Mumbai Indians V/s Chennai Super Kings

They are easily the biggest icons of Indian cricket. If one has been the inspirational leader, the other has been the supreme performer, and the two have taken Team India from strength to strength over the past couple of years.

And Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be the first to acknowledge that his success as Team India captain has had a lot to do with Tendulkar's performances.

Now Dhoni, leading Team Chennai, has to face the wrath of the Little Master, when they take on Mumbai Indians in the opener of IPL 2 in the far-off shores of the Atlantic -- the picturesque Newlands in Cape Town.

What makes it all the more interesting is the fact that Tendulkar has already announced that he won't play international T20 cricket while Dhoni had proved himself as a skipper for the first time in South Africa two years back, leading India to the World T20 triumph.

T20 is easily Dhoni's bastion and if Tendulkar can inspire his team to a win against Team Chennai, the Little Master can afford a quiet smile of satisfaction.

And Tendulkar has got all the ammunition in the world to turn the heat on last year's runners-up. A supreme opening partner in Sanath Jayasuriya, a solid middle-order led by the stylish South African batsman JP Duminy, and a decent pace-attack led by the in-form Zaheer Khan. All that has created a buzz around the Mumbai Indians.

It's likely that allrounder Dwayne Bravo and medium-pacer Kyle Mills will fill up the other two foreigner's slot in the Mumbai outfit.

But if Mumbai are blessed with balance, so are Team Chennai. Matthew Hayden's retirement from international cricket has come as a big boon for Dhoni's men and the burly Aussie has to play a huge role at the top of the order if Chennai are to do well in South African conditions.

Hayden knows all about playing on these tracks and it's pretty obvious that the Chennai top-order will look to play around him.

Another trump-card for Dhoni is Andrew Flintoff, provided he is 100 per cent fit. The England allrounder is available only for a couple of weeks and Chennai will expect to get the best out of him in this period.

Flintoff, of course, will be backed by another superb all-rounder in Albie Morkel, who is in great touch at the moment.

The duo will lead the Chennai bowling attack as well, but it'll be interesting to see how well they're backed up by the likes of Lakshmipathy Balaji and MS Gony.

Dhoni also has the guile of Muttiah Muralitharan to fall back upon, but it's to be seen whether he is able to work his magic in the shortest format of the game in South African conditions.

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Wax Statue of Sachin Tendulkar

Not a stranger to honours and accolades, Master Blaster Batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Monday said his wax statue adorning the iconic Madame Tussauds in London would be both an appreciation and reflection of his contribution to Indian cricket. "It is a great honor to be there at the Tussauds. I know I am the first sportsperson of the country to be there. I think it is an appreciation and a reflection of my contribution to Indian cricket," he said after unveiling the statue.

Sachin Tendulkar said he was spellbound after seeing the statue which will be inaugurated at the Tussauds on April 24, his birthday. "I am not a person who normally reacts easily to anything. But when I and my family saw it, something identical to myself, my reaction was something different. I have not reacted like that before, my reaction was special. It was so real, it was fantastic. But I am glad it does not breathe. "(My son) Arjun wanted to take down the bat and start playing but I told him not to get very close," he said.

Asked next to whom he would want his wax statue to be placed at the Tussauds, Tendulkar said, "I don't mind to be next to anybody. The fact that it will be there itself was a great honor. There are so many great personalities there including Indians," he said.

Asked if he felt authorities at Tussauds should have done it earlier, Tendulkar said, "I am not the person to decide whether my statue should have been one or two year before or this year. I am not concerned about that. I am happy that I will be there now. It is a happy moment." Tendulkar said he will go to London after the Indian Premier League season two in South Africa and see for himself his wax statue at the Tussauds.

"Right from 15 years of age I have thought of going to the Tussauds and even during my stay in England to play cricket I did not have time to go there because of my schedule. This time I will be there to know how these wax statues are made of," he said. Tendulkar has achieved almost everything as a cricketer could dream of except for one -- to win the World Cup for the country. "Every cricketer has a dream. For me I want to win the World Cup for the country that is my dream."

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McGrath doubts at Buchanan's multiple captain Theory

Legendary Australian pacer and current Delhi Daredevils spearhead Glenn McGrath on Monday scoffed at John Buchanan's multiple captain theory while endorsing the importance of a single skipper. "I have played under Buchanan and I know he has a lot of theories, may be this is another one. I don't know why he (Buchanan) has come up with this idea. I like a single captain idea.

"A good captain is one who uses his experience and takes the inputs and suggestions from other younger players of his team as well. But at the end of the day he should be the leader and accountable for his decisions," McGrath said on the sidelines of a programme to mark the team's send-off to South Africa. Former Australia World Cup winning Coach Buchanan, who is now manager of Kolkata Knight Riders, had suggested the multiple captain theory for the IPL second season, ruffling a few feathers including that of India great Sunil Gavaskar and former skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Talking about the challenges of the second edition of IPL, McGrath said conditions in South Africa would be similar to Australia and hoped to acclimatize soon. "I did enjoy the fan support and playing in Delhi last year but if I just think about the conditions, I feel it would be bouncy and quick, somewhat similar to what we have in Australia. I feel we can adjust to the conditions quite quickly," McGrath said. He said it was a tough decision for him to play in the second edition of IPL considering he has to take care of his children after losing wife Jane last year.

"It was a tough decision for me to play in the IPL. I have to take care of my kids, now that Jane is no more with us. But I enjoyed playing IPL last year and this is something special which I wanted to do for myself. "I didn't play cricket for the last 10 months but I hit the gym and worked out regularly. We had a 12 days training here and I hope to continue to build that up in the next few weeks bowling in South Africa, so that I can be at the top of my game before the season kicks off," he said.

The 39-year-old McGrath, who emerged as the most economical (6.61) bowler for his team last season, reckoned India vice-captain and Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag as one of the most destructive batsman he has ever bowled to and rated him highly as a captain. "I have always enjoyed bowling to Sehwag. As a skipper also I rate him highly, I have played under him and I hope this time we help him to win the cup," he said. The lanky McGrath also threw his weight behind Brett Lee. "Brett is very experienced and a class bowler and he has put a lot of hard work in this last few months and has grown much stronger," he said.

McGrath also feels IPL has lifted the Twenty20 version of the game. "Twenty20 is such a version where one can't afford to make any mistake, as a bowler you can't bowl 2-3 bad overs and I feel IPL has lifted the game as a whole," he said. Meanwhile, explosive Australian batsman David Warner, who would make his IPL debut this year, said he would like to show India's Virender Sehwag some pyrotechnics of his own if given a chance to open with the Delhi dasher. "I know it is up to the selectors to decide where I should bat and I can bat at any position. I don't have the experience like Sehwag and Gautam Gambir but if I am given a chance to open with Sehwag, I would like to show him some of my shots out of the park," he said.

Warner said his aim would be to win the title and bring it to Delhi. "Last year Delhi made it to the semi-final, so this time I would like to put it on board in the final and win the cup," Warner said. India discards Ashish Nehra, who switched loyalty from Mumbai Indians to Delhi Daredevils, said the domestic experience would help him to perform well this year. "Last year it was a good experience playing for Mumbai Indians. This year I have played a lot in the domestic circuit for Delhi and I hope this will help me perform better," he said.

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SRK slams Gavaskar for criticizing Buchanan

Kolkata Knight Riders owner ShahRukh Khan took a dig at former India captain Sunil Gavaskar for ridiculing John Buchanan's multiple-captain theory saying he bought the team and would run it the way he wants.

Former Australia World Cup winning coach Buchanan, who is now manager of Kolkata Knight Riders, had suggested the four captain theory for the second season of the Indian Premier League that has ruffled a few feathers, including that of former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.

"I have great respect for Mr. Gavaskar. I have grown up enjoying his performance as well as KR Vishwanath and Kapil's. We all respect him too much but having said that I would like to say that please give it (the multiple-captain theory) a breathing space to try now. If we fail we can always go back to the traditional way," ShahRukh said at a media conference in Mumbai on Sunday to announce new initiatives with Team sponsors Nokia. The Bollywood star said he has spent a lot of money in buying the team and would like to run it as he deems fit. "I have spent lot of money on my team. If you have a problem then you buy your own team and run it the way you want," he said, in an obvious response to Gavaskar's comments.

India's batting legend Gavaskar, in a newspaper column, had criticized Buchanan's theory saying too much importance is being accorded to the Australian, who is a failed first-class cricketer and is only trying to get lucrative jobs for "his Queensland pals". "To comment on his multiple skipper theory is to give it the importance it doesn't deserve but what does require comment is how he has got his Queensland pals lucrative jobs with KKR.”They have a very big support staff which includes his son and most of them are from Queensland. The owners - poor souls - have little idea that they are being milked," Gavaskar had written. ShahRukh, meanwhile, said he would rather try the multiple captain idea and fail than not giving it a chance at all.

"Twenty20 cricket is a new format and last time we did not do well after going by the traditional way (one captain). This time Buchanan will try multiple captaincies in the practice game before the IPL starts in South Africa and see whether he succeeds or not," the Bollywood star said. Buchanan's concept has generated lot of controversy ahead of the April 18 to May 24 IPL to be held in eight cities of South Africa.

Sourav Ganguly, who led the team last year, had expressed resentment to the multiple captain idea. The former India captain and Buchanan have had lengthy discussions with ShahRukh at his residence to thrash out the issues. ShahRukh on Sunday pointed out that the concept had been tried out last year itself by Kings XI Punjab. "It was tried out last year itself by the Mohali team which had a fielding captain (Kumar Sangakkara), a batting captain, a bowling captain and an overall captain Yuvraj Singh," he said.

The Bollywood star gave the example of cricket's cousin baseball which has coaches giving instructions from outside the field to the pitchers, batters and others. ShahRukh also expressed hope that his team would perform much better than last year. "All our players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Sourav Ganguly, Brad Hodge, Ajantha Mendis, Ishant Sharma, Mashrafe Mortaza are available," he said. "Almost 97 to 98 per cent of the players are available and it's a strong line-up. I hope the team performs better than last year," ShahRukh said.

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IPL is getting bigger

Preity Zinta, who co-owns Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kings XI Punjab, says the Twenty20 tournament moving to South Africa is like "asking an actor to perform in a theatre where nobody knows him", but the Bollywood star also hopes the shift helps in making the event bigger.

"The option was to either have it outside India or not at all. No one is happy to shift from home ground. That thrill of playing across our own country at domestic tournaments is gone. Going to various cities with the matches is a high," Preity told IANS in an interview.

"But we've to be optimistic. Last year when the IPL started everyone thought it would flop. It became the biggest hit ever. Likewise, the shift to South Africa could make the IPL bigger," she said on a positive note.

The actress is a little upset that the IPL crisis coincided with the release of her film "Videsh - Heaven On Earth" in India.

"The timing of the IPL crisis was unfortunate. My most challenging film 'Heaven On Earth' is on release. I'd have liked more time nurturing it. You know I did 'Heaven On Earth' for myself... I just needed to connect more with my inner self. This film made me does that," said Preity.

Excerpts from the interview with IANS:

Was it a shock to you when the IPL was relocated to South Africa?

The option was to either have it outside India or not at all. No one is happy to shift from home ground. That thrill of playing across our own country at domestic tournaments is gone. Going to various cities with the matches is a high. However, people can still watch it on TV. That's still there.

But an Indian event shifted to South Africa?

I know. But we've to be optimistic. Last year when the IPL started everyone thought it would flop. It became the biggest hit ever. Likewise the shift to South Africa could make the IPL bigger. What else can I do except be hopeful?

But it's being translocated to a new culture and environment?

Of course, it is! But what can we do? I've always believed whatever happens in life happens for the best. The timing of the IPL crisis was unfortunate. My most challenging film, 'Heaven On Earth', is on release. I'd have liked more time nurturing it. You know I did 'Heaven On Earth' for myself. Lots of times I've done things for this reason and that. But this time it was entirely for me. I just needed to connect more with my inner self. This film made me do that.

So the IPL moving out of India is like uprooting a national event?

Exactly! It's like asking an actor to perform in a theatre where nobody knows him. But we'll make sure that the quality and profile of the game don't change. Only two percent of the audience watches the game in a stadium. Most of them watch the game on television.


But there's that vibe when the game happens on home ground. That spirit can't be captured anywhere. Having said that I don't want to sound whiny and petty. I want to thank South Africa for agreeing to host the IPL games. They've gone out of their way to accommodate us, flung their fields open to us. I think South Africa will make a beautiful home for the games.

Wasn't the choice between South Africa and England?

Yes, there were several options. But it finally came down to choosing between those two countries. We didn't want to go into a place where there was too much rain. I think South Africa will be fun. Who knows, they might even allow me to play. That's my secret fantasy. Miracles do happen, you know.

Is it just elections that ousted IPL from India. Or was there a security scare after what happened to the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan?

I refuse to believe India is scared about the security. Does the country shut down because we can't get enough security? I think we need to vote even more carefully. We must put proper people in places of power. I don't think we should vote for anyone who has got criminal records. See their track records and then vote.

How will you be ready with the IPL in South Africa in time?

We Indians don't only exist in chaos. We thrive in it. Even last year when IPL happened for the first time we grappled with all odds. I know I'm going to have sleepless nights. But that's a different story. I can't pretend I'm not disappointed by the relocation. But South Africa is a terrific country.

I'll have lots to do besides cricket. In Punjab it was difficult for me to move out. Preity Zinta will have a blast shopping in South Africa. Preity Zinta, the team owner, is worried. We've no players from South Africa. Neither does ShahRukh Khan.

Are the boys demoralized by the relocation?

Their choice was between no IPL and IPL in South Africa.

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Saurav Ganguly disappoints with IPL Venues

With the location change googly, cricket fans could well miss the action in the middle.

And the development has left Kolkata Knight Riders Captain Sourav Ganguly disappointed. “I know Kolkatans won’t be able to see us playing at home, but what to do?” asks Dada, in between shots for a bike ad.

Quiz the Prince of Kolkata some more on the IPL and he offers a straight bat, “I wouldn’t like to comment. It is sensitive issue. The decisions have been taken by the powers that be. I am just a player and will have to play wherever I am asked to.”

Ask Sourav if he is worried about the preparations, what with the teams having to play in a foreign country at such short notice, and the former Team India skipper replies, “It shouldn’t be a problem. As professional players, we have to adjust to different conditions and give our best.” Surely, Sourav is a pro at it. He has shown his prowess with the bat, gathering runs on any pitch and reading the conditions well.

Filling us in on the proceedings inside the studio, Riingo, who is shooting the ad film, says, “We shot the earlier part of the ad in Arunachal Pradesh. Sourav is on an all new track in life, and we have accordingly shown him riding through the tough terrain of Arunachal. In the ad, he stops by the roadside to help one of the local kids get the right grip on his bat.” On directing Sourav, the director says, “I am shooting with Dada for the first time, and the experience has been good.”

Catching Sourav texting, we wonder aloud if he has spoken to KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan, and Sourav clarifies, “No, I have not yet got the scope to talk to him after the announcement.” The government of India’s inability to offer foolproof security during the IPL, has to do with prioritizing elections, and rightly so. But if the IPL is held outside India, then our cricket stars do not get to vote. Sourav, who is aware of that possibility, says, “Yes, I won’t be able to vote. But we don’t have a choice. Professional commitments are also important to us. I’m confident we’ll play well.” Well, the Maharaj sure has a point.

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SRK, Preity & Shilpa are Okay with IPL Abroad

“Elections are the number one priority and we had to take it into consideration. We want to have this tournament too, so this is a good decision as every fan will still get to see it from 4 pm to 8 pm.” - Preity Zinta.

"It’s a great decision. We’ll follow what the IPL and the BCCI decide. The buzz which is in India will not be there, but the election buzz will be there.” - Shah Rukh Khan.

"The news is disappointing... However, if the choice is between no tournament, and the tournament in another country, then we clearly prefer the latter.” - Shilpa Shetty.

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Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar Records

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar Records update as on 3rd Feb 2009.


1. Most Man of the Matches in the ODI's = 56
2. Most Man of the Series in the ODI's = 14
3. Most Man of the Matches in the World Cup Series = .
4. Highest Run Getter in the ODI’s = .
5. Highest Number of Hundreds in the ODI’s = 42
6. Highest Number of Nineties in the ODI’s = 92
7. Highest Number of Fifties in the ODI’s = 92
8. First ever Cricketer to make 10000, 11000, 12000, 13000, 14000, 15000 and 16000 runs in the ODI’s
9. Highest Number of Hundreds in Test Matches = 38
10. Highest Run Getter in Test Matches = .
11. Highest Run Getter in 1996 & 2003 World Cup with the scores of 523 and 673 runs respectively. 673 runs are highest by any player in a single World Cup Series.
12. Highest Run Getter in all World Cup Series till date. (1,796 at an average of 59.87).
13. Highest Run Getter in a Single Calendar Year = 1894.
14. He is the most overall runs getter in International Cricket, (ODI’s + Tests + T20= more than 26000 runs).
15. Tendulkar has scored over 1000 ODI Runs in a Calendar Year 7 times.
16. Most Number of ODI Centuries in a calendar year: 9 centuries in 1998.
17. Sachin and Vinod Kambli was involved in unbroken 664-run partnership in a Harris Shield game in 1988.
18. Sachin Tendulkar is the only player to score a century on debut in all the three of his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy Matches.
19. Tendulkar is the only player having 40 Test Wickets and more than 11000 runs in Tests.
20. He is the only player having 150 ODI Wickets and more than 15000 runs.
21. His 20 Century Opening Partnership Stand with Saurav Ganguly is a World Record. They also have put together 6,271 runs in 128 matches which is a world record for the maximum number of runs scored by the opening partnership.
22. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid Partnership of 331 runs against New Zealand in 1999 hold the world record for the highest partnership for any wicket in ODI.
23. Highest individual ODI Score by an Indian batsmen and 5th all time highest individual score (186* against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999).
24. Tendulkar is the first batsman to score over 50 & then 75 centuries in International Cricket.
25. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid holds the record for six 200 + run partnerships in ODI’s.
26. He has scored over 1000 ODI runs against all Major Cricketing Nations.


Some Other Great Achievements of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar


1 In 2002, Wisden rated Sachin as the 2nd Greatest Test Batsman after Sir Donald Bradman of Australia.
2 In 2003, Wisden rated Tendulkar as d No. 1 player in all time Greatest ODI Players List.
3 Sachin is the only player to be in ICC Top 10 ranking for 10 years.
4 Tendulkar is the only Indian Cricketer to be facilitated by all the 3 Sport Awards i.e. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Padma Shri by Indian government.
5 In 1992, Sachin at 19 became the first overseas player capped Yorkshire County Cricket, England.
6 He is the highest earner among all cricketers of the world.
7 Tendulkar has scored centuries against all test playing nations. He was the fourth batman to achieve the distinction after Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid and Gary Kirsten.
8 Tendulkar held the record of 5 Test Centuries before he turned 20 years of age
9 Most Number of Consecutive ODI Appearances =185.
10 Most number of Stadium Appearances = 90 Different Grounds.
11 Tendulkar has most man of match awards (10) against Australia than any other player.
12 The Current India Poised campaign run by The Times of India has nominated him as the Face of New India next to the likes of Amartya Sen and Mahatma Gandhi.
13 In Aug 2003, Sachin was voted as the "Greatest Sportsman" of the country in the Best of India poll conducted by Zee News.
14 In 2006, he was named "Sports person of the Year” and Time magazine named Tendulkar as one of the Asian Heroes.
15 Tendulkar holds the current record (217 against NZ in 1999/00 Season) for the highest score in Test cricket by an Indian while captaining the side.


Please let me know, if I’ve forgotten something. Waiting for your Responses.

Source: India Study Channel

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