Indian Premier League 2 : IPL 2 : IPL 2009

This is my hunch. After reading the report from cricinfo, I did some connecting the dots and came up with a few teams who can spend in excess of $4 million. Only 3 teams come to my mind. They are certainly the teams languishing at the bottom of the points table this year. They could be :

1. Deccan Chargers
2. Royal Challengers
3. Knight Riders

I am ruling out Knight Riders on the fact that Shah Rukh is burning enough cash already and he might be savvy but all his money comes from movies. When you compare Shah Rukh with other corporate bigwigs who are in the race he falls short on cash.

Deccan Chargers might want to improve their chances next year. They already have a star packed team but did not click. They might be tempted to change the combination. But, it is not the international stars which have failed them but the dearth of local talent. They might not want to spend that amount Kevin Pietersen. Instead, they might try to get their combination together with the current team.

Do I have to say anything about Royal Challengers performance so far this year. Their performance is abysmal. If there is one team who need Kevin Pietersen so badly that they might even spend $4 million then that is Royal Challengers. It is very evident from Dr. Mallya’s statements off late about trying to get in new players or buying players from other team at a higher cost. Mallya will do whatever it takes to get back into the game. Losing is a term he is not too familiar with untill he bought Bangalore team. He definitely wants to change that. He is also called the Sir Richard Branson of India. He might use this connection to bring Kevin to Bangalore.

Will Daredevils spring in surprise? I don’t think so. I think Mallya is spinning the wheels already. Let us wait and see.

Film star Shah Rukh Khan’s statement that he had been barred entry to his team’s dressing room prompted the IPL organisers to put in place a system, which will allow franchise owners access to the team during matches.

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ICC on Monday appeared surprised at film star Shah Rukh Khan’s statement that its anti-corruption unit had asked him not to be with the team on the playing field, saying that the IPL tournament was being played under BCCI’s rules and regulations.

The ICC said the IPL was a domestic tournament and the game’s governing body did not have any role in formulating the rules.

“The reported incident has nothing to do with the ICC as IPL is a domestic tournament which is being held under the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI,” an ICC spokesman said from Dubai.

“Furthermore, the ICC Board in its meeting held in Dubai on 17-18 March had decided that IPL will introduce a code of conduct, an anti-corruption code and an anti-doping code that complies with ICC regulations,” he said.

Bollywood superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan last night expressed disappointment, claiming he had been barred by the ICC anti-corruption unit from going to the team dug out and dressing room in the remaining IPL matches.

“I like to hang around with the boys. I am very energetic. I am very disappointed that the ICC has stopped me,” he said.

“I don’t know the ICC rules. I’ll tell only one thing. Nobody dare stop me from coming to Kolkata. I’ll be here whenever my team plays a match at the Eden,” Khan said.

Asked whether Shah Rukh needed an accreditation for the IPL matches, the ICC spokesman said, “Everybody needs an accreditation and these are in line with anti-corruption code. BCCI is following anti-corruption code. Now I don’t know what modifications they have made to the code.”

Knight Riders CEO Joy Bhattacharya played down the event and said Shah Rukh was actually stopped by security personnel for not carrying a visitors’ pass.

“Look there is nothing like that. It was a gentleman from the security who stopped Shah Rukh Khan. He said Shah Rukh didn’t have a valid visitor’s pass…I don’t think there is any controversy or issue,” he said.

He said the ICC rules were to make sure that bookies didn’t enter the dressing room.

“When these rules were framed, the concept of franchisee owners’ domestic tournament didn’t even come, the law was not framed to stop people like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Mukesh Ambani or Vijay Mallya from walking into the dressing room,” he said.

“According to even ICC regulations, there is a system of visitor’s pass, the manager and team management sign it. The person can be allowed in the dressing room as long as it is signed by. So there is no way to stop Shah Rukh from entering the dressing room,” Bhattacharya added.