Revision as of 11:00, 25 June 2021

This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.

The results of IPL finals, 2008-2016; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, May 30, 2016

Delhi Daredevils: IPL record, 2008-2015; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

1 History
2 Indian Premier League: The economics of
- 2.1 Advertising revenues
3 Coaches in IPL
- 3.1 As in Nov
4 Controversies: 2008-16
- 4.1 Spot fixing case: 2013
- 4.2 Dhoni on the suspension of Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals
5 The IPL numbers
- 5.1 IPL broadcast rights
- 5.2 IPL title rights
  - 5.2.1 2017-22: Vivo pays Rs 2,199 crore
6 Valuation of the IPL
- 6.1 2014-19
7 IPL jinxed for team owners?
8 YEAR-WISE HISTORY
9 2013-14
10 2016
11 2017
12 2018
13 2019
14 2020
- 14.1 Mumbai Indians win fifth title
15 2021
- 15.1 The entire list
- 15.2 The auction

History

Established in 2008

The Times of India, April 8, 2016

Twenty20 cricket became phenomenally popular after India won the inaugural World Twenty20 title in 2007 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The victory not only rejuvenated the Indians fans, who were reeling under the disappointment of the 2007 ODI World Cup, but it also gave way to the conceptualization of the Indian Premier League that has since then not only cashed on the craze but has also changed the way cricket is played in India.

Brain child of the then BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi, the IPL was launched in 2008 with much fanfare as a competitive response to the Indian Cricket League (ICL) that was not recognized by the BCCI. Since then the IPL has not only come out as the clear victor but has given birth to various T20 leagues around the world and is the most-attended cricket league in the world. The ICL, with controversies of non-payment and fixing, folded up in 2009.

Following the same format as that of English Premier League (EPL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), the IPL works on a franchise system that were put for auction, where the highest bidder won the rights to own the team, representing each city.

2008: the beginnings

K ShriniwasRao, Apr 05 2017: The Times of India

A Decade After It Set The Benchmark For T20 Leagues, Is The IPL Still Blazing The Trail When It Comes To Innovation?

Ten years ago, on a pleasant afternoon in 2008, when a five-star hotel in the south of Mumbai played host to an Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction, the first of its kind in any sport across the world, Sotheby's London auction house was yet to make a killing from a fascinating bronze sculpture -a Swiss masterpiece -waiting to go under the hammer. The winning bid for Walking Man I didn't quite proverbially match up to the cheque written (and the noise made) for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the scale of contemporary European art notwithstanding.

Much later, Richard Madley , the competent London-based auctioneer at IPL for a decade now, would admit -a bit in disbelief and a lot in awe -that sport, much defined like art as an expression of human creative skill, had taken a multi-dimensional leap of faith that astonishing afternoon. Cricket, until then a sport that had been looking to readdress itself in ways that could reassure coming generations of its viability, was given a new life by administrators with twisted hearts and professionals with incredible designs.

This was 2008. India hadn't yet woken up to the idea of leagues until then. By that time, NFL the celebrated American football league was already 88 years old and the NBA the premier men's basketball tournament 62. It was pure innovation at play for IPL, working at multiple levels that helped redraft cricketing philosophies in ways that made the world sit up and take note. Never before had an investor in sport become a bigger talking point than the investment itself.

The results of the finals

2008-16: See graphic.

Impact on cricket in India

The Times of India, April 8, 2016

The first IPL auction took place on January 24, 2008 and the total base price for the auction was $400 million. The auction went on to fetch $723.59 million.

The Mumbai franchise (Mumbai Indians) owned by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was the most expensive franchise - fetching $111.9 million closely followed by Vijay Mallya's United Breweries which paid $111.6 million for the Bangalore franchise (Royal Challengers Bangalore). Media house Deccan Chronicle won the Hyderabad franchise (Deccan Chargers) for $107 million, while India Cements' Chennai franchise (Chennai Super Kings) cost $91 million.

Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla's Red Chillies Entertainment bought the Kolkata franchise (Kolkata Knight Riders) for $75.09, while Preity Zinta and her then beau Ness Wadia bought the Mohali team (Kings XI Punjab) for $76 million. Infrastructure development group GMR bagged the ownership of the Delhi team (Delhi Daredevils) for $84 million and the Emerging Media, consisting of its CEO Fraser Castellino, Manoj Badale and Lachlan Murdoch and other investors won the rights for the Jaipur franchise (Rajasthan Royals) for $67 million.

The maiden edition of IPL had eight teams comprising a minimum of 16 players each. The tournament lasted for 44 days and involved 59 matches. And since then the league has had its share of controversies and seen many ups and down.

Two new leagues - Pune Warriors India (bought by the Sahara group for $370 million) and Kochi Tuskers Kerala (purchased by Rendezvous Sports World for $333.3 million) - were brought in before the fourth season of the league in 2011. But the Kochi Tuskers were soon terminated for breaching the BCCI's terms and conditions.

2009 champions Deccan Chargers were suspended in 2012 and then renamed Sunrisers Hyderabad under new owners Sun TV Network. But the biggest shock came in 2013 when the IPL was rocked by the fixing and betting scandal and many big names got embroiled in the controversy and it resulted in not only a few heads being rolled but entire teams were suspended. After two years of trials and tribulations, two-time champions Chennai Super Kings and the inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals were suspended for two seasons.

Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi police in Mumbai on charges of spot-fixing during IPL 6. Sreesanth and Chavan were subsequently banned for life by the BCCI's disciplinary committee.

Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants replaced Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two seasons. Dhoni and his longtime Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina were picked to play for opposing teams in the first-ever player draft of the IPL that was held in Mumbai on December 15, 2015.

Rising Pune Supergiants, the Pune franchise bought by Kolkata-based businessman Sanjiv Goenka, expectedly picked Dhoni as the first player for Rs 12.5 crore and Intex Technologies owner Keshav Bansal, who invested in Gujarat Lions, picked Raina as the first choice followed by Ravindra Jadeja - the local Saurashtra boy who has grown up playing in Rajkot.

The two new franchises paid Rs 12.5 crore to the first player they picked at the draft, Rs 9.5 crore to the second, Rs 7.5 crore to the third, Rs 5.5 crore to the fourth and Rs 4 crore to the fifth. The two franchises had a limited purse of Rs 66 crore to form their squads for the season and a minimum spending of Rs 40 crore was mandatory between the draft and the auction in February. Australian all-rounder Shane Watson emerged as the biggest draw going for a whopping Rs 9.50 crore bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore but it was Pawan Negi who turned heads with a mind-boggling deal of Rs 8.50 crore by Delhi Daredevils to be the costliest Indian buy in the 2016 IPL players' auction.

With corporate megabucks, Bollywood glamour and the frequent sound of wood thumping leather, the IPL has revolutionized the sport in the way it was played and cricketainment has been the new word to describe the evolution of a new chapter in history of cricket. The Indian Premier League has proved that cricket will never be the same again.

Records

2008-16, some 2017: See graphic.

IPL records, 2008-16, some 2017; The Times of India, April 5, 2017

2008-18/ Captains, stars who dropped themselves from the team

April 3, 2018: The Times of India

April 26, 2018: The Times of India

HIGHLIGHTS

In 2008, Mumbai Indians had to choose Shaun Pollock as their third captain of the season after stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh was suspended

In 2012, Ricky Ponting stepped aside handing over the reigns to Rohit Sharma, who lead Mumbai Indian to the title

In 2015, Steve Smith announced at the toss that he has replaced Shane Watson as captain of Rajasthan Royals

VVS DROPS HIMSELF FOR GILLY (2008)

Originally named as the Icon Player for Deccan Chargers before the first season of IPL, VVS Laxman gave up the status in a bid to allow his team spend more at the auctions. However, the genial Hyderabadi dropped himself from the team halfway through the season after the team’s poor run.

It allowed Adam Gilchrist to take over as the captain. ‘Gilly’ led the side in the next two seasons as well, and DC won the title under him in 2009.

DHAWAN MAKES WAY FOR SAMMY (2014)

In 2014, the Sunrisers Hyderabad announced that they’d ‘relieved’ Shikhar Dhawan of the burden of captaincy and appointed West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy as the new captain for the rest of the IPL season, hoping that the move will help Dhawan bat more freely. Sammy was included in the side and straight away thrusted into the captaincy role. Dhawan had managed only 215 runs in his first 10 outings as captain.

SANGA DROPS HIMSELF (2012)

While leading the Deccan Chargers in the 2012 IPL, Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara was enduring an ordinary run. He not only gave up the captaincy mid-stream but even dropped himself from the playing XI, making way for Australian big-hitter Cameron White to accommodate four overseas players in the XI. However, the move did not yield the desired results as Deccan Chargers could never get going in the tournament.

PONTING MAKES WAY FOR ROHIT (2013)

In 2013, Mumbai Indians began on shaky note when they lost three out of their first six matches. Skipper Ricky Ponting wasn’t in the best of form. The batting great decided to step down and handed over the reins to Rohit Sharma against Kolkata Knight Riders. MI eventually went on to clinch the title under Rohit, even as Ponting kept cheering the team from the sidelines.

VIJAY REPLACES MILLER (2016)

Struggling at the bottom of the points table in 2016, Kings XI Punjab made a bold move by removing David Miller, who had struggled with both the bat and leadership, as the team’s captain with Murali Vijay, even as they had 10 league matches remaining.

“David Miller continues to be an integral part of the team and is a very strong player of the squad,” KXIP said in a statement. Till that stage, Kings XI had won just one match out of six. Till that point, Miller had only managed to score 76 runs while Vijay had amassed 143.

An overview, 2008-19

Partha Bhaduri, April 18, 2020: The Times of India

There was a moment inside the sweltering cauldron of the Chinnaswamy Stadium all those years ago, on April 18, 2008 to be precise, when the still-nebulous Indian Premier League (IPL) acquired a wonderfully original and totally preposterous life of its own. Like most epoch-defining moments, it wasn’t exactly part of the script.

It was just two overs into the Royal Challengers Bangalore chase, but the hosts already seemed in disarray at 9/1. They had begun the innings looking bereft of hope, having been numbed into submission by Brendon McCullum’s unexpected and, at that time, unbelievable assault on their bowlers. The young, pacy Ashok Dinda steamed in to bowl for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and promptly got Virat Kohli to chop a short, wide one on to his stumps. The Chinnaswamy exploded.

The dismissal should have been greeted with stunned silence. Instead, up in the aisles, a prancing KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan discovered to his amazement that the whole stadium was dancing along with him, roaring its approval. Dinda was fist pumping at the crowd, which would continue its carnival merriment for the rest of the game.

That night, Bengaluru didn’t seem to care that their own home team, packed to the gills with Test stalwarts, had unravelled before their eyes.

A trend was set. This wasn’t about team loyalties anymore. It wasn’t about fan favourites either, but something totally alien to sporting leagues, a kind of collective joie de vivre that would propel the IPL to unprecedented heights and reshape the game’s dynamics, both within the field and beyond it. In that first season, crowds across the country’s giant stadiums revelled as the sheer audacity of it all hit home. Indian cricket was shedding its garb of tradition in full public glare, demolishing national-team boundaries and embracing an insatiable appetite for change.

This was cricket’s version of hip-hop, a deep cultural revolution, not some transient, silly hit-and-giggle gimmick. The IPL wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan thing but a stable entity which would usher in democratic norms in a hierarchical cricketing order. It would redraw the bounds of the financially possible.

Players would be auctioned off, permanently altering their non-monetary valuations in the eyes of coaches. Cricketing mercenaries would be born. And like most revolutions, the IPL would acquire a dark side.

That first match was a dream launch. McCullum’s extraordinary 73-ball 158, then the highest T20 score, contained 13 sixes and 10 fours, including, at one point, a scoop over fine leg for six off Zaheer Khan. That innings was an early pointer to the format’s fundamental redrawing of balance between bat and ball.

What was remarkable was that this wasn’t just a plonk-your-front-foot-andhit-through-the-line type of pitch. RCB’s batting order, comprising Rahul Dravid, Wasim Jaffer, Kohli and Jacques Kallis, were used to ‘proper’ cricket and ‘proper’ responses to given situations. They lost by 140 runs.

That first IPL evening was also the first time the IPL made conventional batting seem uncool. In fact, the first IPL edition included all the pointers of things to come. Shane Warne used strong backroom support, tactical nous, swagger and positivity to scythe through opponents, laying the marker for modern T20’s constant craving for data analysis. Old warhorses like Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya showed that their withering frames were still suitable for belting boundaries. Since then, the IPL has been a league of veterans as much as youngsters, in spite of heightened fitness levels and fielders hunting in packs while flirting with boundary ropes.

Innovative shots, broadened bats and quick fixes by hapless bowlers, the first IPL had it all. It also had something that wouldn’t be seen again: the presence of Pakistani cricketers. Virender Sehwag became the first to declare that IPL performances should count towards national selection. Brett Lee said, “If we look back in 10 years’ time, this tournament is going to be a massive landmark.”

By 2014, the IPL was ranked sixth in terms of eyeballs among global sporting leagues. By 2015, each IPL edition was contributing around $160 million to the GDP. By 2017, Star India would be buying the broadcast rights for $2.55 billion. By 2018, 1,112 players would register for the auction and the franchises would spend Rs 600 crore to build their teams. Just before the coronavirus pandemic struck, Duff and Phelps calculated that the IPL brand valuation had soared 13.5% to Rs 47,500 cr.

It seemed nothing, not even the 2013 match-fixing scandal which led to the banning of two teams, could make a dent in the IPL’s soaring graph. Nothing, that is, until the coronavirus. While it’s a given that sporting leagues are not immune to global economic shocks, sporting activity has been hit hardest by the social-distancing norms this pandemic necessitates.

How long will it be till we can flock without fear to stadiums like we used to? Will future IPL games be live streamed from empty stadiums, neutering the league of its emotive appeal? What will the IPL look like in 2022, when the sponsorship rights may be up for grabs again?

Worryingly, is the age of the megabuck sporting league over? According to some estimates, the IPL and its peripheral industries could see a hit of Rs 10,000 crore. There has been no pandemic insurance by either broadcaster or board. The revenue model involves selling properties, to broadcasters, sponsors, franchises... what happens when that model is rendered obsolete? What happens when there are no gate receipts, no corporate boxes?

The IPL has always been shaped by significant external events, like India’s 2007 World T20 win which made the concept viable. Now, too, it’s time to look towards other global sporting leagues, and see how they cope. To survive in a post-pandemic world, the IPL must innovate again.

The greatest players, 2008-19

IPL’s Greatest XI, April 18, 2020: The Times of India

IPL 2020 has been postponed indefinitely due to coronavirus. But what is the greatest XI from the 12 seasons played so far? TOI pores over the statistics and rummages through the memories to come up with the team to beat every other team…

Shane Watson (RR, CSK): IPL’s Duracel man. Two-time MVP (2008, 2013). Biggame hunter (MoM, 2018 final). Pips David Warner, 3-time Orange Capper.

M 134, R 3575, SR 139.53, 6s 177, W 92, Ave 29.15, ER 7.93

Chris Gayle (RCB, KXIP): Punisher. Pleasure-provider. Unstoppable sixmachine (326). Nobody comes close.

M 125, R 4484, Ave 41.13, SR 151.02, 6s 326

Virat Kohli (RCB): IPL’s all-time highest scorer (5,412). Master of risk-free, highpressing cricket. Has smashed 191 sixes nonetheless. M 177, R 5412, Ave 37.84, SR 131.61, 6s 190

AB de Villiers (DD, RCB): Virtuoso crowd-pleaser who demonstrates the outer limits of innovation in T20. When he’s in the mood, even a yorker travels beyond the ropes.

M 154, R 4395, Ave 39.95, SR 151.23, 6s 212

MS Dhoni (CSK, RPS): Captain of the team. Ice cool as leader, and at the death. Barring Chacha Chowdhary, nobody calculates a target as precisely as him.

M 190, R 4432, Ave 42.20, SR 137.85, 6s 209, Ct 94, St 38

Andre Russell (DD, KKR): The enforcer. Possesses several gears; partial to the fifth. IPL’s highest strike rate: 186. Hustler with the ball. Two time MVP.

M 64, R 1400, SR 186.42, 6s 120, W 55, Ave 27.96, ER 8.88

Dwayne Bravo (CSK): Master of deception, especially at death. Flies like a bird, prowls like a panther. Can win games with bat too.

M 134, R 1483, SR 128.28, 6s 61, W 147, Ave 24.61, ER 8.39

Sunil Narine (KKR): Inscrutable offbreak bowler. Among the meanest and most consistent. Also has the second highest batting strike rate in IPL history (168). Two-time MVP too.

M 110, W 122, Ave 23.31, ER 6.67

Rashid Khan (SRH): IPL’s stingiest (ER 6.55). Match-winning leg-break bowler. Loves a challenge. Generally wins it.

M 46, W 55, Ave 21.69, ER 6.55

Lasith Malinga (MI): That slinging action. That mop of hair. That sound of stumps crashing. IPL’s highest wicket-taker ever. Key figure in MI .

M 122, W 170, Ave 19.80, ER 7.14

Jasprit Bumrah (MI): New master of unplayable yorkers. Player of the Match in 2019 final. His best is yet to come.

M 77, W 82, Ave 26.60, ER 7.55

12th man: Pollard (MI): All-purpose star

Coach: Stephen Fleming (CSK): With MS Dhoni as captain, he built the IPL’s most consistent team .

The most memorable matches, 2008-19

—Compiled by Hindol Basu, April 18, 2020: The Times of India

RAJASTHAN’S INCREDIBLE RUN

Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals, not the most fancied bunch at the beginning of the tournament, scripted a fairytale win to stretch the bounds of the possible in the very first IPL in 2008. Of course, the tone had been set in the very first game on April 18, with KKR’s Brendon McCullum smashing an incredible ton.

SLAP AND TEARS

That image from 2008 of temperamental fast bowler Sreesanth crying after being slapped by Harbhajan Singh, while his Kings XI Punjab teammate VRV Singh consoled him, will stay etched in our minds. Harbhajan was suspended for the season. Sreesanth confessed later he had been heckling his senior India teammate.

FOREIGN SHORES

The second season coincided with the general elections and the government refused to commit security personnel. Showcasing its financial might, the IPL was moved out of India, to South Africa, by then commissioner Lalit Modi.

THE MONGOOSE BAT

Australia’s Matthew Hayden unveiled his ‘Mongoose Bat’ in 2010, clobbering bowlers with what looked like a cross between a club and a baseball bat. The Mongoose had two distinguishing features: the handle was as long as the blade and the splice, which normal bats have in the blade, was built into the handle to guarantee a clean hitting surface. Needless to say, it was a hit.

GAYLESTORM

‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle upped the ante in Bangalore against Pune Warriors on April 23, 2013, scoring an unbelievable 175 off just 66 balls, the highest T20 individual score. Gayle hit 13 boundaries and an incredible 17 maximums.

THE DARK UNDERBELLY

A spot-fixing scandal rocked the league in 2013 when the Delhi police arrested three Rajasthan Royals cricketers, including Sreesanth. Soon after, Mumbai Police arrested film actor Vindu Dara Singh and CSK’s former team principal Gurunath Meiyappan for alleged betting, cheating and links with bookies. RR team co-owner Raj Kundra too was found to have placed bets on his team. The Supreme Court appointed a committee to probe the affair. Eventually, CSK and RR were banned for two years. The order, which came in 2015, meant the two teams missed the 2016 and 2017 IPL editions.

MUMBAI’S COMEBACK

In 2015, Mumbai Indians lost five out of their first six games, but the team never stopped believing in its abilities. In a dream comeback, they went on to win nine of their remaining 10 matches to lift the title for the second time.

VIRAT, ABD RUN RIOT

The 2016 IPL season will always be known for the amazing batsmanship by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. RCB needed to win four matches in a row to qualify for the playoffs. Kohli and De Villiers recorded a partnership of 229 runs (best in the IPL) against Gujarat Lions to set the ball rolling. Kohli smacked 109 off 55 balls, while De Villiers scored a unbeaten 129 off 52 balls. This was the first time two batsmen scored centuries in an IPL innings.

KOHLI’S FINE FORM

Kohli almost single-handedly guided his team to the title clash in 2016. With 973 runs in 16 games at 81.08, he was the highest scorer. No other batsman has been able to score as many runs in a single season.

‘MANKADING’ CONTROVERSY

In 2019, Ravichandran Ashwin, captaining Kings XI Punjab, ran out Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end without giving him any prior warning. That ‘Mankading’, as the dismissal is known, cleaved the cricketing world in two and sparked off heated debate on the spirit of the game. Though this is a legally permissible dismissal, the issue is yet to be satisfactorily resolved.

‘CAPTAIN COOL’ LOSES HIS COOL

The usually unflappable MS Dhoni lost his composure in a match against RR last year, walking out on to the pitch after just having been dismissed, and lashing out at the umpires over a no-ball confusion. It just wasn’t cricket from one of the game’s great role models.

BLOODIED BUT NOT OUT bb

Shane Watson’s knock for CSK in the 2019 IPL final against Mumbai Indians was one for the ages. He batted through the pain barrier and a bloodied left knee. His 59-ball 80 nearly saw CSK pull off a 150-run chase against MI. Watson needed six stitches after the game.

Indian Premier League: The economics of

2016: Salary of retained players; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India Jan 02 2016

Advertising revenues

Multi Screen Media (MSM), the official broadcaster of Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought on board a total of eight sponsors for the sixth edition of the Twenty20 tournament, which would help it rake in Rs 200 crore more over last year, after lowering its ad rates by 10-15%. Three more sponsors are expected to join over the next two weeks.

The presenting sponsors — PepsiCo and Vodafone — have shelled out around Rs 40-60 crore each while the associate sponsors, which include Tata Photon, Karbonn tablets, Godrej, Samsung Mobiles, Panasonic and Usha Appliances, have paid around Rs 25-30 crore each for being seen on the channel during the tournament.

MSM is looking to earn Rs 950 crore as advertising revenue from IPL-6, up 27% from Rs 750 crore it garnered last year, a senior executive from the company told TOI.

This will be the first time that the IPL will have three feeds — the regular one on SET max, while Sony Six will broadcast a Hindi feed along with an HD one.

Some of the other sponsors likely to be signed on soon for the tournament, which starts on April 3, are Cadbury and Havells — both have had a long-term association with the IPL. This year, MSM has two presenting sponsors and is expected to close nine associate sponsors, up from only five which it managed last year. The channel has also struck large deals with Coca-Cola, Parle Agro, Marico, Berger Paints and Airtel, besides others, filling 70% of its inventory.

“Last year, we had increased the ad rates but could not sell the entire inventory. Our strategy to reduce rates has worked very well and we have seen the interest levels go up. Advertisers from all sectors are on board this year, signaling a revival in sentiments,” said Rohit Gupta, president, MSM.

During 2012, a 10-second ad spot during the IPL had a price tag of Rs 4.5-5.5 lakh, making it a highly premium property. However, reduction in rates has made it far more affordable, said media planners who buy TV airtime for advertisers. “If TV ratings had to fall, it had to fall last year. Now they have stabilized. It is definitely value for money at this rate and with lesser risk,” said Ajit Varghese, MD (South Asia), Maxus, which has bought airtime for telecom major Vodafone.

The IPL reached 170 million eyeballs and clocked an average rating of around 3.27 last year, according to TAM Media Research. MSM’s Gupta said he is expecting the reach to further grow this season. “If there is a big product launch or a new ad campaign, this is a large platform which is a must for any brand. It is a property which is targeted at male audiences, so it works well for brands which directly communicate with this audience group,” said Basabdutta Chowdhury, CEO of Platinum Media, a division of media buying group Madison. This year, soft drink giants PepsiCo is the new title sponsor of the IPL, having paid Rs 396 crore for the next five seasons.

Coaches in IPL

As in Nov

Asheem Mukerji, Nov 30, 2019: The Times of India

COACHES IN IPL

Rajasthan Royals I Indian coaches: 1 (Batting coach: Amol Muzumdar); Foreign coaches: 2 (Head coach: Andrew McDonald-Aus, Fast bowling coach: Steffan Jones-Eng)

Kings XI Punjab I Indian coaches: 1 (Head coach: Anil Kumble); Foreign coaches: 2 (Fast bowling coach: Courtney Walsh-WI, Batting coach: Geaorge Bailey-Aus)

Delhi Capitals I Indian coaches: 0; Foreign coaches: 3 (Head Coach: Ricky Ponting-Aus, Fast bowling coach: James Hopes-Aus, Spin coach: Samuel Badree-WI)

Kolkata Knight Riders I Indian coaches: 0 Foreign coaches: 3 (Head coach: Brendon McCullum-NZ, Chief mentor: David Hussey-Aus, Bowling coach: Kyle Mills-NZ)

Mumbai Indians I Indian Coaches: 1 (Robin Singh); Foreign coaches: 2 (Head coach: Mahela Jayawardene-SL, Bowling coach: Shane Bond-NZ)

Chennai Super Kings I Indian coaches: 0 Foreign coaches: 3 (Head coach: Stephen Fleming-NZ, Batting coach: Mike Hussey-Aus, Bowling Consultant: Eric Simmons-SA)

Sunrisers Hyderabad I Indian coaches: 0; Foreign coaches: 1 (Head coach: Trevor Bayliss-Eng) Royal Challengers Bangalore I Indian coaches: 0; Foreign coaches: 2 (Head coach: Simon Katich-Aus, Bowling coach: Adam Griffith-Aus)

Controversies: 2008-16

The Times of India, December 3, 2016

Controversies associated with Indian Premier Leage, 2008-2016; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, April 14, 2016

1. 2016: Maharashtra asked to shift IPL matches

Bombay High Court asks IPL to shift 13 matches out of Maharashtra due to severe drought in the state.

2. 2015: CSK and RR suspended

Supreme Court suspends CSK and RR for two years. Two new teams, Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions, are introduced. Rajasthan Royals’ leggie Pravin Tambe alleges that his Mumbai teammate Hiken Shah had approached him to fix a few games.

3. 2014: IPL 7 conducted under Gavaskar’s supervision

The first half of IPL-7 is moved out of India to the UAE due to polls, and by SC orders the event is conducted under ex-captain Sunil Gavaskar. The shifting of the final from Mumbai to Bangalore too causes a furore.

4. 2013: Betting allegations hit CSK & RR

Delhi Police arrest three Rajasthan Royals players — S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan — on charges of spot-fixing. The scandal overwhelms the IPL when Mumbai police haul up BCCI president N Srinivasan’s son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings’ team principal Gurunath Meiyappan on charges of alleged betting. The Rajasthan Royals face further trouble when Delhi Police level same charges against co-owner and Raj Kundra. Following intervention by the Supreme Court, Srinivasan is eventually eased out after a long-drawn battle.

5. 2012: Shah Rukh Khan banned from Wankhede Stadium premises

A sting operation exposes cricketers willing to bowl no-balls or indulge in under-hand dealings with franchises, leading the BCCI to ban Mohnish Mishra, Shalabh Srivastava, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali. I t leads to an uproar in Parliament to stop IPL. A heated on-field argument between opposition players Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir also makes for ugly viewing. Then, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is banned from the Wankhede Stadium premises after a scuffle with a Mumbai Cricket Association official. To top it all, RCB cricketer Luke Pomersbach is arrested on charges of molesting an American and assaulting her boyfriend.

6. 2010: Sunanda Pushkar’s ‘sweat equity’ in Kochi

Just before IPL 3, the governing council brings in two new teams, Sahara Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers, only for Modi to tweet about shady shareholding patterns and reveal Sunanda Pushkar’s ‘sweat equity’ in the Kochi set-up. The controversy forces Pushkar’s husband, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, to resign. Modi too is forced out.

7. 2009: IPL 2 shifted to South Africa

Then home minister P Chidambaram refuses to provide security for IPL 2 because of general elections, leading then-IPL commissioner Lalit Modi to shift the entire tournament to South Africa.

8. 2008: Harbhajan slaps Sreesanth.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh slaps India teammate S Sreesanth in Mohali and is banned, creating a furore.

Spot fixing case: 2013

Some details: Players involved in IPL-spot fixing; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, July 25, 2015

A timeline: Spot-fixing in IPL, May 2013-July 2015; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, July 25, 2015

See the graphics

Players involved in IPL-spot fixing

and

A timeline: Spot-fixing in IPL, May 2013-July 2015

Dhoni on the suspension of Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals

‘WHAT WAS THE PLAYERS’ MISTAKE?’| But Captain Dhoni Admits CSK Erred During 2013 Fixing Saga| March 2019 | PTI

In July 2015, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the cash-rich league for two years for betting activities by their key officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra during the 2013 season.

While Dhoni agreed that then BCCI chief N Srinivasan’s son-in-law Meiyappan was part of the team setup, he said, in what capacity, is open to debate.

“Initially, when Guru’s name came up, (we knew) he was part of the team, all said and done. But in what capacity, that is debatable. Was he the owner, the team principal, the motivator... what exactly was he?

“I don’t know if anyone from the franchise introduced Guru to us as the owner... we all knew him as the son-in-law.”

What mistake did the players make, asked Mahendra Singh Dhoni, opening up on a phase of life made “most difficult and depressing” by the 2013 IPL fixing scandal. Dhoni broke his silence in a docudrama aptly titled Roar of the Lion, which focuses on the scandal that rocked Indian cricket and the ensuing fairy tale comeback by Chennai Super Kings following a two-year suspension for its management’s role in spot-fixing.

Dhoni, who led the CSK to three IPL titles, said they knew a “harsh punishment” was on the cards.

“We did deserve the punishment but the only thing is the quantum of the punishment. Finally we got to know that CSK will be banned for two years. There was a mixed feeling that time. Because you take a lot of things personally and, as a captain, question what did the team do wrong,” Dhoni stated.

“Yes there was mistake from our side (the franchise) but were the players involved in this? What mistake did we, as players, do to go through all of that?”

Recalling the torrid time when insinuations and allegations flew thick and fast, Dhoni said fixing a match requires the involvement of the majority of players.

“They started showcasing in the media or social media as if the team was involved. Is it possible (in cricket)? Yes it is possible, anyone can do spot-fixing. Umpires can do that, batsmen can, bowlers can... but match-fixing needs the involvement of the majority of the players.”

The IPL numbers

The Times of India

IPL broadcast rights

In 2008, the consortium of India's Sony Television network and the Singaporebased World Sports Group (WSG) had secured the rights of the IPL for ten years at a cost of more than $1 billion.As part of the deal, the consortium would pay the BCCI $908 million for the telecast rights and $108 million for the promotion of the tournament. However, in a reworked deal next year, BCCI signed a new deal with MSMPL (Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd) and World Sport Group (WSG) for Rs 8,200 crore with 80% of the amount to come from MSMPL. Later WSG exited the deal after a one-time payoff.

IPL title rights

DLF had bought the title rights of the IPL for five years in 2008 for Rs 200 crore.In 2013, Pepsi bid for the rights for the next five years and won it at Rs 396 crore.

2017-22: Vivo pays Rs 2,199 crore

K ShriniwasRao, Value of IPL title rights surges 455% as Vivo shells out Rs 2,200cr, June 28, 2017: The Times of India

Title Rights, Indian Premier League; June 28, 2017: The Times of India

See graphic, 'Title Rights, Indian Premier League'

Cricket administration may be going through turbulent times in India, but the game's fortunes continue to prosper in a manner that defies imagination .

Chinese mobile-maker Vivo retained the Indian Premier League (IPL) title rights for the next five years at Rs 2,199 crore, a 455% increase over the previous contract. Vivo had taken over the rights from PepsiCo from the 2015 season onwards after the latter expressed its inability to continue with its Rs 396 crore deal for five years. Pepsi had bought the title rights from the 2013 season onwards after IPL's first-ever title rights deal worth Rs 200 crore for five years signed in 2008 with real estate company DLF ended post the 2012 season.

Breaking it down on a per year basis, the value of IPL's title rights has soared from Rs 40 crore annually (Rs 200 crore from 2008-2012) to Rs 79.2 crore (Rs 396 crore for 2013-2017) to Rs 439.8 crore (Rs 2199 crore for 2018-2022). Or, to put it another way, the value doubled after the first five years of IPL and shot up another five times in the following five years.Vivo's competitor and another major Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Oppo, bid Rs 1430 crore Rs 769 crore less than what Vivo brought to the table. Oppo had beaten Vivo in March this year when it went on to grab the jersey rights of the Indian cricket team men, women, seniors and juniors for Rs 1,079 crore, a four-fold increase over the previous deal with Star India. Interestingly, Vivo and Oppo are owned by the same Chinese company -BBK Electronics -which also owns the OnePlus mobile brand.

“We received an overwhelming response for the title sponsorship rights and we are glad to have Vivo back on board. It is a renewal of a fruitful relationship with the brand that will extend for the next five years,“ BCCI's acti n g s e c re t a r y A m i t ab h Choudhary said.

Chinese mobile companies, which dominate the phone industry across the world outside of giants Apple and Samsung's considerable clout, have clearly found cricket to be the ideal platform to showcase their wares. Market sources credit the `invasion' to the incomparable popularity of cricket in the country, one that can be equated with football in Europe and baseball in the Americas merely for the eyeballs it manages to generate.

Valuation of the IPL

2014-19

The valuation of the IPL (2014-19) and its franchises (2019)
From: K. Shriniwas Rao, March 4, 2020: The Times of India

See graphic:

The valuation of the IPL (2014-19) and its franchises (2019)

IPL jinxed for team owners?

The Times of India, Jul 17 2015

Some notable IPL team owners; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, July 17, 2015

K ShriniwasRao

A leading Mumbai businessman, once interested in buying an Indian Premier League franchise today wants nothing to do with the glamorous cricket league. He believes IPL is bringing bad luck to team owners. Dramatic as it may sound, a quick look at where the owners have landed up post their IPL buys tends to lend credence to this expression of superstition. The businessman was insistent: “Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy , Venkattram Reddy , the Maran brothers, even Lalit Modi -just look where they are.Isn't it eerie?“ As facts go, the businessman isn't off the mark. Subrata Roy is in jail, Reddy was ar rested, Mallya is in trouble with the authorities, Maranowned Sun TV is having prob lems with the home ministry over security clearances, Lalit Modi is wanted by ED, and Sunanda Pushkar is dead. Even love has gone missing from Ness Wadia and Pre ity Zinta's lives. And N Srinivasan has lost his prized BCCI president's chair.

Wait, not just Srinivasan.His son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, a mere cricket enthusiast according to his father-inlaw, has been pulled up by the Supreme Court for talking to bookmakers and banned for life from cricket. Ditto with another part owner, Raj Kundra of Rajasthan Royals.

Those who have bucked the trend are movie star Shah Rukh Khan, India's biggest businessman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita, and the Delhi franchisee GMR.

Heck, the league itself is now in massive trouble. The judgment delivered by the SC-appointed Justice Lodha committee has reduced the IPL to just six teams of which, again, some are in serious financial trouble.

T Venkattram Reddy, the strapping boss of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, from Hyderabad, lost his team Deccan Chargers after cases of financial fraud with several banks began surfacing post 2011.

And the owners who replaced the team in Hyderabad Maran Brothers of Sun TV are also struggling. Once the eyes and ears of former DMK chief M Karunanidhi, the Chennai media barons are no longer politically protected.Apart from the cloud over their TV channels, they have had to sell their airline SpiceJet back to the original promoter.

Is this the reason why Parth Jindal of Bangalore-based JSW Group doesn't want to get into the IPL?

YEAR-WISE HISTORY

2013-14

IPL: 2013; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

IPL: 2014-2015; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

See graphics

IPL: 2013

IPL: 2014-2015

2016

The IPL auction of Feb 2016: The main buys; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, February 7, 2016

IPL, 2016, some facts; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, May 31, 2016

See graphics

The IPL auction of Feb 2016: The main buys

IPL, 2016, some facts

2017

Players retained and offloaded

Players retained and released, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, December 20, 2016

Players retained and released, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune supergiants; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, December 20, 2016

Players retained and released, Gujarat Lions and Kings Xi Punjab; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, December 20, 2016

Players retained and released, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, December 20, 2016

The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time India XI; The Times of India, April 20, 2017

The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time international players XI; The Times of India, April 20, 2017

See graphics,

Players retained and released, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore

Players retained and released, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune supergiants

Players retained and released, Gujarat Lions and Kings Xi Punjab

Players retained and released, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians

The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time India XI

The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time international players XI

The 2017 auctions

Manuja Veerappa, Feb 21 2017: The Times of India

Stokes Sets League Record As Highest-Paid Foreign Player; Mills, Woakes Too Cash In

England's cricketers dominated proceedings and extracted the maximum from franchises as aspirants went under the hammer in the 10th edition of the IPL auction. Leading the pack was allrounder Ben Stokes, 25, who became the most expensive overseas IPL player when he was snapped up by Pune for Rs. 14.50 crore. Stokes' teammate Tymal Mills was the next big gainer at Rs 12 crore. Starting off at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, the left-arm pacer saw aggressive bidding from Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB, looking to fill the void left by Mitchell Starc, splurged on the 24-year-old, a T20 specialist who is expected to be available through the league.

Another English player to come at a hefty price was all-rounder Chris Woakes, who went to Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 4.2 crore while his T20 skipper Eoin Morgan (Rs 2 crore) found a buyer in Punjab.

Although the teams had 354 players to choose from, only 160 came into the main auction. While the dominance of the England players was expected, the eye-popping figures was surprising since most of them would be available only during the league stage.

The other big foreign buys were Kagiso Rabada (SA, Delhi Daredevils, Rs 5 cr), Trent Boult (NZ, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rs 5 cr), Pat Cummins (Aus, Delhi Daredevils, Rs 4.5 cr) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (Aus, KKR, Rs 3.5cr).

It was a windfall for domestic cricketers too, led by all-rounder Karn Sharma. The top pick in 2014 (Rs 3.8 crore) emerged the highest paid Indian this time with Mumbai Indians spending Rs 3.2 crore on him. He was followed by Tamil Nadu pacer T Natarajan (Rs 3 crore, Kings XI Punjab). Off the maximum 77 players, including 29 overseas who could be picked, 66 players found teams on the day, 27 of them being foreign cricketers. Pune looked like they had an expensive shopping list and spent Rs 17.2 crore off the Rs 17.5 crore in their kitty on buying nine cricketers.

In contrast, Gujarat Lions barely loosened their purse strings, spending a mere Rs 3.85 crore off the Rs 14.35 crore they had. But they still managed to take home 11 players with Jason Roy (England) at Rs 1 crore being their most expensive purchase.

In a first, two Afghans and one UAE player Chirag Suri will be handed their maiden IPL contracts. It is the only instance of Associate players being picked after Ryan ten Doeschate of Holland.

Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad welcomed the Afghans -Rashid Khan Arman and Mohammed Nabi. Arman, the 18-year-old leggie who made his international debut in 2015, went for a jaw-dropping Rs 4 crore (base price: 50 lakh) with the VVS Laxman-mentored SRH winning the bidding war with Mumbai Indians. All-rounder Nabi, on the other hand, had to settle for his base price of Rs 30 lakh. Suri, went to Gujarat for his base price of Rs 10 lakh.

Prior to Stokes going under the hammer, the proceedings at the auction resembled the lull before a storm. Even before auctioneer Richard Madley could finish announcing Stokes' name, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians raised the paddle.

While RCB pulled out at the Rs 4-crore mark, Delhi Daredevils jumped into the fray at Rs 4.20 crore and dropped out soon after. Mumbai, who came into the auction with a purse Rs. 11.555 crore, stretched themselves until Rs 10 crore.

The surprise omissions of Feb 2017

Feb 21 2017, The Times of India

NO TAKERS FOR TAHIR, ISHANT SHARMA

ISHANT SHARMA He is the highest-ranked bowler in ODIs and T20s, but South African spinner Imran Tahir failed to find buyers at Monday's auction. Tahir has 29 wickets in three IPL seasons since 2014 and had formed a lethal combination with Amit Mishra for Delhi Daredevils last season. Also missing the IPL bus were India pacer Ishant Sharma, Windies all-rounder

Jason Holder and Aussies Brad Haddin and Nathan Lyon.

LIST OF ESTABLISHED NAMES WHICH WERE IGNORED:

Ishant Sharma (2cr), Jason Holder (1.5cr), Brad Haddin (1.5cr), Nathan Lyon (1.5cr), Jonny Bairstow (1.5cr), Kyle Abbott (1.5cr), Alex Hales (1cr), Marlon Samuels (1cr), Ross Taylor (50L), Irfan Pathan (50L), Brad Hogg (50L), Mitchell Santner (50L), Imran Tahir (50L), Ish Sodhi (30L).In brackets: Base price

The surprise omissions of Feb 2017/ 2

The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys

The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys; The Times of India

How the teams stack up after the Feb 2017 auction; The Times of India, Feb 21, 2017

Unknown Indian players who made it big at the Feb 2017 auctions; The Times of India, Feb 21, 2017

See graphics

The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys (1 and 2)

How the teams stack up after the Feb 2017 auction

Unknown Indian players who made it big at the Feb 2017 auctions

2017/ IPL- 10

The highlights of IPL- 10, 2017 ; The Times of India, May 22, 2017

See graphic. The highlights of IPL- 10, 2017

Did high player salaries result in success?

Manuja Veerappa, May 23, 2017: The Times of India

See graphic

Crorepatis, how they fared, IPL-10, 2017; The Times of India, May 23, 2017, Manuja Veerappa

IPL-10: Some Investments Went Down The Drain Although A Few Teams Used Their Big Buys Well

If Tymal Mills' IPL performance is measured by his bid price, then each of the five wickets he claimed for Royal Challengers Bangalore came with a mindboggling tag of Rs 2.40 crore! The England pacer, who at Rs 12 crore was the second costliest player at IPL-10, did not do anything extraordinary in the five appearances he made for his franchise.

A T20 specialist, Mills was among the 21 players who hit pay dirt after being picked for a crore or more at the auction held in February . While Ben Stokes (Rising Pune Supergiant) was the costliest at Rs 14.5 crore, others like M Ashwin (Delhi Daredevils), Dan Christian (Rising Pune Supergiant) and Pawan Negi (RCB) earned Rs 1 crore each at the auction.While a few justified their price tags, some disappointed, while the others returned home after being benched through the season.

Stokes and Christian were Pune's main picks at the auction and wise ones at that.Stokes was at the heart of Pune's campaign in the 12 matches he played before joining the England team. Electric and quick as a fielder, the all-rounder claimed 12 wickets at an average of 26.33 and scored 316 runs including an unbeaten century (103 n.o.). His presence in the Pune dressing room turned out to be invaluable for the team. Likewise, Christian with 11 wickets from 13 matches didn't do badly either.

Apart from Pune, the teams for whom investment in crorepati players turned out to be profitable were Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The pace trio of Trent Boult (Rs 5cr), Chris Woakes (Rs 4.2cr) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (Rs 3.5cr) was Kolkata's top buys of the season.While Boult wasn't in peak form, Woakes turned out to be the bowling trump card for Kolkata, picking up 17 wickets in 13 matches.Coulter-Nile too fared well with 15 wickets from eight outings including his three-for in the Eliminator against Hyderabad.

Afghan spinner Rashid Khan and pacer M Siraj didn't disappoint Hyderabad. A Rs 2-crore investment in veteran Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson proved to be a game-changer for Mumbai, who were also rewarded for their faith in Karn Sharma (Rs 3.2cr), who saw them through to the final with his tidy bowling. In contrast, Karnataka's spin bowler K Gowtham, who created a buzz after attracting a Rs 2-crore bid, didn't get to play even a game for Mumbai.

2018

The auction

See graphics:

Some facts about the teams and players in IPL, January 2018 (Day 1 and day 2)

Top buys for IPL, January 2018 (Day 1 and day 2)

Some facts about the teams and players in IPL, January 2018 (Day 1 and day 2)
From: Manuja Veerappa, January 2018: The Times of India

Top buys for IPL, January 2018 (Day 1 and day 2)
From: Manuja Veerappa, January 2018: The Times of India

The main deals/ 1

Manuja Veerappa, Stokes leads IPL crorepati club, January 28, 2018: The Times of India

Big names that went unsold, 2018
From: Manuja Veerappa, Stokes leads IPL crorepati club, January 28, 2018: The Times of India

See graphic:

Big names that went unsold, 2018

Englishman Rakes In Rs 12.5 Crore; Jackpot For Rahul & Pandey Too

Many Indian Premier League dreams took flight and a few were crushed as a virtual conveyor belt of 110 established stars and littleknown players went under the hammer on Saturday, the opening day of the two-day IPL mega auction.

Like last year, England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who went for Rs. 14.5 crore in 2017, hit paydirt as Rajasthan Royals snapped him up for a whopping Rs 12.5 crore, making him the most expensive buy of the day and most likely of the auction. A pending case against him made no difference to the Englishman’s market value as Chennai Super Kings made the first charge followed by Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders before Rajasthan Royals jumped into the bidding war at the Rs 12-crore mark.

Asked about the availability of Stokes, Ranjit Barthakur, chairman and CEO of Royals, said, “As far as we are concerned, the ECB has cleared him for auction; he’s legally available, therefore we’ve bid for him. He’s a very important part. We’re trying to build the team and an all-rounder is absolutely important.”

Stokes was followed by KL Rahul and Manish Pandey. The batting talents from Karnataka commanded a mind-boggling Rs 11 crore each which Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad paid with glee. Mitchell Starc (KKR, Rs 9.40cr), Rashid Khan (SRH; Rs 9cr) and R Ashwin (KXIP; Rs. 7.60cr) were the top bowlers to earn the mega bucks.

UNCAPPED PLAYERS CALL THE SHOTS

As many as 40 uncapped cricketers from India and abroad were paraded. Of them, 19 hit the jackpot, with the price soaring beyond the Rs 1-crore mark. Krunal Pandya (base price Rs 40 lakh) was the biggest gainer among them, taking home a cool Rs 8.8 cr from his home team Mumbai Indians who exercised the RTM privilege even as teams like Bangalore, Royals and Hyderabad engaged in a bidding war for the all-rounder. Even as RCB sealed the deal, Mumbai owners pulled out the RTM card.

Jofra Archer, the 22-year-old medium-pacer from West Indies was the other big gainer on the day as Royals snapped him up for Rs 7.20 crore. Another overseas uncapped crorepati was D’Arcy Short, the 27-year-old lefthanded batsman-spinner from Australia also going to Royals. Both players have had a golden run at the ongoing Australian Big Bash League.

U-19 stars Kamlesh Nagarkoti (Rs 3.2 crore), Shubman Gill (Rs. 1.8 cr), Prithvi Shaw (Rs. 1.2 cr) too joined the elite crorepati club.

SOME STARS GET COLD SHOULDER

Franchises went mostly on current form and youth rather than reputation and experience. The price tags of some of the old warhorses is a case in point. Yuvraj Singh, who was the highest-paid player of 2014 and 2015, went for his base price of Rs 2 cr to Kings XI Punjab, while Chennai, who went for tried and tested players, were the sole bidders for Harbhajan Singh (Rs 2 cr). The franchises were not overenthusiastic when Gautam Gambhir’s name was called out and Delhi Daredevils welcomed him back for Rs 2.80 crore (base price Rs 2 crore).

GAYLE GOES UNSOLD

Meanwhile, explosive West Indies batsman Chris Gayle found no takers. Even RCB didn’t look interested.

Highlights

January 28, 2018: The Times of India

10 things to know about IPL auction, 2018
From: January 28, 2018: The Times of India

See graphic:

10 things to know about IPL auction, 2018

Players sold/ 1

Players sold, day 1, (IPL auction, 2018)
From: January 28, 2018: The Times of India

See graphic:

Players sold, day 1, (IPL auction, 2018)

The main deals/ 2

IPL auction (day 2, 2018), some brief facts
From: January 29, 2018: The Times of India

See graphic:

IPL auction (day 2, 2018), some brief facts

Most expensive uncapped players

January 28, 2018: The Times of India

MOST EXPENSIVE UNCAPPED PLAYERS

Krunal Pandya (Rs 8.8 cr, MI – RTM; Base price Rs 40 lakh), Jofra Archer (Rs 7.2 cr, RR; BP Rs 40 lakh), Ishan Kishan (Rs 6.2 cr, MI; BP: Rs 40 lakh), D’Arcy Short (Rs 4 cr, RR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Deepak Hooda (Rs 3.6 cr, SRH – RTM; BP: Rs 40 lakh), Siddharth Kaul (Rs 3.8 cr, SRH; BP: Rs 30 lakh), Nitish Rana (Rs 3.4 cr, KKR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Rahul Tripathi (Rs 3.4 cr, RR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (Rs 3.2 cr, KKR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Vijay Shankar (Rs 3.2 cr, DD; BP: Rs 40 lakh), Suryakumar Yadav (Rs 3.2 cr, MI; BP: Rs 30 lakh), Ankit Rajpoot (Rs 3 cr, KXIP; BP:Rs 30 lakh), Navdeep Saini (Rs 3 cr, RCB; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Khaleel Ahmed (Rs 3 cr, SRH; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Rahul Tewatia (Rs 3 cr, DD; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Shubman Gill (Rs 1.8 cr, KKR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Prithvi Shaw (Rs 1.2 cr, DD; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Manan Vohra (Rs 1.1 cr, RCB; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Mayank Agarwal (Rs 1 cr, KXIP; BP: Rs 20 lakh).

Lesser known players selected in 2018

Manuja Veerappa, RR Break Bank For Pacer, Shell Out ₹11.5Cr To Make Him Costliest Indian, January 29, 2018: The Times of India

Auction in IPL- team, players bought and amount spent

About an hour-and-a-half into the second day of the IPL auction, the money left with the franchises started to decrease with capped pacers commanding a good price. Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals — the teams with the biggest purse — had one pacer on their ‘mustbuy’ list and the latter had the last laugh.

It turned out to be a blockbuster Sunday for left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat as he went for a mind boggling ₹ 11.5 crore, making him the second most expensive player of this season behind IPL teammate Ben Stokes (₹12.5 crore).

Starting off at a base price of ₹ 1.5 crore, it was common knowledge that the 26-yearold will be among the hot picks given his T20 credentials which includes 24 wickets last season, Chennai Super Kings were the first to bid for him and Kings XI Punjab jumped in immediately. Rajasthan Royals, who were mute spectators until the bid crossed the ₹11-crore mark, upped the ante and made the winning bid for the Saurashtra bowler, who last season went to Rising Pune Supergiants for his base price of ₹30 lakh. As the auction drew to a close, 169 of the 581 players found a team with a total of ₹431.7 crore spent on them. This included 56 overseas players from across nine countries. Earlier, Kings XI Punjab fought it out with Chennai for Australian pacer Andrew Tye before bagging him for ₹7.2 crore. After an intense paddle war between Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals, Karnataka spinner and a handy bat K Gowtham went to Royals for an impressive ₹6.2 crore.

AFGHANS HIT JACKPOT

Over the weekend, four players from Afghanistan generated a lot of buzz. After Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi returned to Sunrisers Hyderabad, 16-year-old Mujeeb Zadran and Zahir Khan went to Punjab and Rajasthan Royals respectively.

Mujeeb, who hails from Khost, a town 250km from Kabul, shot into the limelight last year when he picked up four wickets on debut against Ireland. The offie, often referred to as a mystery spinner, started with a base price of ₹50 lakh and Punjab and Delhi Daredevils immediately engaged in intense bidding. Delhi dropped out at ₹3.80 crore and Punjab sealed the deal at ₹4 crore. Mujeeb’s compatriot Zahir, went for ₹ 60 lakh from a base price of ₹20 lakh.

INVESTMENT IN FUTURE

With an eye on the future, the franchisees picked a total of seven India U-19 players, of whom four were bought on the second day. Speed gun Shivam Mavi went for ₹ 3 crore to Kolkata Knight Riders while big hitters Abhishek Sharma and Manjot Kalra were both snapped up by Delhi Daredevils for ₹55 lakh and ₹20 lakh respectively. Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy headed to the Mumbai Indians camp for ₹20 lakh.

A FIRST FOR NEPAL CRICKET

Nepal’s spin bowler Sandeep Lamichhane became the first player from Nepal to bag an IPL contract when Delhi got him on board for ₹20 lakh. The 17-year-old is highly rated by former Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who mentored him during a league in Hong Kong.

GAYLE GETS THIRD TIME LUCKY

West Indies big-hitter Chris Gayle, a marquee player who went unsold on the opening day and in the second session of the second day, emerged lucky the third time when Punjab successfully bid for him at his ₹ 2-crore base price. Likewise, Murali Vijay too was brought in the first round of the accelerated process by Chennai Super Kings at his base price (₹ 2 crore). Another current international Parthiv Patel (₹ 1.70 cr) headed to Royal Challengers Bangalore as did Mitchell Johnson (₹ 2 crore, KKR) and Tim Southee (₹1crore, RCB). Among the big names who failed to attract any bidders were Dale Steyn, Eoin Morgan, Martin Guptill, Joe Root, Nathan Lyon and Tymal Mills, who was the second most expensive player last season at ₹ 12 crore.

The youngest, the oldest, average age

Partha Bhaduri, April 6, 2018: The Times of India

Youngest and oldest players in each IPL team, April 2018
From: Partha Bhaduri, April 6, 2018: The Times of India

Average age of players in IPL 2018
From: Partha Bhaduri, April 6, 2018: The Times of India

HIGHLIGHTS

IPL has also welcomed those simply hoping to revive sagging mid-career fortunes with a booster shot of cricketing glory

In 2016, the average age of the top-10 was 29.10. Three players were above 30, and one was below 25

Last season the average age of the top-10 grew again to 30.30, with seven batsmen above 30 in the list

Worried about age spots? An IPL treatment may be just what you need. We’re not talking about the intense pulsed light cosmetic procedure so common in the beauty industry, but the glowing cricketing equivalent, the Indian Premier League. Since its inception in the nascent days of T20 strategizing, the league has been a haven for those seeking to smoothen the wrinkles of a post-retirement life. IPL has also welcomed those simply hoping to revive sagging mid-career fortunes with a booster shot of cricketing glory. Even at the auctions, reputation has tended to precede both skills and promise in the expense stakes.

This time around, the trend seems to have been bucked at the auctions, either because of a large number of available cricketers in the twilight of their careers or a more deliberate move from franchises to bank on fresh legs.

Some like CSK, though, have remained firmly in favour of veterans. Their logic is a proven one: the T20 game is a short one, so those high on skill and experience but low on youthful energy won’t be caught out in a hurry. They can, instead, shave off the years when it comes to performance.

CSK seem to have done their homework on the batting front. For the past three IPL seasons, the average age of the top 10 batting performers has been rising slowly and steadily. In 2015, the average age of the top-10 was 28.50, with Chris Gayle being the oldest at 35 (at that time) and Ajinkya Rahane being the youngest then at 26, which means all 10 batsmen were above 25. Four were above 30.

In 2016, the average age of the top-10 grew to 29.10, although only three were above 30, and one was below 25 (Quinton de Kock, 23 at the time). This was because of a large concentration of cricketers in the 27-34 age group, when a batsmen is in his prime.

Last season the average age of the top-10 grew again to 30.30, with seven batsmen above 30 in the list. The oldest was Gautam Gambhir at 35, the youngest Rahul Tripathi at 26. This doesn’t mean, though, that seniority is a guarantee of success and the other franchises have erred in banking on youth. A similar peek into the top-10 bowlers reveals the average age has been shrinking, from 28.80 in 2015 to 26.60 in 2017.

Interestingly, the average age of the worst batting performers too has been rising steadily. The top-10 worst batting performers (taking into consideration batting positions No. 1 to 6 only, minimum 11 innings) had an average age of 30.4 last season, up from 28.7 in 2016. That means banking on senior players is often a gamble. So what’s an IPL team management to do when picking a side?

For one, picking younger bowlers is the way to go. The days of the Nehras, Hoggs and Tambes may be over. On the batting front, there is an important difference in the ‘best and ‘worst’ sets: the ‘worst of ’ batting lists tend to be thinner on performers of pedigree, meaning who have also excelled with the bat at international level in ODI or Test cricket over time.

The highest, fittest achievers are more adept at stretching peak performance well into their 30s. So if you’re picking seniors, picking the ones with the best international records may be the way to go.

This time at the auction, many franchises displayed a tendency to pick younger domestic performers, the likes of Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rahul Tripathi and Ishan Kishan, to name just three. That means they have spent less on some proven but ageing players. This may have saved owners money, but until it translates into winning performances, their furrowed brows may not smoothen soon.

IPL business model

IPL runs on a Central and Local pool of sponsorships for revenues. Broadcasters, tournament sponsors, title rights holders and bid monies form the central pool. Gate money, in-stadia advertising, franchise sponsors and merchandising make for the Local Pool. The Central Pool revenue is shared by all eight franchises on a percentage basis. The franchise has to fend for itself where Local Pool is concerned.

Future

The players from Royals and CSK franchise cannot be bought by or absorbed in any other franchise. Each team has a limit of 26 players and a fixed purse. For CSK and RR players to participate in IPL, the BCCI will have to float a tender for two fresh teams. There is no restriction if CSK and RR want to sell their franchises ahead of the coming season, after BCCI clearance. A full-fledged auction of all players is now scheduled after the 2016 edition of IPL.Both Royals and CSK have 26 players each and so do most other franchises. CSK has one-year contracts with most of its cricketers, who can go back into the auction pool but other franchises will have to off-load players to be able to buy them. With Kochi Tuskers winning their arbitration with BCCI, they're free to participate in IPL. Some players can be included in the Kochi franchise if they agree to play the tournament. However, one new franchise will still have to be auctioned. If Kochi Tuskers are unwilling to play, BCCI will have to auction two new franchises. IPL broadcast rights are up for a resale in 2017.

The finals (graphic)

The results of the IPL finals, 2018- CSK beat SRH; CSK’s performance in the finals, 2008-2018
From: May 28, 2018: The Times of India

See graphic:

The results of the IPL finals, 2018: CSK beat SRH
CSK’s performance in the finals, 2008-2018

The best batsmen, bowlers IPL 2018

Gaurav Gupta, Veteran Aussie Pulverises SRH With Blazing Century As Chennai Canter To Title, May 28, 2018: The Times of India

The best batsmen, bowlers of IPL 2018
From: Gaurav Gupta, Veteran Aussie Pulverises SRH With Blazing Century As Chennai Canter To Title, May 28, 2018: The Times of India

“Teams win games, but finals are won by individuals,” MS Dhoni had quipped on the eve of the IPL final between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. His words proved prophetic as Shane Watson smashed the highest-ever score in an IPL final to seal the 2018 crown for CSK.

Watson pulverized the Sunrisers bowlers during his breathtaking, unbeaten 117 (57b, 11x4, 8x6) to turn the summit clash into a ridiculously one-sided affair at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night.

The Aussie’s blazing century, his second of the tournament, completed a fairytale return to the IPL for CSK, who clinched their third title after being banned for two years.

When he took 10 balls to get off the mark, little did one realize that Wason would explode in such a fashion that CSK would gallop home with as many as nine balls and eight wickets still intact. Chasing 179, the 37-year-old chose to be cautious at the start as he played out Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s first over for a maiden.

After taking his time to get his eye in, Watson tore into one of the best attacks of the tournament with his devastating blade.

Sandep Sharma won’t forget the mauling that he received in the 13th over from Watson in a hurry. Ball after ball, the young medium-pacer ran in, trying the slower, knuckle delivery outside off stump, which normally ties up a batsman in knots in T20 cricket. However, on Sunday night, those deliveries landed deep into the stands behind long on, thrice in succession.

Between this six-hitting spree, Watson carted the youngster, who was consoled by his captain Kane Williamson, for two fours too, in an over which cost the Sunrisers 27 runs, and reduced the remaining part of the chase to a canter. To add to the Sunrisers’ woes, pacer Siddharth Kaul endured a horrible night as well, going for 43 for three overs, even as the experienced Watson negated the Rashid threat too.

Watson found an able ally in Suresh Raina (32), as the pair added 117 in 57 balls for the second wicket, after Faf du Plessis was dismissed early.

Earlier, Sunrisers picked up pace in the second half of their innings to post a competitive 178 for six.

Put in by Dhoni, the Sunrisers were initially pegged back by good spells from seamers Lungi Ngidi and Deepak Chahar. Ngidi even bowled a maiden in his first spell.

SRH suffered an initial setback when ‘keeper-bat Shreevats Goswami, who replaced an injured Wriddhiman Saha, was run out by Karn Sharma while going for a needless second run.

That blow meant skipper Kane Williamson was in the middle by the second over. Together with Shikhar Dhawan (26, 25b, 2x4, 1x6), Williamson (47, 36b, 5x4, 2x6) stablized the innings. After Dhawan was castled by Ravindra Jadeja, middle-order batsmen Shakib Al Hasan (23, Yusuf Pathan (45 not out) and Carlos Brathwaite (21) all chipped in as SRH collected 105 from the last 10 overs.

The trio’s effort helped SRH get over the setback of losing Williamson, who was stumped while giving the charge to a Karn delivery which spun away far outside the off stump. Though he couldn’t complete what would’ve been his ninth fifty in the 2018 IPL, Williamson joined a rare club of batsmen who’ve completed 700 runs in a season.

The best performers/ first 30 games

IPL 11 (2018)- The best performers of the first 30 games
From: Dhananjay Mahapatra, SC’s switch hit: Won’t force one-state, one-vote on BCCI, May 2, 2018: The Times of India

See graphic:

IPL 11 (2018)- The best performers of the first 30 games

November: Extension, retention and dropping of players

Saibal Bose, Unadkat dropped over ‘high auction-price pressure’, November 16, 2018: The Times of India

November 2018- The extension, retention and dropping of players by IPL franchises
From: Saibal Bose, Unadkat dropped over ‘high auction-price pressure’, November 16, 2018: The Times of India

Rajasthan Royals continue to surprise. After having snapped up medium-pacer Jaydev Unadkat for Rs 11.3 crore, the highest for an Indian in the IPL auctions held early this year, the Jaipur-based franchise dropped another bombshell by releasing him. The reason for the decision was apparently the player’s high auction price.

“When reviewing Jaydev’s contributions to the team, we felt there was too much pressure on him to deliver vis-a-vis his auction price and hence we thought it would be better to release him,” Royals head of cricket Zubin Bharucha told TOI.

Unadkat had failed to deliver to expectations in the last edition of the IPL, having taken just 11 wickets in 15 matches, with the economy rate was a shade below 10. Royals owner Manoj Badale had told TOI after the auctions that the idea was to plan their strategy around an Indian strike bowler and Unadkat fitted the bill.

“We want to go into the next auction with a free mind,” a Royals official told TOI. Jaipur is scheduled to host the auctions in the third week of December. Royals also released another much talked-about player, South Africa’s big-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen. Australian batsman D’Arcy Short and veteran medium-pacer Ben Laughlin were also released.

DAREDEVILS RELEASE GAMBHIR

Delhi Daredevils expectedly released Gautam Gambhir, who stepped down as the team’s in the middle of the 2018 season after a poor run of form. Apart from Gambhir, Delhi also released Jason Roy, Junior Dala, Liam Plunkett, Mohammed Shami, Sayan Ghosh, Daniel Christian, Glenn Maxwell, Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Naman Ojha. The retained Delhi players include captain Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Amit Mishra and teen sensation Prithvi Shaw.

SUNRISERS RETAIN WARNER, LET GO OF BRATHWAITE, SAHA

Sunrisers Hyderabad retained David Warner — who missed the 2018 season following the ball-tampering scandal — while releasing nine players, including West Indies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite.

SRH retained 17 players. England’s Alex Hales and all-rounder Chris Jordan too were dumped by franchise. Among Indians, the notable player to be released was Bengal wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. Earlier, Sunrisers had traded opener Shikhar Dhawan for Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Nazeem and Vijay Shankar with Daredevils.

KINGS RELEASE AXAR, YUVI, FINCH

India’s 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh, left-arm spinner Axar Patel and Australia’s current limitedovers skipper Aaron Finch were among 11 players released by Kings XI Punjab. A pale shadow of his once explosive self, the 36-year-old Yuvraj managed just 65 runs at an abysmal average of 10.83 in eight games. With 134 runs in 10 games@16.75, the usually consistent Finch too didn’t find runs. Others who have been released are Ben Dwarshuis, former India pacers Mohit Sharma and Barinder Sran, batsman Manoj Tiwary, Kashmir’s Manzoor Dar, Akshdeep Nath and Mayank Dagar. Kings XI finished seventh out of eight teams last year.

MUMBAI DROP CUMMINS, MUSTAFIZUR AND DUMINY

The Mumbai Indians on Thursday released South African batsman Jean-Paul Duminy, seamers Pat Cummins (Australia) and Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) and Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya, while retaining 18 players. Cummins was bought by MI for Rs 5.4 crore, but was ruled out before the start of the last IPL due to injury. There were reports that Cricket Australia (CA) pulled him out due to fear of a burnout or injury during the tournament.

Mustafizur Rahman was purchased for Rs 2.2 crore, but played only seven matches last season, taking as many wickets. The left-arm paceman was with Sunrisers Hyderabad previously. Duminy was bought for Rs 1 crore, but played just six matches, in which he managed only 36 runs. MI have also released six domestic players — Saurabh Tiwary, Pradeep Sangwan, Sharad Lumba, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, UP pacer Mohsin Khan and Kerala’s MD Nidheesh.

The Mumbai franchise’s list of 10 released players includes one capped, five uncapped and four international players.

2019

The main deals at the auction

Saibal Bose, December 19, 2018: The Times of India

Indian Premier League, 2019- The main deals at the auction
From: Saibal Bose, December 19, 2018: The Times of India

RR Keep Medium-Pacer At Lower Price, Kings XI Add Mystery To Their Attack

Rajasthan Royals continue to surprise. After releasing Jaydev Unadkat for being high priced, they bought him right back for Rs 8.40 crores, making him the joint costliest player at Tuesday’s auctions. Given that they had snapped up the left-arm medium-pacer for Rs 11.5 crores in February, Unadkat might be feeling robbed of Rs 3.1 crores.

There would be no mixed feelings for Varun Chakravarthy, the mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu, who matched Unadkat in money splurged on him. He hit the jackpot with Kings XI Punjab pocketing the 27-year old, who can bowl both leg-spin and offspin. It is said about Chakravarthy that he gets through his four overs before the rivals can unravel him. Staring at a base price of Rs 20 lakh, Chakravarthy went for 42 times that amount.

England’s Sam Curran was called in rather late, but some of the franchises seemed to have held back their purse for him. The all-rounder, whose reputation has soared since his performance against India, caused a bidding war among Kings Xi Punjab, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Punjab added him to their roster for Rs 7.20 crore, making him the costliest overseas player on Tuesday.

Even though bowlers were mainly in focus, South African batsman Colin Ingram was laughing his way to the bank with Delhi Capitals buying him for Rs 6.4 crore.

Mumbai youngster Shivam Dube quite expectedly generated interest after smashing five sixes in one over recently. Royal Challengers Bangalore added him to the kitty for Rs 5 crore, the same price that Mohit Sharma (CSK), Axar Patel (DC) and Carlos Braithwaite earned. The Bengaluru side’s management, in fact, spoke of Dube’s sixes while justifying his high price.

Kings XI threw up another stunner in outbidding Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians for 18-year-old wicketkeeper batsman Prabhsimran Singh (Rs 4.80 crore).

Among the players currently playing for Team India, Mohammad Shami was the top pick at Rs 4.80 crore. Kings XI Punjab, on a rebuilding spree, will most likely use him as their strike bowler.

Golden oldies like Brendon McCullum got the royal ignore while Yuvraj Singh had to be brought back, Mumbai Indians buying him at base price of Rs 1 crore. In fact, all the highestrated spinners were left unsold. Clearly, the franchises were looking for surprise elements like Chakravarthy. “He is unknown and that is an advantage,” KXIP CEO Satish Menon explained. “It’s also the World Cup year and we don’t know whom we might lose. Varun is more of a backup to Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Zadran.”

Teams in the final

CSK vs. MI reached the final of IPL, 2019
From: May 11, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic, 'CSK vs. MI reached the final of IPL, 2019'

MI win the title

JAC Gladson, May 13, 2019: The Times of India

The IPL final, 2019- Scoreboard
From: JAC Gladson, May 13, 2019: The Times of India

MI beat CSK in the final of IPL, 2019
From: May 13, 2019: The Times of India

See graphics:

The IPL final, 2019- Scoreboard

MI beat CSK in the final of IPL, 2019

A proven track record does no good if you’re not good on the day. Having made his point beautifully on the eve of the IPL 2019 final against Chennai Super Kings, Rohit Sharma and Co. were expected to not just merely turn up, but put in an impressive performance. And by converting their words into deeds, Mumbai Indians not only won their fourth title but their one-run win over Chennai Super Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday was the second such finish – they had defeated Pune Warriors by the same margin in 2017.

In Chennai, Mumbai had an opposition that’s weathered many a storm, but in not refusing to give up or give in, Mumbai are now in a league of their own with the skipper making it a penta – four titles with Mumbai and one with Deccan Chargers.

As is their wont, Chennai turned the contest into a gripping finale and Rahul Chahar nearly cost them the game when he reprieved Shane Watson with the opener going great guns on 55. The Aussie smashed two overs for 20 runs each off Lasith Malinga (16th) and Krunal Pandya (18th) to negate all the good work Rahul Chahar had done by restricting Chennai to 72 for two at the halfway stage — they eventually had to rest content with 148/7.

When Watson finally fell with two deliveries to go for 80 (59b, 8x4, 6x4), Chennai still needed four. His 51-run partnership with Dwayne Bravo was not enough to see CSK cross the line with Lasith Malinga sounding the death knell by denying two runs off the last ball.

The start was just as exciting as the finish after the Mumbai skipper had no hesitation to bat first. But if Mumbai’s 149 for eight was a start-stop affair, Chennai had not reckoned with Mumbai’s bowling arsenal that slowly tilted the scales in their favour by choking runs in the middle.

Faf du Plessis was the initial aggressor, while Shane Watson took his time, but with Suresh Raina running out of luck, Ambati Rayudu coming a cropper and skipper MS Dhoni run-out going for a second on an overthrow, Mumbai cleverly wrested the initiative through Chahar’s excellent returns of one for 14, which included 13 dot balls and just one boundary.

2020

Mumbai Indians win fifth title

Gaurav Gupta, November 11, 2020: The Times of India

Scoreboard, Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, IPL- 2020
From: Gaurav Gupta, November 11, 2020: The Times of India

Mumbai Indians' five IPL titles, 2013-2020
From: Gaurav Gupta, November 11, 2020: The Times of India

Is he really injured? If this final was something of a ‘fitness test’ for Rohit Sharma, the star opener passed it with flying colours. Rested from the Indian team’s white-ball leg for the impending tour to Australia due to a rather mysterious hamstring injury which has caused big controversy, the Mumbaikar churned out a captain’s knock, cracking 68 (51b, 5x4, 4x6) to lead the Mumbai Indians to their fifth Indian Premier League title, as they downed the Delhi Capitals by five wickets in a onesided final in Dubai.

Unleashing his trademark front-foot pulls off the fast bowlers and smashing the spinners down the ground with characteristic ease, Rohit seemed intent on making a simple point he made when he returned from his injury to play for MI: ‘I’m fit and fine.’ He perished to a superb diving catch by substitute fielder Lalit Yadav at deep midwicket while trying to hook Anrich Nortje, but the job was done by then.

Towards the end, MI suffered a couple of more hiccups when Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya went out cheaply but Ishan Kishan (33 not out, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) continued his fabulous form to take MI home.

It was title No. 5 for ‘Captain Rohit,’ and his sixth as a player in the IPL. A decade back, MI had, for the only time, lost an IPL final while chasing against CSK, but this time, chasing just 157, they didn’t falter again, managing to defend the title successfully. It’s the first time that MI have won a crown in an even year. In what has been a magnificent campaign for them, MI came up with another dominant display in the final, beating the Capitals for the fourth time this season.

Earlier, skipper Shreyas Iyer (65 not out, 50b, 6x4, 2x6) and Rishabh Pant (56 not out, 38b, 4x4, 2x6) struck form, digging the Capitals out from a deep hole when they had slipped to 22 for three by just the fourth over, but MI still managed to restrict them to 156 for seven.

Showing commendable fightback, Iyer and Pant dug in to add 96 in 69 balls for the fourth wicket to bail their team out of crisis and breathe some life into the summit clash. However, pulling things back brilliantly, MI conceded merely 38 in the final five overs to gain the upper hand.

For the eight time in this IPL, Man of the Match Trent Boult provided a breakthrough in the first over for MI when he had Marcus Stoinis caught behind off the very first ball of the match, the first such instance in an IPL final. Boult struck again when Ajinkya Rahane was caught down the legside for just two in the third over.

The Capitals suffered their biggest blow when talismanic batsman Shikhar Dhawan (15) missed a slog sweep off off-spinner Jayant Yadav to be castled for just 15. It’s not often that you see Dhawan mess up that stroke, but then whatever MI have touched this time has turned into gold.

2021

The entire list

February 19, 2021: The Times of India

IPL 2021: Full squad, players list of all eight teams

NEW DELHI: Every year, the IPL Player Auction brings with it a lot of excitement and thrill. Franchisees splurge large sums of money to seal a deal, while some players fail to find a bidder.

In the IPL 2021 Player Auction, South African all-rounder Chris Morris made headlines by becoming IPL's most expensive buy of all time. Morris was fetched by Rajasthan Royals for a mammoth Rs. 16.25 crore. Meanwhile Krishnappa Gowtham became the highest uncapped Indian buy of all time. He was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs. 9.25 crore.

Here's the full squad list of all eight IPL teams after the squads for the 2021 edition were finalised:

DELHI CAPITALS

Shreyas Iyer (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

MUMBAI INDIANS

Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare (wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, N. Jagadeesan (wk), Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, R. Sai Kishore, Mitchell Santner, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Josh Hazlewood, KM Asif, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K. Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishanth

PUNJAB KINGS

KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen , Saurabh Kumar

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun CV, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Pawan Negi

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD

David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman

RAJASTHAN ROYALS

Sanju Samson (c&wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE

Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Josh Philippe (wk), AB de Villiers (wk), Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Daniel Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat

The auction

Prasad.RS, February 19, 2021: The Times of India

How the IPL franchises stack up, 2021
From: Prasad.RS, February 19, 2021: The Times of India

IPL auction, history, as in February 2021- Morris becomes most expensive buy in IPL auction history
From: February 19, 2021: The Times of India

PAY DAY FOR ALLROUNDERS

RR Break Bank For Morris; Maxwell And Jamieson Fetch Big Money Too

Chennai:

With millions flying around the room, you wouldn’t expect social media to go into overdrive over a Rs 50 lakh or a Rs 20 lakh buy. But then, while Cheteshwar Pujara is an emotional favourite of many after his heroics in Test cricket, Arjun Tendulkar’s inclusion in the IPL auction list had become a point of debate. So, when Pujara finally got an IPL team — Chennai Super Kings — after seven years, the entire auction room applauded the gesture. “It was a mark of respect for all that Pujara has done for India,” a CSK official told TOI.

Arjun, on the other hand, was the last pick of the day as Zaheer Khan quietly raised the baton to have team mentor Sachin Tendulkar’s son in the set-up after two T20 game for Mumbai.

But before that, a few familiar stories played out. South African allrounder Chris Morris, with 34 runs and 11 wickets from nine games in IPL-13 for Royal Challengers Bangalore, broke all records to become the highest-paid player of the IPL. Rajasthan Royals, looking to rebuild again, paid 16.25 cr, edging out Punjab Kings in a bidding war. Morris’ price tag went past the Rs 16 cr record that was paid by RCB for Yuvraj Singh in 2015.

“We spoke to Morris before the auction and did a medical review to see if he can last the season. He’s in a bubble now in South Africa and about to play the domestic competition. He will play an important role for us in all phases of the game. He can win us the game with the bat as well and the ball,” said Jake Lush McCrum, RR’s COO. But then, that’s the reason RCB paid Rs 10 cr last time for the 33-year-old, but without much reward.

The auction lived up its tag of being allrounders’ ticket to big money. New Zealand’s Kylie Jamieson was bought for Rs 15 crore by RCB. He had scored a couple of 40s against India in Test matches in 2020 and gave Virat Kohli & Co a difficult time with his pace and bounce. Kohli must have taken a note of that and with Kiwi Mike Hesson as the coach, the decision was made to bring him in.

There was another usual suspect — Glenn Maxwell — who went for Rs 14.25 crore without hitting a single six in the last edition of the IPL in UAE for Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab). But on paper, he is one who can contribute handsomely both with the bat and ball, and that’s what led to a bidding war between CSK and RCB. CSK, quite uncharacteristically went till Rs 14 cr mark for the player, but then gave up as Kohli’s franchise looked for “impact players”.

CSK, desperate for spin-bowling allrounders, made two smart buys in the form of Moeen Ali (Rs 7 cr) and K Gowtham (Rs 9.25 cr). Gowtham became the highest-paid Indian at the auction. “Moeen can be an opener option too while Gowtham will fill two vacant spots — Kedar Jadhav and Harbhajan Singh,” a source said.

Another big-money buy was Australian pacer Jhye Richardson by Punjab Kings for Rs 14 cr. They needed a pace-bowling partner for Mohammad Shami after releasing Sheldon Cortrell following a hammering by Rahul Tewatia in one of the games last season. “We knew there would be competition for Richardson but we have the team we required,” team owner Preity Zinta, who also acquired England opener Dawid Mallan for Rs 1.5 cr, said. Punjab also got Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan (Rs 5.4 cr), who was extremely impressive in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The KKR table, which attracted eyeballs due to the presence of SRK’s son Aryan and Juhi Chawla’s daughter Jhanvi, brought Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan back in the team for Rs 3.25 cr along with veteran offie Harbhajan Singh for his base price of Rs 2 cr. MI, on the other hand, had Nathan Coulter Nile and Jimmy Neeham back as their medium-pace back-up for Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. SRH picked up Kedar Jadhav for Rs 2 cr late in the day to add some experience to their middle-order.

Delhi Capitals, too, quietly brought Steve Smith into their line-up for a mere Rs 2.2 crore.

‘Pujara a back-up for Raina’

Pujara’s return to the IPL fold was celebrated by most but there were voices who felt the Test specialist would have been better off playing County instead of sitting on the reserve-bench of CSK for two months. But it’s understood that CSK had a plan in place to get Pujara in and it was not just about respect for the stalwart. “He is a back-up for Suresh Raina, who hasn’t played cricket in a while,” a source said.

The fact that Dhoni wants players who are used to taking pressure is another reason behind Pujara’s inclusion in the squad.

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-[[Category:India |W]]
-[[Category: Sports |W]]
-[[Category:Name|Alphabet]]
-[[Category:Name|Alphabet]]
-=World Championships, Indian achievers at=
+[[Category:Cricket |I ]]
-==1967-2013==
+[[Category:India |I ]]
+[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources |I ]]
+[[Category:Cinema-TV-Pop |I ]]
+[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary |I ]]
-''' 1967 New Delhi: '''
+[[File: The results of IPL finals, 2008-2016.jpg| The results of IPL finals, 2008-2016; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=30_05_2016_021_023_013&type=P&artUrl=A-NEW-SUNRISE-IN-BENGALURU-30052016021023&eid=31808 ''The Times of India''], May 30, 2016|frame|500px]]
-Bishamber Singh (57kg silver)
+[[File: delhi daredevils ipl record 2008 2015.jpg| Delhi Daredevils: IPL record, 2008-2015; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com//Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=DEVILS-GET-THE-BLUES-AGAIN-19052015022005 ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-'''2009 Denmark: '''
+=History=
+==Established in 2008==
+[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/ipl/news/How-IPL-changed-the-dynamics-of-Indian-cricket/articleshow/51738244.cms ''The Times of India''], April 8, 2016
-Ramesh Kumar (74kg bronze)
+Twenty20 cricket became phenomenally popular after India won the inaugural World Twenty20 title in 2007 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The victory not only rejuvenated the Indians fans, who were reeling under the disappointment of the 2007 ODI World Cup, but it also gave way to the conceptualization of the Indian Premier League that has since then not only cashed on the craze but has also changed the way cricket is played in India.
-'''2010 Moscow: '''
+Brain child of the then BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi, the IPL was launched in 2008 with much fanfare as a competitive response to the Indian Cricket League (ICL) that was not recognized by the BCCI. Since then the IPL has not only come out as the clear victor but has given birth to various T20 leagues around the world and is the most-attended cricket league in the world. The ICL, with controversies of non-payment and fixing, folded up in 2009.
-Sushil Kumar (66kg gold)
+Following the same format as that of English Premier League (EPL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), the IPL works on a franchise system that were put for auction, where the highest bidder won the rights to own the team, representing each city.
-'''2012 Canada: '''
+===2008: the beginnings===
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=NOT-QUITE-A-PERFECT-10-05042017023030  K ShriniwasRao, Apr 05 2017: The Times of India]
-Geeta Phogat (55kg bronze),
+A Decade After It Set The Benchmark For T20 Leagues, Is The IPL Still Blazing The Trail When It Comes To Innovation?
-Babita Kumari (51kg bronze)
+Ten years ago, on a pleasant afternoon in 2008, when a five-star hotel in the south of Mumbai played host to an Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction, the first of its kind in any sport across the world, Sotheby's London auction house was yet to make a killing from a fascinating bronze sculpture -a Swiss masterpiece -waiting to go under the hammer. The winning bid for Walking Man I didn't quite proverbially match up to the cheque written (and the noise made) for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the scale of contemporary European art notwithstanding.
-'''2013 Budapest: '''
+Much later, Richard Madley , the competent London-based auctioneer at IPL for a decade now, would admit -a bit in disbelief and a lot in awe -that sport, much defined like art as an expression of human creative skill, had taken a multi-dimensional leap of faith that astonishing afternoon. Cricket, until then a sport that had been looking to readdress itself in ways that could reassure coming generations of its viability, was given a new life by administrators with twisted hearts and professionals with incredible designs.
-Amit Kumar (55kg silver),
+This was 2008. India hadn't yet woken up to the idea of leagues until then. By that time, NFL  the celebrated American football league  was already 88 years old and the NBA  the premier men's basketball tournament  62. It was pure innovation at play for IPL, working at multiple levels that helped redraft cricketing philosophies in ways that made the world sit up and take note. Never before had an investor in sport become a bigger talking point than the investment itself.
-Bajrang (60kg bronze),
+===The results of the finals===
+-16: See graphic.
-Sandeep Tulsi Yadav (66kg bronze)
+===Impact on cricket in India===
+[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/ipl/news/How-IPL-changed-the-dynamics-of-Indian-cricket/articleshow/51738244.cms ''The Times of India''], April 8, 2016
-=Central contracts=
+The first IPL auction took place on January 24, 2008 and the total base price for the auction was $400 million. The auction went on to fetch $723.59 million.
-==2018: the inaugural year’s surprises==
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/apa/timesofindia/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=TOIM%2F2018%2F12%2F01&id=Ar02722&sk=4683DD0A&viewMode=text  Now, wrestlers get central contracts, December 1, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+The Mumbai franchise (Mumbai Indians) owned by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was the most expensive franchise - fetching $111.9 million closely followed by Vijay Mallya's United Breweries which paid $111.6 million for the Bangalore franchise (Royal Challengers Bangalore). Media house Deccan Chronicle won the Hyderabad franchise (Deccan Chargers) for $107 million, while India Cements' Chennai franchise (Chennai Super Kings) cost $91 million.
-The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) rolled out the much-awaited central contracts for its wrestlers, becoming the second national sports federation (NSF) after the Indian cricket board (BCCI) to offer such incentive to its registered pool of grapplers. The development is a historic first for any Olympic discipline in the country.
+Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla's Red Chillies Entertainment bought the Kolkata franchise (Kolkata Knight Riders) for $75.09, while Preity Zinta and her then beau Ness Wadia bought the Mohali team (Kings XI Punjab) for $76 million. Infrastructure development group GMR bagged the ownership of the Delhi team (Delhi Daredevils) for $84 million and the Emerging Media, consisting of its CEO Fraser Castellino, Manoj Badale and Lachlan Murdoch and other investors won the rights for the Jaipur franchise (Rajasthan Royals) for $67 million.
-The gradation of grapplers has been done based on their performances at various international events and future medal chances. The contract will come into effect from November 15 and will be reviewed every year.
+The maiden edition of IPL had eight teams comprising a minimum of 16 players each. The tournament lasted for 44 days and involved 59 matches. And since then the league has had its share of controversies and seen many ups and down.
-TOI had exclusively reported in its edition dated October 31 that the WFI has decided to introduce a central contract system for wrestlers.
+Two new leagues - Pune Warriors India (bought by the Sahara group for $370 million) and Kochi Tuskers Kerala (purchased by Rendezvous Sports World for $333.3 million) - were brought in before the fourth season of the league in 2011. But the Kochi Tuskers were soon terminated for breaching the BCCI's terms and conditions.
-= Greco-Roman wrestling in India=
+champions Deccan Chargers were suspended in 2012 and then renamed Sunrisers Hyderabad under new owners Sun TV Network.
-''' Sandeep's bronze gives hope to ignored Greco-Roman '''
+But the biggest shock came in 2013 when the IPL was rocked by the fixing and betting scandal and many big names got embroiled in the controversy and it resulted in not only a few heads being rolled but entire teams were suspended. After two years of trials and tribulations, two-time champions Chennai Super Kings and the inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals were suspended for two seasons.
-Ritu Sejwal, TNN | Sep 24, 2013
+Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi police in Mumbai on charges of spot-fixing during IPL 6. Sreesanth and Chavan were subsequently banned for life by the BCCI's disciplinary committee.
-''' Greco-Roman ''' is backed by a rich history in the Olympics, being the first style to be introduced in 1896 Athens Olympics. In India, where akharas are the heart of the sport and dangals its soul, Greco-Roman, also referred to as the European style, is yet to cement its place in the country.
+Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants replaced Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two seasons. Dhoni and his longtime Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina were picked to play for opposing teams in the first-ever player draft of the IPL that was held in Mumbai on December 15, 2015.
-Sandeep Tulsi Yadav's bronze medal at Budapest in Sept 2013 was the first in World championship for India in Greco-Roman wrestling.
+Rising Pune Supergiants, the Pune franchise bought by Kolkata-based businessman Sanjiv Goenka, expectedly picked Dhoni as the first player for Rs 12.5 crore and Intex Technologies owner Keshav Bansal, who invested in Gujarat Lions, picked Raina as the first choice followed by Ravindra Jadeja - the local Saurashtra boy who has grown up playing in Rajkot.
-Gyan Sehrawat, a Greco-Roman chief coach from 1996-2006, feels Yadav's medal will give a boost to this style. "The medal will change the psychology from just participating to winning medals, at least in the Olympics and World championships. Most of the talent in India gets attracted to freestyle. Greco requires upper body strength and flexibility and is more popular worldwide," Sehrawat, who is the chief coach and a sports officer with the Northern Railways, told TOI.
+The two new franchises paid Rs 12.5 crore to the first player they picked at the draft, Rs 9.5 crore to the second, Rs 7.5 crore to the third, Rs 5.5 crore to the fourth and Rs 4 crore to the fifth. The two franchises had a limited purse of Rs 66 crore to form their squads for the season and a minimum spending of Rs 40 crore was mandatory between the draft and the auction in February.
+Australian all-rounder Shane Watson emerged as the biggest draw going for a whopping Rs 9.50 crore bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore but it was Pawan Negi who turned heads with a mind-boggling deal of Rs 8.50 crore by Delhi Daredevils to be the costliest Indian buy in the 2016 IPL players' auction.
-"This style is not practised at any club in India. It was as late as 1986 that a separate Greco team was selected. Till then, the freestyle team would participate in both the styles," he added.
+With corporate megabucks, Bollywood glamour and the frequent sound of wood thumping leather, the IPL has revolutionized the sport in the way it was played and cricketainment has been the new word to describe the evolution of a new chapter in history of cricket.
+The Indian Premier League has proved that cricket will never be the same again.
-Gyan himself participated as a freestyle grappler in 1982 Asian Games and as a Greco grappler in his next Asian Games in 1986.
+===Records===
+-16, some 2017: See graphic.
+[[File: IPL records, 2008-16, some 2017.jpg|IPL records, 2008-16, some 2017; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=05_04_2017_001_062_003&type=P&artUrl=A-DECADE-OF-SHAKING-THE-WORLD-05042017001062&eid=31808 The Times of India], April 5, 2017|frame|500px]]
-"Even now, 99% of the coaches in India are not familiar with Greco techniques. Even the National Sports Institute in Patiala's curriculum for coaches focuses on freestyle. Indian wrestling is to do with mitti and that's why freestyle is more popular," he said. "There is only one tournament in a year dedicated to Greco," he pointed out.
-=== Foreign coaches===
-Indian wrestling's lone entry at the Sydney Olympics, Gurbinder Singh, holds the system responsible for the style's lack of popularity. "We spend so much money on getting ''' foreign coaches ''' for Greco-Roman but they don't train our wrestlers properly and never tell then their weaknesses. All they do is teach a technique and then say 'you know nothing'. There is no dearth of diet, money and promotion. It's the system which is a problem," Gurbinder, became a DSP with Punjab police, said.
-Belarus' Rudnisky was Greco-Roman's first foreign coach. There have been only three foreign coaches - including the current coach Georgia's Emzar Makharadze - since then while freestyle has had more than seven coaches. "It was in 1987, when we got our first foreign coach. It was under him that a separate Greco camp and national meet was organized. There is only one akhara in Faridkot dedicated to Greco-Roman, the ones in Delhi and Haryana practice freestyle," Gurbinder said.
+==2008-18/ Captains, stars who dropped themselves from the team==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F04%2F03&entity=Ar02202&sk=097E89E9&mode=text  April 3, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
-Gurbinder said about Sandeep’s triumph: "The change in rule has favoured the Indians, who are used to 'standing wrestling' due to the weather. Earlier there was more ground style which would benefit the Russians."
+[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/ipl-captains-who-stepped-down-mid-season/articleshow/63923068.cms  April 26, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
-=Wrestling Federation of India’s Grade system=
-==2018: Sushil, Sakshi, Geeta-Babita Phogat miss Grade A==
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F11%2F20&entity=Ar02404&sk=D55DAB62&mode=text  Sabi Hussain, Sushil not in WFI’s top pay grade, November 20, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+'''HIGHLIGHTS'''
-Performance comes before reputation. Twotime Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, Rio Games bronze winner Sakshi Malik, and the famous Phogat sisters, Geeta and Babita, are learning this lesson a hard way.
+In 2008, Mumbai Indians had to choose Shaun Pollock as their third captain of the season after stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh was suspended
-In a clear signal to Sushil and Sakshi that it’s time for them to either step up their performance at future international meets or leave the wrestling scene, the country’s two celebrated wrestlers have been put in ‘Grade B’ of the soon-to-be-introduced central contract system for grapplers by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its commercial arm, Sporty Solutionz.
+In 2012, Ricky Ponting stepped aside handing over the reigns to Rohit Sharma, who lead Mumbai Indian to the title
-The snub has come soon after the Sports Authority of India’s decision to drop the names of Sushil and the two Phogat sisters from the government-funded Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme while putting Sakshi on notice until the 2019 Asian Championships.
+In 2015, Steve Smith announced at the toss that he has replaced Shane Watson as captain of Rajasthan Royals
-TOI has reliably learnt that the categorisation of grades has been done in five segments for seniors, which include slabs of Rs 30 lakh, Rs 20 lakh, Rs 15 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. It’s been done based on a wrestler’s recent form and his/her future medal chances.
+''' VVS DROPS HIMSELF FOR GILLY (2008) '''
-The top bracket of Rs 30 lakh is for elite wrestlers and Sushil and Sakshi haven’t found a mention in it, owing to their below-par performances since the Rio Games. Geeta and Babita haven’t been offered central contracts, officials involved with the development informed.
+Originally named as the Icon Player for Deccan Chargers before the first season of IPL, VVS Laxman gave up the status in a bid to allow his team spend more at the auctions. However, the genial Hyderabadi dropped himself from the team halfway through the season after the team’s poor run.
-“Sushil and Sakshi have been accommodated in Grade B of Rs 20 lakh. Their performance chart has shown a rapid declive. Sushil is nowhere close to his former self, while Sakshi hasn’t been able to replicate her Rio Olympics form,” an official said.
+It allowed Adam Gilchrist to take over as the captain. ‘Gilly’ led the side in the next two seasons as well, and DC won the title under him in 2009.
-“Only Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Pooja Dhanda have been offered Grade A contract. Similarly, upcoming wrestlers like Ritu Phogat and Ravi Kumar, among others, have been put in Grade B, while Grade C, D and E form the other group of wrestlers,” added the official.
+''' DHAWAN MAKES WAY FOR SAMMY (2014) '''
-TOI understands that Sushil and Sakshi haven’t been informed about their grades and WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh will talk to them separately on the sidelines of the senior Nationals in Gonda (UP) from November 29 to December 2.
+In 2014, the Sunrisers Hyderabad announced that they’d ‘relieved’ Shikhar Dhawan of the burden of captaincy and appointed West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy as the new captain for the rest of the IPL season, hoping that the move will help Dhawan bat more freely. Sammy was included in the side and straight away thrusted into the captaincy role. Dhawan had managed only 215 runs in his first 10 outings as captain.
-=2015=
+''' SANGA DROPS HIMSELF (2012) '''
-==Pro Wrestling League auction==
-[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Dutt-top-Indian-pick-in-wrestling-auction-04112015030078 ''The Times of India''], November 4, 2015
-[[File: Successful bids at Pro Wrestling League’s auction, 2015.jpg|Successful bids at Pro Wrestling League’s auction, 2015; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Dutt-top-Indian-pick-in-wrestling-auction-04112015030078 ''The Times of India''], November 4, 2015|frame|500px]]
+While leading the Deccan Chargers in the 2012 IPL, Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara was enduring an ordinary run. He not only gave up the captaincy mid-stream but even dropped himself from the playing XI, making way for Australian big-hitter Cameron White to accommodate four overseas players in the XI. However, the move did not yield the desired results as Deccan Chargers could never get going in the tournament.
-Ritu Sejwal
+''' PONTING MAKES WAY FOR ROHIT (2013) '''
-'''Dutt top Indian pick in wrestling auction'''
+In 2013, Mumbai Indians began on shaky note when they lost three out of their first six matches. Skipper Ricky Ponting wasn’t in the best of form. The batting great decided to step down and handed over the reins to Rohit Sharma against Kolkata Knight Riders. MI eventually went on to clinch the title under Rohit, even as Ponting kept cheering the team from the sidelines.
-The wrestling fraternity joined the league bandwagon with over 50 Indian and international grapplers put up for auction for six franchises in the capital. London Olympics bronze medalist Yogeshwar Dutt emerged the highest-paid Indian while 2015 World Championship gold medalist Oksana Herhel of Ukraine was the top international draw in the auction for the Pro Wrestling League. Yogeshwar and Oksana were picked by Haryana for Rs 39.70 lakh and Rs 41.30 lakh, respectively.
+''' VIJAY REPLACES MILLER (2016) '''
-Two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar, who got the secondhighest bid after Yogeshwar, went to Uttar Pradesh for Rs 38.20 lakh.Belarus' Vasilisa Marzaliuk (69kg), with base price of Rs 23 lakh, was a surprise pick by Punjab as she earned Rs 40.20 lakh.
-Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Narsingh Yadav, Geeta Phogat, Sofia Mattison and Adeline Gray were the icon players whose base price was Rs 33 lakh.
+Struggling at the bottom of the points table in 2016, Kings XI Punjab made a bold move by removing David Miller, who had struggled with both the bat and leadership, as the team’s captain with Murali Vijay, even as they had 10 league matches remaining.
-“I had not given the auction much thought but I am happy it went well. Wrestling league will change the way people look at the sport and bring more popularity .Youngsters will benefit and new champions will emerge,“ Yogesh war told TOI on Tuesday .
+“David Miller continues to be an integral part of the team and is a very strong player of the squad,” KXIP said in a statement. Till that stage, Kings XI had won just one match out of
+six. Till that point, Miller had only managed to score 76 runs while Vijay had amassed 143.
-“After Beijing and London Olympics, a lot of young kids have taken to wrestling. But many still think wrestling is a village sport and I am sure this (league) will change that mindset. Wrestlers who come from weak financial backgrounds will be able to use this money for better training and diet,“ he added. When asked about getting a winning bid more than Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar said, “May be they liked me. I always wanted to go to Haryana.“
+==An overview, 2008-19==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL/2020/04/18&entity=Ar01408&sk=EE95F159&mode=text  Partha Bhaduri, April 18, 2020: ''The Times of India'']
-A total of 54 wrestlers were purchased by six franchises, with price purse of Rs 2 crore each, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Uttar Pradesh.Each team consists of nine players including five Indians and four international players. Haryana were the biggest spenders with Rs 1.96 crore, followed by Punjab who spent Rs 1.85 crore.
+There was a moment inside the sweltering cauldron of the Chinnaswamy Stadium all those years ago, on April 18, 2008 to be precise, when the still-nebulous Indian Premier League (IPL) acquired a wonderfully original and totally preposterous life of its own.
+Like most epoch-defining moments, it wasn’t exactly part of the script.
-In the tournament, to be held from December 10-27, each team will be allowed to field five Indians and four international players, including five men and four women.
+It was just two overs into the Royal Challengers Bangalore chase, but the hosts already seemed in disarray at 9/1. They had begun the innings looking bereft of hope, having been numbed into submission by Brendon McCullum’s unexpected and, at that time, unbelievable assault on their bowlers.
+The young, pacy Ashok Dinda steamed in to bowl for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and promptly got Virat Kohli to chop a short, wide one on to his stumps. The Chinnaswamy exploded.
-World Championship bronze medalist Narsingh Yadav, who went to Bengaluru, earned the third highest bid for an Indian at Rs 34.50 lakh while Geeta Phogat was picked by Punjab for Rs 33 lakh. Her sister Babita, with base price of Rs 23 lakh, and Vinesh, with base price of Rs 20 lakh, were picked by UP and Delhi for Rs 34.10 lakh and Rs 29.70 lakh, respectively . Geetika Jakhar (69kg) went home at her base price of Rs 10 lakh.
+The dismissal should have been greeted with stunned silence. Instead, up in the aisles, a prancing KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan discovered to his amazement that the whole stadium was dancing along with him, roaring its approval. Dinda was fist pumping at the crowd, which would continue its carnival merriment for the rest of the game.
-World Championship bronze medalist Bajrang, whose base price was Rs 23 lakh, was purchased by Bengaluru for Rs 29.50 lakh.
+That night, Bengaluru didn’t seem to care that their own home team, packed to the gills with Test stalwarts, had unravelled before their eyes.
-“The league will help us prepare better for Olympic qualification. By competing against and watching experienced wrestlers, we will have a better understanding of attack and defence, and it will help us improve our technique,“ said Bajrang.
+A trend was set. This wasn’t about team loyalties anymore. It wasn’t about fan favourites either, but something totally alien to sporting leagues, a kind of collective joie de vivre that would propel the IPL to unprecedented heights and reshape the game’s dynamics, both within the field and beyond it.
-=2016=
+In that first season, crowds across the country’s giant stadiums revelled as the sheer audacity of it all hit home. Indian cricket was shedding its garb of tradition in full public glare, demolishing national-team boundaries and embracing an insatiable appetite for change.
-== United World Wrestling rankings==
-Sep 13 2016: in the men's freestyle category , Sandeep Tomar was placed at 15th position in the UWW (United World Wrestling) rankings.
-Sep 13 2016  Bajrang Punia made it to the top-20 list in the UWW (United World Wrestling) rankings.
+This was cricket’s version of hip-hop, a deep cultural revolution, not some transient, silly hit-and-giggle gimmick. The IPL wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan thing but a stable entity which would usher in democratic norms in a hierarchical cricketing order. It would redraw the bounds of the financially possible.
-=2017=
-==The best players==
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F02%2F16&entity=Ar02610&sk=F7C786A8&mode=text  February 16, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+Players would be auctioned off, permanently altering their non-monetary valuations in the eyes of coaches. Cricketing mercenaries would be born. And like most revolutions, the IPL would acquire a dark side.
-'''SAKSHI MALIK'''
+That first match was a dream launch. McCullum’s extraordinary 73-ball 158, then the highest T20 score, contained 13 sixes and 10 fours, including, at one point, a scoop over fine leg for six off Zaheer Khan. That innings was an early pointer to the format’s fundamental redrawing of balance between bat and ball.
-Silver (60 kg) at the Asian Championship, losing to Japan’s Risk Kawao. Gold (62kg) at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships. Gold (62kg) at the National Wrestling Championships.
+What was remarkable was that this wasn’t just a plonk-your-front-foot-andhit-through-the-line type of pitch. RCB’s batting order, comprising Rahul Dravid, Wasim Jaffer, Kohli and Jacques Kallis, were used to ‘proper’ cricket and ‘proper’ responses to given situations. They lost by 140 runs.
-'''SARITA MOR'''
+That first IPL evening was also the first time the IPL made conventional batting seem uncool. In fact, the first IPL edition included all the pointers of things to come. Shane Warne used strong backroom support, tactical nous, swagger and positivity to scythe through opponents, laying the marker for modern T20’s constant craving for data analysis.
+Old warhorses like Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya showed that their withering frames were still suitable for belting boundaries. Since then, the IPL has been a league of veterans as much as youngsters, in spite of heightened fitness levels and fielders hunting in packs while flirting with boundary ropes.
-Silver medal (58 kg) at the Asian Wrestling Championship in New Delhi, losing to Krygyztan’s Aisuluu Tynybekova. Silver medal (59kg) at the National Wrestling Championships.
+Innovative shots, broadened bats and quick fixes by hapless bowlers, the first IPL had it all. It also had something that wouldn’t be seen again: the presence of Pakistani cricketers. Virender Sehwag became the first to declare that IPL performances should count towards national selection. Brett Lee said, “If we look back in 10 years’ time, this tournament is going to be a massive landmark.”
-'''BAJRANG PUNIA'''
+By 2014, the IPL was ranked sixth in terms of eyeballs among global sporting leagues. By 2015, each IPL edition was contributing around $160 million to the GDP. By 2017, Star India would be buying the broadcast rights for $2.55 billion. By 2018, 1,112 players would register for the auction and the franchises would spend Rs 600 crore to build their teams. Just before the coronavirus pandemic struck, Duff and Phelps calculated that the IPL brand valuation had soared 13.5% to Rs 47,500 cr.
-Gold medal (65 kg freestyle) at the Asian Wrestling Championship in New Delhi, beating South Korea’s Seungchul Lee 6-2. Beat Kukgwang Kim 3-2 in the semi-finals and previous Asian Championship goldmedallist Meisam Nassiri 7-5 in the quarters. Gold medal (65kg freestyle) at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, beating Daichi Takatani of Japan. Silver at Under-23 World Wrestling Championship.
+It seemed nothing, not even the 2013 match-fixing scandal which led to the banning of two teams, could make a dent in the IPL’s soaring graph. Nothing, that is, until the coronavirus.
+While it’s a given that sporting leagues are not immune to global economic shocks, sporting activity has been hit hardest by the social-distancing norms this pandemic necessitates.
-'''SUMIT KUMAR'''
+How long will it be till we can flock without fear to stadiums like we used to? Will future IPL games be live streamed from empty stadiums, neutering the league of its emotive appeal? What will the IPL look like in 2022, when the sponsorship rights may be up for grabs again?
-In his comeback to the international circuit after seven months, having recovered from back surgery, he won a silver medal (125kg) at the Asian Wrestling Championship in New Delhi. Also won gold at the National Wrestling Championships.
+Worryingly, is the age of the megabuck sporting league over? According to some estimates, the IPL and its peripheral industries could see a hit of Rs 10,000 crore. There has been no pandemic insurance by either broadcaster or board. The revenue model involves selling properties, to broadcasters, sponsors, franchises... what happens when that model is rendered obsolete? What happens when there are no gate receipts, no corporate boxes?
-'''VINESH PHOGAT'''
+The IPL has always been shaped by significant external events, like India’s 2007 World T20 win which made the concept viable. Now, too, it’s time to look towards other global sporting leagues, and see how they cope.
+To survive in a post-pandemic world, the IPL must innovate again.
-Silver medal (55kg) at the Asian Wrestling Championship in New Delhi. Returning post a career-threatening injury, this was her first tournament since the Rio Olympics. Next, won gold at the National Wrestling Championships, beating fellow Haryana grappler Manisha.
+==The greatest players, 2008-19==
-== Asian Wrestling Championship==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F04%2F18&entity=Ar01414&sk=5D2D28DA&mode=text  IPL’s Greatest XI, April 18, 2020: ''The Times of India'']
-[http://www.ibtimes.co.in/asian-wrestling-championship-2017-complete-medals-tally-list-indias-winners-726795   Sayantan Maitra | IBTimes], [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com//Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Bajrang-ends-Indias-gold-drought-in-Asian-wrestling-14052017022018 Bajrang ends India's gold drought in Asian wrestling| May 14 2017 | PTI], [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=WRESTLING-Silver-for-Sumit-10-medals-for-India-15052017019015   Silver for Sumit; 10 medals for India May 15 2017 : PTI]
+IPL 2020 has been postponed indefinitely due to coronavirus. But what is the greatest XI from the 12 seasons played so far? TOI pores over the statistics and rummages through the memories to come up with the team to beat every other team…
-India finished 5th (behind Japan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) and China, with 9 medals, 9th. No other South Asian country was among the 11 medal winning countries.
+Shane Watson (RR, CSK): IPL’s Duracel man. Two-time MVP (2008, 2013). Biggame hunter (MoM, 2018 final). Pips David Warner, 3-time Orange Capper.
-Bajrang Punia gave India its first gold medal as he registered a come-frombehind 6-2 victory over Seungchul Lee of South Korea in men's 65kg freestyle at the Asian Wrestling Championship. The 23-year-old Bajrang conceded two points in the opening half to trail 0-2 at the break. However, the Indian made a strong comeback in the second half, not allowing his rival from Korea to earn any more points. He first pushed his opponent out of the mat to take a point and then took the Korean down for two more to lead 3-2. Bajrang then went into the attack, not allowing his rival to come back into the contest.
+M 134, R 3575, SR 139.53, 6s 177, W 92, Ave 29.15, ER 7.93
-Harpreet Singh emerged as the only shining star for India on the opening day of the Asian Wrestling Championship here in the Capital on Wednesday .Harpreet bagged a bronze medal in the Greco-Roman 80 kg category by beating China's Junjie Na by a 3-2 margin.
-Anil Kumar and Jyoti brought home two more medals. They both bagged bronze medals in their respective categories. In a closely fought contest, Anil beat Muhammadali Shamsiddinov of Uzbekistan 7-6 in the men's Greco-Roman 85kg category while Jyoti finished on the podium in women's 75kg event.
+Chris Gayle (RCB, KXIP): Punisher. Pleasure-provider. Unstoppable sixmachine (326). Nobody comes close.
-Sarita won  a silver medal in women's 58kg category . She lost 0-6 to Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan in the final. Gold medal eluded the Indian women wrestlers even though this was their bestever performance in the Asian Championship. They finished second in the championship behind Japan with six medals, including four silver and two bronze.
+M 125, R 4484, Ave 41.13, SR 151.02, 6s 326
-India finished their Asian Wrestling Championship campaign on a resounding note with Sumit winning a silver medal in the 125 kg category on the concluding day of the continental event. Sumit went down to Yadollah Mohammadkazem Mohebi of Iran in men's 125kg freestyle gold medal bout on the final day of the competition here.
+Virat Kohli (RCB): IPL’s all-time highest scorer (5,412). Master of risk-free, highpressing cricket. Has smashed 191 sixes nonetheless.
+M 177, R 5412, Ave 37.84, SR 131.61, 6s 190
-The Indian wrestlers finished with 10 medals, including a gold, five silver and four bronze, bettering their tally of nine medals in the last edition of the Championship at Bangkok.
+AB de Villiers (DD, RCB): Virtuoso crowd-pleaser who demonstrates the outer limits of innovation in T20. When he’s in the mood, even a yorker travels beyond the ropes.
-''' India's medal winners: '''
+M 154, R 4395, Ave 39.95, SR 151.23, 6s 212
-''' Men's freestyle '''
+MS Dhoni (CSK, RPS): Captain of the team. Ice cool as leader, and at the death. Barring Chacha Chowdhary, nobody calculates a target as precisely as him.
-GOLD - Bajrang Punia (65 kg)
+M 190, R 4432, Ave 42.20, SR 137.85, 6s 209, Ct 94, St 38
-SILVER - Sumit (125 kg)
+Andre Russell (DD, KKR): The enforcer. Possesses several gears; partial to the fifth. IPL’s highest strike rate: 186. Hustler with the ball. Two time MVP.
-BRONZE – None
+M 64, R 1400, SR 186.42, 6s 120, W 55, Ave 27.96, ER 8.88
-''' Men's Greco-Roman '''
+Dwayne Bravo (CSK): Master of deception, especially at death. Flies like a bird, prowls like a panther. Can win games with bat too.
-GOLD – None
+M 134, R 1483, SR 128.28, 6s 61, W 147, Ave 24.61, ER 8.39
-SILVER – None
+Sunil Narine (KKR): Inscrutable offbreak bowler. Among the meanest and most consistent. Also has the second highest batting strike rate in IPL history (168). Two-time MVP too.
-BRONZE - Harpreet Singh (80 kg), Anil Kumar (85 kg)
+M 110, W 122, Ave 23.31, ER 6.67
-''' Women's wrestling '''
+Rashid Khan (SRH): IPL’s stingiest (ER 6.55). Match-winning leg-break bowler. Loves a challenge. Generally wins it.
-GOLD – None
+M 46, W 55, Ave 21.69, ER 6.55
-SILVER - Sakshi Malik (60 kg), Divya Kakran (69 kg), Vinesh Phogat (55 kg), Sarita (58 kg)
+Lasith Malinga (MI): That slinging action. That mop of hair. That sound of stumps crashing. IPL’s highest wicket-taker ever. Key figure in MI .
-BRONZE - Ritu Phogat (48 kg), Jyoti (75 kg)
+M 122, W 170, Ave 19.80, ER 7.14
-==Asian cadet championships: 23 medals==
+Jasprit Bumrah (MI): New master of unplayable yorkers. Player of the Match in 2019 final. His best is yet to come.
-[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/india-strikes-it-rich/article19353290.ece  India strikes it rich, July 25, 2017: The Hindu]
+M 77, W 82, Ave 26.60, ER 7.55
-India ended its campaign at the Asian cadet wrestling championships in Bangkok with a rich haul of 23 medals, including five golds, according to information received.
+th man: Pollard (MI): All-purpose star
-Four of the golds were won by men while Tina was the lone woman gold medallist, winning in the 65 kg category.
+Coach: Stephen Fleming (CSK): With MS Dhoni as captain, he built the IPL’s most consistent team .
-'''The medallists:'''
-Gold: Akash Dahiya (58kg freestyle), Praveen Malik (76kg freestyle), Arshad (42kg Greco-Roman), Mohit (85kg Greco-Roman), Tina (65kg women); Silver: Naveen (54kg freestyle), Simran (40kg women); Bronze: Praveen (46kg freestyle), Rohit (63kg freestyle), Vishal (69kg freestyle), Sandeep (85kg freestyle), Srikant (50kg Greco-Roman), Bapu Kohlekar (54kg Greco-Roman); Ashu (69kg Greco-Roman), Sanjit (76kg Greco-Roman).
+==The most memorable matches, 2008-19==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F04%2F18&entity=Ar01409&sk=DEFF1ADE&mode=text  —Compiled by Hindol Basu, April 18, 2020: ''The Times of India'']
-Deepanshu (100kg Greco-Roman), Neha (38kg women), Sanju 43kg women), Nisha (46kg women), Anju (49kg women), Sonam (56kg women), Anshu (60kg women), Karuna (70kg women).
+''' RAJASTHAN’S INCREDIBLE RUN '''
-==World U-23 Championship: Historic double-silver==
-[http://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2017%2F11%2F28&entity=Ar02901&sk=0522270C&mode=text  Hindol Basu, Historic double-silver in wrestling, November 28, 2017: ''The Times of India'']
+Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals, not the most fancied bunch at the beginning of the tournament, scripted a fairytale win to stretch the bounds of the possible in the very first IPL in 2008. Of course, the tone had been set in the very first game on April 18, with KKR’s Brendon McCullum smashing an incredible ton.
-''Haryana U-23 Grapplers Bajrang & Vinod Do Country Proud In Worlds''
+''' SLAP AND TEARS '''
-With Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt’s careers entering the final stretch, the big question is: who will be the flagbearers of Indian men’s wrestling in the coming times? A certain 23-year-old, lithely built man from Khudan village in Jhajjar, Haryana, has put his hands up.
+That image from 2008 of temperamental fast bowler Sreesanth crying after being slapped by Harbhajan Singh, while his Kings XI Punjab teammate VRV Singh consoled him, will stay etched in our minds. Harbhajan was suspended for the season. Sreesanth confessed later he had been heckling his senior India teammate.
-Experts consider Bajrang Punia to be the ‘next big thing’ in Indian men’s freestyle wrestling, and Punia justied that tag on Sunday, winning silver in the 65kg category of the World U-23 Senior Wrestling Championship being held in Bydgoszcz, Poland. There was more joy for India on the day, as another Haryana wrestler, Vinod Omprakash, who hails from Jind, also won silver (in 70kg freestyle category).
+''' FOREIGN SHORES '''
-Punia and Omprakash created history, as India has won three silver medals in a world championship for the first time. Ritu Phogat had won silver in the women’s 48kg weight class on Saturday. This performance bettered the one silver and two bronze that the country had won in the 2013 World Wrestling Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
+The second season coincided with the general elections and the government refused to commit security personnel. Showcasing its financial might, the IPL was moved out of India, to South Africa, by then commissioner Lalit Modi.
-While Punia lost his final to Russia’s Nachyn Sergeevitch Kuular by a 6-17 margin, Omprakash came second best to USA’s Richard Lewis 1-3 over the two rounds.
+''' THE MONGOOSE BAT '''
-“I am disappointed to have missed out on the gold medal. Everyone remembers the champion,” Punia told TOI from Bydgoszcz, Poland. In the pre-quarters, Punia hammered Panah Ilyasli of Azerbaijan 5-0, before coming out on top against Heydar Yavuz of Turkey 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
+Australia’s Matthew Hayden unveiled his ‘Mongoose Bat’ in 2010, clobbering bowlers with what looked like a cross between a club and a baseball bat. The Mongoose had two distinguishing features: the handle was as long as the blade and the splice, which normal bats have in the blade, was built into the handle to guarantee a clean hitting surface. Needless to say, it was a hit.
-The semifinal, against junior world championship bronze medallist Younes Emamichoghaei of Iran, was tough. Emam took a 2-0 lead very early in the contest but the Indian bounced back and brought things on level terms with a couple of takedowns. Going into the final few minutes of the bout, both wrestlers were tied at 4-4. “I moved a lot and played a counter-attacking game in the final few minutes and that paid off,” said Punia. He won by a 9-4 margin.
+''' GAYLESTORM '''
-“I have to work a lot on my stamina if I have to become the champion. I matched the Russian wrestler (in the final) and gave him a tough fight in the first round, but lost steam towards the end and he managed to widen the gap between us,” Punia reflected over his loss in the final.
+‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle upped the ante in Bangalore against Pune Warriors on April 23, 2013, scoring an unbelievable 175 off just 66 balls, the highest T20 individual score. Gayle hit 13 boundaries and an incredible 17 maximums.
-Punia earlier trained at the Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi under Dronacharya awardee Ramphal Maan. When Maan moved to Sonipat in 2014, Punia left Chhatrasal and joined Maan. Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt considers Punia to be his protégé and now the 23-year-old trains at Dutt’s wrestling academy in Gohana, Sonipat, still under Maan.
+''' THE DARK UNDERBELLY '''
-The coach said Punia could have won a medal at the senior Worlds in Paris in August earlier this year, but lost out since the Indian wrestlers “did not get proper diet” in Paris. India did not win a single medal in that championship.
+A spot-fixing scandal rocked the league in 2013 when the Delhi police arrested three Rajasthan Royals cricketers, including Sreesanth. Soon after, Mumbai Police arrested film actor Vindu Dara Singh and CSK’s former team principal Gurunath Meiyappan for alleged betting, cheating and links with bookies. RR team co-owner Raj Kundra too was found to have placed bets on his team. The Supreme Court appointed a committee to probe the affair. Eventually, CSK and RR were banned for two years. The order, which came in 2015, meant the two teams missed the 2016 and 2017 IPL editions.
-“This time, though, I made sure that Bajrang went to Poland just two days before his match day, not like the Paris Worlds when he went early and did not get the diet he requires. Ek pehelwaan ko uski khuraak bahut zaroori hoti hai (For a wrestler, diet is of utmost importance). I gave him packed homemade food for his entire stay in Poland. The chapatis were augmented with milk in it and we gave him the food that gives him strength. That’s why, he could wrestle with a free mind in Poland,” Maan disclosed.
+''' MUMBAI’S COMEBACK '''
-Omprakash, an employee of the Services, currently trains at the Army Sports Institute in Pune. He received his early training at the Mehar Singh Akhada in Rohtak.
+In 2015, Mumbai Indians lost five out of their first six games, but the team never stopped believing in its abilities. In a dream comeback, they went on to win nine of their remaining 10 matches to lift the title for the second time.
-WFI secretary, Vinod Tomar congratulated Punia, Omprakash and Ritu for their achievements. “Some people were hell bent on writing off Indian wrestling. But we have bounced back strongly and made a statement with this kind of performance at a world meet. More young wrestlers are coming up the ranks and I am sure they’ll bring further laurels to the nation,” said Tomar.
+''' VIRAT, ABD RUN RIOT '''
-==December 2017, Commonwealth Wrestling Championship/ 59 medals==
+The 2016 IPL season will always be known for the amazing batsmanship by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. RCB needed to win four matches in a row to qualify for the playoffs. Kohli and De Villiers recorded a partnership of 229 runs (best in the IPL) against Gujarat Lions to set the ball rolling. Kohli smacked 109 off 55 balls, while De Villiers scored a unbeaten 129 off 52 balls. This was the first time two batsmen scored centuries in an IPL innings.
-[http://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2017%2F12%2F18&entity=Ar02604&sk=E7F33195&mode=text December 18, 2017: ''The Times of India'']
+''' KOHLI’S FINE FORM '''
-'''Sakshi Triumphs Too As India Finish With 29 Gold In CW Wrestling'''
+Kohli almost single-handedly guided his team to the title clash in 2016. With 973 runs in 16 games at 81.08, he was the highest scorer. No other batsman has been able to score as many runs in a single season.
-Double Olympic medallist SushilKumar made a glorious return to the international arena by clinching a gold as India won an impressive 59 medals at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg.
+''' ‘MANKADING’ CONTROVERSY '''
-The other gold medals winners for India were Utkarsh Kale (57kg), Sharvan (61kg), Bajrang (65kg), Amit Dhankar (70kg), Jitender (79kg), Deepak (86kg), Somveer (92kg), Rubaljeet Singh (97kg) and Hitender (125kg).
+In 2019, Ravichandran Ashwin, captaining Kings XI Punjab, ran out Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end without giving him any prior warning. That ‘Mankading’, as the dismissal is known, cleaved the cricketing world in two and sparked off heated debate on the spirit of the game. Though this is a legally permissible dismissal, the issue is yet to be satisfactorily resolved.
-Besides Sushil, Another Olympic medallist, Sakshi Malik, who won a bronze in the 2016 Rio Games, also clinched a gold medal in the championships. Sakshi defeated New Zealand's Tayla Tuahine Ford by a score of 13-2 in the final of the 62kg women's freestyle category to add another yellow metal for India.
+''' ‘CAPTAIN COOL’ LOSES HIS COOL '''
-The freestyle wrestling team won 10 gold, seven silver and two bronze medals on Sunday as India returned with a total of ''' 29 gold, 24 silver and 6 bronze ''' from the championships.
+The usually unflappable MS Dhoni lost his composure in a match against RR last year, walking out on to the pitch after just having been dismissed, and lashing out at the umpires over a no-ball confusion. It just wasn’t cricket from one of the game’s great role models.
-Earlier in the day returning to international wrestling after more than three years, Sushil defeated New Zealand Akash Khullar's via a pinfall in the final of the 74kg freestylecategory toclinchthe yellow metal. It was his first medal in international wrestling since his gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
+''' BLOODIED BUT NOT OUT bb
-Sushil returned to competitive wrestling in November at the Senior Nationals in Indore where he won a gold medal amid controversy after getting three walkovers from his fellow wrestlers.
+Shane Watson’s knock for CSK in the 2019 IPL final against Mumbai Indians was one for the ages. He batted through the pain barrier and a bloodied left knee. His 59-ball 80 nearly saw CSK pull off a 150-run chase against MI. Watson needed six stitches after the game.
-Incidentally, it was Praveen Rana who gave him a walkover in the title clash in Indore, but the duo wrestled this time and Sushil came out on top with a 5-4 victory margin here. In his first bout, Sushil defeated Johannes Petrus Botha of South Africa 8-0 followed by thewin over Rana. Sushil alsobeat Jasmit Singh Phulka of Canada by fall en route his gold medal.
+[[Category:Cinema-TV-Pop|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
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+=Indian Premier League: The economics of =
+[[File:ipl.jpg|frame|500px]]
+[[File: crick salary.jpg|2016: Salary of retained players; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=02_01_2016_019_003_011&type=P&artUrl=VIRAT-TOP-OF-THE-IPL-PILE-02012016019003&eid=31808 ''The Times of India''] Jan 02 2016|frame|500px]]
-===Achievements, in brief===
+==Advertising revenues==
-[http://www.thestatesman.com/sports/sushil-kumar-wins-gold-as-indians-dominate-commonwealth-wrestling-1502546905.html  December 18, 2017: ''The Statesman'']
+Multi Screen Media (MSM), the official broadcaster of Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought on board a total of eight sponsors for the sixth edition of the Twenty20 tournament, which would help it rake in Rs 200 crore more over last year, after lowering its ad rates by 10-15%. Three more sponsors are expected to join over the next two weeks.
-[http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/india-win-ten-gold-medals-on-day-one-of-commonwealth-wrestling-4985775/  December 16, 2017: ''The Indian Express'']
+The presenting sponsors — PepsiCo and Vodafone — have shelled out around Rs 40-60 crore each while the associate sponsors, which include Tata Photon, Karbonn tablets, Godrej, Samsung Mobiles, Panasonic and Usha Appliances, have paid around Rs 25-30 crore each for being seen on the channel during the tournament.
+MSM is looking to earn Rs 950 crore as advertising revenue from IPL-6, up 27% from Rs 750 crore it garnered last year, a senior executive from the company told TOI.
-'''Gold medal winners''': 55 kg. Rajender Kumar, 60 kg. Manish, 63 kg. Vikas, 67 kg. Anil Kumar, 72 kg. Aditya Kundu, 77 kg. Gurpreet, 82 kg. Harpreet, 87 kg. Sunil, 97 kg. Hardeep, 130 kg. Naveen.
+This will be the first time that the IPL will have three feeds — the regular one on SET max, while Sony Six will broadcast a Hindi feed along with an HD one.
-'''Silver medallists''': 55 kg. Naveen, 60 kg. Gyanender, 63 kg. Gaurav Sharma, 67 kg. Manish, 72 kg. Kuldeep Malik, 77 kg. Manjeet, 82 kg. Amarnath, 87 kg. Prabhpal Singh, 97 kg. Sumit, 130 kg. Sonu.
+Some of the other sponsors likely to be signed on soon for the tournament, which starts on April 3, are Cadbury and Havells — both have had a long-term association with the IPL. This year, MSM has two presenting sponsors and is expected to close nine associate sponsors, up from only five which it managed last year. The channel has also struck large deals with Coca-Cola, Parle Agro, Marico, Berger Paints and Airtel, besides others, filling 70% of its inventory.
+“Last year, we had increased the ad rates but could not sell the entire inventory. Our strategy to reduce rates has worked very well and we have seen the interest levels go up. Advertisers from all sectors are on board this year, signaling a revival in sentiments,” said Rohit Gupta, president, MSM.
-Emerging Indian star Parveen Rana got the bronze in the 74kg category, beating Johannes Petrus Botha of South Africa in the play-off for the third place.
+During 2012, a 10-second ad spot during the IPL had a price tag of Rs 4.5-5.5 lakh, making it a highly premium property. However, reduction in rates has made it far more affordable, said media planners who buy TV airtime for advertisers. “If TV ratings had to fall, it had to fall last year. Now they have stabilized. It is definitely value for money at this rate and with lesser risk,” said Ajit Varghese, MD (South Asia), Maxus, which has bought airtime for telecom major Vodafone.
-Sakshi Malik, the only Indian female grappler to clinch an Olympic medal, also bagged a gold medal. The Rio Olympics silver medallist defeated New Zealand’s Tayla Tuahine Ford 13-2 in the final of the women’s 62kg category.
+The IPL reached 170 million eyeballs and clocked an average rating of around 3.27 last year, according to TAM Media Research. MSM’s Gupta said he is expecting the reach to further grow this season. “If there is a big product launch or a new ad campaign, this is a large platform which is a must for any brand. It is a property which is targeted at male audiences, so it works well for brands which directly communicate with this audience group,” said Basabdutta Chowdhury, CEO of Platinum Media, a division of media buying group Madison. This year, soft drink giants PepsiCo is the new title sponsor of the IPL, having paid Rs 396 crore for the next five seasons.
-The Indians dominated most of the weight categories in the men’s freestyle with Bajrang (65kg), Jitender (79kg) and Sumit (125kg) also winning gold in their respective events.
-Hitender (125kg), Somveer (92kg) and Jitender (79kg) had to be content with bronze medals.
-The Indian women also imposed total domination in the competition, winning gold in each of the 10 weight categories.
-Apart from Malik, Kiran (72kg), Divya Kakran (68kg) and Ritu Malik (65kg) emerged champions in their respective categories on Sunday while Pooja (76kg) and Ravita (59kg) finished with silver medals. Kavita (76kg) and Manu Tomar (72kg) took bronze.
+[[Category:Cinema-TV-Pop|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
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-“The best thing is that Indian wrestlers were involved in a strong competition after a long time. Wrestlers from Nigeria, Australia, Canada and New Zealand are really strong, both technically and physically, specially in the middle weight categories like the 74kg and 86kg,” he said.
+=Coaches in IPL=
+==As in Nov==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F11%2F29&entity=Ar02700&sk=512B7DDB&mode=text  Asheem Mukerji, Nov 30, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
-=2018=
+''' COACHES IN IPL '''
-==Asian Under-15 Girls: 7 medals==
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F11%2F18&entity=Ar02417&sk=C071C800&mode=text  Jr wrestlers win seven medals in Asian meet, November 18, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+Rajasthan Royals I Indian coaches: 1 (Batting coach: Amol Muzumdar); Foreign coaches: 2 (Head coach: Andrew McDonald-Aus, Fast bowling coach: Steffan Jones-Eng)
-Indian wrestlers bagged a rich maul of seven medals, including three gold, to finish overall second at the just-concluded Asian Under-15 Girls Championships in Fujimi, Japan.
+Kings XI Punjab I Indian coaches: 1 (Head coach: Anil Kumble); Foreign coaches: 2 (Fast bowling coach: Courtney Walsh-WI, Batting coach: Geaorge Bailey-Aus)
-Besides three gold, including one won by World Cadet bronze medal winner Sweety (43kg), India also won three silver and one bronze at the eight-nation event which concluded on Friday.
+Delhi Capitals I Indian coaches: 0; Foreign coaches: 3 (Head Coach: Ricky Ponting-Aus, Fast bowling coach: James Hopes-Aus, Spin coach: Samuel Badree-WI)
-Hosts Japan finished on top in the inaugural event by winning six gold medals.
+Kolkata Knight Riders I Indian coaches: 0 Foreign coaches: 3 (Head coach: Brendon McCullum-NZ, Chief mentor: David Hussey-Aus, Bowling coach: Kyle Mills-NZ)
-==Asian Wrestling==
+Mumbai Indians I Indian Coaches: 1 (Robin Singh); Foreign coaches: 2 (Head coach: Mahela Jayawardene-SL, Bowling coach: Shane Bond-NZ)
-===Navjot Kaur wins gold medal===
-[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/wrestling/asian-wrestling-championships-navjot-kaur-clinches-gold-sakshi-malik-wins-bronze/articleshow/63139358.cms  March 3, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+Chennai Super Kings I Indian coaches: 0 Foreign coaches: 3 (Head coach: Stephen Fleming-NZ, Batting coach: Mike Hussey-Aus, Bowling Consultant: Eric Simmons-SA)
-'''HIGHLIGHTS'''
+Sunrisers Hyderabad I Indian coaches: 0; Foreign coaches: 1 (Head coach: Trevor Bayliss-Eng)
+Royal Challengers Bangalore I Indian coaches: 0; Foreign coaches: 2 (Head coach: Simon Katich-Aus, Bowling coach: Adam Griffith-Aus)
-Navjot outclassed Japan's Miya Imai 9-1 in a one-sided contest of the 65kg freestyle category final
+[[Category:Cinema-TV-Pop|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Cricket|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
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+[[Category:India|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Pages with broken file links|INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
-Sakshi won the bronze in the 62kg freestyle category after getting better of Kazakhstan's Ayaulym Kassymova 10-7
+=Controversies: 2008-16=
+[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/ipl/Controversies-that-have-rocked-IPL/listshow/51820860.cms ''The Times of India''], December 3, 2016
+[[File: Controversies associated with Indian Premier Leage, 2008-2016.jpg| Controversies associated with Indian Premier Leage, 2008-2016; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=14_04_2016_029_017_002&type=P&artUrl=INDIAN-PROBLEM-LEAGUE-14042016029017&eid=31808 ''The Times of India''], April 14, 2016|frame|500px]]
-The two medals now took India's overall tally to six, which consisted a gold, a silver and four bronze medals
+.
+: Maharashtra asked to shift IPL matches
-Ace wrestler Navjot Kaur scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold in the Senior Asian Championships as she clinched the yellow metal in the 65kg freestyle category in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
+Bombay High Court asks IPL to shift 13 matches out of Maharashtra due to severe drought in the state.
-Navjot outclassed Japan's Miya Imai 9-1 in a one-sided final bout of the women's 65kg freestyle category to bag the gold. This was also India's first gold in the ongoing championships. Earlier in the day, India got another medal through Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik who won the bronze in the 62kg freestyle category after getting better of Kazakhstan's Ayaulym Kassymova 10-7 in a tough fight.
+.
+: CSK and RR suspended
-The two medals now took India's overall tally to six, which consisted a gold, a silver and four bronze medals.
-==Bajrang Punia becomes world no.1 in 65kg==
+Supreme Court suspends CSK and RR for two years. Two new teams, Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions, are introduced. Rajasthan Royals’ leggie Pravin Tambe alleges that his Mumbai teammate Hiken Shah had approached him to fix a few games.
-[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/wrestling/bajrang-punia-becomes-world-number-one-in-65kg/articleshow/66567523.cms  Bajrang Punia becomes world number one in 65kg, November 10, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+.
+: IPL 7 conducted under Gavaskar’s supervision
-Star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Saturday touched a new high in his career by achieving the number one rank in the world in the 65kg category.
-The 24-year-old Bajrang, who has won five medals this season, including CWG and Asian Games gold and a silver at the World Championship, was placed atop the ranking table with 96 points in the UWW list.
+The first half of IPL-7 is moved out of India to the UAE due to polls, and by SC orders the event is conducted under ex-captain Sunil Gavaskar. The shifting of the final from Mumbai to Bangalore too causes a furore.
-It has turned out to be a remarkable season for Bajrang, who was also the only Indian grappler to be given a seeding at the Budapest World Championship.
+.
+: Betting allegations hit CSK & RR
-"Every athlete nurtures the dream to be world number one in his career. But If I had become number one with a World Championship gold, it would have been better," Bajrang said.
-"But I am working hard and will try to retain this world number rank with a World Championship gold next year," he added.
+Delhi Police arrest three Rajasthan Royals players — S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan — on charges of spot-fixing. The scandal overwhelms the IPL when Mumbai police haul up BCCI president N Srinivasan’s son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings’ team principal Gurunath Meiyappan on charges of alleged betting. The Rajasthan Royals face further trouble when Delhi Police level same charges against co-owner and Raj Kundra. Following intervention by the Supreme Court, Srinivasan is eventually eased out after a long-drawn battle.
-Bajrang is comfortably leading the table and Cuban Alejandro Enrique Vlades Tobier is a distant second with 66 points. Bajrang had won a close semifinal against Tobier in the Budapest Worlds.
+.
+: Shah Rukh Khan banned from Wankhede Stadium premises
-Russia's Akhmed Chakaev (62) is in third place and the new world champion Takuto Otoguro (56) is at number four, followed by Turkey's Selahattin Kilicsallayan (50).
-Interestingly, Bajrang is the lone male Indian to figure in top-10 but the country has five female wrestlers who are in top-10 bracket in their respective categories.
+A sting operation exposes cricketers willing to bowl no-balls or indulge in under-hand dealings with franchises, leading the BCCI to ban Mohnish Mishra, Shalabh Srivastava, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali. I t leads to an uproar in Parliament to stop IPL. A heated on-field argument between opposition players Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir also makes for ugly viewing. Then, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is banned from the Wankhede Stadium premises after a scuffle with a Mumbai Cricket Association official. To top it all, RCB cricketer Luke Pomersbach is arrested on charges of molesting an American and assaulting her boyfriend.
-Pooja Dhanda, who became only the fourth Indian woman to win a World Championship medal, is now ranked sixth in the women's 57kg with 52 points. She had taken a bronze.
+.
+: Sunanda Pushkar’s ‘sweat equity’ in Kochi
-Ritu Phogat completes the top-10 in the women's 50kg, with 33 points.
-Sarita Mor is ranked seventh in 59kg with 29 points while Navjot Kaur (32) and Kiran (37) are ninth in 68kg and 76kg category respectively.
+Just before IPL 3, the governing council brings in two new teams, Sahara Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers, only for Modi to tweet about shady shareholding patterns and reveal Sunanda Pushkar’s ‘sweat equity’ in the Kochi set-up. The controversy forces Pushkar’s husband, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, to resign. Modi too is forced out.
-==‘Goonga Pehelwan’ axed, wrestlers revolt==
+.
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F06%2F02&entity=Ar03203&sk=61F2EDF0&mode=text  Sabi Hussain, ‘Goonga Pehelwan’ axed, wrestlers revolt, June 2, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+: IPL 2 shifted to South Africa
-Legendary deaf and mute wrestler Virender Singh, famously known as ‘Goonga Pehelwan’, has been punished for speaking out against the alleged “irregularities” committed by the national federation – All India Sports Council of the Deaf (AISCD).
+Then home minister P Chidambaram refuses to provide security for IPL 2 because of general elections, leading then-IPL commissioner Lalit Modi to shift the entire tournament to South Africa.
-The celebrated grappler has been dropped from the World Deaf Senior Greco-Roman & Freestyle wrestling championship to be held in Vladimir, Russia from June 11-19, leaving his supporters and the wrestling community stunned.
+.
+: Harbhajan slaps Sreesanth.
-In solidarity, other participating wrestlers have revolted against the federation and has threatened to boycott the Worlds. Nine of the participating wrestlers have written to the SAI that none of them will go to the Worlds if Virender’s suspension wasn’t revoked and his name included in the team.
-Virender may not be a household name, but the Arjuna awardee is revered in the same breath as two-time Olympics medallist Sushil Kumar. Virender has seven international medals – including three gold from the Deaflympics (Olympic Games for deaf athletes) and one gold from the Deaf Worlds.
+Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh slaps India teammate S Sreesanth in Mohali and is banned, creating a furore.
-In the latest case, Virender hasn’t been selected for the Worlds after he alleged that the federation has not paid him and other participating athletes their ‘pocket allowance’ due for the 2017 Samsun Deaflympics.
+==Spot fixing case: 2013==
+[[File: Some details, Players involved in IPL-spot fixing.jpg|Some details: Players involved in IPL-spot fixing; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=26_07_2015_001_043_012&type=P&artUrl=Watertight-fixing-case-full-of-holes-Sree-Chandila-26072015001043&eid=31808 ''The Times of India''], July 25, 2015|frame|500px]]
-As a result of his tirade, he was show-caused and later suspended by the federation in March this year. Recently, the sports ministry wrote to the AISCD to revoke Virender’s suspension immediately, but the federation’s interpreter and project officer, Ketan Shah, is insisting that Virender should first ‘apologise’ to the AISCD for making false allegations.
+[[File: A timeline, spot-fixing in IPL, May 2013-July 2015.jpg| A timeline: Spot-fixing in IPL, May 2013-July 2015; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=26_07_2015_021_037_002&type=P&artUrl=SPOT-FIXING-TIMELINE-HOW-THE-CASE-AGAINST-RR-26072015021037&eid=31808 ''The Times of India''], July 25, 2015|frame|500px]]
-==Junior Asian Championships==
+''See the graphics''
-===Day 1: 4 medals===
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F07%2F18&entity=Ar02918&sk=54F90D15&mode=text  July 18, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+Players involved in IPL-spot fixing
-India's Greco Roman wrestler Sajan gave his blood and sweat before emerging champion in the 77kg category as the hosts claimed four medals, including two silver and a bronze, on the opening day of the Junior Asian Championships here. Four of the five Indians in action today returned with medals as Manjeet opted out of event due to an injury. Sajan opened India's gold account while Vijay (5kg) and Aryan Pawar (130kg) settled for silver medals. Kumar Sunil won bronze in the 87kg. Sajan overcame Iran's Shayan-Hosein Afifi 3-0 in the final to better his last year’s performance at the event when he won a bronze in Chinese Taipei.
+and
-===More medals, and misses===
+A timeline: Spot-fixing in IPL, May 2013-July 2015
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F07%2F20&entity=Ar02412&sk=95E62B3F&mode=text  July 20, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+==Dhoni on the suspension of Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIM%2F2019%2F03%2F22&entity=Ar01800&sk=98D30305&mode=text    ‘WHAT WAS THE PLAYERS’ MISTAKE?’| But Captain Dhoni Admits CSK Erred During 2013 Fixing Saga| March 2019 | PTI]
-Gold Coast CWG bronze medallist Divya Kakran had to settle for silver after being too defensive in the final against nemesis Meerim Zhumanazarova while Karuna and Reena returned with bronze medals at the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship.
-All five Indian girls in action reached the final round but Sangeet Phogat (59kg) and Shivani Pawar (50kg) lost their bronze-medal bouts.
+In July 2015, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the cash-rich league for two years for betting activities by their key officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra during the 2013 season.
-Gaurika takes lead: Indian golfer Gaurika Bishnoi made just one birdie on the second hole but still managed to grab the lead at the end of the second round of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour in Bengaluru. She carded one birdie and three bogeys in her 74 that put her 1-over 145 and gave her a one-shot lead over Tvesa Malik (71). Neha Tripathi found the going tough with six bogeys and no birdies in her 78.
+While Dhoni agreed that then BCCI chief N Srinivasan’s son-in-law Meiyappan was part of the team setup, he said, in what capacity, is open to debate.
-== Junior World Wrestling Championships==
+“Initially, when Guru’s name came up, (we knew) he was part of the team, all said and done. But in what capacity, that is debatable. Was he the owner, the team principal, the motivator... what exactly was he?
-===Sajan, Vijay in final===
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F09%2F19&entity=Ar03015&sk=C6532926&mode=text  Sajan, Vijay in Junior World C’ship final, September 19, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+“I don’t know if anyone from the franchise introduced Guru to us as the owner... we all knew him as the son-in-law.”
-Indian wrestler Vijay bagged the bronze medal in the 55kg Greco-Roman category after defeating Cihat Ahmet Liman of Turkey 16-8 in the Junior World Championships in Trnava, Slovakia.
+What mistake did the players make, asked Mahendra Singh Dhoni, opening up on a phase of life made “most difficult and depressing” by the 2013 IPL fixing scandal. Dhoni broke his silence in a docudrama aptly titled Roar of the Lion, which focuses on the scandal that rocked Indian cricket and the ensuing fairy tale comeback by Chennai Super Kings following a two-year suspension for its management’s role in spot-fixing.
-He beat Kim Doohoon of Korea 3-1 in the quarterfinal but lost to Armenia's Tigran Minasyan 10-0 in the semifinal.
+Dhoni, who led the CSK to three IPL titles, said they knew a “harsh punishment” was on the cards.
-In the 60kg Greco-Roman style, another Indian, whose name is also Vijay, reached the final with a win over Ali Reza Ayat Ollah Nejati of Iran. Asian champion Sajan Bhanwal also advanced into the finals of 77kg greco-roman with a 4-1 win over Dmytro Gardubei of Ukraine.
+“We did deserve the punishment but the only thing is the quantum of the punishment. Finally we got to know that CSK will be banned for two years. There was a mixed feeling that time. Because you take a lot of things personally and, as a captain, question what did the team do wrong,” Dhoni stated.
-=== Sihag in final, Mansi gets bronze===
+“Yes there was mistake from our side (the franchise) but were the players involved in this? What mistake did we, as players, do to go through all of that?”
-[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/wrestling/naveen-upsets-defending-champion-fix-to-reach-junior-worlds-final/articleshow/65905612.cms  September 21, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+Recalling the torrid time when insinuations and allegations flew thick and fast, Dhoni said fixing a match requires the involvement of the majority of players.
-Trnava (Slovakia): Grappler Naveen Sihag shocked defending champ Daton Duain Fix to progress to the 57kg gold medal bout of the men’s free style competition at the junior world wrestling championship while Mansi grabbed a bronze in the women’s 57kg.
+“They started showcasing in the media or social media as if the team was involved. Is it possible (in cricket)? Yes it is possible, anyone can do spot-fixing. Umpires can do that, batsmen can, bowlers can... but match-fixing needs the involvement of the majority of the players.”
-==Sushil, Sakshi contracts upgraded/ December==
+=The IPL numbers=
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F12%2F13&entity=Ar02812&sk=EB72362C&mode=text  Gaurav Gupta, December 13, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=LIKE-A-ROW-BEFORE-A-BIG-FILMS-RELEASE-15072015034007 ''The Times of India'']
+==IPL broadcast rights==
-Even though they have been struggling of late, star wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Sakshi Malik had reason to smile for a while. After initially putting them in the ‘B’ category (worth Rs20 lakhs) of its first-ever central contracts, which were announced, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) upgraded both the Olympic medallists to the ‘A’ category, which makes them eligible to Rs30 lakhs.
+In 2008, the consortium of India's Sony Television network and the Singaporebased World Sports Group (WSG) had secured the rights of the IPL for ten years at a cost of more than $1 billion.As part of the deal, the consortium would pay the BCCI $908 million for the telecast rights and $108 million for the promotion of the tournament. However, in a reworked deal next year, BCCI signed a new deal with MSMPL (Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd) and World Sport Group (WSG) for Rs 8,200 crore with 80% of the amount to come from MSMPL. Later WSG exited the deal after a one-time payoff.
-As reported by TOI , only Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Pooja Dhanda had been initially offered Grade ‘A’ contract when the WFI announced the initial list of contracts, which have been given to 144 wrestlers. This is the first time that athletes in an Olympic sport have been awarded annual contracts by their federation, which has been boosted by the coming on board of Tata Motors as its main sponsor before the Jakarta Asian Games this year.
+==IPL title rights==
-WFI president Brijbhushan Saran Singh said the executive committee felt that keeping the two in Grade ‘B’ was a mistake.
+DLF had bought the title rights of the IPL for five years in 2008 for Rs 200 crore.In 2013, Pepsi bid for the rights for the next five years and won it at Rs 396 crore.
+===2017-22: Vivo pays Rs 2,199 crore===
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Value-of-IPL-title-rights-surges-455-as-28062017001045  K ShriniwasRao, Value of IPL title rights surges 455% as Vivo shells out Rs 2,200cr, June 28, 2017: The Times of India]
-==Under-23 National Championship==
+[[File: Title Rights, Indian Premier League.jpg|Title Rights, Indian Premier League; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=28_06_2017_029_045_007&type=P&artUrl=Renewal-of-a-fruitful-IPL-relationship-28062017029045&eid=31808 June 28, 2017: The Times of India]|frame|500px]]
-===Haryana wins 7/ 10 golds===
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F10%2F01&entity=Ar02516&sk=C613BF13&mode=text  October 1, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+''See graphic, '' 'Title Rights, Indian Premier League'
-Women grapplers from Haryana dominated day 2 of the inaugural Under-23 National Wrestling Championship, as they grabbed seven out of a possible 10 gold medals on offer in Chittorgarh on Saturday. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chandigarh also won a medal each as all 10 women grapplers booked their tickets to Bucharest for the Under-23 World Championships starting November 12. Haryana also finished on top of the points table.
-==U-23 world wrestling==
-===Ravi wins silver===
-Ravi Kumar faltered in the final of the 57 kg category in the 2018 Under-23 World Men’s Freestyle Championships at Bucharest (Romania), settling for a silver medal on Saturday night. Ravi was the lone Indian to make the grade but lost in the final to Japan’s Toshihiro Hasegawa, a 2013 Cadet World bronze medallist, unable to last the full course bout. The Japanese, who won by fall, led 4-0 in the first period was not only strong but was tactically good.
-==World Championships==
+Cricket administration may be going through turbulent times in India, but the game's fortunes continue to prosper in a manner that defies imagination .
-===Bajrang seeded 3rd===
-[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/wrestling/bajrang-punia-seeded-third-at-world-wrestling-championship/articleshow/66168572.cms  Bajrang seeded 3rd in World Wrestlng  October 11, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+Chinese mobile-maker Vivo retained the Indian Premier League (IPL) title rights for the next five years at Rs 2,199 crore, a 455% increase over the previous contract. Vivo had taken over the rights from PepsiCo from the 2015 season onwards after the latter expressed its inability to continue with its Rs 396 crore deal for five years. Pepsi had bought the title rights from the 2013 season onwards after IPL's first-ever title rights deal worth Rs 200 crore for five years  signed in 2008 with real estate company DLF  ended post the 2012 season.
-One of India’s most consistent performers, Bajrang Punia became the first Indian to feature in the top seeds of World Wrestling Championships to be held in Budapest, Hungary from October 20 to 28. He is seeded third in his 65kg weight category of the freestyle event. He is accorded the pride of place with 45 points in the ranking list released by the United World Wrestling, the parent body of wrestling.
+Breaking it down on a per year basis, the value of IPL's title rights has soared from Rs 40 crore annually (Rs 200 crore from 2008-2012) to Rs 79.2 crore (Rs 396 crore for 2013-2017)  to Rs 439.8 crore (Rs 2199 crore for 2018-2022). Or, to put it another way, the value doubled after the first five years of IPL and shot up another five times in the following five years.Vivo's competitor and another major Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Oppo, bid Rs 1430 crore  Rs 769 crore less than what Vivo brought to the table. Oppo had beaten Vivo in March this year when it went on to grab the jersey rights of the Indian cricket team  men, women, seniors and juniors  for Rs 1,079 crore, a four-fold increase over the previous deal with Star India. Interestingly, Vivo and Oppo are owned by the same Chinese company -BBK Electronics -which also owns the OnePlus mobile brand.
-===Bajrang Punia beats Tobier in semifinal===
+“We received an overwhelming response for the title sponsorship rights and we are glad to have Vivo back on board. It is a renewal of a fruitful relationship with the brand that will extend for the next five years,“ BCCI's acti n g s e c re t a r y A m i t ab h Choudhary said.
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F10%2F22&entity=Ar02406&sk=D2E14489&mode=text  Bajrang makes final at Worlds, October 22, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+Chinese mobile companies, which dominate the phone industry across the world outside of giants Apple and Samsung's considerable clout, have clearly found cricket to be the ideal platform to showcase their wares. Market sources credit the `invasion' to the incomparable popularity of cricket in the country, one that can be equated with football in Europe and baseball in the Americas merely for the eyeballs it manages to generate.
-Living up to the expectations, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia put himself in contention for a historic World Championship gold medal after quelling a spirited challenge from Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier in a tense 65kg semifinal. The Commonwealth Games and Asian Games gold medallist ensured himself a second medal at the Worlds, having won a bronze at the 2013 edition. The in-form 24-year-old had come into the event as one of the strong medal contenders and has continued with his redhot form this season.
+=Valuation of the IPL=
+==2014-19==
+[[File: The valuation of the IPL (2014-19) and its franchises (2019).jpg|The valuation of the IPL (2014-19) and its franchises (2019) <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F03%2F04&entity=Ar02700&sk=B0C28AE8&mode=text  K. Shriniwas Rao, March 4, 2020: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-Celebrated Sushil Kumar is the lone Indian to have won a gold medal at the Worlds, achieving the feat in 2010 in Moscow in the 66kg category.
+'''See graphic''':
-===Bajrang Punia gets silver in final, first Indian to win two medals at Worlds===
+'' The valuation of the IPL (2014-19) and its franchises (2019) ''
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F10%2F23&entity=Ar02114&sk=E9AF1B10&mode=text   Bajrang falls short in Worlds final, October 23, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+[[Category:Cinema-TV-Pop|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Cricket|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:India|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
-''Wrestler Takes Silver After 9-16 Loss To Japanese''
+=IPL jinxed for team owners?=
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=IPL-star-crossed-Team-owners-hit-by-bad-17072015001032 ''The Times of India''], Jul 17 2015
+[[File: Some notable IPL team owners.jpg|Some notable IPL team owners; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=IPL-star-crossed-Team-owners-hit-by-bad-17072015001032 ''The Times of India''], July 17, 2015|frame|500px]]
-Bajrang Punia etched his name in history books but failed to end the country’s eight-year long wait for a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships. The star grappler from Haryana’s Sonepat lost to Japan’s Takuto Otoguro in the men's freestyle 65kg division final to settle for the silver in Budapest, Hungary on Monday.
+K ShriniwasRao
-In a close bout at the László Papp sports arena, the 24-yearold Bajrang fought his heart out but couldn’t break past the solid defence of his Japanese opponent, who lifted the title with a 16-9 verdict. While it could be argued that Otoguro was guilty of resorting to delaying tactics in both the quarters, for which he was even booed by the capacity crowd, there was no denying the fact that the Japanese was a better wrestler on the day.
+A leading Mumbai businessman, once interested in buying an Indian Premier League franchise today wants nothing to do with the glamorous cricket league. He believes IPL is bringing bad luck to team owners.
+Dramatic as it may sound, a quick look at where the owners have landed up post their IPL buys tends to lend credence to this expression of superstition. The businessman was insistent: “Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy , Venkattram Reddy , the Maran brothers, even Lalit Modi -just look where they are.Isn't it eerie?“ As facts go, the businessman isn't off the mark. Subrata Roy is in jail, Reddy was ar rested, Mallya is in trouble with the authorities, Maranowned Sun TV is having prob lems with the home ministry over security clearances, Lalit Modi is wanted by ED, and Sunanda Pushkar is dead. Even love has gone missing from Ness Wadia and Pre ity Zinta's lives. And N Srinivasan has lost his prized BCCI president's chair.
-However, Bajrang could still feel proud of his achievement as his impressive journey to the final meant he became the first Indian wrestler to win two medals at the Worlds, bettering his bronze-winning effort at the 2013 edition in Budapest.
+Wait, not just Srinivasan.His son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, a mere cricket enthusiast according to his father-inlaw, has been pulled up by the Supreme Court for talking to bookmakers and banned for life from cricket. Ditto with another part owner, Raj Kundra of Rajasthan Royals.
-India still have Sushil Kumar as the lone gold medallist who won the top prize at the 2010 edition in Moscow.
+Those who have bucked the trend are movie star Shah Rukh Khan, India's biggest businessman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita, and the Delhi franchisee GMR.
-Bajrang also achieved a rare distinction which probably no other Indian sportsperson has managed to attain so far — he has won medals at the three major events in a single year. Before coming to the Worlds, Bajrang had dominated competition at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and Jakarta Asiad this year.
+Heck, the league itself is now in massive trouble. The judgment delivered by the SC-appointed Justice Lodha committee has reduced the IPL to just six teams of which, again, some are in serious financial trouble.
-“It was so near and yet so far,” was how Bajrang reacted, speaking from Budapest. “Having reached the final, I expected to win gold but I will have to be satisfied with a silver medal. I am happy to have bettered my bronze medal effort, achieved five years ago at the same venue,” he added.
+T Venkattram Reddy, the strapping boss of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, from Hyderabad, lost his team Deccan Chargers after cases of financial fraud with several banks began surfacing post 2011.
-In the summit clash, it was the Japanese who opened the account by taking a crucial five-point lead, which included a fourpointer which the Japanese got by holding Bajrang’s left leg and pushing him back quite a distance and then pinning him down.
+And the owners who replaced the team in Hyderabad  Maran Brothers of Sun TV  are also struggling. Once the eyes and ears of former DMK chief M Karunanidhi, the Chennai media barons are no longer politically protected.Apart from the cloud over their TV channels, they have had to sell their airline SpiceJet back to the original promoter.
-Rattled by the Japanese’s opening statement, Bajrang, too, went for the leg-lock and got hold of Otoguro’s left leg to get two points. Bajrang further reduced the deficit by garnering two more points to make the scoreline read 5-4 in Otoguro’s favour.
+Is this the reason why Parth Jindal of Bangalore-based JSW Group doesn't want to get into the IPL?
-Earlier in the day, both Pankaj Rana (70 kg) and Mausam Khatri (97 kg) bowed out without much to show.
+=YEAR-WISE HISTORY=
+=2013-14=
+[[File: IPL 2013.jpg|IPL: 2013; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=15_07_2015_034_007_009&type=P&artUrl=LIKE-A-ROW-BEFORE-A-BIG-FILMS-RELEASE-15072015034007&eid=31808 ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+[[File: IPL 2014-2015.jpg|IPL: 2014-2015; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=15_07_2015_034_007_009&type=P&artUrl=LIKE-A-ROW-BEFORE-A-BIG-FILMS-RELEASE-15072015034007&eid=31808 ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+See graphics
-===Quarterfinals: Malik advances, Gogane loses===
+IPL: 2013
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F10%2F21&entity=Ar02620&sk=D5A7D19A&mode=text  October 21, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+IPL: 2014-2015
-Sumit Malik will fight for a bronze at the Wrestling World Championships even as Sonba Tanaji Gogane was outclassed by reigning European champion Rashidov Gadzhimurad in the men's free style quarterfinals here on Saturday. Malik overcame Inkar Yermukambet of Kazakhstan 6-1 in the quarterfinals after beating Japan's Taiki Yamamoto 4-1 in the prequarterfinals of the 125kg category. PTI
+=2016=
+[[File: The IPL auction of Feb 2016, the main buys.jpg| The IPL auction of Feb 2016: The main buys; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=07_02_2016_001_045_002&type=P&artUrl=Watson-top-buy-but-rookie-Indians-story-of-07022016001045&eid=31808 ''The Times of India''], February 7, 2016|frame|500px]]
-===Greco Roman wrestlers suffer defeat ===
+[[File: IPL, 2016, some factual information.jpg|IPL, 2016, some facts; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=IPL-2016-FAST-FACTS-31052016027058 ''The Times of India''], May 31, 2016|frame|500px]]
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F10%2F27&entity=Ar03405&sk=FA50CADD&mode=text  October 27, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+See graphics
+The IPL auction of Feb 2016: The main buys
-India’s Greco Roman wrestlers continued to struggle at the World Championship with only Manish managing to clear qualification round on Friday. Manish, competing in the 67kg, won his qualification bout 3-1 against Aleksandrs of Latvia before losing the 1/16 round 0-9 to Japan’s Tsuchika Shimoyamada. Both Gyanender (60kg) and Manjeet (87kg) could not clear the qualification round. While Gyanender lost to Justas Petravicius, Manjeet was defeated by Eerik Aps.
+IPL, 2016, some facts
-==Yasar Dogu: 10 medals (2 gold; 7 by women)==
+=2017=
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F07%2F30&entity=Ar02110&sk=1838D2F5&mode=text  July 30, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+==Players retained and offloaded==
+[[File: Players retained and released, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore.jpg|Players retained and released, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=IPL-2017-BIG-NAMES-OFFLOADED-BY-TEAMS-20122016024012 ''The Times of India''], December 20, 2016|frame|500px]]
+[[File: Players retained and released, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune supergiants.jpg|Players retained and released, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune supergiants; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=IPL-2017-BIG-NAMES-OFFLOADED-BY-TEAMS-20122016024012 ''The Times of India''], December 20, 2016|frame|500px]]
-Bajrang Punia won his second consecutive international gold while Sandeep Tomar had to be content with a silver medal at the Yasar Dogu International as Indian wrestlers returned with 10 medals, including seven by women, from the ranking event in Istanbul, Turkey.
+[[File: Players retained and released, Gujarat Lions and Kings Xi Punjab.jpg|Players retained and released, Gujarat Lions and Kings Xi Punjab; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=IPL-2017-BIG-NAMES-OFFLOADED-BY-TEAMS-20122016024012 ''The Times of India''], December 20, 2016|frame|500px]]
-In the women's competition, Pinki was the lone gold medallist in the 55kg category with her 6-3 win over Ukraine’s Olga Shnaider in the final but Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik endured a disappointing result as she failed to reach the medal round in the 62kg category.
+[[File: Players retained and released, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians.jpg|Players retained and released, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=IPL-2017-BIG-NAMES-OFFLOADED-BY-TEAMS-20122016024012 ''The Times of India''], December 20, 2016|frame|500px]]
-Indian women grapplers outperformed the men by winning seven medals. CWG champion Bajrang, who won a gold at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in Gerogia early this month, did not have to break a sweat as his gold medal opponent Andriy Kvyatkovskyy from Ukraine withdrew from the 70kg final due to an injury. In the 61kg final, Sandeep, who was the last Indian to grab a place in Indian men's Asian Games squad, lost 2-8 to Iran's Mohammadbagher Yakhkeshi.
+[[File: The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time India XI.jpg|The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time India XI; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=20_04_2017_022_015_001&type=P&artUrl=LEAGUE-OF-CHAMPIONS-THE-GREATEST-IPL-TEAMS-OF-20042017022015&eid=31808 The Times of India], April 20, 2017 |frame|500px]]
-=2019=
+[[File: The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time international players XI.jpg|The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time international players XI; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=20_04_2017_022_015_001&type=P&artUrl=LEAGUE-OF-CHAMPIONS-THE-GREATEST-IPL-TEAMS-OF-20042017022015&eid=31808 The Times of India], April 20, 2017 |frame|500px]]
-==Asian Championships==
-=== Bajrang wins gold===
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F04%2F24&entity=Ar02303&sk=71702D9E&mode=text  Hindol Basu, April 24, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
-Before leaving for Xi’an, China for the Asian Wrestling Championships, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia had told TOI that he had honed his technique and perfected some new moves under the guidance of his personal coach Shako Bentinidis, and he would showcase that at the
+[[File: The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time international players XI 2.jpg|The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time international players XI; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=20_04_2017_022_015_001&type=P&artUrl=LEAGUE-OF-CHAMPIONS-THE-GREATEST-IPL-TEAMS-OF-20042017022015&eid=31808 The Times of India], April 20, 2017|frame|500px]]
+See graphics,
-championship at an opportune time. That time came on Tuesday, in the 65kg men’s freestyle final of the championship against 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Sayatbek Okassov of Kazakhstan.
+Players retained and released, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore
-Bajrang was trailing 2-7 with just 70 seconds to go in the contest, a loss looking imminent. What followed was a thrilling counter-attack by the Indian. The 25-year-old brought out a spectacular leg attack, then combined three different types of gut wrench moves and finally scored with an exposure move to race ahead to 12-7 which remained the final score in the end. Bajrang’s famous second-period stamina came to the fore during the final. In the end, the Kazakh wrestler was too tired, having failed to sustain the first period’s momentum.
+Players retained and released, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune supergiants
-“I had to bring out all my experience during the final. The pre-tournament training that I had gone through helped me. This kind of win really boosts your confidence and gives you the belief that you can come back from any situation. Now the next target is to win at the world championship. That’ll help me to qualify for the Olympics,” Bajrang told TOI.
+Players retained and released, Gujarat Lions and Kings Xi Punjab
-“Whenever Shako is at the arena watching my bout, he tells me to maintain my intensity till the end. He constantly motivates me and tells me to be aggressive on the mat.”
+Players retained and released, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians
-Bajrang had also won gold in the 2017 edition of the championship but had to settle for bronze in 2018. This was his eighth gold in last nine international tournaments he has participated in. His golden run includes top positions at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Asian Games. On his way to the final, Bajrang had conceded just one point. He comfortably defeated Uzbekistan’s Sirojiddin Khasanov 12-1 in the semifinals. He began the day with a technical superiority win over Charles Fern of Sri Lanka and then a 6-0 win over Peyman Biabani of Iran.
-On Bajrang’s win, his mentor Yogeshwar Dutt said, “This has been a spectacular performance by Bajrang. I am proud of him. He is well on course to win a medal for the country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is known to last the distance and is one of the best wrestlers in the second period. That was on show in the final.”
+The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time India XI
-In other results on Day 1 of the championship, Parveen Rana won silver while Satyawart Kadian clinched bronze. In the 79kg final, Rana went down 0-3 against 2017 World Championships bronze medallist Bahman Teymouri of Iran. Kadian lost in the semifinals, but came back to win the 97kg bronze medal playoff against Gao of China 8-1.
+The greatest IPL players of all time (till April 2017), All-time international players XI
-In the 57kg weight division, Ravi Kumar lost the bronze medal bout to former world champion Yuki Takahashi of Japan 3-5. The 70kg category saw Rajneesh bow out of the tournament early.
+==The 2017 auctions==
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=TOP-10-BUYS-IPL-USHERS-IN-ENGLISH-SUMMER-21022017025030  Manuja Veerappa, Feb 21 2017: The Times of India]
-=== Silver for Sunil, Gurpreet ===
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F04%2F28&entity=Ar03015&sk=238FA1C2&mode=text  April 28, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
-Asian wrestling: Sunil, Gurpreet settle for silver
+'''Stokes Sets League Record As Highest-Paid Foreign Player; Mills, Woakes Too Cash In'''
-Xi’an, China:
+England's cricketers dominated proceedings and extracted the maximum from franchises as aspirants went under the hammer in the 10th edition of the IPL auction. Leading the pack was allrounder Ben Stokes, 25, who became the most expensive overseas IPL player when he was snapped up by Pune for Rs. 14.50 crore.
+Stokes' teammate Tymal Mills was the next big gainer at Rs 12 crore. Starting off at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, the left-arm pacer saw aggressive bidding from Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB, looking to fill the void left by Mitchell Starc, splurged on the 24-year-old, a T20 specialist who is expected to be available through the league.
-India’s Gurpreet Singh and Sunil Kumar settled for a silver medal each in their respective Greco Roman categories at the Asian Wrestling Championships.
+Another English player to come at a hefty price was all-rounder Chris Woakes, who went to Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 4.2 crore while his T20 skipper Eoin Morgan (Rs 2 crore) found a buyer in Punjab.
-On the penultimate day of the competition, India’s Greco Roman wrestlers have already done better than the last edition, where they had won a couple of bronze medals through Rajender Kumar (55kg) and Harpreet Singh (82kg). While Gurpreet and Sunil finished on second position, Prem missed out on a bronze medal on the fifth day of thetournament.
+Although the teams had 354 players to choose from, only 160 came into the main auction. While the dominance of the England players was expected, the eye-popping figures was surprising since most of them would be available only during the league stage.
-Gurpreet had to be satisfied with a silver after being handed a 0-8 defeat by Hyeonwoo Kim of Korea in the final of 77kg category. The 2012 Olympic gold medallist and 2013 World Championships champion, Kim also has four Asian Championships gold medals to his credit.
+The other big foreign buys were Kagiso Rabada (SA, Delhi Daredevils, Rs 5 cr), Trent Boult (NZ, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rs 5 cr), Pat Cummins (Aus, Delhi Daredevils, Rs 4.5 cr) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (Aus, KKR, Rs 3.5cr).
-Gurpreet put up an impressive show on his way to the final, thrashing Bakhit Sharif Badr of Qatar 10-0 in the quarterfinals before eking out a narrow 6-5 victory over Tamerlan Shadukayev of Kazakhstan in the last four round. In 87kg, Sunil Kumar stormed into the final after prevailing over Azamat Kustubayev of Kazakhstan 6-6 in a victory by fall verdict in his semifinal bout, while he had earlier beaten Tokhirdzhon Okhonov of Tajikistan 14-7 in the last eight stage. But just like Gurpreet, Sunil too failed to clinch the top spot as he went down in the title clash to Iran’s Hossein Ahmad Nouri, the reigning Asian Games gold medallist, who also has three yellow metals from the Asian Championships.
+It was a windfall for domestic cricketers too, led by all-rounder Karn Sharma. The top pick in 2014 (Rs 3.8 crore) emerged the highest paid Indian this time with Mumbai Indians spending Rs 3.2 crore on him. He was followed by Tamil Nadu pacer T Natarajan (Rs 3 crore, Kings XI Punjab). Off the maximum 77 players, including 29 overseas who could be picked, 66 players found teams on the day, 27 of them being foreign cricketers. Pune looked like they had an expensive shopping list and spent Rs 17.2 crore off the Rs 17.5 crore in their kitty on buying nine cricketers.
-“I wish I were a little bit more aggressive. That could have changed the colour of the medal. I will strive to train harder and do better in the upcoming tournaments.
-“I had a chance of training in Kazakhstan and training with foreign partners helped me improved my standard,” said Sunil after the final. PTI
+In contrast, Gujarat Lions barely loosened their purse strings, spending a mere Rs 3.85 crore off the Rs 14.35 crore they had. But they still managed to take home 11 players with Jason Roy (England) at Rs 1 crore being their most expensive purchase.
-===India 16 medals/ Harpreet silver, Gyanender bronze ===
+In a first, two Afghans and one UAE player Chirag Suri will be handed their maiden IPL contracts. It is the only instance of Associate players being picked after Ryan ten Doeschate of Holland.
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F04%2F29&entity=Ar02012&sk=47E5C5EF&mode=text  April 29, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
-Harpreet bags silver, bronze for Gyanender
+Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad welcomed the Afghans -Rashid Khan Arman and Mohammed Nabi. Arman, the 18-year-old leggie who made his international debut in 2015, went for a jaw-dropping Rs 4 crore (base price: 50 lakh) with the VVS Laxman-mentored SRH winning the bidding war with Mumbai Indians. All-rounder Nabi, on the other hand, had to settle for his base price of Rs 30 lakh. Suri, went to Gujarat for his base price of Rs 10 lakh.
-ASIAN WRESTLING
+Prior to Stokes going under the hammer, the proceedings at the auction resembled the lull before a storm. Even before auctioneer Richard Madley could finish announcing Stokes' name, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians raised the paddle.
-Xi’an, China:
+While RCB pulled out at the Rs 4-crore mark, Delhi Daredevils jumped into the fray at Rs 4.20 crore and dropped out soon after. Mumbai, who came into the auction with a purse Rs. 11.555 crore, stretched themselves until Rs 10 crore.
-India wrapped up their campaign at the Asian Wrestling Championships on a resounding note with 16 medals after Greco Roman grapplers added a silver and a bronze on the concluding day here on Sunday. Harpreet Singh settled for a silver in 82kg, while Gyanender won a bronze in 60kg on the final day of competition.
+===The surprise omissions of Feb 2017===
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=SURPRISE-MISSES-21022017025042  Feb 21 2017, The Times of India]
-India’s overall tally of 16 medals included eight — one gold, three silver and four bronze — won by men’s freestyle wrestlers, four bronze by women and three silver and a bronze by Greco Roman wrestlers.
-With this performance, India’s Greco Roman wrestlers have bettered their tally of two bronze from the last edition and is the country’s best ever showing in this discipline so far at the Asian Championships.
+'''NO TAKERS FOR TAHIR, ISHANT SHARMA'''
-After a strong show en route to the final, Harpreet Singh had to settle for the secondbest position to get his first silver medal after three consecutive bronze from this tournament. In the final, Iran’s Saeid Morad Abdvali, a former world champion and Olympic medallist, didn’t allow the Indian to settle as he went on to register a comfortable 8-0 win by technical superiority. PTI
+ISHANT SHARMA He is the highest-ranked bowler in ODIs and T20s, but South African spinner Imran Tahir failed to find buyers at Monday's auction. Tahir has 29 wickets in three IPL seasons since 2014 and had formed a lethal combination with Amit Mishra for Delhi Daredevils last season. Also missing the IPL bus were India pacer Ishant Sharma, Windies all-rounder
-===Sakshi, Vinesh win bronzes===
+Jason Holder and Aussies Brad Haddin and Nathan Lyon.
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F04%2F27&entity=Ar02408&sk=F67A7F08&mode=text  April 27, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
+'''LIST OF ESTABLISHED NAMES WHICH WERE IGNORED:'''
-Sakshi, Vinesh finish on podium
+Ishant Sharma (2cr), Jason Holder (1.5cr), Brad Haddin (1.5cr), Nathan Lyon (1.5cr), Jonny Bairstow (1.5cr), Kyle Abbott (1.5cr), Alex Hales (1cr), Marlon Samuels (1cr), Ross Taylor (50L), Irfan Pathan (50L), Brad Hogg (50L), Mitchell Santner (50L), Imran Tahir (50L), Ish Sodhi (30L).In brackets: Base price
-X’ian:
+===The surprise omissions of Feb 2017/ 2===
+The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys
-Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik and Asian Games champion Vinesh Phogat settled for a bronze each as Indian women ended their campaign without a gold medal in the Asian Wrestling Championships.
+[[File: The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys 1.jpg|The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=21_02_2017_025_030_010&type=P&artUrl=TOP-10-BUYS-IPL-USHERS-IN-ENGLISH-SUMMER-21022017025030&eid=31808 The Times of India]|frame|500px]]
-Both Sakshi (62kg) and Vinesh (53kg) lost their quarterfinal bouts but made their way to the podium through the repechage round as their victors reached the finals.
+[[File: The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys 2.jpg|The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=21_02_2017_025_030_010&type=P&artUrl=TOP-10-BUYS-IPL-USHERS-IN-ENGLISH-SUMMER-21022017025030&eid=31808 The Times of India]|frame|500px]]
-In the bronze medal playoffs, Vinesh beat World Championships bronze medallist Qianyu Pang of China 8-1 while Sakshi got the better of North Korean grappler Hyon Gyong Mun 9-6.
-With the two bronze won on Thursday through Manju Kumari (59kg) and Divya Kakran (68kg), the Indian women wrestlers ended their campaign with four bronze medals.
+[[File: How the teams stack up after the Feb 2017 auction.jpg| How the teams stack up after the Feb 2017 auction; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=NUMBER-CRUNCHING-21022017025050 The Times of India], Feb 21, 2017|frame|500px]]
-For Sakshi, a qualifying round win on points against Thi My Hanh Nguyen of Vietnam was followed by a defeat against World Championships silver medallist Yukako Kawai of Japan in the quarterfinals in a victory by fall decision.
+[[File: Unknown Indian players who made it big at the Feb 2017 auctions.jpg|Unknown Indian players who made it big at the Feb 2017 auctions; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=UNKNOWN-INDIAN-HITS-21022017025053 The Times of India], Feb 21, 2017|frame|500px]]
-But since Kawai reached the final, Sakshi got a chance to feature in the repechage round where she had a comprehensive win over Jiae Choi of Korea in a victory by technical superiority decision to reach the bronze-medal play-off.
+'''See graphics'''
-For Vinesh, it was moving up to a higher 53kg category from 50kg, in which she had won a gold in the Jakarta Asian Games, after rejig of weight classes by the world governing body for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
+The IPL auction of Feb 2017, The main buys (1 and 2)
-She had competed in 53kg at the UWW Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tourney in Bulgaria last month and won a silver medal.
+How the teams stack up after the Feb 2017 auction
-Vinesh had a disappointing start as she lost to Mayu Mukaida of Japan, who came through the qualification round. The Japanese was declared a 10-0 winner in a victory scored by technical superiority verdict. PTI
-==Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov ==
+Unknown Indian players who made it big at the Feb 2017 auctions
-=== Dhanda wins gold, Sakshi silver ===
-[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/wrestling/pooja-dhanda-wins-gold-silver-for-sakshi-malik-in-bulgaria-wrestling/articleshow/68236472.cms  Dhanda wins gold, silver for Sakshi, March 2, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
+==2017/ IPL- 10==
+[[File: The highlights of IPL- 10, 2017.jpg| The highlights of IPL- 10, 2017 ; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=22_05_2017_001_059_002&type=P&artUrl=MUMBAI-PULL-OFF-SUPER-WIN-LIFT-IPL-TROPHY-22052017001059&eid=31808 The Times of India], May 22, 2017|frame|500px]]
+''' See graphic. ''' The highlights of IPL- 10, 2017
+===Did high player salaries result in success?===
+[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=MONEY-ALONE-CANT-WIN-YOU-GAMES-23052017019017  Manuja Veerappa, May 23, 2017:  The Times of India]
-Pooja Dhanda claimed gold in the 59kg category while Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik settled for a silver medal in the 65kg category at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov wrestling in Ruse, Bulgaria Vinesh Phogat displayed great form to make the 53kg finals with a win over world silver medallist Sarah Hildebrandt of USA.
+'''See graphic'''
-In the men’s freestyle, Sandeep Tomar lost his final bout in the 61kg category to finish with silver. With Dhanda and Malik’s podium finishes, India have won four medals so far.
+[[File:Crorepatis, how they fared, IPL-10, 2017.jpg|Crorepatis, how they fared, IPL-10, 2017; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=MONEY-ALONE-CANT-WIN-YOU-GAMES-23052017019017 The Times of India], May 23, 2017, Manuja Veerappa|frame|500px]]
-===Bajrang wins gold, Vinesh Silver===
+'''IPL-10: Some Investments Went Down The Drain Although A Few Teams Used Their Big Buys Well'''
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F03%2F04&entity=Ar02817&sk=EDB7AFA6&mode=text  Hindol Basu, Unstoppable Bajrang wins yet another gold, March 4, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
+If Tymal Mills' IPL performance is measured by his bid price, then each of the five wickets he claimed for Royal Challengers Bangalore came with a mindboggling tag of Rs 2.40 crore! The England pacer, who at Rs 12 crore was the second costliest player at IPL-10, did not do anything extraordinary in the five appearances he made for his franchise.
+A T20 specialist, Mills was among the 21 players who hit pay dirt after being picked for a crore or more at the auction held in February . While Ben Stokes (Rising Pune Supergiant) was the costliest at Rs 14.5 crore, others like M Ashwin (Delhi Daredevils), Dan Christian (Rising Pune Supergiant) and Pawan Negi (RCB) earned Rs 1 crore each at the auction.While a few justified their price tags, some disappointed, while the others returned home after being benched through the season.
+Stokes and Christian were Pune's main picks at the auction and wise ones at that.Stokes was at the heart of Pune's campaign in the 12 matches he played before joining the England team. Electric and quick as a fielder, the all-rounder claimed 12 wickets at an average of 26.33 and scored 316 runs including an unbeaten century (103 n.o.). His presence in the Pune dressing room turned out to be invaluable for the team. Likewise, Christian with 11 wickets from 13 matches didn't do badly either.
+Apart from Pune, the teams for whom investment in crorepati players turned out to be profitable were Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
+The pace trio of Trent Boult (Rs 5cr), Chris Woakes (Rs 4.2cr) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (Rs 3.5cr) was Kolkata's top buys of the season.While Boult wasn't in peak form, Woakes turned out to be the bowling trump card for Kolkata, picking up 17 wickets in 13 matches.Coulter-Nile too fared well with 15 wickets from eight outings including his three-for in the Eliminator against Hyderabad.
+Afghan spinner Rashid Khan and pacer M Siraj didn't disappoint Hyderabad. A Rs 2-crore investment in veteran Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson proved to be a game-changer for Mumbai, who were also rewarded for their faith in Karn Sharma (Rs 3.2cr), who saw them through to the final with his tidy bowling. In contrast, Karnataka's spin bowler K Gowtham, who created a buzz after attracting a Rs 2-crore bid, didn't get to play even a game for Mumbai.
+=2018=
+==The auction==
+'''See graphics''':
+''Some facts about the teams and players in IPL, January 2018 (Day 1 and day 2)''
+''Top buys for IPL, January 2018 (Day 1 and day 2)''
+[[File: Some facts about the teams and players in IPL, January 2018.jpg|Some facts about the teams and players in IPL, January 2018 (Day 1 and day 2) <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F29&entity=Ar02302&sk=6AF1DD5C&mode=text  Manuja Veerappa, January 2018:  ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+[[File: Top buys for IPL, January 2018 (both days).jpg|Top buys for IPL, January 2018 (Day 1 and day 2) <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F29&entity=Ar02302&sk=6AF1DD5C&mode=text  Manuja Veerappa, January 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+===The main deals/ 1===
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F28&entity=Ar02719&sk=050F05AF&mode=text Manuja Veerappa, Stokes leads IPL crorepati club,  January 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+[[File: Big names that went unsold, 2018.jpg|Big names that went unsold, 2018 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F28&entity=Ar02719&sk=050F05AF&mode=text Manuja Veerappa, Stokes leads IPL crorepati club,  January 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+'''See graphic''':
+''Big names that went unsold, 2018''
+'''Englishman Rakes In Rs 12.5 Crore; Jackpot For Rahul & Pandey Too'''
+Many Indian Premier League dreams took flight and a few were crushed as a virtual conveyor belt of 110 established stars and littleknown players went under the hammer on Saturday, the opening day of the two-day IPL mega auction.
+Like last year, England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who went for Rs. 14.5 crore in 2017, hit paydirt as Rajasthan Royals snapped him up for a whopping Rs 12.5 crore, making him the most expensive buy of the day and most likely of the auction. A pending case against him made no difference to the Englishman’s market value as Chennai Super Kings made the first charge followed by Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders before Rajasthan Royals jumped into the bidding war at the Rs 12-crore mark.
+Asked about the availability of Stokes, Ranjit Barthakur, chairman and CEO of Royals, said, “As far as we are concerned, the ECB has cleared him for auction; he’s legally available, therefore we’ve bid for him. He’s a very important part. We’re trying to build the team and an all-rounder is absolutely important.”
+Stokes was followed by KL Rahul and Manish Pandey. The batting talents from Karnataka commanded a mind-boggling Rs 11 crore each which Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad paid with glee. Mitchell Starc (KKR, Rs 9.40cr), Rashid Khan (SRH; Rs 9cr) and R Ashwin (KXIP; Rs. 7.60cr) were the top bowlers to earn the mega bucks.
+'''UNCAPPED PLAYERS CALL THE SHOTS'''
+As many as 40 uncapped cricketers from India and abroad were paraded. Of them, 19 hit the jackpot, with the price soaring beyond the Rs 1-crore mark. Krunal Pandya (base price Rs 40 lakh) was the biggest gainer among them, taking home a cool Rs 8.8 cr from his home team Mumbai Indians who exercised the RTM privilege even as teams like Bangalore, Royals and Hyderabad engaged in a bidding war for the all-rounder. Even as RCB sealed the deal, Mumbai owners pulled out the RTM card.
+Jofra Archer, the 22-year-old medium-pacer from West Indies was the other big gainer on the day as Royals snapped him up for Rs 7.20 crore. Another overseas uncapped crorepati was D’Arcy Short, the 27-year-old lefthanded batsman-spinner from Australia also going to Royals. Both players have had a golden run at the ongoing Australian Big Bash League.
+U-19 stars Kamlesh Nagarkoti (Rs 3.2 crore), Shubman Gill (Rs. 1.8 cr), Prithvi Shaw (Rs. 1.2 cr) too joined the elite crorepati club.
+'''SOME STARS GET COLD SHOULDER'''
+Franchises went mostly on current form and youth rather than reputation and experience. The price tags of some of the old warhorses is a case in point. Yuvraj Singh, who was the highest-paid player of 2014 and 2015, went for his base price of Rs 2 cr to Kings XI Punjab, while Chennai, who went for tried and tested players, were the sole bidders for Harbhajan Singh (Rs 2 cr). The franchises were not overenthusiastic when Gautam Gambhir’s name was called out and Delhi Daredevils welcomed him back for Rs 2.80 crore (base price Rs 2 crore).
+'''GAYLE GOES UNSOLD'''
+Meanwhile, explosive West Indies batsman Chris Gayle found no takers. Even RCB didn’t look interested.
+====Highlights====
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F28&entity=Ar00519&sk=01001983&mode=text  January 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+[[File: 10 things to know about IPL auction, 2018.jpg|10 things to know about IPL auction, 2018 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F28&entity=Ar00519&sk=01001983&mode=text  January 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+'''See graphic''':
+''10 things to know about IPL auction, 2018''
+====Players sold/ 1====
+[[File: Players sold, day 1, (IPL auction, 2018).jpg|Players sold, day 1, (IPL auction, 2018) <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F28&entity=Ar02720&sk=7A6FAF60&mode=text January 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+'''See graphic''':
+''Players sold, day 1, (IPL auction, 2018)''
+===The main deals/ 2===
+[[File: IPL auction (day 2, 2018), some brief facts.jpg|IPL auction (day 2, 2018), some brief facts <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F29&entity=Ar00130&sk=0DAE681B&mode=text  January 29, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+'''See graphic''':
+''IPL auction (day 2, 2018), some brief facts''
+===Most expensive uncapped players===
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F28&entity=Ar02723&sk=B79E634B&mode=text  January 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+'''MOST EXPENSIVE UNCAPPED PLAYERS'''
+Krunal Pandya (Rs 8.8 cr, MI – RTM; Base price Rs 40 lakh), Jofra Archer (Rs 7.2 cr, RR; BP Rs 40 lakh), Ishan Kishan (Rs 6.2 cr, MI; BP: Rs 40 lakh), D’Arcy Short (Rs 4 cr, RR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Deepak Hooda (Rs 3.6 cr, SRH – RTM; BP: Rs 40 lakh), Siddharth Kaul (Rs 3.8 cr, SRH; BP: Rs 30 lakh), Nitish Rana (Rs 3.4 cr, KKR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Rahul Tripathi (Rs 3.4 cr, RR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (Rs 3.2 cr, KKR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Vijay Shankar (Rs 3.2 cr, DD; BP: Rs 40 lakh), Suryakumar Yadav (Rs 3.2 cr, MI; BP: Rs 30 lakh), Ankit Rajpoot (Rs 3 cr, KXIP; BP:Rs 30 lakh), Navdeep Saini (Rs 3 cr, RCB; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Khaleel Ahmed (Rs 3 cr, SRH; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Rahul Tewatia (Rs 3 cr, DD; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Shubman Gill (Rs 1.8 cr, KKR; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Prithvi Shaw (Rs 1.2 cr, DD; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Manan Vohra (Rs 1.1 cr, RCB; BP: Rs 20 lakh), Mayank Agarwal (Rs 1 cr, KXIP; BP: Rs 20 lakh).
+===Lesser known players selected in 2018===
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F01%2F29&entity=Ar02302&sk=6AF1DD5C&mode=text  Manuja Veerappa, RR Break Bank For Pacer, Shell Out ₹11.5Cr To Make Him Costliest Indian, January 29, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+Auction in IPL- team, players bought and amount spent
+About an hour-and-a-half into the second day of the IPL auction, the money left with the franchises started to decrease with capped pacers commanding a good price. Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals — the teams with the biggest purse — had one pacer on their ‘mustbuy’ list and the latter had the last laugh.
+It turned out to be a blockbuster Sunday for left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat as he went for a mind boggling ₹ 11.5 crore, making him the second most expensive player of this season behind IPL teammate Ben Stokes (₹12.5 crore).
+Starting off at a base price of ₹ 1.5 crore, it was common knowledge that the 26-yearold will be among the hot picks given his T20 credentials which includes 24 wickets last season, Chennai Super Kings were the first to bid for him and Kings XI Punjab jumped in immediately. Rajasthan Royals, who were mute spectators until the bid crossed the ₹11-crore mark, upped the ante and made the winning bid for the Saurashtra bowler, who last season went to Rising Pune Supergiants for his base price of ₹30 lakh.
+As the auction drew to a close, 169 of the 581 players found a team with a total of ₹431.7 crore spent on them. This included 56 overseas players from across nine countries.
+Earlier, Kings XI Punjab fought it out with Chennai for Australian pacer Andrew Tye before bagging him for ₹7.2 crore. After an intense paddle war between Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals, Karnataka spinner and a handy bat K Gowtham went to Royals for an impressive ₹6.2 crore.
+AFGHANS HIT JACKPOT
+Over the weekend, four players from Afghanistan generated a lot of buzz. After Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi returned to Sunrisers Hyderabad, 16-year-old Mujeeb Zadran and Zahir Khan went to Punjab and Rajasthan Royals respectively.
+Mujeeb, who hails from Khost, a town 250km from Kabul, shot into the limelight last year when he picked up four wickets on debut against Ireland. The offie, often referred to as a mystery spinner, started with a base price of ₹50 lakh and Punjab and Delhi Daredevils immediately engaged in intense bidding. Delhi dropped out at ₹3.80 crore and Punjab sealed the deal at ₹4 crore. Mujeeb’s compatriot Zahir, went for ₹ 60 lakh from a base price of ₹20 lakh.
+INVESTMENT IN FUTURE
+With an eye on the future, the franchisees picked a total of seven India U-19 players, of whom four were bought on the second day. Speed gun Shivam Mavi went for ₹ 3 crore to Kolkata Knight Riders while big hitters Abhishek Sharma and Manjot Kalra were both snapped up by Delhi Daredevils for ₹55 lakh and ₹20 lakh respectively. Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy headed to the Mumbai Indians camp for ₹20 lakh.
+A FIRST FOR NEPAL CRICKET
+Nepal’s spin bowler Sandeep Lamichhane became the first player from Nepal to bag an IPL contract when Delhi got him on board for ₹20 lakh. The 17-year-old is highly rated by former Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who mentored him during a league in Hong Kong.
+GAYLE GETS THIRD TIME LUCKY
+West Indies big-hitter Chris Gayle, a marquee player who went unsold on the opening day and in the second session of the second day, emerged lucky the third time when Punjab successfully bid for him at his ₹ 2-crore base price. Likewise, Murali Vijay too was brought in the first round of the accelerated process by Chennai Super Kings at his base price (₹ 2 crore). Another current international Parthiv Patel (₹ 1.70 cr) headed to Royal Challengers Bangalore as did Mitchell Johnson (₹ 2 crore, KKR) and Tim Southee (₹1crore, RCB). Among the big names who failed to attract any bidders were Dale Steyn, Eoin Morgan, Martin Guptill, Joe Root, Nathan Lyon and Tymal Mills, who was the second most expensive player last season at ₹ 12 crore.
+===The youngest, the oldest, average age===
+[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/ipl-2018-are-veterans-still-worth-the-gamble/articleshow/63637384.cms  Partha Bhaduri, April 6, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+[[File: Youngest and oldest players in each IPL team, April 2018.jpg|Youngest and oldest players in each IPL team, April 2018 <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/ipl-2018-are-veterans-still-worth-the-gamble/articleshow/63637384.cms  Partha Bhaduri, April 6, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+[[File: Average age of players in IPL 2018.jpg|Average age of players in IPL 2018 <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/ipl-2018-are-veterans-still-worth-the-gamble/articleshow/63637384.cms  Partha Bhaduri, April 6, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+'''HIGHLIGHTS'''
+IPL has also welcomed those simply hoping to revive sagging mid-career fortunes with a booster shot of cricketing glory
+In 2016, the average age of the top-10 was 29.10. Three players were above 30, and one was below 25
+Last season the average age of the top-10 grew again to 30.30, with seven batsmen above 30 in the list
+Worried about age spots? An IPL treatment may be just what you need. We’re not talking about the intense pulsed light cosmetic procedure so common in the beauty industry, but the glowing cricketing equivalent, the Indian Premier League. Since its inception in the nascent days of T20 strategizing, the league has been a haven for those seeking to smoothen the wrinkles of a post-retirement life. IPL has also welcomed those simply hoping to revive sagging mid-career fortunes with a booster shot of cricketing glory. Even at the auctions, reputation has tended to precede both skills and promise in the expense stakes.
+This time around, the trend seems to have been bucked at the auctions, either because of a large number of available cricketers in the twilight of their careers or a more deliberate move from franchises to bank on fresh legs.
+Some like CSK, though, have remained firmly in favour of veterans. Their logic is a proven one: the T20 game is a short one, so those high on skill and experience but low on youthful energy won’t be caught out in a hurry. They can, instead, shave off the years when it comes to performance.
+CSK seem to have done their homework on the batting front. For the past three IPL seasons, the average age of the top 10 batting performers has been rising slowly and steadily. In 2015, the average age of the top-10 was 28.50, with Chris Gayle being the oldest at 35 (at that time) and Ajinkya Rahane being the youngest then at 26, which means all 10 batsmen were above 25. Four were above 30.
+In 2016, the average age of the top-10 grew to 29.10, although only three were above 30, and one was below 25 (Quinton de Kock, 23 at the time). This was because of a large concentration of cricketers in the 27-34 age group, when a batsmen is in his prime.
+Last season the average age of the top-10 grew again to 30.30, with seven batsmen above 30 in the list. The oldest was Gautam Gambhir at 35, the youngest Rahul Tripathi at 26. This doesn’t mean, though, that seniority is a guarantee of success and the other franchises have erred in banking on youth. A similar peek into the top-10 bowlers reveals the average age has been shrinking, from 28.80 in 2015 to 26.60 in 2017.
+Interestingly, the average age of the worst batting performers too has been rising steadily. The top-10 worst batting performers (taking into consideration batting positions No. 1 to 6 only, minimum 11 innings) had an average age of 30.4 last season, up from 28.7 in 2016. That means banking on senior players is often a gamble. So what’s an IPL team management to do when picking a side?
+For one, picking younger bowlers is the way to go. The days of the Nehras, Hoggs and Tambes may be over. On the batting front, there is an important difference in the ‘best and ‘worst’ sets: the ‘worst of ’ batting lists tend to be thinner on performers of pedigree, meaning who have also excelled with the bat at international level in ODI or Test cricket over time.
+The highest, fittest achievers are more adept at stretching peak performance well into their 30s. So if you’re picking seniors, picking the ones with the best international records may be the way to go.
+This time at the auction, many franchises displayed a tendency to pick younger domestic performers, the likes of Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rahul Tripathi and Ishan Kishan, to name just three. That means they have spent less on some proven but ageing players. This may have saved owners money, but until it translates into winning performances, their furrowed brows may not smoothen soon.
+==IPL business model==
+IPL runs on a Central and Local pool of sponsorships for revenues. Broadcasters, tournament sponsors, title rights holders and bid monies form the central pool. Gate money, in-stadia advertising, franchise sponsors and merchandising make for the Local Pool. The Central Pool revenue is shared by all eight franchises on a percentage basis. The franchise has to fend for itself where Local Pool is concerned.
+==Future==
+The players from Royals and CSK franchise cannot be bought by or absorbed in any other franchise. Each team has a limit of 26 players and a fixed purse. For CSK and RR players to participate in IPL, the BCCI will have to float a tender for two fresh teams. There is no restriction if CSK and RR want to sell their franchises ahead of the coming season, after BCCI clearance. A full-fledged auction of all players is now scheduled after the 2016 edition of IPL.Both Royals and CSK have 26 players each and so do most other franchises. CSK has one-year contracts with most of its cricketers, who can go back into the auction pool but other franchises will have to off-load players to be able to buy them. With Kochi Tuskers winning their arbitration with BCCI, they're free to participate in IPL. Some players can be included in the Kochi franchise if they agree to play the tournament. However, one new franchise will still have to be auctioned. If Kochi Tuskers are unwilling to play, BCCI will have to auction two new franchises. IPL broadcast rights are up for a resale in 2017.
+==The finals (graphic)==
+[[File: The results of the IPL finals, 2018- CSK beat SRH; CSK’s performance in the finals, 2008-2018.jpg|The results of the IPL finals, 2018- CSK beat SRH; CSK’s performance in the finals, 2008-2018 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F05%2F28&entity=Ar00315&sk=5969B9ED&mode=text  May 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+'''See graphic''':
+''The results of the IPL finals, 2018: CSK beat SRH <br/> CSK’s performance in the finals, 2008-2018''
+==The best batsmen, bowlers IPL 2018==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F05%2F28&entity=Ar01902&sk=0914FDE1&mode=text  Gaurav Gupta, Veteran Aussie Pulverises SRH With Blazing Century As Chennai Canter To Title, May 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+[[File: The best batsmen, bowlers of IPL 2018.jpg|The best batsmen, bowlers of IPL 2018 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F05%2F28&entity=Ar01902&sk=0914FDE1&mode=text  Gaurav Gupta, Veteran Aussie Pulverises SRH With Blazing Century As Chennai Canter To Title, May 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+“Teams win games, but finals are won by individuals,” MS Dhoni had quipped on the eve of the IPL final between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. His words proved prophetic as Shane Watson smashed the highest-ever score in an IPL final to seal the 2018 crown for CSK.
+Watson pulverized the Sunrisers bowlers during his breathtaking, unbeaten 117 (57b, 11x4, 8x6) to turn the summit clash into a ridiculously one-sided affair at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night.
+The Aussie’s blazing century, his second of the tournament, completed a fairytale return to the IPL for CSK, who clinched their third title after being banned for two years.
+When he took 10 balls to get off the mark, little did one realize that Wason would explode in such a fashion that CSK would gallop home with as many as nine balls and eight wickets still intact. Chasing 179, the 37-year-old chose to be cautious at the start as he played out Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s first over for a maiden.
+After taking his time to get his eye in, Watson tore into one of the best attacks of the tournament with his devastating blade.
+Sandep Sharma won’t forget the mauling that he received in the 13th over from Watson in a hurry. Ball after ball, the young medium-pacer ran in, trying the slower, knuckle delivery outside off stump, which normally ties up a batsman in knots in T20 cricket. However, on Sunday night, those deliveries landed deep into the stands behind long on, thrice in succession.
+Between this six-hitting spree, Watson carted the youngster, who was consoled by his captain Kane Williamson, for two fours too, in an over which cost the Sunrisers 27 runs, and reduced the remaining part of the chase to a canter. To add to the Sunrisers’ woes, pacer Siddharth Kaul endured a horrible night as well, going for 43 for three overs, even as the experienced Watson negated the Rashid threat too.
+Watson found an able ally in Suresh Raina (32), as the pair added 117 in 57 balls for the second wicket, after Faf du Plessis was dismissed early.
+Earlier, Sunrisers picked up pace in the second half of their innings to post a competitive 178 for six.
+Put in by Dhoni, the Sunrisers were initially pegged back by good spells from seamers Lungi Ngidi and Deepak Chahar. Ngidi even bowled a maiden in his first spell.
+SRH suffered an initial setback when ‘keeper-bat Shreevats Goswami, who replaced an injured Wriddhiman Saha, was run out by Karn Sharma while going for a needless second run.
+That blow meant skipper Kane Williamson was in the middle by the second over. Together with Shikhar Dhawan (26, 25b, 2x4, 1x6), Williamson (47, 36b, 5x4, 2x6) stablized the innings. After Dhawan was castled by Ravindra Jadeja, middle-order batsmen Shakib Al Hasan (23, Yusuf Pathan (45 not out) and Carlos Brathwaite (21) all chipped in as SRH collected 105 from the last 10 overs.
+The trio’s effort helped SRH get over the setback of losing Williamson, who was stumped while giving the charge to a Karn delivery which spun away far outside the off stump. Though he couldn’t complete what would’ve been his ninth fifty in the 2018 IPL, Williamson joined a rare club of batsmen who’ve completed 700 runs in a season.
+==The best performers/ first 30 games ==
+[[File: IPL 11 (2018)- The best performers of the first 30 games.jpg|IPL 11 (2018)- The best performers of the first 30 games <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F05%2F02&entity=Ar00524&sk=E85E35EE&mode=text  Dhananjay Mahapatra, SC’s switch hit: Won’t force one-state, one-vote on BCCI, May 2, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+'''See graphic''':
+''IPL 11 (2018)- The best performers of the first 30 games''
+==November: Extension, retention and dropping of players==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F11%2F16&entity=Ar02501&sk=DACF3839&mode=text  Saibal Bose, Unadkat dropped over ‘high auction-price pressure’, November 16, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
+[[File: Nov 2018- The extension, retention and dropping of players by IPL franchises.jpg|November 2018- The extension, retention and dropping of players by IPL franchises <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F11%2F16&entity=Ar02501&sk=DACF3839&mode=text  Saibal Bose, Unadkat dropped over ‘high auction-price pressure’, November 16, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+Rajasthan Royals continue to surprise. After having snapped up medium-pacer Jaydev Unadkat for Rs 11.3 crore, the highest for an Indian in the IPL auctions held early this year, the Jaipur-based franchise dropped another bombshell by releasing him. The reason for the decision was apparently the player’s high auction price.
+“When reviewing Jaydev’s contributions to the team, we felt there was too much pressure on him to deliver vis-a-vis his auction price and hence we thought it would be better to release him,” Royals head of cricket Zubin Bharucha told TOI.
+Unadkat had failed to deliver to expectations in the last edition of the IPL, having taken just 11 wickets in 15 matches, with the economy rate was a shade below 10. Royals owner Manoj Badale had told TOI after the auctions that the idea was to plan their strategy around an Indian strike bowler and Unadkat fitted the bill.
+“We want to go into the next auction with a free mind,” a Royals official told TOI. Jaipur is scheduled to host the auctions in the third week of December. Royals also released another much talked-about player, South Africa’s big-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen. Australian batsman D’Arcy Short and veteran medium-pacer Ben Laughlin were also released.
+'''DAREDEVILS RELEASE GAMBHIR'''
+Delhi Daredevils expectedly released Gautam Gambhir, who stepped down as the team’s in the middle of the 2018 season after a poor run of form. Apart from Gambhir, Delhi also released Jason Roy, Junior Dala, Liam Plunkett, Mohammed Shami, Sayan Ghosh, Daniel Christian, Glenn Maxwell, Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Naman Ojha. The retained Delhi players include captain Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Amit Mishra and teen sensation Prithvi Shaw.
+'''SUNRISERS RETAIN WARNER, LET GO OF BRATHWAITE, SAHA'''
+Sunrisers Hyderabad retained David Warner — who missed the 2018 season following the ball-tampering scandal — while releasing nine players, including West Indies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite.
+SRH retained 17 players. England’s Alex Hales and all-rounder Chris Jordan too were dumped by franchise. Among Indians, the notable player to be released was Bengal wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. Earlier, Sunrisers had traded opener Shikhar Dhawan for Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Nazeem and Vijay Shankar with Daredevils.
+'''KINGS RELEASE AXAR, YUVI, FINCH'''
+India’s 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh, left-arm spinner Axar Patel and Australia’s current limitedovers skipper Aaron Finch were among 11 players released by Kings XI Punjab. A pale shadow of his once explosive self, the 36-year-old Yuvraj managed just 65 runs at an abysmal average of 10.83 in eight games. With 134 runs in 10 games@16.75, the usually consistent Finch too didn’t find runs. Others who have been released are Ben Dwarshuis, former India pacers Mohit Sharma and Barinder Sran, batsman Manoj Tiwary, Kashmir’s Manzoor Dar, Akshdeep Nath and Mayank Dagar. Kings XI finished seventh out of eight teams last year.
+'''MUMBAI DROP CUMMINS, MUSTAFIZUR AND DUMINY'''
+The Mumbai Indians on Thursday released South African batsman Jean-Paul Duminy, seamers Pat Cummins (Australia) and Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) and Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya, while retaining 18 players. Cummins was bought by MI for Rs 5.4 crore, but was ruled out before the start of the last IPL due to injury. There were reports that Cricket Australia (CA) pulled him out due to fear of a burnout or injury during the tournament.
+Mustafizur Rahman was purchased for Rs 2.2 crore, but played only seven matches last season, taking as many wickets. The left-arm paceman was with Sunrisers Hyderabad previously. Duminy was bought for Rs 1 crore, but played just six matches, in which he managed only 36 runs. MI have also released six domestic players — Saurabh Tiwary, Pradeep Sangwan, Sharad Lumba, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, UP pacer Mohsin Khan and Kerala’s MD Nidheesh.
+The Mumbai franchise’s list of 10 released players includes one capped, five uncapped and four international players.
+=2019=
+==The main deals at the auction==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F12%2F19&entity=Ar03000&sk=7F3F2465&mode=text  Saibal Bose, December 19, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
-''It’s His Fifth In Last Six Int’l Tournaments; Silver For Vinesh''
+[[File:  Indian Premier League, 2019- The main deals at the auction.jpg| Indian Premier League, 2019- The main deals at the auction <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F12%2F19&entity=Ar03000&sk=7F3F2465&mode=text  Saibal Bose, December 19, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-India’s star wrestler Bajrang Punia won his fifth gold medal in last six international tournaments when the 25-year-old defeated Jordan Olivier of USA in the 65kg freestyle final at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov International wrestling tournament in Ruse, Bulgaria. Bajrang was a convincing winner; the victory margin being 12-3 in favour of the 2018 CWG, Asiad champion.
-Vinesh Phogat had to be satisfied with silver in the 53kg weight class; she suffered a shock 2-9 defeat to China’s Qiaun Pang in the final.
+''RR Keep Medium-Pacer At Lower Price, Kings XI Add Mystery To Their Attack''
-Bajrang has been in superlative form in the last 12 months. He won gold at Yasar Dogu International wrestling tournament in Istanbul, Turkey, and then followed it with gold at Tbilisi Grand Prix in Georgia, two more gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asiad. He won silver at the 2018 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary – narrowly missing out on the gold against Japan’s Takuto Otoguro.
+Rajasthan Royals continue to surprise. After releasing Jaydev Unadkat for being high priced, they bought him right back for Rs 8.40 crores, making him the joint costliest player at Tuesday’s auctions. Given that they had snapped up the left-arm medium-pacer for Rs 11.5 crores in February, Unadkat might be feeling robbed of Rs 3.1 crores.
-Now, Bajrang has started 2019 with a bang. He was ranked the world No. 1 wrestler in 65kg category by United World Wrestling (UWW) in November 2018.
+There would be no mixed feelings for Varun Chakravarthy, the mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu, who matched Unadkat in money splurged on him. He hit the jackpot with Kings XI Punjab pocketing the 27-year old, who can bowl both leg-spin and offspin. It is said about Chakravarthy that he gets through his four overs before the rivals can unravel him. Staring at a base price of Rs 20 lakh, Chakravarthy went for 42 times that amount.
-After the win, Bajrang dedicated his gold to Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. He tweeted: “I want to dedicate my gold medal to Indian Air Force’s brave fighter Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. He has inspired me. I want to meet him one day and also shake hands with him.”
+England’s Sam Curran was called in rather late, but some of the franchises seemed to have held back their purse for him. The all-rounder, whose reputation has soared since his performance against India, caused a bidding war among Kings Xi Punjab, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Punjab added him to their roster for Rs 7.20 crore, making him the costliest overseas player on Tuesday.
-Talking to TOI about his performance, Bajrang said, “The competition was very tough; therefore, the gold holds a lot of value for me.”
+Even though bowlers were mainly in focus, South African batsman Colin Ingram was laughing his way to the bank with Delhi Capitals buying him for Rs 6.4 crore.
-He added: “Till now, my performance in 2019 has been good and I am keen on maintaining that. That’s why I am training hard – so that I can repeat what I did in 2018. In 2019, we have the all-important World Championship. But before that there is the Asian Championship. “The World Championship is very important for me because it is the qualification tournament for the 2020 Olympics. A medal in the World Championship will help me qualify for the Olympics. That’s why I am making sure there are no shortcomings in my preparations.”
+Mumbai youngster Shivam Dube quite expectedly generated interest after smashing five sixes in one over recently. Royal Challengers Bangalore added him to the kitty for Rs 5 crore, the same price that Mohit Sharma (CSK), Axar Patel (DC) and Carlos Braithwaite earned. The Bengaluru side’s management, in fact, spoke of Dube’s sixes while justifying his high price.
-Vinesh was competing in a higher weight category — she used to grapple in 50kg earlier. She has gone on record that she will participate in the 53kg category from now onwards “in order to lower the risk of injuries and remain in wrestling for a longer period”. This was her first tournament in the 53kg class.
+Kings XI threw up another stunner in outbidding Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians for 18-year-old wicketkeeper batsman Prabhsimran Singh (Rs 4.80 crore).
-“I have to work on my upper body strength as my opponents are stronger,” Vinesh said after the loss. “I have to know my opponents (in the 53kg weight category) and how they wrestle, their technique, their style, the moves they use often. That will be very important and that is why I participated in this tournament,” she added.
+Among the players currently playing for Team India, Mohammad Shami was the top pick at Rs 4.80 crore. Kings XI Punjab, on a rebuilding spree, will most likely use him as their strike bowler.
-Before Bajrang and Vinesh’s medals, India had won three more in the tournament. Sandeep Tomar came home with silver in the 61kg category. Pooja Dhanda won gold in the 59kg weight class, while Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Sakshi Malik won silver in the 65kg section.
+Golden oldies like Brendon McCullum got the royal ignore while Yuvraj Singh had to be brought back, Mumbai Indians buying him at base price of Rs 1 crore. In fact, all the highestrated spinners were left unsold. Clearly, the franchises were looking for surprise elements like Chakravarthy. “He is unknown and that is an advantage,” KXIP CEO Satish Menon explained. “It’s also the World Cup year and we don’t know whom we might lose. Varun is more of a backup to Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Zadran.”
-==Spain Grand Prix: Vinesh, Divya win gold, Pooja silver==
+==Teams in the final==
-'''Vinesh and Divya win gold, Pooja settles for silver at Grand Prix of Spain'''
+[[File: CSK vs. MI reached the final of IPL, 2019.jpg|CSK vs. MI reached the final of IPL, 2019 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F05%2F11&entity=Ar00305&sk=B5FA5609&mode=image  May 11, 2019: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-Madrid: India's top wrestler Vinesh Phogat won her first gold medal after shifting to 53kg category while Divya Kakran claimed the top honours in the 68kg category here at the Grand Prix of Spain. In the eight-wrestler 53kg draw, Vinesh comfortably beat Peru's Justina Benites and Russia's Nina Minkenova before getting the better of Dutch rival Jessica Blaszka in the final. Also standing atop the podium was Asian Games bronze medallist Divya. She blanked Poland's Agnieszka Wieszczek-Kordus in the final. World Championship bronze medallist Pooja Dhanda (57kg) had to be content with a silver after losing to Russia's Veronika Chumikova. Also winning silver medals were Seema (50kg), Manju Kumari (59kg) and Kiran (76kg).
+See graphic, 'CSK vs. MI reached the final of IPL, 2019'
-==World Championships==
+== MI win the title==
-===Naveen only Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach repechage===
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F05%2F13&entity=Ar02115&sk=DA7AC4DA&mode=text  JAC Gladson, May 13, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIM%2F2019%2F09%2F17&entity=Ar02405&sk=9B5D0FD8&mode=text  Sep 17, 2019:  ''The Times of India'']
+[[File: The IPL final, 2019- Scoreboard .jpg|The IPL final, 2019- Scoreboard  <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F05%2F13&entity=Ar02115&sk=DA7AC4DA&mode=text  JAC Gladson, May 13, 2019: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-Makes It To 130Kg Repechage In GR, Gurpreet Goes Down
+[[File: MI beat CSK in the final of IPL, 2019.jpg| MI beat CSK in the final of IPL, 2019 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F05%2F13&entity=Ar00305&sk=AF312A30&mode=image  May 13, 2019: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan):
+'''See graphics''':
-After a dismal couple of days at the World Championships here, Naveen (130kg), on Monday, became the only Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach repechage, where he will face Heiki Nabi of Estonia.
+'' The IPL final, 2019- Scoreboard ''
-He had earlier lost to Pan American Wrestling Championships gold medallist Oscar Pino Hinds by technical superiority in qualifying. The Cuban later went on to reach the final which presented another opportunity to Naveen.
+'' MI beat CSK in the final of IPL, 2019 ''
-Earlier, Asian Championships silver medallist Gurpreet Singh (77kg) pinned Austria’s Michael Wagner to secure India’s second win at this championships. His run, however, came to an end at the hands of Serbia’s former world champion Viktor Nemes in the Round of 32, where he lost 1-3.
+A proven track record does no good if you’re not good on the day. Having made his point beautifully on the eve of the IPL 2019 final against Chennai Super Kings, Rohit Sharma and Co. were expected to not just merely turn up, but put in an impressive performance. And by converting their words into deeds, Mumbai Indians not only won their fourth title but their one-run win over Chennai Super Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday was the second such finish – they had defeated Pune Warriors by the same margin in 2017.
-Manish (60kg) also brought delight by recording a 11-3 win over Finland’s Lauri Johannes Maekhonen in his Round of 32 bout.
+In Chennai, Mumbai had an opposition that’s weathered many a storm, but in not refusing to give up or give in, Mumbai are now in a league of their own with the skipper making it a penta – four titles with Mumbai and one with Deccan Chargers.
-But his joy turned out to be short-lived when he was halted by Moldova’s World No. 3 Victor Ciobanu in the last-16 stage by technical superiority.
-''' Tough draw for Vinesh '''
+As is their wont, Chennai turned the contest into a gripping finale and Rahul Chahar nearly cost them the game when he reprieved Shane Watson with the opener going great guns on 55. The Aussie smashed two overs for 20 runs each off Lasith Malinga (16th) and Krunal Pandya (18th) to negate all the good work Rahul Chahar had done by restricting Chennai to 72 for two at the halfway stage — they eventually had to rest content with 148/7.
-Meanwhile, tension was palpable in the Indian camp after the country’s biggest medal hope Vinesh Phogat was pitted against Olympic bronze medallist Sofia Mattsson in the “toughest possible” draw.
+When Watson finally fell with two deliveries to go for 80 (59b, 8x4, 6x4), Chennai still needed four. His 51-run partnership with Dwayne Bravo was not enough to see CSK cross the line with Lasith Malinga sounding the death knell by denying two runs off the last ball.
-Vinesh had recently beaten Sofia, a six-time World Championship medal winner, on way to the Poland Open title-win last month, but facing the formidable Swede in the very first round is a different proposition. The 29-year-old Sofia won the last of her fourth European Championship gold medal in 2016 and the seasoned campaigner will surely be a threat to India’s hopes.
+The start was just as exciting as the finish after the Mumbai skipper had no hesitation to bat first. But if Mumbai’s 149 for eight was a start-stop affair, Chennai had not reckoned with Mumbai’s bowling arsenal that slowly tilted the scales in their favour by choking runs in the middle.
-She is ranked five in the world in 55kg, which is a non-Olympic category. If Vinesh, who is ranked sixth in 53kg, manages to get past Sofia, she will likely have to lock horns with World No. 2 (in 55kg), reigning world champion, Mayu Mukaida.
+Faf du Plessis was the initial aggressor, while Shane Watson took his time, but with Suresh Raina running out of luck, Ambati Rayudu coming a cropper and skipper MS Dhoni run-out going for a second on an overthrow, Mumbai cleverly wrested the initiative through Chahar’s excellent returns of one for 14, which included 13 dot balls and just one boundary.
-If that hurdle is crossed, World No. 1 and last edition’s silver medallist Sarah Ann Hildebrandt will await the Indian in the quarterfinals. That she is a bit worried could be felt as Vinesh walked into the training area grim-faced. PTI
+[[Category:Cinema-TV-Pop|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Cricket|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:India|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
-=== Vinesh and Seema advance===
+=2020=
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F09%2F18&entity=Ar02819&sk=B9162A7A&mode=text  Sep 18, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
+==Mumbai Indians win fifth title==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F11%2F11&entity=Ar02521&sk=AE39F817&mode=text  Gaurav Gupta, November 11, 2020: ''The Times of India'']
+[[File: Scoreboard, Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, IPL- 2020.jpg|Scoreboard, Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, IPL- 2020 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F11%2F11&entity=Ar02521&sk=AE39F817&mode=text  Gaurav Gupta, November 11, 2020: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-Vinesh and Seema keep medal hopes alive
+[[File: Mumbai Indians' five IPL titles, 2013-2020.jpg|Mumbai Indians' five IPL titles, 2013-2020 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F11%2F11&entity=Ar02521&sk=AE39F817&mode=text  Gaurav Gupta, November 11, 2020: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-New Delhi:
+Is he really injured? If this final was something of a ‘fitness test’ for Rohit Sharma, the star opener passed it with flying colours. Rested from the Indian team’s white-ball leg for the impending tour to Australia due to a rather mysterious hamstring injury which has caused big controversy, the Mumbaikar churned out a captain’s knock, cracking 68 (51b, 5x4, 4x6) to lead the Mumbai Indians to their fifth Indian Premier League title, as they downed the Delhi Capitals by five wickets in a onesided final in Dubai.
-Vinesh Phogat (53kg) and Seema Bisla (50kg) remained in the hunt for a bronze medal as they reached the repechage round in their respective categories at the UWW World Senior Wrestling Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
+Unleashing his trademark front-foot pulls off the fast bowlers and smashing the spinners down the ground with characteristic ease, Rohit seemed intent on making a simple point he made when he returned from his injury to play for MI: ‘I’m fit and fine.’ He perished to a superb diving catch by substitute fielder Lalit Yadav at deep midwicket while trying to hook Anrich Nortje, but the job was done by then.
-Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh had earlier begun her quest for a maiden medal from the world event with a thunderous 13-0 win over Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sofia Mattsson of Sweden. Even though it sparked hopes of gold, her next bout against the reigning world champion Mayu Mukaida of Japan proved tough.
+Towards the end, MI suffered a couple of more hiccups when Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya went out cheaply but Ishan Kishan (33 not out, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) continued his fabulous form to take MI home.
-The strong Japanese kept the Indian on the backfoot and prevented her from showing her usual aggression, resulting in a 0-7 loss for the Commonwealth Games gold medallist. This was the second consecutive defeat that Vinesh suffered at the hands of Mukaida following the Asian Championships.
+It was title No. 5 for ‘Captain Rohit,’ and his sixth as a player in the IPL. A decade back, MI had, for the only time, lost an IPL final while chasing against CSK, but this time, chasing just 157, they didn’t falter again, managing to defend the title successfully. It’s the first time that MI have won a crown in an even year. In what has been a magnificent campaign for them, MI came up with another dominant display in the final, beating the Capitals for the fourth time this season.
-However, with Mukaida managing to reach the final, Vinesh was presented with yet another shot at a medal as she will now take on former World Championships bronze medallist Yuliya Khalvadzhy of Ukraine. A win over her, as well as a win over last year’s runner-up Sarah Hildebrandt, will put Vinesh in the bronze medal bout versus Greece’s two-time World Championships medallist Maria Prevolaraki and also fetch her an Olympics qualification.
+Earlier, skipper Shreyas Iyer (65 not out, 50b, 6x4, 2x6) and Rishabh Pant (56 not out, 38b, 4x4, 2x6) struck form, digging the Capitals out from a deep hole when they had slipped to 22 for three by just the fourth over, but MI still managed to restrict them to 156 for seven.
-In 50kg, Seema Bisla’s second seeding did not exempt her from facing the three-time Olympic medallist Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan in the opening bout. The Yasar Dogu champion came up short 2-9 against Stadnik but with the latter progressing into the summit clash, Seema got another golden chance to sniff at a medal and a 2020 Olympic berth. For Seema to take the bronze, she needs to first overcome Nigeria’s Miesinnei Mercy Genesis, then get the better of Ekaterina Poleshchuk before she can enter the bronze medal contest with China’s Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sun Yanan. IANS
-[[Category:India|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
+Showing commendable fightback, Iyer and Pant dug in to add 96 in 69 balls for the fourth wicket to bail their team out of crisis and breathe some life into the summit clash. However, pulling things back brilliantly, MI conceded merely 38 in the final five overs to gain the upper hand.
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Name|ALPHABETWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Sports|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-==Yasar Dogu International==
+For the eight time in this IPL, Man of the Match Trent Boult provided a breakthrough in the first over for MI when he had Marcus Stoinis caught behind off the very first ball of the match, the first such instance in an IPL final. Boult struck again when Ajinkya Rahane was caught down the legside for just two in the third over.
-===Gold medals for Vinesh===
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2019%2F07%2F15&entity=Ar03408&sk=35B12571&mode=text  July 15, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
+The Capitals suffered their biggest blow when talismanic batsman Shikhar Dhawan (15) missed a slog sweep off off-spinner Jayant Yadav to be castled for just 15. It’s not often that you see Dhawan mess up that stroke, but then whatever MI have touched this time has turned into gold.
-Star grappler Vinesh Phogat won her second consecutive gold in 53kg, winning the Yasar Dogu International with a commanding victory over Russia’s Ekaterina Poleshchuk here.
+=2021=
+==The entire list==
+[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/ipl-2021-full-squad-lists-of-all-eight-teams/articleshow/81104041.cms  February 19, 2021: ''The Times of India'']
-The top Indian woman wrestler, who stood atop the podium at Grand Prix of Spain last week, beat her Russian opponent 9-5 in the final of the UWW ranking series tournament.
-Vinesh’s was third gold in the women’s competition for India after Seema (50kg) and Manju (59kg) triumphed in their respective categories. En route the gold medal bout, Vinesh won two of her three bouts by technical superiority.
+'''IPL 2021: Full squad, players list of all eight teams'''
-Divya Kakran (68kg), who won a gold in Madrid, and Pooja Dhanda (57kg), who won a silver, did not reach the medal rounds. While Divya could not clear the qualification round, Pooja lost in the quarterfinals.
+NEW DELHI: Every year, the IPL Player Auction brings with it a lot of excitement and thrill. Franchisees splurge large sums of money to seal a deal, while some players fail to find a bidder.
-Sakshi Malik, who was making a comeback after a minor injury, did not reach the medal rounds.
+In the IPL 2021 Player Auction, South African all-rounder Chris Morris made headlines by becoming IPL's most expensive buy of all time. Morris was fetched by Rajasthan Royals for a mammoth Rs. 16.25 crore. Meanwhile Krishnappa Gowtham became the highest uncapped Indian buy of all time. He was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs. 9.25 crore.
-Sakshi lost her pre-quarterfinal but later got a chance to be in contention for a bronze medal but lost the repechage round by a close margin to Russia’s Uliana Tukurenova. In the men’s freestyle, Rahul Aware (61kg) had clinched his first career Ranking Series title with a tactical 4-1 victory over Munir Aktas of Turkey. Utkarsh Kale had won bronze in the same category. PTI
+Here's the full squad list of all eight IPL teams after the squads for the 2021 edition were finalised:
-=2021 =
+'''DELHI CAPITALS '''
-== Asian Championship==
-=== Sarita  tops===
-Scripting a sensational comeback, an aggressive Sarita Mor reeled off nine straight points in the summit clash to retain her Asian Championship title in 59kg while Seema Bisla (50kg) and Pooja (76kg) settled for bronze medals.
-[[Category:India|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
+Shreyas Iyer (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Name|ALPHABETWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Sports|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-=== Vinesh, Anshu win gold===
+'''MUMBAI INDIANS'''
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL/2021/04/17&entity=Ar02216&sk=DF305074&mode=text  Hindol Basu, April 17, 2021: ''The Times of India'']
-Over the years, India’s star woman grappler Vinesh Phogat had achieved seven podium finishes at the Asian Wrestling Championships, but never a gold. The 26-year-old had to her credit three silver and four bronze since the 2013 edition of the championship.
+Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare (wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar
-Finally, Vinesh broke the jinx at the 2021 edition. Helped to some extent by the absence of Chinese and Japanese opponents, Vinesh cruised to the title without losing a single point in the 53kg category in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
+'''CHENNAI SUPER KINGS'''
-Vinesh overpowered Mongolia’s Otgonjargal Ganbaatar by technical superiority in the first round and repeated that performance against Meng Hsuan Hsieh of Chinese Taipei to sail into the semis.
-She then got a walkover in the semifinals as Korean Hyunyoung Oh pulled out due to an injury. Vinesh was up against Hsieh for a second time in the day in the final. She once again dominated her Taipei opponent, pinning Hsieh 6-0 to claim gold.
+Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, N. Jagadeesan (wk), Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, R. Sai Kishore, Mitchell Santner, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Josh Hazlewood, KM Asif, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K. Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishanth
-This was Vinesh’s third straight gold of 2021 in three events, after earlier winning in Ukraine and at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series in Rome.
+'''PUNJAB KINGS'''
-''' In-form Anshu too good '''
+KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen , Saurabh Kumar
-Youngster Anshu Malik, who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics a week back, also won her first Asian gold as she beat Battsetseg Altantsetseg of Mongolia in the 57kg final. Anshu won two of her bouts by technical superiority and then beat Altantsetseg after the latter was given three cautions during the bout.
+'''KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS'''
-The 19-year-old then outsmarted South Korea’s Shinhye Lee in the semis, before triumphing 3-0 against Altantsetseg in the summit clash.
+Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun CV, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Pawan Negi
-Anshu, who belongs to Nidani village in Haryana’s Jind district, comes from a family of wrestlers. She took her formative training in the sport under coach Jagdish Sheoran at the Chaudhary Bharat Singh Memorial Sports School in Nidani. Her father, Dharamvir Malik, was an international wrestler himself who now grows wheat. Anshu’s uncle, Pawan is also a decorated wrestler.
+'''SUNRISERS HYDERABAD'''
-“Initially, Anshu was focused more on her studies. She was a brilliant student and used to top her class quite often. When she was 12, Anshu saw her brother Shubham going for wrestling practice. She was drawn to the sport and tagged along with her brother to the training centre.
+David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman
-“We come from a family of wrestlers and I was delighted to see her enthusiasm for the sport. So, I didn’t discourage her one bit,” Dharamvir told TOI. “Anshu’s strong point is her endurance. She will keep wrestling against an opponent until they get tired.”
+'''RAJASTHAN ROYALS'''
-''' Divya’s second Asian gold '''
+Sanju Samson (c&wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh
-Another gold was bagged by Divya Kakran. The 22-year-old won three bouts in a row, including a stunning 8-5 victory over reigning Asian champion Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan.
+'''ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE '''
-Divya also defeated South Korea’s Sujin Park and Mongolia’s Tsevegmed Enkhbayar to emerge with most wins in the 72kg category, which had four wrestlers competing. Divya became only the second Indian after Sarita Mor to win two gold medals at the Asian meet. She had earlier won gold in 68kg category in the 2020 edition.
+Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Josh Philippe (wk), AB de Villiers (wk), Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Daniel Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat
-Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Sakshi Malik settled for silver after being pinned by Mongolian Bolortungalag Zorigt in the 65kg final, a non-Olympic category. This was her second Asian championship silver, having clinched her first in the 2017 edition.
-=== Ravi retains gold===
+[[Category:Cinema-TV-Pop|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
-[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2021%2F04%2F18&entity=Ar02208&sk=7C4BED43&mode=text  Hindol Basu , April 18, 2021: ''The Times of India'']
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Cricket|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:India|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Pages with broken file links|INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+==The auction==
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2021%2F02%2F19&entity=Ar02208&sk=3377750F&mode=text  Prasad.RS, February 19, 2021: ''The Times of India'']
-Wrestling fans were waiting with bated breath for the highly-anticipated clash between India’s star wrestler Bajrang Punia and his Japanese nemesis Takuto Otoguro. Over the years, Otoguro has been Bajrang’s bete noire, having defeated the Indian in the final of the 2020 Asian Wrestling
+[[File: How the IPL franchises stack up, 2021.jpg|How the IPL franchises stack up, 2021 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2021%2F02%2F19&entity=Ar02208&sk=3377750F&mode=text  Prasad.RS, February 19, 2021: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-Championships and the final of 2018 World Wrestling Championships. Bajrang had particularly struggled with his leg defence against Otoguro.
+[[File: IPL auction, history, as in February 2021- Morris becomes most expensive buy in IPL auction history.jpg|IPL auction, history, as in February 2021- Morris becomes most expensive buy in IPL auction history <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2021%2F02%2F19&entity=Ar00317&sk=0F36DDC1&mode=image  February 19, 2021: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
-Keeping the Tokyo Olympics in mind, it was important to see what improvement Bajrang had brought to his game against the Japanese when the duo clashed against each other at the ongoing 2021 Asian Wrestling Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
+PAY DAY FOR ALLROUNDERS
-Bajrang and Takuto duly made their way into the 65kg freestyle final after some impressive performances in the early rounds. But, the final proved to be anti-climactic with Bajrang pulling out due to an injury.
+RR Break Bank For Morris; Maxwell And Jamieson Fetch Big Money Too
-Ravi Dahiya, on the other hand, retained his 57kg crown with a dominant 9-4 win against Iran’s Alireza Sarlak. It was Ravi’s first competitive tournament in over a year. Like Bajrang, Ravi has also secured his quota for the Tokyo Olympics. Both wrestlers had booked their berths at the 2019 World Championships.
+Chennai:
-Bajrang, later, revealed that he had injured his right elbow during the quarterfinal against Korean Yongseok Jeong and did not want to aggravate the condition further. “When I was pulling the Korean, the pain in my right elbow resurfaced. It’s the same elbow that I had injured during the World Championship. The coaches advised that I must not take risk it so close to the Olympics, that’s why I withdrew,” Bajrang said.
+With millions flying around the room, you wouldn’t expect social media to go into overdrive over a Rs 50 lakh or a Rs 20 lakh buy.
+But then, while Cheteshwar Pujara is an emotional favourite of many after his heroics in Test cricket, Arjun Tendulkar’s inclusion in the IPL auction list had become a point of debate. So, when Pujara finally got an IPL team — Chennai Super Kings — after seven years, the entire auction room applauded the gesture. “It was a mark of respect for all that Pujara has done for India,” a CSK official told TOI.
-Bajrang did not look his usual self in the tournament. However, he seldom faced much competition en route the final. He had no difficulty in getting past Jeong, who hardly attacked. Bajrang’s first scoring point was a take-down on the counter and he earned one more for the passivity of his rival, winning the encounter 3-0. Next for him was Mongolia’s Bilguun Sarmandakh, whom he pinned 7-0 to ensure his passage to the summit clash.
+Arjun, on the other hand, was the last pick of the day as Zaheer Khan quietly raised the baton to have team mentor Sachin Tendulkar’s son in the set-up after two T20 game for Mumbai.
-Ravi, meanwhile, put on a commanding show and gave India its first gold in men’s freestyle in the tournament. He dominated Uzbekistan’s Nodirjon Safarov in his opening bout, winning 9-2. In his semifinal match, Ravi won by technical superiority against Palestine’s Ali M M Aburumaila. The title clash against Alireza was expected to be a tight one, but a fast and agile Ravi proved to be far superior.
+But before that, a few familiar stories played out. South African allrounder Chris Morris, with 34 runs and 11 wickets from nine games in IPL-13 for Royal Challengers Bangalore, broke all records to become the highest-paid player of the IPL. Rajasthan Royals, looking to rebuild again, paid 16.25 cr, edging out Punjab Kings in a bidding war. Morris’ price tag went past the Rs 16 cr record that was paid by RCB for Yuvraj Singh in 2015.
-“In the lead-up to the Olympics, I am concentrating on improving my technique every day. Besides, I watch videos of other wrestlers, which helps me in developing new strategies,” Ravi said after his title win.
-In other weight categories, Karan won bronze in the 70kg division with a 3-1 win over South Korea’s Lee Seungbong, while Narsingh Yadav beat Ahmed Al Gburi of Iraq 8-2 for a bronze in the 79kg non-Olympic category.
+“We spoke to Morris before the auction and did a medical review to see if he can last the season. He’s in a bubble now in South Africa and about to play the domestic competition. He will play an important role for us in all phases of the game. He can win us the game with the bat as well and the ball,” said Jake Lush McCrum, RR’s COO. But then, that’s the reason RCB paid Rs 10 cr last time for the 33-year-old, but without much reward.
-Satywart Kadian also won a bronze in the 97kg category with a 5-2 win over South Korea’s Minwon Seo.
-[[Category:India|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
+The auction lived up its tag of being allrounders’ ticket to big money. New Zealand’s Kylie Jamieson was bought for Rs 15 crore by RCB. He had scored a couple of 40s against India in Test matches in 2020 and gave Virat Kohli & Co a difficult time with his pace and bounce. Kohli must have taken a note of that and with Kiwi Mike Hesson as the coach, the decision was made to bring him in.
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Name|ALPHABETWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Sports|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-==Asian Olympic qualifiers==
+There was another usual suspect — Glenn Maxwell — who went for Rs 14.25 crore without hitting a single six in the last edition of the IPL in UAE for Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab). But on paper, he is one who can contribute handsomely both with the bat and ball, and that’s what led to a bidding war between CSK and RCB. CSK, quite uncharacteristically went till Rs 14 cr mark for the player, but then gave up as Kohli’s franchise looked for “impact players”.
-===Five Indians for Asian Olympic qualifiers===
-Five Indian wrestlers selected for Asian Olympic qualifiers: Five Indian wrestlers, including Haryana’s Sonam Malik, will compete at the Asian Olympic Qualifying Event and 2021 Asian Wrestling Championship to be held in Kazakhstan from April 9 to 18. Apart from Sonam, the other four wrestlers to make the cut are Seema (50kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Nisha (68kg) and Pooja (76kg). AGENCIES
-[[Category:India|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
+CSK, desperate for spin-bowling allrounders, made two smart buys in the form of Moeen Ali (Rs 7 cr) and K Gowtham (Rs 9.25 cr). Gowtham became the highest-paid Indian at the auction. “Moeen can be an opener option too while Gowtham will fill two vacant spots — Kedar Jadhav and Harbhajan Singh,” a source said.
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Name|ALPHABETWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Sports|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-==Matteo Pellicone==
+Another big-money buy was Australian pacer Jhye Richardson by Punjab Kings for Rs 14 cr. They needed a pace-bowling partner for Mohammad Shami after releasing Sheldon Cortrell following a hammering by Rahul Tewatia in one of the games last season. “We knew there would be competition for Richardson but we have the team we required,” team owner Preity Zinta, who also acquired England opener Dawid Mallan for Rs 1.5 cr, said. Punjab also got Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan (Rs 5.4 cr), who was extremely impressive in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
-===Sarita wins silver, Kuldeep bronze===
-Sarita settles for silver: Sarita Mor won a silver medal while Kuldeep Malik bagged a bronze at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series wrestling event in Rome. Indian grapplers secured three medals in the Greco-Roman category on Friday, taking the country’s tally to five medals.
+The KKR table, which attracted eyeballs due to the presence of SRK’s son Aryan and Juhi Chawla’s daughter Jhanvi, brought Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan back in the team for Rs 3.25 cr along with veteran offie Harbhajan Singh for his base price of Rs 2 cr. MI, on the other hand, had Nathan Coulter Nile and Jimmy Neeham back as their medium-pace back-up for Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. SRH picked up Kedar Jadhav for Rs 2 cr late in the day to add some experience to their middle-order.
-===Gold for Vinesh, finals for Punia===
+Delhi Capitals, too, quietly brought Steve Smith into their line-up for a mere Rs 2.2 crore.
-Vinesh wins gold, gets back number one rank
-Rome: Living up to the expectations, star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat grabbed the 53kg gold medal along with world number one rank while Bajrang Punia booked his spot in the final of the men’s 65kg event at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event, here on Sunday. It was second gold medal for Vinesh in as many weeks with a dominant win as the 26-year-old blanked Canada’s Diana Mary Helen Weicker 4-0 in the title clash
-== National championships==
+''' ‘Pujara a back-up for Raina’ '''
-Sonam trumps Sakshi once again to win gold: Sonam Malik stunned Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik 7-5 in the 62kg freestyle final to claim gold at the senior women’s national wrestling championships in Agra on Saturday. It was Sakshi’s third loss to Sonam.
-[[Category:India|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
+Pujara’s return to the IPL fold was celebrated by most but there were voices who felt the Test specialist would have been better off playing County instead of sitting on the reserve-bench of CSK for two months. But it’s understood that CSK had a plan in place to get Pujara in and it was not just about respect for the stalwart. “He is a back-up for Suresh Raina, who hasn’t played cricket in a while,” a source said.
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Name|ALPHABETWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Sports|WWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIAWRESTLING: INDIA
-WRESTLING: INDIA]]
-=See also=
+The fact that Dhoni wants players who are used to taking pressure is another reason behind Pujara’s inclusion in the squad.
-[[Sakshi Malik]]
-[[Vinesh Phogat ]]
+[[Category:Cinema-TV-Pop|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Cricket|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
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+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:India|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Law,Constitution,Judiciary|I INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]
+[[Category:Pages with broken file links|INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)
+INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL)]]

Wrestling: India, Indian Premier League (IPL)

Revision as of 11:00, 25 June 2021

Contents

History

Established in 2008

2008: the beginnings

The results of the finals

Impact on cricket in India

Records

2008-18/ Captains, stars who dropped themselves from the team

An overview, 2008-19

The greatest players, 2008-19

The most memorable matches, 2008-19

Indian Premier League: The economics of

Advertising revenues

Coaches in IPL

As in Nov

Controversies: 2008-16

Spot fixing case: 2013

Dhoni on the suspension of Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals

The IPL numbers

IPL broadcast rights

IPL title rights

2017-22: Vivo pays Rs 2,199 crore

Valuation of the IPL

2014-19

IPL jinxed for team owners?

YEAR-WISE HISTORY

2013-14

2016

2017

Players retained and offloaded

The 2017 auctions

The surprise omissions of Feb 2017

The surprise omissions of Feb 2017/ 2

2017/ IPL- 10

Did high player salaries result in success?

2018

The auction

The main deals/ 1

Highlights

Players sold/ 1

The main deals/ 2

Most expensive uncapped players

Lesser known players selected in 2018

The youngest, the oldest, average age

IPL business model

Future

The finals (graphic)

The best batsmen, bowlers IPL 2018

The best performers/ first 30 games

November: Extension, retention and dropping of players

2019

The main deals at the auction

Teams in the final

MI win the title

2020

Mumbai Indians win fifth title

2021

The entire list

The auction

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Variants

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