Super Kings will win IPL : Gony

He took 17 wickets from 16 matches in the inaugural Indian Premier League season. He belongs to the team that missed the IPL crown by a whisker last year. Strong-built, tall and a match-winner, he's none other than - Chennai Super Kings' Manpreet Gony.

The cash-rich twenty20 tournament gave him a platform to show his mettle to the cricket pundits and he finally, made his debut in Tri-Nation Series in Bangladesh in 2008.

CricketNDTV.com caught hold of him while he was rushing to the team party in Port Elizabeth and talked about Chennai's chances of winning the title this season and what he thinks of Andrew Flintoff's arrival in the side.

Were you satisfied with your performance in the opening match though Chennai lost it?
Yes, I am quite satisfied and I am feeling good about my performance. Winning and losing is just part of the game.

Last year your team was runner-up. What do you think are your prospects this season?
We will win the title this time.

Does the inclusion of Andrew Flintoff makes any difference to the side?
Definitely. He helps the boys in the fielding and bowling department. And especially, he gives me tips to improve my bowling.

If given a chance, what is that one thing you would want to change in the team so that it could fetch you the 2008 title?
Nothing really, it wasn't really in our destiny I guess but we will win it this time.

Do you think IPL can facilitate your selection for the Twenty20 World Cup squad?
Yes, certainly. I am working very hard for it.

What is team's greatest strength?
Our all-round performance.

[the article was originally published at http://cricket.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/ipl09/news_story.aspx?ID=INTEN20090091984&keyword=interview]

Surprise wins for Bangalore Royal Challengers and Mumbai Indians

Cape Town: Bangalore Royal Challengers crushed defending champions Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians did the same for runners-up Chennai Super Kings to give a astounding start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Saturday.

Mumbai Indians had a disastrous start in the inaugural tournament losing first four matches last year beat Chennai Super Kings by 19 runs in the opening match of the IPL.

The Bangalore Royal Challengers team, led by skipper Kevin Pietersen, annihilated Rajasthan Royals by a massive 75 runs though they had finished last in the inaugural edition.

The 3 Indian veterans of cricket - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, led the way for their teams, using their experience of playing on bowler-friendly wickets.

Sachine Tendulkar's 59 off 49 balls was the highlight of Mumbai Indians, whose total was 165 for seven wickets.

The Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga (3-15), and Sanath Jayasuriya (2-34) restricted Chennai Super Kings to 146 for seven wickets.

In the second match, Dravid, who was replaced by Pietersen as Bangalore Royal Challengers captain, struck back, hitting 66 and guiding the team through a difficult phase to reach 133.

Rajasthan Royals, who had a fairytale inaugural season, were all out for the lowest IPL score of 58 runs with Kumble picking five wickets.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to bowl under cloudy skies, after a delayed start appeared spot on as Tendulkar and his opening partner Sanath Jayasuriya (26) had an unconvincing start. Jayasuriya was run out, ending the 39-run opening stand.

It turned out to be a forgettable debut for Andrew Flintoff, who was on the receiving end of Abhishek Nayar's onslaught. Nayar made a quickfire 35 off just 14 balls and hit Flintoff for three sixes in a 22-run over.

While chasing, Chennai Super Kings suffered the first set-back as Malinga got opening batsman Parthiv Patel with the second ball of the innings.

Matthew Hayden (44) played carefully but as the innings progressed he found his touch. The retired Australian opener fell while chasing a wide Jayasuriya delivery to Zaheer Khan.

Flintoff (24) and Dhoni (36) tried their best but could not see their teams through.

Tendulkar was guarded in his assessment of the team's performance.

"I am glad that we have started well, but I don't want to take anything for granted. It's too early in the tournament and it's same for the other teams also." he said.

The second match started on a exciting note with Dimitry Mascarenhas (3-20) dismissing Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor in the first over in successive balls.

Royal Challengers were soon left tottering at 52/4 before Dravid, a master of these conditions, summoned his class to anchor the innings. His 48 balls for 66 had eight fours. Pietersen added 32.

"I am in good touch after the tour on New Zealand. Conditions here are ideal for a player like me. You have to play good cricketing shots when the ball is moving. I played few balls to set myself in the middle and then played strokes," Dravid said.

The Rajasthan Royals were sloppy in their run-chase with the batsmen getting out to poor shots. Praveen Kumar (2-7) swung the ball to create trouble for the batsmen. Ryder soon joined in (2-14) to leave Rajasthan Royals at five for 28 runs. They could never recover from such a disastrous start.

Kumble, who bid farwell to international cricket last year, running through the middle-order and tail in a flash, picking 5-5.

Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne said it was an "embarassing" beginning."We are the champions and we should have backed ourselves. Bangalore had a bad last year and they came out firing. Chasing a low score, we should have won with couple of overs left. The shot selections of our batsmen were bad."

[credit : http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200904190384.htm]

Chennai Super Kings - A sure shot to the semis

A powerful side with multi-dimensional cricketers, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will seek to exorcise the ghosts of IPL-I.

CSK finished at the wrong end of a humdinger against Rajasthan Royals in the final. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have the ingredients to make a serious bid for the title again.

Dhoni is an inspirational captain and leader; he remains calm during tense moments without any dip in his levels of intensity. He can get his men to rally around him or hold the lower order together with a blend of determination and flair.

The expensive acquisition of Andrew Flintoff — the formidable all-rounder was bought at a whopping $1.55 million — will make the side stronger. With his natural bounce from a high-arm action and sizzling yorkers, Flintoff will provide the bowling cutting edge.

He can impose himself on the game — in any format — with his speed, control and movement and is a telling striker of the ball. Flintoff, however, will not be available for the last and crucial stretch of the competition.

While someone such as Flintoff is impossible to replace, the captain and coach of the team Stephen Fleming are not short of depth in the ranks.

Albie Morkel, among the biggest strikers of the ball in contemporary cricket and a bustling fast medium bowler, can be influential in this format. And he would comprehend the conditions in South Africa well.

If fully fit, Jacob Oram’s heavy-hitting and handy seam bowling will add to the side. Given its wealth of talent, CSK could face difficulties in selecting only four overseas players for a game.

Off-spinning wizard Muttiah Muralitharan will be hard to leave out of the eleven even for matches on seamer-friendly conditions. Home boy Makhaya Ntini can be effective with his cut and bounce even if his pace has dropped by a notch or two.

Matthew Hayden, an outstanding success last season, has since retired from international cricket. Yet, given his levels of motivation and commitment, it would be hard to bet against him at the top of the order.

Michael Hussey has pulled out of the league phase but CSK has plenty of meat in its batting. The left-handed Suresh Raina, who used IPL as a platform to resurrect his international career, is a busy batsman with a fine range of strokes. George Baily, an aggressive batsman from down under, is another option for the side. S. Badrinath contributed usefully last season.

Sri Lankan left-arm paceman Thilan Thushara provides variety to the attack. M.S. Gony, a success story in IPL-I, and Lakshmipathy Balaji could be effective in the South African conditions.

CSK appears a certainty for the last four stage. The final steps will test the side’s resolve.

[credit : http://www.sportstaronnet.com/stories/20090418501200900.htm]

Flintoff eager to play in IPL

Flintoff, who was bought by Chennai Super Kings for a record $1.55 million, has had several niggling injuries, the latest of which was a hip problem that ruled him out of the final Test and first two One-day Internationals in the West Indies.

"I have missed so much cricket through injury that I don't want to miss any more," Flintoff was quoted as saying in the Guardian.

"I've not played a lot of Twenty20 cricket and I'd like to play more. I'm not saying the money is not very appealing, but there's a lot more to it. I spent several weeks working very hard at my fitness when I came back from the West Indies and, hopefully, that will stand me in good stead come the summer," he said.

England will host West India May 6 and then will have Australia for the Ashes series in June.

[credit : http://sports.in.msn.com/ipl/article.aspx?cp-documentid=2495974]

Flintoff dismisses IPL fitness fears

Andrew Flintoff does not believe playing in the Indian Premier League will have a detrimental effect on his performances for England because of the amount of cricket he has missed in the last year.

The 31-year-old has had several niggling injuries, the latest of which was a hip problem that ruled him out of the final Test and first two one-day internationals in the West Indies.

It has been suggested Flintoff should be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the Ashes this summer, but the all-rounder told Radio Five Live's Sportsweek: "I don't know about that. I have missed so much cricket through injury that I don't want to miss any more."

He added: "I've not played a lot of Twenty20 cricket and I'd like to play more. I'm not saying the money is not very appealing, but there's a lot more to it.

"I spent several weeks working very hard at my fitness when I came back from the West Indies and, hopefully, that will stand me in good stead come the summer."

Other England players, notably Kevin Pietersen, have said the rigours of a long winter away have taken their toll, and Graeme Swann even likened the events of the last few months to an episode of Eastenders.

Flintoff's Caribbean tour may have been interrupted by injury but he was involved in the debates following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and he insists missing home is normal.

"It's been a tough winter all round," he said. "Going to India before Christmas with everything that happened, and coming home and going back, was testing for everyone.

"There have been lots of things going on. These are long tours. We are proud to play for England but people have got things at home as well and families who you desperately miss when you're away. When you come to the end of a trip, of course people are looking forward to getting home and seeing people you haven't seen for a long time."

[credit : http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5htaIVkR2IEzK5akTlrzJcmZZ-Q6g]

IPL 2 - Andrew Flintoff to sply on Indians

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff believes the Indian Premier League would provide him the opportunity to spy on his opposition, including Indian players, which will come handy during his side's ICC World Twenty20 campaign in June.

"The Twenty20 World Cup is going to be huge and international Twenty20 cricket is going to become bigger and bigger," Flintoff was quoted as saying in the 'Guardian'.

"While I'm out there I'll be watching the likes of Dhoni, who has played a lot of it, and Hayden who had a good IPL last year. I will be speaking to a few of the Indian guys and see if I can pick their brains," he added.

With the upcoming Ashes series in July, Flintoff feels he has to be a little cautious as not to give away any secrets.

"I think you'll find players helping each other out and talking to each other, but the flip side of that is that other sides have England team-mates so you have to be a bit cautious about what you're saying.’’


"Ultimately, it's all about playing for England and by passing on a bit of information about one of your players could be to the detriment of this team and that's something you can't do," he said.

Flintoff, who was bought by the Chennai Super Kings at USD 1.5 million and will feature in the Twenty20 tournament starting on April 18, said the IPL stint will help him to stay at the peak of his game.

"It's been frustrating with the hip injury, thigh injury and getting hit on the thumb just before the end of the tour of the West Indies and I think the IPL will be good for me.’’

"There are a few people putting it down but keeping playing should help me out a lot. When I stop and start is when my body is at its most vulnerable.’’

"I know I'm only bowling four overs a game, but it will give me a chance to work on my game in between games going into a Test series and I will be working with top facilities out in South Africa."

Flintoff will play only seven matches before reporting back in England on May 1 for the tough summer ahead, which includes Test and ODI series against West Indies, the ICC World Twenty20, the Ashes series and a seven-match ODI series against Australia.

"It is a long schedule and everyone is looking forward to the Ashes and making sure everyone is fit for that but I've stressed all along that we have to perform in all the games we're playing," said Flintoff.

"From my point of view, although it's been frustrating I've had four or five weeks when I've not played because I've been injured so I'm probably fresher than a lot of the lads.’