manner of speaking. There was a lot of drama and some surprises were in store for franchise supporters. There were some surprise omissions on day 1 and some really big buys as well. Franchises were mainly focusing on marquee players for the first day while the final day was reserved especially for domestic and unsold players for squad completion.

It was all about being the smart shopper on the second day of the IPL auction and in the end, Karan Sharma of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, got the highest bid of day 2, at INR 3.75 crores as he was brought back by his team. The IPL is gearing up to start in April and the choice of venues is a matter of contention. You can start preparing for the IPL in style by booking classy team merchandise, collectibles and autographed gear online. You can also pick up quality sports and fitness equipment online at affordable prices ahead of this year’s IPL. You can savor every moment of the IPL in style and be the envy of fellow supporters with a cool collection of sporting gear and merchandise. Alongside, when it comes to tickets, you can book them online in advance as well.

Here are some of the most interesting results of day 2 of the IPL auction:

• Manish Pandey was sold to the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 1.7 crores
• Domestic star Baba Aparajith was snapped up by the Chennai Super Kings for INR 10 lakhs
• Anirudh Srikkanth was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20 lakhs
• Vijay Zol went to the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 30 lakhs
• Delhi Daredevils successfully bid INR 1.6 crores for Mayank Agarwal
• Manvinder Bisla, on the other hand, was retained by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 60 lakhs 
• Talented all rounder Rajat Bhatia was sold to the Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.7 crores
• Sunrisers Hyderabad also bid 1 crore for KL Rahul
• Top gainer Karan Sharma was retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a staggering INR 3.75 crores, the highest on day 2 of the auctions
• Kedar Jadhav also made it big when he was brought back by the Delhi Daredevils for INR 2 crores
• The Kings XI Punjab also picked up Rishi Dhawan for a mindboggling INR 3 crores
• Wicket keeper batsman Aditya Tare went for INR 1.6 crores to the Mumbai Indians who also picked up Sushant Marathe for INR 10 lakhs
• The Kolkata Knight Riders also brought back Holland all rounder Ryan ten Doeschate for INR 1 crore

The Biggest Surprises Ff This Year’s IPL Auction

The IPL comes only once a year and is one of the most eagerly awaited events in the sporting world. It is the brightest star on the global sporting horizon. Franchise fans and supporters eagerly await the beginning of this mega cricketing event which begins in April each year and continues till much of May. The popularity of the IPL with regard to on and off field viewers cannot be denied, with it having a separate place of its own in the annual global cricketing calendar. The IPL brings together a fabulous mix of Indian and global cricketing superstars from all over the world. It is also a stage for local Indian talents to shine and make their mark at the international level. As a result, enthusiasts have been waiting with bated breath to hear about the results of this year’s IPL auctions.

The auctions have already concluded yesterday and there are some real big surprises that have left most of us quite bewitched, in a manner of speaking. The 2014 IPL auction was pretty high on demand what with frenetic contests and bidding wars among team owners and franchises for star players. Alongside, the IPL auction saw some talented global players going unsold strangely, in spite of having high base prices and decent track records. Some surprising omissions include Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene. We list some of the biggest surprises of this year’s auction below:

• Yuvraj Singh got the highest bid price of all time when the Royal Challengers Bangalore triumphed over the Kolkata Knight Riders and snapped up this dashing all rounder for INR 14 crores
• Dinesh Karthik came a close second with a staggering winning bid of INR 12.5 crores for this no-nonsense wicketkeeper-batsman. This is a huge boost to the career of this talented player who rarely gets chances to play for India owing to MS Dhoni being the primary wicketkeeper
• Kevin Pieterson was released and retained all over again by the Delhi Daredevils for about INR 9 crores or whereabouts
• Virender Sehwag went to the Kings XI Punjab for INR 3.2 crores while his former Delhi team mate David Warner went to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for upwards of INR 4 crores
• Piyush Chawla surprisingly, went to the Kolkata Knight Riders for a steep premium of INR 4.5 crores
• The Kolkata Knight Riders brought back Yusuf Pathan and Jacques Kallis for high prices, with the latter going for about INR 5.50 crores
• Mumbai Indians picked up star all rounder Corey Anderson for INR 4.5 crores
• Shami Ahmed, the latest bowling hero for the Indian team, went for INR 4.25 crores to the Delhi Daredevils who also picked up Bengal stalwarts Manoj Tiwary and Laxmi Ratan Shukla

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Day 2 Auction News Exclusively For You!

The IPL auction was eagerly anticipated by sports lovers and cricket fans alike as always. This tournament has always been the extravaganza to watch out for in the sporting world. It has dazzled spectators with its sheer excitement, exciting format and fabulous mix of on and off field entertainment. There were loads of surprises on day 1 itself as franchises totally ignored seasoned stars like Ross Taylor, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Ian Bell, Mahela Jayawardene and Murali Karthik among others. However, day 2 sprang quite a few surprises of its own too.

Here are the latest news updates from day 2 of the 2014 IPL auction:

• The highest bid for day 2 went to Karan Sharma who was retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad
• Kedar Jadhav also drew a huge winning bid from the Delhi Daredevils as he was snapped up for INR 2 crores
• The Chennai Super Kings bought Pawan Negi for INR 10 lakhs
• Ali Murtaza went unsold at the auctions
• Shahbaz Nadeem was bought back by the Delhi Daredevils for INR 85 lakhs
• The Royal Challengers Bangalore pitched in the base price for talented spinner Shadab Jakati
• Other players like Sarabjit Ladda and Bhargav Bhatt went unsold at the auctions too 
• Kolkata Knight Riders snapped up Kuldeep Singh for a sum of INR 40 lakhs
• The much in demand Ishwar Pandey was bagged by the Chennai Super Kings for INR 1.5 crore
• Rishi Dhawan was snapped up by the Kings XI Punjab for a mindboggling INR 3 crores
• Abu Nechim was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 30 lakhs
• Harmeet Singh Bansal also went unsold at the IPL auctions 
• Kings XI Punjab bought Sandeep Sharma for INR 85 lakhs
• The Mumbai Indians bought Jasprit Bumrah for INR 1.2 crores
• Rahul Shukla was bagged by the Delhi Daredevils for INR 40 lakhs
• The Rajasthan Royals paid a handsome sum of INR 1.10 crores for Dhawal Kulkarni
• The Royals also picked up Iqbal Abdulla for INR 65 lakhs
• Kevin O’Brien, surprisingly, went unsold at the auctions
• Chennai Super Kings also paid INR 30 lakhs for Mithun Manhas
• The Kolkata Knight Riders also bought Ryan Ten Doeschate for INR 1 crore
• Rajasthan Royals also picked up Kevon Cooper for his base price of INR 30 lakhs

Among other updates, Parvez Rasool got a winning bid of INR 95 lakhs from Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Rajasthan Royals paid a princely INR 1.7 crores for all rounder Rajat Bhatia. The Mumbai Indians also paid a handsome INR 1.6 crores for Aditya Tare while Manvinder Bisla was brought back by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 60 lakhs.

You can now celebrate the IPL in style with fabulous team merchandise and other autographed gear online. Buy some cool stuff at extremely affordable prices and flaunt your franchise colors with elan. You can also use this as an opportunity to snap up some cool fitness and sporting equipment online.

IPL Auction News For You

The Indian Premier League has been making headlines both for the right and wrong reasons. There is no denying that the Indian Premier League or IPL as the popular acronym goes is one of the most popular sporting properties at a global level. The IPL has always been the go-to cricketing event of choice for a large number of spectators globally. It has totally revolutionized the way the game is played. Twenty20 cricket has never been as popular as it is in the present day context. All the controversies and speculations surrounding the IPL have been laid to rest as the public focuses on the IPL auctions.

The IPL auction has always been a major area of interest for cricket fans and enthusiasts. People have been waiting eagerly for news of the auctions, the players bought by each franchise and the ultimate fate of their favorite global stars at the auction. The 2014 IPL auction did not quite disappoint and sprang quite a few surprises of its own. There was action, drama and suspense all throughout the first day of the auctions yesterday. Most of the franchises have snapped up a good collection of marquee players for this season of the IPL.

There were some record bids, many successful stars went unsold and there were quite a few surprises in store for franchise supporters. There was a bidding war between franchises for quite a few local and global talents. The end result does look promising and promises a fantastic season ahead. You can now gear up for the IPL auctions in style with cool team merchandise and other sporting equipment. You can buy loads of autographed jerseys, caps and other cricket gear online. You should also book your tickets online well in advance. IPL tickets usually start at INR 500 but go up to INR 20, 000 and even more for premium and VIP box tickets. These tickets are well in demand as they provide access to the after parties that are attended by cricket stars and celebrities.

Coming back to day 1 of the auction, here are some of the top updates:

• Yuvraj Singh got the highest bid price of INR 14 crores as he was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore after the Kolkata Knight Riders gave up at INR 13 crores
• Dinesh Karthik was snapped up by the Delhi Daredevils for a staggering INR 12.5 crores
• Mumbai Indians picked up dashing all rounder Corey Anderson for INR 4.5 crores
• Mumbai Indians also brought back India seamer Zaheer Khan into the fold for approximately INR 2.60 crores
• Sunrisers Hyderabad picked up swashbuckler David Warner to partner Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order
• In a surprising development, top all rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan went unsold at the auctions
• Indian pacer Praveen Kumar was ignored at the auctions too 
• Star Twenty20 batsman Alex Hales went unsold as a result of a clause in his contract with his county which only made him available if he got the most lucrative deal