Keeping my Fingers Crossed!!!

We are just a day away from the auction for the second season for IPL. Chennai Super Kings has the biggest purse (Complete 2 Million USD) and the most slots to fill in the team (4 Slots) which makes it difficult for anyone to predict the strategy that will be followed by Chennai Super Kings.

As Cricinfo rightly points out, Chennai Super Kings desperately needs to add 1 or 2 good bowlers into its team. But I don’t believe that will prevent Chennai Super Kings from going for Flintoff or Duminy. Hope they are able to lay their hands on at least one of them. [I am sure Chennai Super Kings would not surely bid for KP]

With the experience of VB and Fleming, I am sure Chennai Super Kings management would bid wisely. But still I am keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Chennai Super Kings - Flintoff Saga Continues

This blog has already reported about Chennai Super Kings’ interest in Flintoff. With today’s TOI report, more news have started flowing about CSK’s interest in Freddie.

• Chennai Super Kings have spoken with him when he visited Chennai for the India-England Test match
• Chennai Super Kings are ready to go all out for Flintoff in the auctions. So expect another million dollar contract for Flintoff

By leaking such valuable information, Chennai Super Kings team are making sure that they are able to ward off any other team showing interest in Flintoff. Hope the strategy works and they are able to get him in for an economical rate.

TOI also reports that Hayden may get a hike to his salary. Personally I feel it is time that CSK players get a part of their salary based on personal and team’s performance rather than the fixed amount they are receiving now.

A Spinner Needed at Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings are approaching the transfers and the upcoming auction with a simple requirement: “Buy a Slow Bowler who can bat”. The approach is based on the assumption that the pitches this year would be much slower than last year. Which means two quality slow bowlers would be required by the side.

With Ramesh Pawar put on the transfer list by Mohali list, we can be sure that Chennai Super Kings would be approaching Mohali. Simultaneously we can expect them to approach any quality foreign spinners who can bat.

News Source: Official Website

Transfers and Rumors

It has taken more than 3 weeks of transfer window for the first IPL transfer to be announced. Delhi Daredevils have traded Dhawan for Nehra with Mumbai Indians. With only five more days left for the deadline of IPL Transfer Window, expect many more transfers to hit the news.

In other news, sports arena (Based on TOI) has reported that M Vijay has been signed by Chennai Super Kings. It is really good news - especially since the openers were an Achilles heel for us in the first season.

News Snippets

1. CSK chases Flintoff: With England allowing its players to play in IPL, buzz is that Flintoff would end up with Chennai Super Kings. If it happens, it would be great to have three allrounders (Flintoff, Oram & Morkel) in the side since the risk of injuries would be diversified.
2. CSK Looking for Murali Back-Up: TOI notes that CSK is looking for a backup for  Murali, a spinner who can bat. But this makes sense only if the spinner is an Indian so that he doesn’t eat up the four available foreign player spots. What TOI forgets to note is that CSK already possess 2 top-quality Indian spinners – Ashwin & Shadab Jakti. And what CSK really need is a young promising spinner who will take up the mantle from Murali when he retires.

Player Transfer Window Heating Up

With the player transfer window for IPL Season 2 beginning this week, rumours and press releases from different teams have started hitting newspapers and news channels. It is no surprise that most of the teams are looking to offload the high-paid players who did not deliver the goods last year (Gibbs, Afridi, Akhtar). Of the players who performed last year, we may see Rohit Sharma (Deccan Chargers) being sold to Mumbai Indians for a hefty amount. While Bangalore Royal Challengers and Mumbai Indians may exchange the services of Robin Uthappa and Zaheer Khan.

 

Chennai Super Kings

While the initial reports from Chennai Super Kings seemed to suggest that CSK may not trade any players. The Current sources suggest that Makhaya Ntini may be used as an sweetener/bargaining chip if the team is focusing to buy any player on the transfer list. [Source: CricketNext] But this is unlikely considering the recent performance of Ntini and CSK's lack of quality international fast bowlers in the team... Until if there is any extraordinary player on the transfer list.

Wait until December 29 to know the first list of players on transfer window.(The franchises have two more opportunities to submit lists of players they wish to put up for trading - on January 5 and 12). And Don't expect to see any CSK players on the first list of players put up for trading.