Fake IPL player blogger vanishes

The mole who created ripples in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by spilling out the juicy dressing room gossip of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has suddenly stopped posting his missives after his blog made waves in the media.

The last time he had made a posting on fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com was Wednesday, after it was reported that the blogger had been identified as an insider in the KKR camp and could be a former player.

"We had a team meeting but hardly anything of note was discussed. Looks like things are secret until the mole is caught. Most guys in contention have been asked to be prepared. Lordie was there in the meeting, although he didn't speak much," the blogger said in his last posting.

The blog has become hugely popular among fans and players as it provides inside information about KKR and also about the IPL parties.

The writer, who claims to be a fringe player in the KKR team, says: "I am a perennial no-hoper. And have no hopes of getting a match in the IPL."

"The team is full of super stars and all I do is bowl a bit, bat a bit, and field like a maniac. But, there's one thing I do very well. Serve drinks. And that's what I am expecting do in South Africa. And throughout the IPL, I will be bringing to you the 'aankhon dekha haal', right from inside the dressing room, meeting room and players' bedrooms," he had written in his first posting Saturday.

Since the first day of the IPL, the blogger has poured out interesting tidbits, including information about team meetings.

The blogger has also given nicknames to cricketers - Lord Almighty (Sourav Ganguly), Calypso King (Chris Gayle), Sheikh of the Tweak (Shane Warne) and Kaan Moloo (Ajit Agarkar).

The popularity of the blog made the KKR team management start a witch hunt for the mole, to the extent of banning laptops and Internet connections from hotel rooms.

KKR team director Joy Bhattacharya said in a statement: "There is a blog spot which purports to be from a member of the KKR entourage. Poison pen writing of the dirtiest variety, but far too many factual errors."

[the article was originally published at http://sify.com/sports/cricket/ipl/iplfullstory.php?a=jeyrnOcdcej&title=IPL_player_blogger_mysteriously_vanishes&scategory=Twenty20&event=IPL_2009]