"Champion of Champions" Chennai Super Kings

[ajaybaskar]

'Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata look the strongest'

http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2011/content/current/video_audio/496097.html

[hamid]

eppadiyum Hayden-a eduthuduvaanga illa?

[ajaybaskar]

Kashtamthaan

[hamid]

Hayden illenna romba kashtamaakidum Ajay

[19thmay]

Why Hayden was not in auction?

What about De Villiers??

[hamid]

ada,. vitta serthukkuviinga pola :hammer:

Hayden venumnu sonna tension aaki thread suudu pidikkumnu paartha ellarum ippadi respond panriingale.. :oops:

if there is one Player who almost screwed our chances in the last IPL it is Hayden only.. He should not come in at any cost.. :yes:

What do you guys think about our team? we all thought they did poorly at the auction right? but the final outcome seems to be more satisfactory.. who are the better teams as of now?

[sathya_1979]

VJ
Hussey
Raina
Dhoni
Badri
Albie
Bravo
Ashwin
Tyagi
Bollinger
Jakathi

5 Batsmen
2 All-Rounders (Bravo and Morkel)
4 Front-line Bowlers (2 Pacers and 2 Spinners for Indian Tracks)
1 Part-Time Spinner in Raina

Excellent Combination. Back-up: Styris for Morkel in some matches where the pitch is slow. His bowling suits such type of pitches

[hamid]

Was Jakati in Team already?

[ajaybaskar]

No.. He is yet to be signed... For the last 3 seasons, he was in the team.

[sathya_1979]

The team I mentioned above is under the assumption that we will sign Jakathi. Shud be a very gud buy

[sathya_1979]

-repeat post-

[sathya_1979]

-repeat post-

[hamid]

as per IPL laws, the player can decide which team he wants to play. mostly he will prefer CSK only I belive.. There is no reason for him to goto other franchisee unless there are some undertable dealings..

[hamid]

Sathya, understood.. athukku een ivvalo kovam?

[hamid]

This is the team for the next three editions right? are WI/ENg players not available for all three years? why are they not picked? Gayle should have been picked at least.

Feel sorry for Lara.. pesaama irunthu irukkalam.. can he become a coach/mentor for any team? I think he will.

[ajaybaskar]

Konjam tension'ah submit button amukkittaaru pola..

[sathya_1979]

Sathya, understood.. athukku een ivvalo kovam?
kOvamlaam illeeng, browser problem. ellaa postum 2-3 times post aagudhu :)

[sathya_1979]

y me tension? :roll:

[hamid]

Konjam tension'ah submit button amukkittaaru pola..

:lol:

Sathya :cool2:

[hamid]

Can any international players be bought outside the auction if anyone have a slot free? ( for ex: nethu kolai verila adichaane oruthan)

[sathya_1979]

avan batta pudikkaradhE maram vettura maadhiridhaan irukkaan! But, shots were good.

[directhit]

Nalla velai csk exhausted their overseas quota of 10 players, or we might have bought the mongoose as well :twisted:

[sathya_1979]

No Hayden pls

[hamid]

:rotfl:

annan DH ippozuthu Hayden pathi naalu nalla vaarthaikaL pesuvar :noteeth:

[Plum]

This is the team for next 2 years vonly. Option to extend to 3rd year rests on mutual agreement between team and player.

[directhit]

:rotfl:

annan DH ippozuthu Hayden pathi naalu nalla vaarthaikaL pesuvar :noteeth: :twisted: but ipl 2010 avanoda failures forgiven for that catch off 19th over 8-)

[hamid]

Are you sure Plum? I think it is for 3 years.

If few players wish to stay in the team and few dont what will happen? those who dont want to continue will goto auction pool?

[hamid]

:rotfl:

annan DH ippozuthu Hayden pathi naalu nalla vaarthaikaL pesuvar :noteeth: :twisted: but ipl 2010 avanoda failures forgiven for that catch off 19th over 8-)

saary .. maranthu pochu :oops: entha match ? yaar catch?
Only thing I remember is Dhoni thalaiyilaye thattikittadhu :lol2:

[directhit]

they can be transferred... its only mandatory 2 years

[directhit]

:rotfl:

annan DH ippozuthu Hayden pathi naalu nalla vaarthaikaL pesuvar :noteeth: :twisted: but ipl 2010 avanoda failures forgiven for that catch off 19th over 8-)

saary .. maranthu pochu :oops: entha match ? yaar catch?
Only thing I remember is Dhoni thalaiyilaye thattikittadhu :lol2: :twisted: :twisted: u shud be terminated from MS fan club :hammer:

[hamid]

Itz a good idea to open with Hussey.. he might not blast initially, but he wil provide some solidarity which can be utilised by Raina/Dhoni/Morkel(Bala mannikkavum) later..

We need to find out a proper slot for Badri. last time he was used very badly.. hope they identified that problem and have some solution.

[hamid]

:rotfl:

annan DH ippozuthu Hayden pathi naalu nalla vaarthaikaL pesuvar :noteeth: :twisted: but ipl 2010 avanoda failures forgiven for that catch off 19th over 8-)

saary .. maranthu pochu :oops: entha match ? yaar catch?
Only thing I remember is Dhoni thalaiyilaye thattikittadhu :lol2: :twisted: :twisted: u shud be terminated from MS fan club :hammer:

:D

actually naan MS fan club-ku applicatione podala.. rendu sidelayum antha maathiri sonnanga.. naanum sarinnutten :noteeth:

[hamid]

sari.. coming back to the question.. which position will Badri bat? is it a good idea for him to open? any other position seems to put pressure on him actually.

[hamid]

and Vijay needs to correct himself very soon.. he is throwing his wicket every time.. he has all the shots.. if he play by placing a price on his wicket he can be very dangerous..

[hamid]

our bowling doesnt look that much impressive.. Bollinger was good in initial matches last year.. but later he was also giving more runs.. and cant expect the same Ashwin magic this time.. He was releativeluy new last year.. maybe teams know how we wil use Ashwin and figured out a way to handle..

[directhit]

:rotfl:

annan DH ippozuthu Hayden pathi naalu nalla vaarthaikaL pesuvar :noteeth: :twisted: but ipl 2010 avanoda failures forgiven for that catch off 19th over 8-)

saary .. maranthu pochu :oops: entha match ? yaar catch?
Only thing I remember is Dhoni thalaiyilaye thattikittadhu :lol2: :twisted: :twisted: u shud be terminated from MS fan club :hammer:

:D

actually naan MS fan club-ku applicatione podala.. rendu sidelayum antha maathiri sonnanga.. naanum sarinnutten :noteeth: :o sari indhaanga video :P http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnWxAWU1_VQ

[directhit]

Badri opening aa :notthatway:

opening slots...
Saha with Vijay
Vijay with Bailey (he was useless last time though)
Hussey with Vijay (I prefer this the most)

[sathya_1979]

option 3 is the best

[hamid]

sari..Badriya vachikittu enna panrathu? we had this problem last time too..

[directhit]

yeah...

Hussey
Vijay
Raina
Badri
MSD
Morkel
Styris/Bravo
(TBB - another bowler/spinner pref)
Ashwin
Bollinger/Hilfenhaus
Tyagi

if that flaasafy guy can bowl and bit decent we can have him in 11 and take out morkel (or styris) and get in saha..

[19thmay]

Styris below Mokel? I thought he is a descent middle order batsman.

[directhit]

yeah Styris ought to go above him - ur rite...

[19thmay]

Hussey and Vijay as a opening batsman avvalo sirappa illaye. Saha-ku badhila Mccullum-a eduthrukalaam.

[19thmay]

Hilfenhaus is a brilliant choice. :thumbsup:

[Plum]

The problem with this team is there are a lot of competitors for a #3 or #4 batsman who will come in, play himself in and then go blast in the last few overs
1) MS Dhoni
2) Hussey
3) Badri - minus the blast part in the last overs, although he can atleast do 50% of Dhoni/Hussey's blasting if he avoids trying the cute reverse shots.

Even Raina sometimes needs to play himself in.

Vijay - actually not the blaster on the top. Except for that 127, he either gets out early for a bombastic 20 or needs Raina to blast at the other end so he can play a supporting role.

On the balance, Raina takes #3 for his overall versatility to play situations. That I can see clearly. Otherwise, a little bit of flexibility is needed based on current form.

If Dhoni can rediscover the inner "Saurabh Tiwary" in him, it will be a bonus for this CSK team.
Saha - I dont think he is an option unless Dhoni cannot keep. Even then, he is lightweight as a batsman.

M Vijay
??
S Raina
M Hussey
MS Dhoni
Badrinath - with the understanding that he is there to rebuild when the top order fails, and provide reasonable ballast for a reasonable total. In scenarios where instant acceleration is required based on good top order platform, promote your all-rounders. And dont feel you have wasted him in the team because you are keeping him in the team for a different scenario.
Morkel/Bravo - will come in earlier depending on situation and will have a brief to go for ballast.
???
???
Ashwin
Bollinger/Hilfy
Jakati/Spinner

I think Morkel and Bravo can both play with their role being to blast out from the word go. If they fail in the role after a significant number of matches, then bad luck. Better luck next year.

Opening partner to Vijay can be Saha/Abhinav/Arun Karthik/Anirudh/whoever. A quickfire 15 on an average from this player should be considered a success - with the burden consciously placed on Raina/Hussey to play themselves in and provide ballast in the end as their role.

[Sourav]

they can try saha in 1 or 2 matches... he is not that bad... his T20 s.r is good. 132.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/279810.html

[Plum]

Yeah, but the expectation from him should be a quickfire 15 on an average. If yes, and he can keep well, then that's worth trying.
If we start evaluating him on "oh he averages only 15 and never goes on to score big", that will be a problem.

The idea is that he gets that 15 3/5 times. The 2 times he fails, We have raina and hussey to consolidate and blast. If they manage it atleast once out of the two opportunities, 80% of the matches go per your plan. For a captain/coach, that is half the battle won.

[vanchi]

Vanchi:"Flaasify" :rotfl:
MA flaasaphyA?

athe athe :lol:

[vanchi]

yeah...

Hussey
Vijay
Raina
Badri
MSD
Morkel
Styris/Bravo
(TBB - another bowler/spinner pref)
Ashwin
Bollinger/Hilfenhaus
Tyagi

if that flaasafy guy can bowl and bit decent we can have him in 11 and take out morkel (or styris) and get in saha..

:exactly: opening mattum flexible irukkum pola.

[lawmani]

Good points Plum,DH,19thmay and Sourav.

I would love to see CSK play attacking brand of cricket this season. Like champion teams do. Don't worry about losing games.

MVij
MHus/Anirudh
SRai
Badri
MS
Styris/Bravo
AMor
RAsh
SJak
Bolli
STya/Hilfy

Against MI(strong batting), we should go in with both hilfy and bolli and bring in anirudh in place of MHus

[Vivasaayi]

Opening slot should goto hussey and can let him build his innings.

Considering that top rated bowlers will be bowling in the first 4-6 overs..we need someone classy like Hussey to get past that period with a decent score and then the players to follow can make use of second grade bowlers.

If vijay is going to be given this role..then anirudh srikanth is a better option to open and get some quick runs

[raajarasigan]

Anirudh Srikkanth CSK'la eduthuttaingala... andha maadhiri ethum news illaye... :roll: pin gate vazhiya vandhuttaana,,.

[Vivasaayi]

raajarasigan,

Anirudh and all by default will be playing for chennai

[directhit]

Hayden will be with CSK, not as a batsman - but another role - maybe a mentor role - adhaan flem irukkare ?! :?

[Plum]

N'Srinivasan to Cheeka:
Adhaan unnai brand ambassadora vechurukkomla. Anirudhai pona varusha dressoda vandhu training attend panna sollu. Adhukkellaam thaniyaa payment edhir paarkadhe

[ajaybaskar]

[tscii:77536ad101]Retaining players was the key: Fleming
Tuesday, Jan 11 2011

By Stephen Fleming
(Coach, Chennai Super Kings)

As I sit in Bangalore airport waiting for my flight back to New Zealand, I get the chance to reflect on what has been an amazing couple of days. I must confess the whole experience has become a bit of a blur with players names, stats and budgets being the order of the weekend that also involved planning each session, targeting each player, the thrill of the chase and finally the buy with the resounding thump of the auctioneer’s hammer.

I have to say I am delighted with the team we have been able to put together. We made no secret of the fact we wanted to keep as many of our players as possible and if able to strengthen other areas to make us a competitive side in all conditions.

I think we have managed that and whilst disappointed to lose Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and Bala (Lakshmipathy Balaji), we must congratulate them on commanding such good prices and wish them well with their new franchises.

As you can see by the make-up of our side, we have most areas covered. We were lucky to be able to retain four key players and this then formed the basis of our buying strategy.

Mike Hussey at the top to continue his partnership with VJ (Murali Vijay), Bravo and Styris join Albie in the all-rounder category to give us options and skill through the middle stages of an innings and Ben Hilfenhaus, Kulasekara and Dougie Bollinger to provide the grunt in the engine room.

Randiv takes over Murali's spot which is a tough ask, but something he is capable of doing especially with Murali as a mentor in Sri Lanka, and finally the back-up batting with Bailey and Du Plessis.

Without doubt, the biggest challenge of this auction was the buying of local talent. There are two key aspects for teams in the IPL, one of them is leadership and the other is the strength of the Indian players in your squad. The fact that we were able to retain the skipper, VJ and Raina gave us a huge advantage as we set out to buy our local boys back, but it was still challenging as some of the prices that were reached were staggering.

We were always going to hunt Ashwin after his stellar finish to lPL-3 and then his great form in the Champions League, but we were very unsure how much it was going to cost. However, once we lost we lost Murali, we just had to go all out. In the scheme of things, $850,000 is a steal!

Badrinath was the other player that created a high price, but his value to the side is immense. We ask him to perform many roles within our talented batting line up and he provides the glue when things are coming unstuck. He has been an underestimated player by many opposition sides, but certainly his value is well known to his Chennai team-mates.

The job is to now fill the squad with our local talent and as Kasi (Viswanathan) and the team look to do this, I hope we are able to add the name Jakati to our team. He is going to be a key player this season and I look forward to seeing him back in Yellow alongside Randiv and Ashwin.

Another thing I am rapt about is the retention of our management team. This is a great group to work with and their work often goes unnoticed, but I can tell you now it is one of the most important parts of any successful side.

All in all, it was an amazing experience and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Working with MD, Guru (Gurunath Meiyappan) and the rest of the team to reconstruct another strong Super Kings side was challenging but immensely enjoyable.

I now look forward to getting the side together, playing great cricket for our fans and working hard to defend our title of IPL champions
[/tscii:77536ad101]

[raajarasigan]

NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan says he will miss his previous IPL team Chennai Super Kings and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni but is excited to play for Kochi franchisee, the new entrants in the Twenty20 league.

Muralitharan, who had played a crucial role in CSK's title-triumph in IPL 3 and Champions League last year, was been signed up by team Kochi for $1.1 million at the two-day auction in Bangalore.

"I played with them for three years and have several happy memories with the team. My wife is also from Chennai and she is upset with this change but it happens in the game. I will miss Chennai, my teammates and miraculous captain Dhoni," Muralitharan said.

"Chennai had the excellent captain, a wonderful team and tremendous support. We enjoyed playing for them and last year was memorable in which we won the IPL and Champions league. I have taken a lot of wickets for them," said the veteran, who has 515 ODI and 800 Test wickets in his kitty.

"Kochi is a new venture and we will have new captain and new targets. I am quite excited about this. We will start afresh and try to give our best. I hope to have home like atmosphere in Kochi as well. I hope that people will understand my language (Tamil) in Kochi also," he added.

The spin wizard, who took 40 wickets in 40 matches for Chennai in last three seasons, said he wants to extend his IPL career for a few more years.

"I want to play IPL for the next two or three more years. I will try to perform with best of my abilities and experience. Team Kochi has put so much faith on me and I will not disappoint them," said the ace off spinner,

Talking about Kochi's combination of players, Muralitharan said they need some more young Indian guns.

"Kochi has experienced players like Mahela Jayawardhane, Brendon McCullum, VVS Laxman and Sreesanth. Now it is necessary to have some talented Indian youngsters," he said.

When asked about now CSK spinner Suraj Randiv's wish to learn the art of Doosra from him, the ace bowler said that he is willing to share his experience with the young bowlers.

"Suraj is a good bowler and future of Sri Lanka Cricket. Definitely I will give him important tips. Rather than the franchise, he is the one who will be benefited by playing for them. I am willing to share my experience and knowledge with everyone," said Murali.

Asked about his future plans, he said, "You don't know what is there in store for you. I will be involved with cricket for sure but not as a coach with any national team. May be at a shorter scale."

Talking about the snub the IPL franchisees meted out to Saurav Ganguly and Sanath Jayasuriya, he said, "This is franchise's decision. I don't know what is their thinking and calculations. I am also surprised but they are great players and will remain that."

Muralitharan, who quit Test cricket in July 2010, said it is his dream that bids adieu to ODI cricket with another World Cup Trophy in his hands.

"We are playing in the sub-continent. India will be the hot favourites but Sri Lanka is also a good team and we have played well recently. I hope that we can win the tournament which is my last one.

"I am happy that my name is there in the team. I want to bid adieu with the title triumph. I consider myself lucky as I was the part of 1996 winning team also," he said.

[ajaybaskar]

Murali.. :-(

We will definitely miss you..

[ajaybaskar]

Opening slot should goto hussey and can let him build his innings.



From Fleming's interview, it looks like Hussey will open with Vijay

[lawmani]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/aus2020-10/content/image/496321.html?page=1

Way to go GBailey 31 (19) :thumbsup:

[lawmani]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNiuMsEKp0Q

Mr. Cricket

[Plum]

NS alleged to maintian 3 clubs in chennai club scene and fix matches among them. It is also alleged that vijay cc players are favoured generally for ranji(and other clubs of NOUS). How true is this?
Does anyone know the club breakup of chennai ranji team?

[satissh_r]

NS alleged to maintian 3 clubs in chennai club scene and fix matches among them. It is also alleged that vijay cc players are favoured generally for ranji(and other clubs of NOUS). How true is this?
Does anyone know the club breakup of chennai ranji team?

True, back in the 90s it was a straight battle between the SPIC group and IC/Chemplast groups with MRF taking sides intermediately but post 2000 it has been all IC. They have about 4 first division sides and constitute about 90% of the Ranji side.

[ajaybaskar]

Jakati to remain with Chennai Super Kings

PANAJI: Shadab Jakati is among the six uncapped players who are being fiercely wooed by various franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but the Goa spinner is unlikely to change his stripes.

With the dust over the auctions now settling down, franchises have turned their attention to the uncapped players. There are plenty of them available in the market but none the more impressive than Jakati, who had a significant role to play in Chennai Super Kings' triumph in the IPL and the Champions League.

"I have not signed for any franchise at the moment. Hopefully you should hear from me in the next couple of days," said the all-rounder, Goa's most successful bowler in the Ranji Trophy.

Jakati along with Manish Pandey, R Satish, Ambati Rayudu, Siddharth Trivedi and T Suman are understood to be the leading names on several franchise's wishlist.

"I hope we are able to add the name Jakati to our team. He is going to be a key player this season and I look forward to seeing him back in Yellow alongside Randiv and Ashwin," said Chennai Super Kings coach, Stephen Fleming.

Fleming was pleased with the team's acquisitions at the auctions but needs no reminding that it will be the uncapped players who will offer his team the balance that it craves.

"I have to say I am delighted with the team we have been able to put together. We made no secret of the fact we wanted to keep as many of our players as possible and if able to strengthen other areas to make us a competitive side in all conditions," said New Zealand's most successful and long-serving captain.

With repeated success for the past two seasons, Jakati has replaced Swapnil Asnodkar as the Goan face in the IPL. Asnodkar captured the country's imagination hitting big shots in the inaugural edition of the IPL, but since then has struggled to match his initial success.

Jakati, on the other hand, has gone from strength to strength, and based on the strength of his showing this season, it is no surprise that Chennai are pulling out all stops to snare the genial Goan all-rounder.

Meanwhile, it is still not clear if Rajasthan Royals would offer Asnodkar a contract extension. "I have not heard from them as yet," admitted Asnodkar.

The Royals, for the record, have already completed the signing of Aakash Chopra, Deepak Chahar, Ashok Menaria and Dishant Yagnik, all currently playing for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy final. Mumbai batsman, Ajinkya Rahane, has also signed on the dotted line for the inaugural IPL champions.

[ajaybaskar]

[tscii:454d9ac99a]Kings of strategy too

Chennai Super Kings has proved its mettle not only on field, but also off field by putting together a powerful team at the recent IPL auction.

While Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has largely dished out winning cricket on the field, it has been smart off the arena as well. The Indian Premier League's most successful team — CSK is the holder of the IPL and the Champions League titles apart from reaching the semifinals and the final of the first two editions — made plenty of right moves at the IPL Player auction in Bangalore.

The CSK plan was clear. It wanted to retain the nucleus of a winning team headed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and consolidate its gains. The side also desired a strong local flavour so that the Chennai crowd could ‘connect' with the team.

This explains why CSK retained opener Murali Vijay for $900,000 and bought back off-spinner R. Ashwin ($850,000) and middle-order batsman S. Badrinath ($800,000).

This strategy was in marked contrast to the approach of several other teams that opted for wholesale changes with very little local presence. Royal Challengers Bangalore, for instance, even let go power-hitter Robin Uthappa, a star cricketer from Karnataka.

A powerful batting unit, CSK managed to add more thrust to the pace bowling department. During the first three editions of the IPL, there were occasions when CSK appeared lacking in pace bowling depth. Let's focus on this critical area first.

Importantly, the side won back Aussie paceman Doug Bollinger for $700,000. Bollinger's left-arm angle and accuracy had been crucial to CSK's dramatic revival of fortunes in Season – III. Now, Bollinger will have compatriot Ben Hilfenhous' right-arm swing bowling for company with the new ball. Pace pairs of contrast often dent line-ups and this left-right combination of seam and swing could contain and sting.

A fuller length and movement in the air are valuable assets in Twenty20 cricket and Hilfenhous might just prove the man CSK seeks. In fact, it picked Hilfenhous at a very reasonable price of $100,000. CSK's signing of Sri Lankan seamer Nuwan Kulasekara makes sense too. The disciplined Kulasekara comprehends the art of bowling on sub-continental tracks. He has excelled in the shorter formats.

The Chennai outfit also retained pace-bowling all-rounder Albie Morkel. The South African has struck vital blows with his right-arm pace bowling; Morkel can surprise the batsmen with speed, and has a deceptive short-pitched delivery.

The West Indian all-rounder, Dwanye Bravo, purchased at $200,000, is a versatile customer. His yorkers and change of pace might prove handy. Of course, domestic signings such as Sudip Tyagi and Joginder Sharma will have to contribute to the attack considering only four foreign cricketers can figure in the eleven. Eventually, we might not find more than two overseas bowlers in the XI. But then, greater depth in the pace bowling department — invariably impacted adversely by injuries — is not going to hurt.

On the flip side, Kolkata Knight Riders won Lakshmipathy Balaji from CSK. The Chennai side did attempt to retain the lanky paceman but was not willing to go as high as $500,000 that the Kolkata side eventually paid for Balaji. Finding a worthy domestic paceman from a pool of uncapped cricketers will be among CSK's main priorities.

In spin bowling, CSK went up to $1 million for off-spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan but eventually lost out to the Kochi franchise. The CSK, however, might not feel the loss for two reasons — Muralitharan is aging and Ashwin has excelled in the IPL with his two-way spin and the confidence to bowl in all situations.

CSK also made up for Muralitharan's departure by snapping up rising Sri Lankan off-spinner Suraj Randiv. The tall Randiv can get the ball to spin sharply and extract telling bounce. The hard-hitting South African all-rounder, Faf du Plessis, claimed by CSK for $120,000, is a handy leg-spin bowler.

Apart from Du Plessis, Morkel, Bravo and Scott Styris (bought for $200,000) lend balance to the side as multi-dimensional players. A fighting cricketer in an old-fashioned sense, Styris is essentially a back-up for Bravo. There is a question mark over Bravo's availability for the entire duration of the IPL given the West Indies' international commitments.

Batting powerhouse

CSK remains a batting powerhouse. The Chennai side held on to Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Vijay and Morkel, using up the maximum available limit of $4.5 million for retaining players without auction from a total purse of $9 million.

At the auction, CSK rightly bought back-in-form Aussie left-hander Michael Hussey for $425,000. Hussey can both rotate the strike with deft placements and find the gaps with punishing strokes. He will be an asset at the top of the order. Although different in his methods, Hussey will be the right replacement for the influential Matthew Hayden.

CSK does appear a solid all-round unit.[/tscii:454d9ac99a]

[ajaybaskar]

Stephen Fleming to be India's coach?

http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/35191/stephen-fleming-to-be-indias-coach

[ajaybaskar]

Plessis to make his international debut today..

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYrlw7-4sMs

Dwayne Bravo catch v Western Australia, 2010/11 Big Bash - 720p HD

[VENKIRAJA]

Flaasafy :victory:

[ajaybaskar]

Thanks for the share, AF.

That was a stunner!!!

[hamid]

any news on players signed by CSK?

[ajaybaskar]

Fleming dismisses reports to coach India after WC

http://cricket.ndtv.com/storypage.aspx?id=SPOEN20110167135&nid=80164

[hamid]

Why change kiristan? only his contract is coming to an end.. but they can renew it right?

[ajaybaskar]

Adhukku Kirsten oththukkanumae? He wants time to spend with his family it seems.

[hamid]

I was not following cricket news Ajay.. did he say he wants to quit? thats sad..

[19thmay]

Adhukku Kirsten oththukkanumae? He wants time to spend with his family it seems.

Very true, to be a BCCI team's coach you have to forget your family! 365 days cricket. :sigh2:

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2010/nov/291110-Gary-Kirsten-2011-World-Cup-Coach.htm

[Plum]

Adhukku Kirsten oththukkanumae? He wants time to spend with his family it seems.
Kirsten: idhu oru kuththamAyyA?!!

[ajaybaskar]

Breaking News: George Bailey can bat!! (http://www.espncricinfo.com/aus2020-10/content/story/498458.html?CMP=chrome)

[satissh_r]

Breaking News: George Bailey can bat!! (http://www.espncricinfo.com/aus2020-10/content/story/498458.html?CMP=chrome)

I watched this match on Star Cricket for a while, Bailey hit some sweet sixes and looked completely different from what we've seen of him. Travis Birt (I remember some franchise buying him) also hit a few big ones..

[ajaybaskar]

Has CSK signed Anirudh and Jakati? :shock:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2011/content/squad/495836.html

[ajaybaskar]

The other players who have also decided to stay with their former teams include left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati of Goa and Tamil Nadu batsman Abhinav Mukund. The pair played for Chennai Super Kings in the previous three years. Interestingly, Chennai was the only team which decided to stick to the winning squad it had built over the three years, fighting hard during the auction to retain most of the original squad. Chennai have also signed Tamil Nadu seamer Yo Mahesh, who was part of Delhi Daredevils' squad for the first three seasons.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2011/content/story/497685.html

[directhit]

kud, :clap: :clap: Mahesh bowled well in first edition of IPL... a better bet than pazhani

[SoftSword]

idhu yaru palani?

[directhit]

Pazhani Amarnath - avaru playin XI la irundhaal CSK kattayam win appadingra statistics kku sondhamaanavar :P

[ajaybaskar]

[tscii:26b038fa02]IPL CSK Players Squad List

MS Dhoni (retained)
Suresh Raina (retained)
M Vijay (retained)
Albie Morkel (retained)
R Ashwin – 0.85 Million USD (3.85 Crore INR)
S Badrinath – 0.8 Million USD (3.62 Crore INR)
Doug Bollinger – 0.7 Million USD (3.17 Crore INR)
Michael Hussey – 0.425 Million USD (1.92 Crore INR)
Sudeep Tyagi – 0.24 Million USD
Dwayne Bravo – 0.2 Million USD (90 Lacs INR)
Scott Styris – 0.2 Million USD
Joginder Sharma – 0.15 Million USD
Faf du Plessis – 0.12 Million USD
Nuwan Kulasekara – 0.1 Million USD
Ben Hilfenhaus – 0.1 Million USD
Wriddhiman Saha – 0.1 Million USD
Suraj Randiv – 0.08 Million USD
George Bailey – 0.05 Million USD
Shadab Jakati – Uncapped
Ganapathi Vignesh – Uncapped
Abhinav Mukund – Uncapped
Anirudha Srikkanth – Uncapped
Vasudevadas – Uncapped
Yo Mahesh – Uncapped[/tscii:26b038fa02]

[Sourav]

[tscii:579e1197e5]IPL CSK Players Squad List
Ganapathi Vignesh – Uncapped
[/tscii:579e1197e5] :clap:

[Sourav]

[Travis Birt (I remember some franchise buying him) also hit a few big ones.. :cool2: he is a daredevil...

[Plum]

[tscii:f00ee86ff8]IPL CSK Players Squad List

MS Dhoni (retained)
Suresh Raina (retained)
M Vijay (retained)
Albie Morkel (retained)
R Ashwin – 0.85 Million USD (3.85 Crore INR)
S Badrinath – 0.8 Million USD (3.62 Crore INR)
Doug Bollinger – 0.7 Million USD (3.17 Crore INR)
Michael Hussey – 0.425 Million USD (1.92 Crore INR)
Sudeep Tyagi – 0.24 Million USD
Dwayne Bravo – 0.2 Million USD (90 Lacs INR)
Scott Styris – 0.2 Million USD
Joginder Sharma – 0.15 Million USD
Faf du Plessis – 0.12 Million USD
Nuwan Kulasekara – 0.1 Million USD
Ben Hilfenhaus – 0.1 Million USD
Wriddhiman Saha – 0.1 Million USD
Suraj Randiv – 0.08 Million USD
George Bailey – 0.05 Million USD
Shadab Jakati – Uncapped
Ganapathi Vignesh – Uncapped
Abhinav Mukund – Uncapped
Anirudha Srikkanth – Uncapped
Vasudevadas – Uncapped
Yo Mahesh – Uncapped[/tscii:f00ee86ff8]

Kut team. Predominantly TN Ranji players. Bad news for CSK supporters - me suffort CSK fully this year.

[ajaybaskar]

Varuga!! :-)

[ajaybaskar]

Enna onnu, thambi Aushik'aiyum ulla pidichu potturukkalaam. :-(

[satissh_r]

Enna onnu, thambi Aushik'aiyum ulla pidichu potturukkalaam. :-(


T20 la ellam vendamnga, chinna payyan konja naal longer format la vilayadatum :)

[ajaybaskar]

Ada.. Andha paiyana ulla adutha mattum chance kodukkava poraanga. Paiyan konjam sambadhikattumenra aasaithaan. :-)

[satissh_r]

Ada.. Andha paiyana ulla adutha mattum chance kodukkava poraanga. Paiyan konjam sambadhikattumenra aasaithaan. :-)

Ippadi onnu irukko, okey okey :cool2:

[SoftSword]

Pazhani Amarnath - avaru playin XI la irundhaal CSK kattayam win appadingra statistics kku sondhamaanavar :P

??
edhachum matchla playing XI la irundhirukkara?? never heard of him.. yen doubt'na, en friendoda friend orutthan last year RCB'la irundhaan... he is a ranji player and he is from Palani.... peru sariya nyabagam illai....

[SoftSword]

me suffort CSK fully this year.

edha edhayo paathu paathu panni.. idhula koattai vittuttangale.... :lol:

[ajaybaskar]

Yes.. 2,3 matchla irundhaar. Ivar vilaiyaanda ella matchleyum CSK win. He was termed to be the lucky mascot of the team then. :-)

[ajaybaskar]

The right moves

Gurunath Meiyappan's visage gives little away. He's silent and tough, focussed and probing. His handshake is firm. He gauges the ambience and the protagonists, his eyes flicking across the room. Once Gurunath settles down, he relaxes. And, yes, he has the occasional smile of genuine warmth.

The 35-year-old often journeys from the reel world to the real one on a compelling highway. Hailing from the family of the original dream merchants of South Indian cinema, the iconic AVM Productions, he comprehends life's myriad hues.

A multi-dimensional personality, he has switched between two diverse sports —motor racing and golf — at a competitive level and employed the experience to telling effect while managing a cricket team.

Committed to goals

Commitment is the motif on Gurunath's canvas. As Team Principal of the Indian Premier League's most successful outfit, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he adds immense value to the side as its mentor. CSK sees motes of light in darkness, fights back from adversity.

The Chennai side made the final in Season1, entered the last four the next year, and bagged a unique double of the IPL and the Champion's League titles in 2010.

It has also walked away with the fair play award twice. “We play to win but want to do so in the right fashion,” says Gurunath.

He learnt much about possessing strong values while playing golf. “In a day's golf, you can discover much about a man's character — how he is as a person, and how he would do business. Everything,” he says.

Given that Gurunath has zipped around racing tracks in mean machines at Formula Asia, he understands the dynamics of the speedy Twenty20 variety and the need to retain equanimity during stressful times.

He is a familiar face in the CSK dugout as an island of calm in a sea suffused with emotions. The remarkable success story of the CSK, he points out, is as much due to the strong bonding in the team as dishing out enterprising cricket.

Team spirit has enabled the side negotiate sharp bends. Situations have thrown up heroes. And the wonderful chemistry between Gurunath, skipper Mahendra Singh

Dhoni and Stephen Fleming has been a key element.

Gurunath provides fascinating insights into Dhoni's qualities. “He's a strong but an uncomplicated man. He's captain cool, likes to keep things simple.”

Here, Gurunath reveals the difference of opinion between Dhoni and former CSK coach Kepler Wessels in Season 1. He travels back to a presentation by the South African ahead of CSK's semifinal against Kings XI Punjab in Mumbai.

“Dhoni said there was too much technique and theory by Wessels for Twenty20 cricket. On the team bus immediately after, he told (Muttiah) Muralitharan that he would bowl with the new ball. Murali was outstanding with a game-changing spell,” says Gurunath. Wessels left the next year and Fleming took over.

Indeed, Dhoni has been CSK's inspirational captain. “We really missed him when he was injured after the game in Kolkata last year. There was something missing in the side. When he returned, the team was on the road again.”

Harmony and cohesion

CSK's rise has been underlined by harmony and cohesion in the team management. Gurunath says, “Before every game, Dhoni, Fleming and I exchange our elevens at 5.45 p.m. (for the night matches).

Incredibly, there has never been a difference of more than one name in our teams!”

Gurunath dwells on Fleming's emphasis on planning and execution, his sharp cricketing mind. He goes back to the IPL auction ahead of Season IV. “Fleming and I spent countless hours in the lead-up to the auction. In the last three days, we conducted mock auctions, picked around 45 different combinations.”

CSK held its nerve, displayed clarity of thought. “We were guided by what we wanted while keeping an eye on rest of the franchises.”

Says Gurunath, “We bought back Michael Hussey again, ahead of Brendon McCullum, not only because the Australian is such a dynamic batsman but due to his excellent rapport with the team members. In fact, Murali Vijay confessed to me that he wanted to open with Hussey again.”

Gurunath describes off spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan as someone who can lift the side with deeds and words. “We went to up to $1 million to retain him but beyond that point we had to be careful with our money. However, R. Ashwin has developed rapidly and we had to make a choice. We covered our flanks and also roped in promising Sri Lankan off spinner Suraj Randiv.”

The side, Gurunath says, was interested in Dirk Nannes but settled for a more familiar left-arm paceman in the lion-hearted Doug Bollinger who made a difference in Season III. Pacemen Ben Hilfenhous and Nuwan Kulasekara were smart picks. Scott Styris and Dwayne Bravo brought all-round depth to the side. All through, money was spent wisely.

Gurunath is pleased about CSK's strong local connect. “We retained Vijay and won back Ashwin and S. Badrinath although we had to shell out more than we expected to. And there are promising cricketers around such as S. Anirudha. At some point, he could open the innings.”

There are challenges ahead and Gurunath eyes the future with optimism. He has been making the right moves — with a motor racing champion's guts and a golfer's patience.

[Plum]

There was an article on Dhoni n Hindustan Times last Sunday or Monday. One of those "Dhoniyin pazhaya classmate kURugiRAr" types. Fans might be interested. kedaichA link paNdrEn illainA nIngaLE thedikkOnga

[Plum]

On behalf of jackamla:
CSK is an Indian IPL team. They are based in Chennai. They won the Champions League and IPL in 2010. They are captained by MS Dhoni, who is also the Indian Cricket team captain. My name is jackamla...unfortunately, I became a mla rather than a ss(superstar)

[ajaybaskar]

Chennai: Former Australian opener and Chennai Super Kings batsman Matthew Hayden has not ruled out the possibility of being involved with the IPL outfit this season ahead of the upcoming IPL 4 in April this year.

In an interview with sify.com, the cricketer said that he is currently in talks with the CSK management, "discussing the possibility" of being "involved" with the team, possibly taking up a managerial (bench) role.

"I love being involved with CSK and I am going to miss being part of the team (this season)," he added.

The cricketer who recently retired from all forms of international cricket spoke fondly of his stint with the Chennai team. The left-hander credited the cricketing "infrastructure and network" in the city, management and team in helping him "feel the same way" as he did playing for Australia.

The player who was here in the city to launch his book, Standing My Ground, holds CSK and Indian captain MS Dhoni in high regard.

"He (Dhoni) is a special cricketer. Plays with little fuss and has a lot of patience," he said.

When asked who he thinks are this year's favourites for the World Cup, the cricketer said that there is not one, but three favourites --- India, Sri Lanka and Australia --- for the coveted Trophy.

"I love India, but I naturally want Australia to win (the World Cup). I don't want to go to war with 25 million people," he quipped, referring to his nation's population.

The player, who describes India as "the melting pot of different cultures", credited the IPL and his CSK teammates for helping him understand "the complicated and beautiful" India better.

"The IPL brought many nationalities, cultures together. It broadened my understanding of the country and the kind of cultural differences that exist in it," he added.

The Australian also said that the future of Indian cricket is safe in the hands of upcoming youngsters.

"The likes of Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli are hungry cricketers, hungry to succeed and play well for India," he said.

When asked about his decision to play with the Mongoose bat during last season's IPL, the cricketer said he always favoured such new innovations to the game and quipped about being told by captain Dhoni then to not use it.

"He (Dhoni) told me, 'You can have any bat in my kitbag, and he has like 20 of them, if you don't use that (the Mongoose)'," he quipped.

Asked if paceman Dale Steyn scared him into retirement during his last Australia-South Africa series, the cricketer jested, "all bowlers scare me a little, but I retired in my heart well before that series".

http://www.sify.com/sports/ipl4-matthew-hayden-in-talks-with-csk-for-bench-role-news-cricket-lcdlvjjaade.html

[Plum]

He (Dhoni) told me, 'You can have any bat in my kitbag, and he has like 20 of them, if you don't use that (the Mongoose)'," he quipped.

This year Dhoni's message to Hayden will be:
You can pick any role from cleaning my bat to carrying my kit bag :)

[ajaybaskar]

Chennai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be figuring in a fresh initiative along with his IPL team, the Chennai Super Kings in a comic book series specifically targeting the team’s young fans.

Also featuring in the comics series are Dhoni’s Super Kings team-mates Suresh Raina and Michael Hussey, according to Rakesh Singh, the head of Marketing of the Chennai outfit.

The book will contain 40 pages and is priced at Rs 40 each with an initial print run of 40,000 copies. The book will hit the stands coinciding with the start of the Indian Premier League-4 season in April this year.

“The idea is to catch them young. This is targeted at children below 10 years as our popularity in that segment is very high. These comics will touch them more than anything else,” said Rakesh Singh.

Following their consistent performances through the three seasons of IPL apart from achieving a rare “double” of winning both the IPL and the Champions League last year, the Super Kings are attempting to leverage the growing fan base.

To this end, the Super Kings offer some 20 merchandise items like key chains, caps, T-shirts and mugs through their website and retail outlets.

Mumbai-based advertising company Cartwheel Creative Consultancy Pvt. Ltd is writing the script and producing the series. It has tied up with India Book House for nationwide distribution of the comics.

The inaugural edition of the comic series is called Lion of Chepauk in which Dhoni rescues a street puppy that goes on to become the team’s lucky mascot.

It is likely that eventually, the comics series will be published in Hindi, Tamil and other regional languages depending on the popularity of the English version, said Ramki D Ramakrishna, founder of Cartwheel Creative.

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/news/images/edbf8eb5-ba39-4ca2-9e5a-afd3d73ab62b.jpg

[ajaybaskar]

The street running down the eastern side of the MA Chidambaram Stadium is called Bells Road. A number of gates leading into the stadium are situated on that stretch. The area was abuzz from the morning with fans gathering and the cops were pressed into service earlier than expected.

Diehard fans in India blues, vendors with the Tricolour, faces painted in saffron and green - all signs that mark a match featuring India were visible and traffic was thrown out of control. This was well before 11 am, while the gates were supposed to open only at noon.

Sudheesh is a college goer. He was there in the crowd and didn't have a ticket. “Looking for one,” he said. But how would he get one, given that all were sold out? He had reason to be hopeful.

There was another boy of around the same age who too had come without a ticket. He got a R 100 ticket for R 500 thanks to the thriving black market business near the Chepauk railway station.

The Wallajah Road approaches the stadium from the southern side. It’s dotted with sports goods stores, which were doing good business too. Bats or balls were not in demand, but India jerseys were. Priced at R 200 each, they were going out steadily, said a person managing a shop called Sachin Sports Goods.

The store that usually sells more Chennai Super Kings yellows than India blues has seen a rise in demand for the latter in the last few days. “Lately, it's been from 10 to 20 everyday,” said the shopkeeper.

There was frenzied interest from the morning and by 1 pm, chaos had descended. Fans of all shapes and sizes made a beeline to the gates, some chanting 'India' and many others 'Dhoni'. The India skipper is a home boy after all, thanks to his Chennai Super Kings link.

[raajarasigan]

Ajay, any idea about the renovated MAC stadium? :-) Cricinfo mentioned that it was adelaide-like, spacious and also extended very near to the beach.

[ajaybaskar]

Apdiyellam onnum illa. 4 chairku paint adichuruppanga. Udane adelaidu, manalmedunu kapsa vuduvaanga!!

[SoftSword]

// ajay edho kisu-kisu parava vitrukeengalaam... nammala ellam kandukradhe illa... :evil: yaaru avar edhachum clue kudunga

[ajaybaskar]

"Aaru arivu" irukkira yaarum idha guess pannalaam boss.. :wink:

[Dinesh84]

ithuku neenga avar perayae sollirukkalaam.. :-P

[SoftSword]

oh... purinjukittaen... madhavan'a?
adhu sari avar yaarkitta idhapatthi visaarichaar?

[satissh_r]

Nejamave Adelaide Oval parthu than MAC statdium redesign pannirukanga. At least oru 10000 seats extra va irukkum ippove, groundla kaathu ulla vara neraya provision koduthirukanga.

[ajaybaskar]

You went for the match, Satissh? :-)

[directhit]

A Finals in Chennai after 6 donkey years :clap: idhukkaagave IPL and T20 kku :bow:

[satissh_r]

You went for the match, Satissh? :-)

Illa Ajay, I know a few people in TNCA and they generally tell me all this :)

[ajaybaskar]

A rebuilt M.A. Chidambaram Stadium is ready to host four matches in the ICC ODI World Cup. What does N. Srinivasan, secretary and president-elect BCCI, have to say about the transformation?
Evening's different hues form a tapestry of light on the dome-shaped roofs that resemble giant umbrellas. The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium is sublime in its new avatar. Cricket's timeless venue is decked up for the big occasion.

Aesthetically pleasing structures have replaced what was once a concrete jungle. Breeze from the Bay of Bengal now flows through the large gaps between the stands. The ambience soothes one's senses.

Predictably, N. Srinivasan, secretary and president-elect BCCI, is a happy man. Known in the cricketing circles as a strong, tough-talking person, who gets things done, he is delighted with what his team has achieved.

Great team effort
Srinivasan, also the TNCA president, said, “I feel very proud that, collectively, we have managed to build such a wonderful stadium in Chennai. The TNCA is very fortunate to have men such as K.S. Viswanathan (secretary) and Murray Raghavan (infrastructure committee chairman) and their team that has done an excellent job to get the work finished on time.''

He added, “In a public body, you can get results if you have no other agenda. I have always followed that principle.”

This, easily, is the finest cricket stadium in the country, even better than the slightly compressed Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. The quality of construction and the facilities are truly world class.

The stadium, which will cost around Rs.192 crore when work is fully complete, is slated to host the four matches in the forthcoming ICC ODI World Cup, including the key clash between India and the West Indies on March 20.

Mr. Srinivasan said, “We have worked within a limited time-span and space. You will get the full picture once the pavilion is complete. We will take up that work after the IPL.”

Gone are the huge pillars that often blocked the view in the old stadium. The light state-of-the-art roof called Quad Conical Geometric Form is held together by cables imported from China. Bird Air, an American firm, is the designer, while engineers from Australia (from Tyio Membrane) have carried out the installation work.

There is more room and space in the stands; the chairs have been imported from Australia. And the entrances are dotted with sleek turnstiles, bought from Austria.

Importantly, ingredients, including CCTV, the latest fire fighting equipment, and emergency exits, enhance the security apparatus. As Srinivasan pointed out, a pathway circling the stadium makes it more accessible for the spectators.

Another feature of the stadium is that the boundary line can be spotted from anywhere in the stands. The stadium can, now, accommodate 38,000 spectators. This will increase to 42,000 once work at the TNCA pavilion and the MCC stand is over. At present, Chepauk sports as many as nine new stands.

These consist of three tiers with the middle one, fully air-conditioned, being the Hospitality Box. Hopkins, England and Natraj & Venkat, Chennai, are the chief architects.

The media box can seat 200 presspersons; the journalists will be supported by Wi-fi, computers, printers, and scanners. The media conference hall can accommodate around 300 persons.

The stands are at a gradient of 36 degrees. By international standards, this is not too steep. The enclosures at the venue in Cape Town have a gradient of 45 degrees.

Of course, with sea breeze flowing into the ground, the players too will receive some respite from humidity. The dynamics of a contest will also be altered; the pacemen could achieve more swing while the spinners have a better chance of getting the ball to drift.

Maintaining the re-constructed stadium, Srinivasan said, would be a massive exercise in itself. “We require a full-fledged team to ensure that the stands remain in the best possible condition.”

The stands gleam even as light bounces off the roofs. Then, a gust of wind refreshes body and mind. Cricket enters a new era at Chepauk.

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00479/17MP_MAC_STADIUM_479303f.jpg

[SoftSword]

is it the same stadium where the practice match happened?

[raajarasigan]

Yes..

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/image/501288.html?object=58008

[ajaybaskar]

http://p.imgci.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/129800/129823.jpg

[directhit]

veera thamizhan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_vPpM91G3c&t=120

[VENKIRAJA]

pona IPL maadhiri salabulajungs, sapplings, spoonlings aatam ellam hub-la indha thadavayum unda?

[Plum]

venkkiraja thambi, neerE mun ninRu idhu mAdhiryAna games nadatthalAmE...Gentleman Subasri mAdhiri

[directhit]

Styris tweets - Tim Southee is joining CSK, kud

[raghavendran]

i think we have so many bowlers..but he is a good choice..can bat a bit
btw eppo banglore csk matchuku booking open agudhunu edachu idea irukka?

[ajaybaskar]

Tim Southee replaces Dougie?

[directhit]

guess yes, coz we are already full on the foreign quota...

[ajaybaskar]

Then its better to open with Kulasekara. Southee's over pitched deliveries cost NZ the match yesterday.

[satissh_r]

Then its better to open with Kulasekara. Southee's over pitched deliveries cost NZ the match yesterday.

I thought he had a very good world cup, in fact even in y'days match he got NZ back in when they were losing the plot

[Bala (Karthik)]

guess yes, coz we are already full on the foreign quota...

:( shite, kizhinjidhu!

[ajaybaskar]

http://p.imgci.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/128600/128678.jpg

New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee has been signed up by the Chennai Super Kings franchise for the upcoming IPL season. Former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon, who is currently the fielding coach of the franchise confirmed the news of Southee's signing.

"It's good to have Southee on board, especially coming out of such a great recent tournament [the World Cup]," Rixon told Radio Live. "It's an absolute bonus for us at the moment to be able to get our hands on such a quality player. Tim's recent form over there indicates that he handles those conditions beautifully."

Despite New Zealand's semi-final exit, Southee is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in the World Cup with 18 wickets from eight matches. His inclusion will come as a boost to the Chennai squad who have been hit by the injury to Australian fast bowler Doug Bollinger, who was ruled out of the World Cup for Australia with an ankle injury that could require surgery. Bollinger was a key performer in Chennai's successful IPL and Champions League campaigns last year.

[ajaybaskar]

Looks like Upul Tharanga is the latest addition to the CSK team and Andy Bichel is the new bowling coach.

[directhit]

Tharanga how, replacing Bravo ?! nevertheless good choice to partner Vijay

[satissh_r]

Andy Bichel is the new bowling coach.

Happy about this part :)

[Plum]

TharangavA? avaru Dilshan pinnAdi oLinjukittu adikkaRadhai ellAM nambi EmARa vENAm.
Tharanga-Vijay combo - CSK urpptudum. I dont know why they are after fringe Lankan players when it has never worked for them - Kapu, Thissara, Thushara...

[ajaybaskar]

Andy Bichel appointed Chennai's bowling coach

Chennai Super Kings have appointed former Australia seamer Andy Bichel as their bowling coach, replacing Venkatesh Prasad who has moved to the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise. Bichel, 40, was Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling coach in the 2009 IPL, when the team finished bottom of the standings.

Chennai recently roped in New Zealand seamer Tim Southee into their squad. They continue to await news on the injured duo of Dwayne Bravo and Doug Bollinger, who both had to leave the World Cup midway.

[ajaybaskar]

Tharanga how, replacing Bravo ?! nevertheless good choice to partner Vijay

He is in for the injured George Bailey.

[ajaybaskar]

Chennai Super Kings ride on Dhoni charisma

New Delhi: When Chennai Super Kings picked their team in the 2008 auctions, it was as if they were plucking flowers from a garden in full bloom. Cut to 2011, and they will have a World Cup Champion, Champions League Champion and IPL Champion leading them into the fourth season of the Indian Premier League.

In 2008, they picked up contemporary stars like Dhoni, Mike Hussey, Matthew Hayden, Suresh Raina, Muttiah Muralitharan, etc. and looked the most balanced unit the league could get. After the first-match massacre of a hapless Kings XI team, with a record total of 240 runs, the team seemed to be on track for bigger honours, but there were mid-season jolts. However, Chennai had their set-belts tied and sailed through to the semi-finals - only to be beaten by a magical Rajasthan Royals team in the final of the inaugural event.

http://static.cricketnext.com/pix/sitepix/04_2010/msdhonichennai2_630.jpg

Going into the second season, the expectations were expectedly high. There was obvious hype and collective brilliance of the team ensured they ended second on the league table. But the law of averages got them in the semi-finals and a resurgent Bangalore Royal Challengers were too good for the previous year’s finalists.

By the third season, the chokers’ tag sat amiably on their shoulders. The Chennai Super Kings started their campaign disastrously with early losses but Murali Vijay’s purple patch and Doug Bollinger's near perfect bowling ensured a final berth again.

They knew the match was never going to be easy against a spirited Mumbai Indians' outfit but some bizarre decisions by the opposition and no-nonsense all-round performance by Dhoni's boys put the championship crown on their head. And then they double their silverware collection by winning the Champions League as well.

In the 2011 auctions, CSK took a sensible decision by retaining key performers Dhoni, Albie Morkel, Vijay and Raina while most of the other teams were busy planning a complete make-over. And the new additions to their camp included some proven stars and some intelligent buys; all in all, an intelligent make-up by the champion franchise.

While Dhoni will lead the pack, Vijay, Mike Hussey, Raina and Badrinath will form the core batting line-up.

Albie Morkel, Francois Du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo and Scott Styris are a bunch of all-rounders any team would envy.

Morkel has been an integral part of Chennai’s lower middle order and his lusty hits will be more than handy. Couple it up with his disciplined bowling and ask the South Africans what they missed during this World Cup.

Bravo’s move to CSK is a big boon and his former team Mumbai knows it too well and Du Plessis is talked about in the South African corridors for all good reasons of impeccable talent.

The bowling looks as sharp as the barber’s prized possession. The team of Bill Hilfenhaus, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ravichandran Ashwin and Bollinger/Southee should be good enough to turn the opposition bald.

And with players like Sudeep Tyagi and Shadab Jakati backing up, this will be the team to survive against.

With all the pros of new drafts and old survivors, the con of losing the big Matthew Hayden will be hard to hold down. Haydos is one of the players whose mere presence in the dressing room transpires confidence.

Agree nothing is immortal, but a World Cup-winning captain leading another champion side may just help the Chennai Super Kings conquer yet another peak.

Squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Subramanium Badrinath, Joginder Sharma, Sudeep Tyagi, Abhinav Mukund, Aniruddha Shrikant, Ganapathi Vignesh, K Vasudevdas, Shadb Jakati, Vijaykumar Yomahesh, (Foreign) Albie Morkel, Michael Hussey, Dwayne Bravo, Doug Bollinger, Scott Styris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suraj Randiv, George Bailey, Faf du Plessis

[ajaybaskar]

Chennai Super Kings stint helped Dhoni tackle Murali: Chandrasekhar

Mumbai: It was a critical decision by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to promote himself ahead of in-form Yuvraj Singh in the batting order during Saturday's World Cup final against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium.

He later revealed that it was because of his familiarity with Muttiah Muralitharan that he'd promoted himself above man-of-the-tournament Yuvraj. The Indian skipper, who has captained Muralitharan for three years in the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings, put his connection to good use in the summit clash denying the Lankan legend any wicket in his last international game.

Former India cricketer VB Chandrasekhar, who is CSK's director of operations, lauded Dhoni's tactical move. "It was a strategic and well-thought decision from Dhoni.

"He knew exactly what he was doing. He wouldn't have batted up the order if a left-arm spinner was bowling. "Dhoni thought he would be the best man to tackle Muralitharan as he has worked closely with him," Chandrasekhar told MiD DAY yesterday.

The gamble payed off as Dhoni thundered his way to a Man of the Match-winning knock of 91 to steer team to a historic victory.

"I have played a lot with Murali and I know his doosra well. He knows it too. I put pressure on him," said Dhoni in his post-match conference.

Chandrasekhar said Dhoni always backs his decision.

"He has taken many such decisions in the past and he has many times been successful. He is an impact player and always backs his decision," said Chandrasekhar.

[ajaybaskar]

Tilaknagar Industries Sponsors Chennai Super Kings

Mansion House Brand Official Cheerleader Sponsors for Team CSK for 3 years

Mumbai-based Tilaknagar Industries Ltd. (TI) – leading manufacturers of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) is now the official cheerleader sponsor of the IPL team Chennai Super Kings. This will entitle TI to leverage its brand – Mansion House to sponsor the cheerleader costumes and also get to brand the podium at all the stadiums where these cheerleaders will get stationed during the IPL matches. The IPL season begins from April 8, 2011.

In addition, the sponsorship will now entitle TI to leverage all of CSK’s brand communications into its marketing initiatives during this period of association as part of the engagement.

“It gives us immense pleasure to be associated with probably the best team in the IPL circuit. We see this engagement as the beginning of a new chapter in our corporate identity and are excited to leverage the association of a 75 year heritage of TI with the reigning superstars of the IPL circuit. I am confident that the engagement will add immense value to our businesses,” said Amit Dahanukar, Chairman & Managing Director.

About Tilaknagar Industries Ltd: Tilaknagar Industries Ltd. (TI) is an India-based company operating in the alcoholic beverage industry. The Company's products include whisky, brandy, gin, rum and vodka. It currently has more than 40 brands across a diverse range of price and product segments and an ever growing, loyal customer base. TI markets its products across a large number of southern states in India and is gradually assuming a pan-national presence. It also exports its products to Western Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and Caribbean countries. Recently, it has bagged the ‘Best Business Partner of CSD-Liquor Category' Award and ‘World Star Award’.About Chennai Super Kings: Chennai Super Kings is a franchise cricket team based in Chennai that plays in the Indian Premier League. The team is captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coached by Stephen Fleming. They are the current holders of the IPL trophy, having won the 2010 Indian Premier League. They were the runners-up of the inaugural season and semi-finalists of the second edition and are the only side to make it to the semi-finals in all the three editions of the tournament. The Super Kings have qualified for two Champions League tournaments, firstly the 2008 edition, although the tournament was subsequently cancelled, and the 2010 tournament of which they became Champions.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/tilaknagar-industries-sponsors-chennai-super-kings/431013/

[SoftSword]

nadakkuradhellaam paattha... namakkum csk'kum edho pona jenmatthu bandham irundhirukkum pola...

[directhit]

:? .............

[raajarasigan]

nadakkuradhellaam paattha... namakkum csk'kum edho pona jenmatthu bandham irundhirukkum pola..."alcoholic beverage industry" - itha solreengala :mrgreen:

[SoftSword]

"alcoholic beverage industry" - itha solreengala :mrgreen:
paandian: sila visayangala solla mudiyum. sila visayangala solla mudiyaadh.

[Siv.S]

Annan and Kutti thala reached Chennai... :)

[lawmani]

Annan and Kutti thala reached Chennai... :)

Thalaaaaa!

[Kalyasi]

Vaanga Lawmani... IPL ku IPL vanthu darisanam thareenga...

[hamid]

Good News.. Bollinger is fit for IPL :bluejump:

[ajaybaskar]

Bollinger proves fitness for IPL

Australian fast bowler Doug Bollinger insists he is fit and ready to play a key role for defending champions Chennai when the Indian Premier League starts this month.

Reports emerged from the subcontinent last week saying Bollinger had not recovered from the foot complaint which forced him to withdraw from Australia's World Cup campaign last month.

The 29-year-old left midway through the tournament with a posterior impingement in his right foot, but he managed to avoid surgery and was able to get through a testing session last Friday to prove his fitness.
Advertisement: Story continues below

The reports indicated New Zealand's Tim Southee would take Bollinger's place at Chennai - but the fiery left-armer is happy to note the Kiwi will be his teammate, rather than his replacement.

And together they will play a crucial roles in helping Chennai defend their title.

Bollinger admits he is likely to miss their opening two fixtures against Kolkata and the Kings XI Punjab, with a view to being 100 per cent for their third match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

"I had a bowl last Friday and came through the session with no pain at all," Bollinger said.

"Since being back in Australia I've followed my doctor's instructions to the letter and we're really happy with how the ankle has responded.

"All going to plan I hope to be (fit) for game three, if not sooner.

"Last year playing for Chennai was an amazing experience (becoming IPL champions).

"I'm really looking forward to catching up with the boys again and going all out to defend our title."

[hamid]

Guys,
any plans to watch the match live in Stadium? anybidy watched the world cup match in stadium please share your views about the experience, the stands etc..

LM,
How is the stadium? How is the experience of watching a match live? Any idea of the difference between ABC lower (priced 500 Rs)/GHI lower (prices 1200 Rs) stands?

[ajaybaskar]

Randiv ready to perform for Dhoni now

CHENNAI: The euphoria (or the disappointment) hasn't died down yet. But all those who gave their hearts out in the World Cup are already getting ready for another challenge ahead - the Indian Premier League.

Suraj Randiv is one of those who got a chance to play the World Cup final in Mumbai on Saturday and came very close to getting the wicket of Gautam Gambhir which could have turned the game in Sri Lanka's favour.

The catch was dropped in the deep, the World Cup was lost, and now the offie has to play under the man who dashed their World Cup dreams - MS Dhoni - for Chennai Super Kings. But Randiv understands that's part-and-parcel of modern-day cricket.

"Dhoni played an excellent innings and we have to take our hats off for the way he approached the game. He is a brilliant player and I am looking forward to playing under him," Randiv told the TOI on Monday from Sri Lanka.

He, along with Nuwan Kulasekara and Upul Tharanga, will join the CSK squad on Tuesday night and will start practising from Wednesday. "It's good that the three of us will be together ...(Muttiah) Muralitharan did great things for CSK over the last three years and now we've to keep the good work going," Randiv said.

The offie, who is being seen as Muralitharan's successor in Sri Lankan cricket circles, is looking to use all the tips that he has got from the legend to help CSK do well in the forthcoming IPL.

"Murali is a magician, I know I am not as good as him. But I know I have a lot of responsibility, both for CSK and for Sri Lanka.

"I had a long chat with Muralitharan on how to go about it in IPL. He has told me how to bowl in grounds where there are short boundaries and where there are long boundaries ... He has told me about bowling at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which he knows very well. I will surely try to use all those when I go out to bowl in the yellow jersey," Randiv added.

Did Murali say anything after the World Cup final, his last international match in Sri Lankan colours? "We were all sad that we couldn't give Murali the World Cup as a retirement gift ... But then, all of us knew that we tried our best, just that India were better on the night," the offie, who flew in to play the final as a last-minute replacement after Angelo Matthews was ruled out due to an injury.

The team cheered up quite a bit after they reached Colombo on Sunday, where they were greeted by fans. "It was good that the fans acknowledged our efforts. The ovation we got really touched each one of us and spurred us on to do better things for Sri Lanka in the future," Randiv said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/specials/Randiv-ready-to-perform-for-Dhoni-now/articleshow/7870807.cms

[directhit]

:rotfl: ............

[raajarasigan]

IPL konjam late'a aarambichirukkalaamo.. :think: 5 naal than aaguthu.. evlo contradictions...

[ajaybaskar]

Dheem Tharikita promo - Chennai Super Kings underground Anthem


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi3spcUMkJ4

[Plum]

Randiv ready to perform for Dhoni now
:lol: - a la Yuddham Sei?

[ajaybaskar]

http://static.cricketnext.com/pix/sitepix/03_2010/chennaisuperkings1_630.jpg

[SoftSword]

http://static.cricketnext.com/pix/sitepix/03_2010/chennaisuperkings1_630.jpg

adhukku enna ippo?

[ajaybaskar]

Yov,

Appadithaan post'uven.. Ippo innaanra?

[SoftSword]

panakkaara vargam vaazhga!!
adhigaara dhushprayogam vaazhga!!! :)

[directhit]

very nice squad... infact pala match saha velayadi MS veliya okkandhukkalaam :D

Team
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Suresh Raina
Murali Vijay
Wriddhiman Saha
Ravichandran Ashwin
Subramanium Badrinath
Joginder Sharma
Sudeep Tyagi
Abhinav Mukund
Aniruddha Shrikant
Ganapathi Vignesh
K Vasudevdas
Shadb Jakati
Vijaykumar Yomahesh
Foreign
Albie Morkel
Michael Hussey
Dwayne Bravo
Doug Bollinger
Scott Styris
Ben Hilfenhaus
Nuwan Kulasekera
Suraj Randiv
George Bailey
Faf du Plessis

[ajaybaskar]

IPL IV: Dhoni hopeful of retaining IPL title

CHENNAI: A new-look Mahendra Singh Dhoni, shorn of hair following the World Cup triumph, looked set for another conquest as captain of the Chennai Super Kings team who he believes has the firepower to retain the Indian Premier League (IPL) title.

The Super Kings, winners in 2010 along with the Champions League, have retained most of the players with the notable exception of the legendary off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who was bought by Kochi Tuskers at the auction in January this year.

The IPL begins Saturday with Chennai Super Kings hosting Kolkata Knight Riders. The match is slated for an 8 pm start at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

"The new team is quite good. Like I always say, it's not about how good the team looks on paper, but it's what we do on the field that is very important.

"I always say that the fitness of the players is the key. Players do struggle during the course of the IPL. If all the players are available for selection, then it is a very good side.

"Quite a few of them will be missing due to injuries and international commitments. Once we get together, we will be very good.

"The batting line-up is as good as last year - Vijay, Badri, Raina, myself and Albie. Du Pless has come in, we have the all-rounders and Mr. cricket (Mike Hussey) will also join us. Overall, it's a very good batting line-up," he said.

Regarding Muralitharan's absence, Dhoni admitted the Sri Lankan would be missed.

"We will miss Murali. He had great influence in the dressing room. We knew that once the auction happened, we will miss a few key players.

"Once people were out of our pocket, we found it difficult to hold them back. We have to start all over again, but the core team is virtually the same," he said.

Team owner Gurunath Meiyappan, said: "We have been very professional in the way we handled our team. This year, we have kept our core team and hope to do well.

"We have been one of the most consistent sides in the IPL so far. Our focus on the basics has paid us rich dividends and our brand of cricket has won us global admirers.

"Our team has not needed any major changes and our core group remains the same. We have tremendous faith in our boys and under our inspirational captain. We expect them to scale bigger heights."

Coach Stephen Fleming said: "With most of our players being in action during the ICC World Cup, lack of match practice will not be an issue.

"Playing the best teams in the world and in our home grounds is the best build up any player could hope for. We are quietly confident of our prospects and will play like true champions.

"Our core team remains the same and we look forward to another successful run in this year's tournament too."

The Super Kings have on board Gulf Oil as a new sponsor for three years along with Aircel, which is the main backer.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/ipl-iv-dhoni-hopeful-of-retaining-ipl-title/articleshow/7884113.cms

[directhit]

The Super Kings have on board Gulf Oil as a new sponsor for three years along with Aircel, which is the main backer.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/ipl-iv-dhoni-hopeful-of-retaining-ipl-title/articleshow/7884113.cms softsword - :wave:

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00522/6IN_THSWS_DHONI_522674f.jpg

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (right), Chennai Super Kings owner Gurunath Meiyappan (centre) and Stephen Fleming at a CSK press conference in Chennai on Wednesday.

[19thmay]

Are they planning to change the shirt color?

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/images/players_mainimage.jpg

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/gallery/2011%20Chennai%20Super%20Kings%20team%20launch/GalleryImage/fcdb9ea6-5690-4d86-bbd9-6caf1b8d6ee0.jpg

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/gallery/2011%20Chennai%20Super%20Kings%20team%20launch/GalleryImage/56a34394-6aee-4662-9a9b-035d559f93af.jpg

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/gallery/2011%20Chennai%20Super%20Kings%20team%20launch/GalleryImage/4abe9edf-f1e5-4b05-b0b0-4b90473e2feb.jpg

[raajarasigan]

Koo is he? engeyo paartha maadhiri irukku :think:

[directhit]

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/gallery/2011%20Chennai%20Super%20Kings%20team%20launch/GalleryImage/4abe9edf-f1e5-4b05-b0b0-4b90473e2feb.jpg that black dress uniform a edukkalaam... but chennai veyyil la :lol2:

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/gallery/Back%20to%20Work!/GalleryImage/OriginalImages/ec164688-5a02-4deb-864d-9720ad716d81.JPG

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/gallery/Back%20to%20Work!/GalleryImage/OriginalImages/574ede64-aa27-45ce-bc3e-ce9b465875fa.jpg

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/gallery/Back%20to%20Work!/GalleryImage/OriginalImages/50844bd6-b738-4e7a-9f5c-2f9285aeceba.JPG

[SoftSword]

softsword - :wave:

enne udu bekku magaa!

[directhit]

RR - Dino Morea

[19thmay]

But this manja sokka is not good. Change the color ya!

Btw I am going to watch this first match @ chepaaak.

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/user/Wallpaper/800x600/Wallpaper_A1Medium.jpg

[ajaybaskar]

Looks like Albie is in hot form.. :-)

http://www.espncricinfo.com/rsadomestic-2010/content/story/509783.html

[sivank]

hi ajay

how do you think the team will be for friday match. btw, are they telecasting in youtube like ipl 3

[directhit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BVmkZrYQ6s&feature=player_embedded

[directhit]

hi ajay

how do you think the team will be for friday match. btw, are they telecasting in youtube like ipl 3 sivan anna, this time not in youtube, it is going to be live telecast (HD) in www.indiatimes.com

[ajaybaskar]

I believe that after 2,3 matches, the big guns will opt for rest. No youtube telecast i guess. U shud rely on other streaming sites.

[VinodKumar's]

Looks like Albie is in hot form.. :-)

http://www.espncricinfo.com/rsadomestic-2010/content/story/509783.html

Super appu. Dhoni oda nambikai natchathiram minnatum :)

[SoftSword]

Murali Vijay
Mike Hussey
Suresh Raina
Badhrinath
Dhoni
Anirudh
Faf du Plessis
Albie Morkel
Ashwin
Bollinger
Tyagi


possible?

[VinodKumar's]

SS , Bollinger lethu. Injured. athuku bathila thaan Southee.

Pesama intha Plessis payala opening eraki vidalam :P

[directhit]

Murali Vijay
Mike Hussey
Suresh Raina
Badhrinath
Dhoni
Anirudh Vignesh ai edukkalaam
Faf du Plessis
Albie Morkel
Ashwin
Bollinger this might be southee till bollinger joins us
Tyagi YoMahesh bowls well as well

possible? Bowling department which was our weak link in prev editions now looks v.good

[SoftSword]

our weak link in prev editions bowling now looks v.good

yaru weak link?
and somewhere i read that bollinger showed match fitness for ipl...

[SoftSword]

oh bollinger, thrid matchla irundhu dhaan varaar pola... appo

Murali Vijay
Mike Hussey
Suresh Raina
Badhrinath
Dhoni
Anirudh Vignesh ai edukkalaam
Faf du Plessis
Albie Morkel
Ashwin
Southee
Tyagi YoMahesh bowls well as well

[SoftSword]

i guess dhoni will play the inaugural match and after that he would take rest for a week.

[sivank]

Hilfenhaus is out of action

[sivank]

I would like that against Abinav Mukund should be tested against some sappa teams during the tournament. They can rest Hussey to bring Kulasekara who was murdering Indian bowlers at the WC final

[sivank]

It is doubtful whether Hussey will be playing on Friday due to Aussie trip to Bangladesh

[sivank]

'World Cup best build-up for IPL' - Fleming
ESPNcricinfo staff

April 6, 2011

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'Lack of match practice will not be an issue' - Stephen Fleming © Getty Images

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Related Links
Players/Officials: MS Dhoni | Stephen Fleming
Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League
Teams: Chennai Super Kings | India

The IPL closely following the World Cup has meant that the franchises' squads have not had much time to prepare as a unit, but Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said that it also means the players can hit the ground running.

"With most of our players being in action during the World Cup, lack of match practice will not be an issue," he said. "Playing the best teams in the world and on our home grounds is the best build-up any player could hope for. We are quietly confident of our prospects. Our core team remains the same, so we look forward to another successful run [Chennai are the defending champions]."

Captain MS Dhoni also said he is pleased with the team composition, but a lot will depend on players' fitness, with key players like Doug Bollinger and Dwayne Bravo currently on the injured list. "The new team is very good. But I have always maintained it's not about how good the team looks on paper, but how we're doing on the field. If everyone is fit and all 24 players are available for selection, it's a very good side."

Chennai retained Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Albie Morkel and M Vijay from the first three seasons' squad and bought back Michael Hussey, Bollinger, R Ashwin and S Badrinath, among others, during January's auction. New players in the squad include Faf du Plessis, Bravo, Suraj Randiv, Ben Hilfenhaus, Scott Styris and Tim Southee, while the biggest loss remains Muttiah Muralitharan who will play for Kochi this season.

"We have Vijay to start off, and Badri, me, Raina, Albie, Du Plessis … Scott Styris is an allrounder. Michael Hussey [who is in Bangladesh with the Australia team] will also be joining us shortly," Dhoni said. "So I think we have quite a few players who can get runs when it matters. Murali is a great cricketer, a very good influence in the dressing room, with plenty of ideas. We'll definitely miss him. We'll also miss Balaji [who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction]." Chennai play Kolkata in the opening IPL match on April 8 at home.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

[sivank]

sivan anna, this time not in youtube, it is going to be live telecast (HD) in www.indiatimes.com
thanks anoop, ajay :smile:

[satissh_r]

I somehow feel Dhoni would want a break from WK during IPL and we may opt for Saha to do the opening till Hussey comes back. Saha's form in the domestic T20 (Syed Mustaq Ali Tournament) was very good this year albeit they were in the middle order

[vanchi]

balanced side:smokesmirk:

[SoftSword]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BVmkZrYQ6s&feature=player_embedded

lousy song....

[directhit]

yeah... for a moment i thought that was the anthem song and was worried :oops: then heard the one by Blaaze; sounds nice :D

[Sourav]

vicky should open the innings with vijay i say....

[Siv.S]

vicky should open the innings with vijay i say....
ada popa naamalum 2-3 varushmaa ithai than sollittu irukkom.. antha paiyanukku luck illai.. ippavum bench theikka vittuduvangannu than thonuthu :(

[directhit]

i was very surprised to not see him get even a single game under Dada!!

[Plum]

Dada odhukki vechArnA, destiny is against him0nu dhAn arhtham. Dada's exiles, right or wrong, have never flourished in Cricket. (e.g.) Murali Kartik. avar levelukku avar international cricket career pOchu. Vignesh levelku IPL career kUda kedayAdhunnu nenaikkaREn..

[ajaybaskar]

Dhoni's Super Kings all fired up to face Gambhir's Knights

CHENNAI: It will be a classic case of 'friends turning into foes' when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clash with Gautam Gambhir led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening match of the IPL on Friday, less than a week after the duo guided India to their historic World Cup triumph in Mumbai.

As the cash-rich Twenty20 cricketing extravaganza gets underway at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, it will be the beginning of new era sans Lalit Modi, who was the face of the event during the first three editions.

Also this will be the first time that the league will feature 10 teams with the inclusion of Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

It will be there for all to see how the BCCI organises an event where Modi used to have a final say in every aspect. The former IPL commissioner and vice-president of BCCI has since then been suspended and now has taken refuge in London after the cricket board pressed numerous charges of corruption against him.

After a hugely successful Players' Auction which saw some of the young Indian players commanding astronomical prices, the Chirayu Amin-led IPL governing council will now look to capitalise on India's World Cup triumph which has definitely upped the stakes by manifold.

Coming back to tournament, defending champions CSK will certainly start as the overwhelming favourites against a team that hasn't been able to cash in on its enormous fan following across India, thanks to its principal owner Shah Rukh Khan.

After having failed to make it to the semifinals during the last three editions, the KKR management led SRK and co-owner Jay Mehta have gone for a revamped side with Gautam Gambhir at the helm and T20 specialist Yusuf Pathan as one of the marquee players.
With Kolkata's favourite son Sourav Ganguly no longer a part of the team, it will be a big challenge for Gambhir and his boys to start winning and get the cricket crazy Kolkatans rooting for them.

The bigger challenge will be to get past CSK who have inarguably been the most consistent team during the last three editions with one championship, one runners-up and a last four finish. The biggest strength for CSK has been their ability to retain the most of their core players save Muttiah Muralitharan who will don the Kochi jersey.

Having retained Dhoni, Suresh Raina, local hero Murali Vijay and South African all-rounder Albie Morkel, the home team bid successfully to retain spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, prolific run-machine Subramanium Badrinath, Australian Michael Hussey which gives their batting a formidable look.

The Indian captain is, however, the one who believes that it's more about the on-field exploits than the reputation on-paper.

"Our team is quite good. Like I always say, it is about what we don-field is more important than how the team looks on paper. Fitness is the key during a long tournament like IPL. If all the players are fit and available for selection, it is a very good side," Dhoni said.

The skipper was all praise for his team's batting line-up.

"The batting line-up is as good as last year. Badri, Raina is there and South African Faf du Plessis has come in. We have all-rounders and Hussey will also join in. Overall it's a very good batting line-up," he said.

Dhoni however played down the pressure factor although there is a lot at stake.

"IPL is not about less pressure. Batting slots are decided according to situation. When all are shuffled up and down the order, it's according to the situation. Batting slots from 1-3 is fixed. Then it's me or Badri. Anuruddh is batting very well for us. If we have to change the batting order, everyone has to be comfortable about doing it."

For KKR, it will be a make-or-break year. Gambhir, who hadn't exactly fired with the bat after the first edition of IPL will like to carry the confidence of his World Cup success into IPL. Also, he would like to showcase leadership skills and justify his USD 2.4 million price which was the highest during the auctions.

With the likes Brett Lee, Shakib al Hasan set to join after the Australia vs Bangladesh, KKR will depend on a lot on veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis, explosive English batsman Eoin Morgan to put up a solid show.

Apart from Gambhir and Yusuf, some of the domestic players to watch out for in the KKR squad will be Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary, former captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia, left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdullah, seamers L Balaji and Pradeep Sangwan.

[SoftSword]

prolific run-machine badri :)

[Plum]

BAdri domestic matchla soorappuli Softie. nejamAvE run machine dhAn. IPL-la vERa vishayam

[Plum]

But indha muRai I think Vijay and Badri will flop badly. Hope Kochi picks them for next season.

Dinesh - washed out career already
Badri - washed out
Vijay - in the processs of being washed out
Ashwin - As long as Bhajji is there, no hope

ippO pudhusA bandwagon hop paNNa TN cricketer-E michcham illai. hmmm....ok, vERa vazhi illai - kamaan Anirudh!

[SoftSword]

BAdri domestic matchla soorappuli Softie. nejamAvE run machine dhAn. IPL-la vERa vishayam

irukkalaam plum, aana enakku therinju pona season'la avar 98% balls wicket'ku pinnaala dhaan vlaandaar.

[Plum]

Yeah, IPL record vERa vishayamnu sollittEnE. Badri mudinju pOna kadhai. indha varushaththOda tata dhAn. Benefit year mAdhiri nenaichu vuttuduvOm for his services to TN Cricket

[SoftSword]

Yeah, IPL record vERa vishayamnu sollittEnE. Badri mudinju pOna kadhai. indha varushaththOda tata dhAn. Benefit year mAdhiri nenaichu vuttuduvOm for his services to TN Cricket

badhri'kooda moderate'a panniduvarnu thonudhu.... avaru mela irukka expectations - 28* to 48 runs dhaan...
aana enakkenavo avan pattaya kelappuna moonu match thavira mattha match ellaam paatthadhukku apram, avan avlo periya appaatakkar maadhiri therila... konjam over-rated madhiri theridhu.

[Siv.S]

Dhoni press meet paathen.. avaru Badri than most important batsman in the squad tone la than pesinar.. ada unmaithanga.. batting line-up list ye Badri vachu than start pannar..but comedy ennnanna... badri ( vera yaaraivathu kettarannu theriyala) CSK la irukkaralannu pakkathila irukkira manager kitta confirm pannikittaru.. :lol:

[SoftSword]

siva summa kelappaadha...
print adikka kudutthirundha badhri'yoda pudhu t-sirtu sattai print aagi vandhiruchanu kettaaaru.

[Sourav]

playing XI: my pick.
vj
vicky/anirudh
raina
badri
dhoni
plessis
morkel
southee
kulasekara
jakati
ashwin

Aus players will not avail for first 3 matches right?

[sathya_1979]

no Kulasekara pls, namma oor pitchula Kula bowlinga pichchi eduthiduvAnga

[Plum]

Kulasekaraazhwar to Yusuf Pathan - medeival mahmuds of ghazni vs indian temples mAdhiri Agi pOyidum - sooraiyAdal

[kid-glove]

Mukund/Vignesh ought to be considered for playing XI. Then season would be another success. ;)

[Siv.S]

Ok you guys compared football club with cricket teams.. CSK yaaru, Barcelona thaana ? ;)

[sivank]

siva, you can compare very easily csk with barcelona. Really low key but functions as a unit

[kid-glove]

Barca low key? They're arrogant bunch of whingers, cheats and lack of fair play. Their brand of football is superb however!

Can't think of any football team (past or present) That could be compared to CSK, tbh!

Anyway,

Madurai veeran dhanE for Dhoni compilation :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt5s_VPuiXo


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt5s_VPuiXo

[sivank]

Hi Kg,

ofcourse what u say is correct. I just meant in the sense that comparing with other very successful teams they are maintaining a low key profile. you don´t hear any sort of scandal about their players etc.

[kid-glove]

Hi Kg,

ofcourse what u say is correct. I just meant in the sense that comparing with other very successful teams they are maintaining a low key profile. you don´t hear any sort of scandal about their players etc.

Barca's scandals go under the radar because whatever Pro- is Sport/El Mundo Catalan media manifested, and all anti- is put down to Madridista led Marca. How they manage to get a player sent off in CL every year (be it Chelsea, Inter or Arsenal) by exaggerated dives/constant pressure on referee, or the recent drug scandal (needs closer inspection seeing Pep Guariola's own past, their club doctor's past, their superhuman high energy levels, & lot of barca players's past too) are all said to be 'conspiracy theories' from Madrid camp

[kid-glove]

IF there's any team in recent past that I'd compare CSK to, it'd be Dortmund 97. Sammer madhiri Dhoni-nu solrEn naan! Besides beating Zidane's Juve (much like Sachin's MI ). Fair play (compared to any other teams that have won CL.) Low key persona. Low key coach in Hitzfeld (much like Fleming). Etc etc

[kid-glove]

And of course, there's also yellow jersey :)

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucVv4lGDOuw&feature=feedu

[ajaybaskar]

Dhoni’s Super Kings Set for More Glory

The fourth season of the Indian Premier League starts this evening when Chennai Super Kings hosts Kolkata Knight Riders. The heroes of India’s World Cup final win, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir, find themselves on opposing teams as two of this year’s strongest franchises look to get early bragging rights.

Chennai Super Kings, last year’s champions, could become the first team to retain the title thanks to a strong batting lineup and improved bowling attack after adding Nuwan Kulasekara and Tim Southee, the New Zealander who had a great World Cup, ending as 12th man in the ICC’s team of the tournament.

Kolkata Knight Riders spent big at the IPL auction in Bangalore, securing the services of new captain Gambhir for a record sum of $2.4 million. Gambhir wasn’t particularly inspiring for the Delhi Daredevils last year but he has some good support in this new-look side, which no longer features local boy Sourav Ganguly, who is affectionately known as Dada (big brother). But the team is still brimming with batting talent such as Eoin Morgan, Jacques Kallis, Ryan ten Doeschate, the first Dutchman to play in the IPL, and big hitter Yusuf Pathan.

Chennai has maintained a similar-look team to last year, while Kolkata has opted for wholesale changes. All eyes will be on Dhoni and it will be interesting to see how popular Chennai becomes now that the Indian captain has brought the India glory at the World Cup.

When it comes to popular players, nobody is more adored than Sachin Tendulkar. Watching the IPL last year in Delhi, it was striking that local fans in the Indian capital were actually rooting for the Mumbai Indians in a match against Delhi Daredevils, simply because they wanted to support Tendulkar.

The Little Master is captain of the Mumbai Indians, another strong team that has retained a nucleus of players from last year’s run to the final. Kieron Pollard is fun to watch when he’s in the mood, while Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh are top bowlers that will trouble opposing batsmen. The subplot in this team is the addition of Andrew Symonds, who had a high profile falling out with Harbhajan Singh in 2008. The two men will have to resolve their differences or else the Mumbai Indians’ dressing room could become even more argumentative than the comments section on YouTube.

Virender Sehwag leads the Delhi Daredevils this year, but he looks like a bit of a lone wolf in what is one of the weaker squads. Delhi does have Irfan Pathan, however, as well as South African bowler Morne Morkel, so the team is capable of upsets but its chances of winning the trophy are remote.

Rajasthan Royals, along with Kings Punjab XI, ended up in court last year and narrowly avoided expulsion from the IPL. Even with a watered down auction budget, the Royals managed to secure Rahul Dravid and the 2008 champions could rally from last year’s troubles, particularly with someone as gutsy and competitive as Shane Warne at the helm. There’s a strong antipodean-flavor in this squad, with Shaun Tait and Shane Watson, as well as New Zealand stars Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram.

Kings Punjab XI is led by another Australian legend, Adam Gilchrist, but the squad has been weakened by the withdrawal of two injured English players (as if there weren’t too few in the IPL already), Stuart Broad and Dimitri Mascarenhas. A pair of good Indian bowlers – Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar – add some bite, but this team is unlikely to challenge for honors.

Royal Challengers Bangalore contains Indian stars Virat Kohli and Zaheer Khan, the joint top wicket-taker at the World Cup, as well as that tournament’s top run scorer, Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan. Daniel Vettori is a good captain and the team also has South African wicket-keeper batsman A.B. de Villiers, who is one of the best players in the world, though he is carrying a niggling injury.

Deccan Chargers won in 2009 and got to the semifinals in 2010. The team, which looks like one of the strongest, will be led by Kumar Sangakkara, who performed wonders for Sri Lanka at the World Cup. Other international stars include South Africa’s J.P. Duminy and Dale Steyn, as well as England’s Michael Lumb who was a late pick at the auction. Lumb – an opening batsman – didn’t feature for England in the World Cup but he was a key player in the country’s march to T20 glory in the West Indies last year and is worth watching.

The two new teams will be eager to make a mark on the IPL and Yuvraj Singh, in particular, will be interesting to watch. Will he maintain the momentum in form that earned him the “Man of the Tournament” award at the World Cup? He captains Pune Warriors, and should get good tactical support from South Africa’s Graeme Smith. If Pune has success it could prompt a massive party with the fun-loving Yuvraj and Jesse Ryder in the team.

If too much alcohol is involved they’ll struggle to say this – Kochi Tuskers Kerala. This other new team is captained by Mahela Jayawardene, the World Cup final century-maker, who will be joined by countryman Muttiah Muralitharan as well as Indian stars like V.V.S. Laxman and S. Sreesanth. On paper, Pune Warriors looks the stronger of the two new teams, just.

Every team has its international stars, which is one of the key ingredients for the IPL’s success. Some of the biggest names of all will be playing tonight for Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, two of the strongest teams on paper. It wouldn’t be surprising to see these two facing each other again in the final in Chennai on May 28, and who would bet against a certain M.S. Dhoni hitting the winning runs for his team once again?

[sathya_1979]

Sennai Batting :redjump:

[lawmani]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-9KPOnSit4

Power lyrics!

Yeh Hamara Area, Andar Nahi Aana!

[Kalyasi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-9KPOnSit4

Power lyrics!

Yeh Hamara Area, Andar Nahi Aana!

Super Lyrics... Pattaya Kelaputhu...

[ajaybaskar]

DLF IPL - 2011 - Match01 - CSK vs KKR - Highlights

http://i56.tinypic.com/nbvfqg.jpg

http://www.fileserve.com/file/7MUge8w

[raghavendran]

neraya teams mokkaiya irukku...semis sappanu thonudhu..:D

[ajaybaskar]

Hussey, Bollinger join squad!

http://www.chennaisuperkings.com/news/images/ed1a5f82-b400-42fd-92bd-e77275dab3b1.jpg

Chennai: The Chennai Super Kings line-up received a shot in the arm with the arrival of Mike Hussey and Doug Bollinger ahead of their Indian Premier League game against Royal Challengers Bangalore here on Saturday.

The two Aussie stars missed the team’s opening games against Kolkata Knight Riders here and the Kings XI Punjab at Mohali.

Their arrival has been not a moment too soon as the Super Kings, following the defeat to Kings XI would be keen to get back to their winning ways.

Hussey played a key role in Super Kings success in the 2010 Champions League with two half-centuries in four matches, including an unbeaten 51 in the final.

Through the Champions League in South Africa, Hussey, after replacing Matthew Hayden, opened the innings with Murali Vijay.

Bollinger, a late arrival for the 2010 IPL, made a tremendous impact with his pace and guile, taking 12 wickets in eight games and another nine in the Champions League.

[Sourav]

replace styris, albie, randiv with hussey, vicky, bolli,.,,
ICL top run getter-i ulla kondu vaangada... :twisted:surprised to see cricinfo added him in bowlers list in fantasy game...

[Dinesh84]

விக்கிக்கு சான்ஸ் குடுக்க மாட்டாங்கன்னு தோனுது.. lets see..

[lawmani]

Well done bowling attack! Aswhin and Randiv are probably the best best spinners this IPL.

[sivank]

cheeka yen randhiv a ranadhiv nu sollittu irukkaru

[vanchi]

hussey:clap:
dakalti konjam impro pannnum.

[ajaybaskar]

Looks like Chennai faces Pune twice in a span of 2 days. (April 25th and 27th)

[VinodKumar's]

Pune bowling konjam mokkaiya thaan irruku ... vazhakam pola oru 180 adicha thaan uthappa adikira adiku namma bowlers thaanguvaanga ...

[ajaybaskar]

Super Kings well equipped to handle Tuskers

Kochi: The facile 21-run victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore might have helped Chennai Super Kings to get over their stunning defeat to Kings XI Punjab. But Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s yellow-clad legion would do well to be on their toes when they run into Kochi Tuskers Kerala, who ran amok to shock title-contenders Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring game at the Wankhede last Friday.

Beginning their title defense with a close win against Kolkata Knight Riders, the Super Kings showed the composure of the champion outfit they have been, until they were blown away by the Paul Valthathy tornado at Mohali.

Despite running up an imposing 188, they succumbed to Valthaty’s thunderbolts which have captured the imagination of cricket buffs and infused excitement into the fourth edition of Indian Premier League.

But since that hapless submission to the hitherto scarcely known Valthaty, Super Kings, bolstered by the return of Michael Hussey and Douglas Bollinger, have regained their composure and shown the flair, authority and confidence that had fetched them the IPL and Champions Trophy crowns last season.

The win against RCB on Saturday at Chepauk was clinical though they would have been happier had they romped home by a bigger margin.

Hussey, who notched a match-winning, undefeated 83 (56 balls), has provided muscle to an already distinguished batting line-up. Batting at the top of the order has the given the Australian left-hander ample room to drop anchor and construct and power the innings.

Hussey may have displaced the robust Anirudha Srikkanth at the top of the batting ladder, but it reflects the depth in the Super Kings batting ranks.

The likes of Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Dhoni and Subramaniam Badrinath are batsmen who have adapted well to the T20 format. They are match-winners in their own right.

Like their batting resources, Super Kings have an experienced bowling armory which could contain any opponent, even on flat deck. Albie Morkel, who could use the long handle to destructive effect, and Tim Southee make an intelligent duo with the new ball.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been the most impressive spinner on the Indian cricket circuit in recent times, Suraj Randiv and left-arm tweaker Shadab Jakati have the ability to tie down batsmen in their crease on their day.

No doubt the Super Kings are an enriched side with bubbling, match-winning talent, but the Kochi Tuskers, who lost two successive games before pulling the rug from under Mumbai Indians’ feet, cannot be taken lightly.

The IPL debutants have their own set of match-winners in Brendon McCullum, and skipper Mahela Jayawardene. The awesome twosome rose to the occasion at the Wankhede, posting 128 runs for the opening wicket in under 14 overs. If they perform with the same intensity as they did against Mumbai Indians, the Kochi outfit could run the reigning champions close.

But if McCullum and Jayawaredene perish early, it could possibly be a stroll in the park for Dhoni’s Super Kings. The Tuskers present the weakest batting line-up in this cash-awash cricket extravaganza.

Kochi Tuskers have bowling worries as well. Their bowling has been patchy with none of the frontline bowlers living up to their expectation. Neither their medium fast bowlers nor their spinners have delivered.

The victory against Mumbai Indians may have pumped up their adrenalin, but if Kochi Tuskers are to stop Super Kings in their tracks, they would need their batsmen and bowlers to fire. If they don’t, they could well settle for their third defeat in four matches in their debut season.

Apart from the unexpected defeat against Kings XI Punjab, the Super Kings have won two matches and seem well ensconced to make the title round.

[ajaybaskar]

Although CSK failed to defend 188 against Kings XI Punjab at Mohali in its last match — thanks to Paul Valthaty's blitzkrieg — Fleming said he'd be more than glad to have that score on the board each time his boys went out to bat.

“I'll take 180 every time. If a team scores between 180 and 190 regularly, it will win more matches than it will lose. We have to give credit to Valthaty, he played with a lot of flair. We could have gotten him out earlier had we been sharper on the field. But such fairytales are what the IPL is all about. Although we lost, it (Valthaty's knock) was still a nice story.”

- Stephen Fleming after CSK's loss against KXIP

Nee Manushanya... :clap:

[ilayapuyalvinodh_kumar]

Rain Ruining the match !!! :sad:

[SoftSword]

csk'na ipdi pala sodhappalgalai thaandi dhaan mela varum...

[Plum]

Rain break and CSK stuck with badri in the middle - badri should sacrifice his wicket now. What csk score with him will not be enough

[kid-glove]

Parthiv Patel'lam adikkuran :banghead:

[Plum]

Now Jadeja. Kochi outmuscled cSK. A bit easy chasing though. Dhoni wouldn't have sent Badri if he knew it would rain and 3 overs cut. The duckworth adjustment wasn't enough. 145+ should have been the target. Still Kochi would have won but CSK could have salvaged NRR. Anyway, seems like a all-bollywood semis this time. The north indian market has to be conquered. Can't have the rascalas winning again :)

[littlemaster1982]

What happened to this Jadeja :shock: Six thavira edhuvume adikka mattenguraan :x

[VinodKumar's]

Today his strike rate is 266.66 :banghead:

Intha IPL oda star aagiruvaan pola irruku ... ennaiku venalum adichikatum inniku adichathu sema kadiya irruku :twisted:

[VinodKumar's]

Dhoni annae inth Morkle ku rest kudunga please ... styris kooda morkel oda better ... CSK eliminator stageku qualify aaguma :(

[venkkiram]

ரெய்னாவின் பங்களிப்பு இதுவரை சொல்லும்படியாக இல்லை. மோர்க்கல் , ஜகதி இருவரும் ரன்களை கொடுத்து வருகிறார்கள். விஜய் - அனிருத் - பத்ரிநாத் - அஷ்வின் : எந்த நேரத்திலும் இவர்கள் எதிராளிகளுக்கு பெரிய சங்கடமாக தோன்றவில்லை என்பதாகவே படுகிறது. வர வர ரொம்ப மெனக்கட்டால் ஒழிய, தலைமையில் தோனி எதாவது அதிசயங்கள் நிகழ்த்தினால் ஒழிய வெற்றி ஒரு கடினமான ஒன்றாக தென்படுகிறது.

[ilayapuyalvinodh_kumar]

Bad day for the Lions !! The batting order has to be changed !! I prefer the combo of Anirudh and Vijay rather than Hussey & Vijay !! And Morkel can be promoted !!

Coming to bowling Jakati should be replaced !!

[ilayapuyalvinodh_kumar]

Chennai moves to 5th spot !! :banghead: ..... Next one :: Mumbai Vs Csk !! Tough one ahead !! Csk has to win here !

[ilayapuyalvinodh_kumar]

With 6 Matches before Csk's next one, Csk's position in the Points Table is sure to go down !!

[Bala (Karthik)]

Idha thaan pona varushamum sonnen. Indha sotha team a vechu ivvalavu dhooram kondu vandha MSD ku :notworthy:

Southee (deserves his name), Morkel, Styris, Jakati - Sutham!!!!!!!

Fleming ennaikku veliya poraano annaikku dhaan CSK ku vidivu kaalam. And kanja pisnaari Seenivaasan :hammer:

[ajaybaskar]

Its better to peak at the right time than remain unbeaten from the first. CSK will certainly enter the last 4.

[scorpio]

Anyway, seems like a all-bollywood semis this time. The north indian market has to be conquered. Can't have the rascalas winning again :)

Plum- Bollywood teams-ai Oram katta unga pangaLippu indha muRai sari illa. Summa Warne-va mattum target panreenga. Ella CSk and MI matches-la theeya vElai seinju yedhavadhu pannunga :yes:

Saarug sattaiya kazhatti Chepauk stadium-la victory lap varra katchi ellam paarka mudiyaadhu :mad:

[Bala (Karthik)]

Did anyone watch the pre-match vetti pechu before CSK-RCB? WTF!!! The Rajini lookalike was made to say "Enna Rascala, Mind it!" :banghead:

[Plum]

enakkennamO Saarug maththa team ownersOda deal strike paNninA mAdhiri oru feeling. And a Bollywood team winning this year will be a huge fillip to the marketing of IPL in future. And KKR has the best combo of Bollywood Glamour and inherent team strength.

Scorpio, avLO deep-A feeling illai this year to actively chatterjee regularly. appappO time kedaikkaRachE paNdrEn.

Bala, idhu vERaiyA? Can we please get Saarug look alikes to stammer "llllllLalit" or "GGGGGGautam"? namma makkaLukku En ipdi ellAm thONa mAttEngudhu?

And I seriously would like a podhuvAga en manasu thangam music video on Dhoni, replete with that white turban, handlebar moustache and stuff :-)