Airtel Champions League 2010 Schedule - Chennai Super Kings

September 11: Chennai Super Kings vs Central Stags (New Zealand) at Durban (9 pm IST)
September 15: Chennai Super Kings vs Wayamba Elevens (Centurion, 9 pm).
September 18: Chennai Super Kings vs Victorian Bushrangers (Port Elizabeth, 9 pm)
September 22: Chennai Super Kings vs Warriors (Port Elizabeth, 9 pm)
September 24: (Semifinal 1): Group A - No:1 Vs Group B - No: 2
September 25: (Semifinal 2): Group A - No:2 Vs Group B - No: 1
September 26: (Final): Winner of Semifinal 1 Vs Winner of Semifinal 2


P.S: Chennai Super Kings belong to Group A

BCCI on our side

Cricinfo reports that BCCI has requested ECB to postpone the start of India-England Test series by a day. What it means is that Dhoni will play the finals if Chennai Super Kings makes the cut.

Though BCCI has suggested logical difficulties (of having a test match immediately after an important tournament) as one of the reasons, don't have any doubt on the person who is pulling the strings on this issue. I have to admit that it is great to have a team owner who doubles up as the secretary of all powerful BCCI. Now my sincere hope is that N. Srinivasan becomes the next BCCI President. :-) [So that we get much more favours like this]

Update: The BCCI and ECB have confirmed that the first Test between England and India in Ahmedabad will get underway as scheduled on December 11, despite a request from the Indian board to delay the start by a day to avoid a potential clash of dates with the final of the inaugural Champions League in Chennai. Hmmm... Expect Dhoni to miss the finals if Chennai Super Kings qualifies for the match... :)

Champions Twenty20 League Fixtures

December 2008

Wed 3
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT

Group A - Middlesex v Victoria
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Wed 3
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT

Group B - Dolphins v Rajasthan Royals
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Thu 4
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT

Group B - Sialkot Stallions v Western Australia
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Thu 4
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT

Group A - Chennai Super Kings v Victoria
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Fri 5
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT

Group A - Middlesex v Titans
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Fri 5
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT

Group B - Rajasthan Royals v Sialkot Stallions
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Sat 6
12:00 local, 06:30 GMT

Group B - Dolphins v Western Australia
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Sat 6
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT

Group A - Titans v Victoria
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Sat 6
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT

Group A - Chennai Super Kings v Middlesex
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Sun 7
12:00 local, 06:30 GMT

Group B - Dolphins v Sialkot Stallions
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Sun 7
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT

Group B - Rajasthan Royals v Western Australia
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Sun 7
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT

Group A - Chennai Super Kings v Titans
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Mon 8
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT

1st Semi-Final - TBC v TBC
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Group B winners v Group A runners-up

Tue 9
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT

2nd Semi-Final - TBC v TBC
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Group A winners v Group B runners-up

Wed 10
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT

Final - TBC v TBC
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

What is there in a name???

Krish Ashok on his Chennai Metroblog column, is asking his readers whether Super Kings is the best name that Chennai could come up with. He makes a good point that the name "Chennai Super Kings" rhymes "Wills Filter Kings". Because of which the chances that it will be associated with cigarettes rather than a sports team is pretty high. But what is there in a name???. In 2 or 3 years time, nobody will care about why Chennai Franchise of Indian Premier League was not given some other 'exotic' name.

Yeah! I accept the fact that 'Chennai Super Stars' and 'Chennai Veerans' are much better names than Chennai Super Kings. But if we look at the name with the logo (Lion, the King of the Jungle in minimalist style foregrounded by the name in solid lettering), it makes much more sense for the word 'Kings' to be in the name. Also the word 'super' is a colloquial and a very popular word among Tamils.

Yeah! It is not a great name. But still it is not a name to be ashamed of. It is better to be a 'Simple' name that will be popular among the masses rather than some 'Innovative and Complex' name that will be praised by the critics only.

Chennai Super Kings Squad - Analysis

The dust has settled down after the bidding frenzy yesterday. And for Chennai Super Kings fans, it is time to analyse the players picked by VB Chandrasekhar, the chief selector for Chennai Super Kings. [Sadly only cricinfo has already made an analysis - 'How the teams stack up', while the other newspapers and web portals are still screaming "Chennai Super Kings snaps up Dhoni for $1.5 Million".]

Indian Players: MS Dhoni, Parthiv Patel, Joginder Sharma and Suresh Raina

MS Dhoni:
According to me, MS Dhoni was a fine choice and deserves the huge pay package. Read my reasoning @ 10 Reasons why Chennai Super Kings bought Dhoni. He also provides the opportunity for the team to be built around him.
Verdict: Excellent Decision

Joginder Sharma: A bowling all rounder, he became an immediate hero in many Indian homes after an awesome final over in the thrilling India Vs. Australia T20 Semifinal. He proved that it was not a one-off performance when he bowled the final over in T20 finals too. But his limited international experience is not enough to provide a clear picture of his ability and hence it is better to wait and decide his utility to Chennai Super Kings later.
Verdict: Though Risky, looks a fine choice at a bargain price

Suresh Raina: His stint at Indian Cricket team was not enough to satisfy the selectors. An electrifying fielder known to hit stumps regularly, his abilities in field does not compensate for such a high price. Though he has age on his side(21 years), he still has a long way to go with regard to his performance.
Verdict: $650,000 Price Tag is costly for him.

Parthiv Patel: I am not able to find the logic for bringing Parthiv Patel into the team. He may be an attacking batsman and also provides the option of a reserve wicket keeper + opener. But still I would have prefered Dinesh Karthik in the team. If they wanted a reserve wicket keeper batsman, Chennai Super Kings could have picked up Tatenda Taibu for a bargain price rather than bidding such a high price($325,000) for Parthiv Patel.
Verdict: A Very Poor Decision

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Non-Indian Players: Muralitharan, Hayden, Oram, Fleming, Morkel, Ntini and Michael Hussey.

With the upper cap that only 4 overseas players could be a part of the starting XI, the value of an overseas players decreases considerably compared to Indian Players. But still VB Chandrasekhar has made a few good choices over here.

Muralitharan: One of the most successful players in the game, He comes to Chennai Super Kings at a bargain price of $600,000, especially if you compare it to the high price ($950,000) that Kolkata paid for Ishant Sharma. With the huge success that T20 offers to slower bowlers, Muralitharan will be the major strike bowler for Chennai Super Kings. A Tamizhan, He also boasts a pretty good economic rate in T2o matches and would be available for the whole series.

Verdict: Excellent Choice

Hayden: Though Matthew Hayden may not play in this year's IPL, he still makes a fine choice if somebody takes the future into account. His high T20 Batting average stands testament to the fact that his batting style suits T20. A fine catcher in the gully and the slips, Chennai Super Kings has gotten him for a bargain price of 0.375 Million USD

Verdict: Bargain Price

Jacob Oram: The fact that he would not be available for this year's premier league matches makes it tough to justify his 0.675 Million USD price tag. But still, his multi skills as a batsmen, bowler and fielder makes him a valuable player for any franchise he plays in.

Verdict: Tough to justify the high price. But a good player taking future into account.

Stephen Fleming: Recognized as the one of the most innovative captains ever, Stephen Fleming will be available for all the matches played by Chennai Super Kings(thanks to his retirement from one day and test cricket). We can hope that he not only gives Chennai Super Kings a solid batting performance in the top of the order but also helps the captain in the field.

Verdict: Good decision, though only a few more years of cricket is left in his career.

Makhaya Ntini: Though Makhaya Ntini comes at a price of 1/5th of a Million USD (Lowest among the 11 players), there is still a question lingering whether he deserves such a high price. Young Days, when Makhaya Ntini can run in all day, on all surfaces, with pace and aggression is behind him. And Still he does not have swing or variations in his bowling arsenal. His inability to find a place in the South African squad for the last 2 matches bore testament to his declining utility for any team.

Verdict: Ntini has a lot to prove to show that he deserves a place in Chennai Super Kings starting eleven

Albie Morkel: Even cricinfo called his $ 675,000 price tag as a bizarre bargain. But still, he is an useful all rounder with a great future before him.

Verdict: Bizarre Bargain but he has got potential to justify the high price. My Dark Horse for the most valuable player in the team.

Michael Hussey: The last player to be picked by Chennai Super Kings in the auction, his price could have been much higher if he had made the decision to stay away from Pakistan tour, like his colleague Symonds. Still, he could be expected to put his team's performance before his.

Verdict: Bargain Price but he may not play in any of the premier league matches for the next 2 years.

There ends my opinion... Time to hear yours regarding Chennai Super Kings' Selection and Bidding price for various players.

Photo Source: Alister667 and RaeA