News of IPL swaps have been doing the rounds for a few weeks now. With the Pakistani players doubtful for IPL’s season 2, the franchises seem to be in tizzy to replace them.
Bangalore’s Royal Challengers has Misbah on the roster but seems to have found a replacement in Robin Uthappa, who it was tactlessly swapped for Zaheer Khan. Apparently, sport is something Mallya has trouble understanding, for Zaheer was among the better performers for BRC last year and is in the form of his life at the moment. If that isn’t tactless enough, Mallya apparently is looking to make a captain out of Karnataka boy Uthappa. While that might be a moderately successful marketing ploy to get the local crowds crooning “Uthappa, six bekappa“, it would be a bit strange to have the likes of Kallis and Boucher reporting to the kid who doesn’t feature in India’s ODI line up. Granted, it is not out of the ordinary to expect that Mallya wants current skipper Dravid replaced, Uthappa might not be the right choice either.
Mumbai have gained Zaheer at the cost of Nehra. They have also “gotten rid of” (if I may use the term) Uthappa, for whom they have a better replacement in the traded Delhi Daredevil batsmen Shikar Dhawan. There is still more to see before one toss the “smart” crown around, but Mumbai seem to be singing the smartest song thus far.
VM\'s Random Ramblings 
Ooops! Looks like I missed Zak’s trade-off. and hence my murmurs must have sounded funny when I was speaking about BRC.
If all that’s true and there are no plans of including new players, then BRC are in for some trouble. That is unless Boucher, Kallis and Chanderpaul perform. But who will be the bowler instead of Zak? Is it Flintoff or is it Harmison the Kingfisher is trying to hook?
True, SB. But I didn’t find your comments funny. It’s not clear (at least from the reports) if the BRC folk are looking for a bowler at all. They have their eyes on KP, though.
brc has not learned from past mistakes…they seems to be digging their own grave…
I get the feeling it will be ‘Uthappa saku hogappa’ by the end of the season….
SP, it sure seems like that.
Rumpelstilskin, welcome. Ha ha! 🙂 You might be right.
yeah, mumbai seem to have made all the right choices thus far… in effect, they have one in-form bowler against an unfit one and have got a consistent hitter against a mercurial one!
but i really think that both delhi and bangalore haven’t made bad choices either!
brc has had some bowlers in praveen and kallis and the ones i dont remember about, and though i agree that zaheer was in the form of his life and a lot of other lives, but what brc needed most was an explosive batsman, a objective robin MAY fulfill.
with asif gone, nehra was needed and with gauti and viru playing good, dhawan at one down was too much of a good thing
112 players ready to be sold (auction word has been used officially) in the upcoming market.
It looks open market or truly barter system. One is selling to gain other. Might be just we are missing of get 2 for 1.
@ankit, Robin has till now been a bit of a flash in pan. Still, I think they are a bowler (good bowler) short.
@IndiaBol, welcome to my blog. 🙂 Get two for one will the height of cow-ishness to this whole thing.
How cow-ishess, if the value paid is double the other player, we will see get 2 for 1 soon.
I think it will be a tough fight between Mallya and Ambani for KP.. both seem to want him.. Warne might be in the mix too esp with Ms Shetty’s 15 million dollars in the kitty now..
No reason why Kallis and Boucher cant repirt to Uthappa if Mahela and Sanga can do the same to Yuvi..
BRC have Praveen Kumar and Kumble done they? 😉
@Q, you make me laugh abt Praveen and Kumble (though it pains me to laugh abt Kumble). Praveen has a long way to go as a international quality bowler. Did you see him bowl ysdy against SL? Dilshan was carting him around the park. That’s when one needs to keep one’s cool so that the brain can do some thinking.
Praveen’s first ball to Jayasuriya ended the game VM. Plus do u remember what he did to the Aussies in the CB series finals last year? I think he’s a quality bowler…
RR has sold a stake to create money for KP and Flintoff.
Curiously it will be RR who will be most hit by the absence of Pakistani players – Tanvir and Akmal were significant performers for them…the remaining contingent in IPl didn’t do anything of note.
FF or KP for Tanvir is how they are seeing it.
BRC could go for Taylor in place of Zak. Now JT has shown he can bat as well with that fabulous test century in NZ. Then there is Chanderpaul already in BRC who might suggest him. In fact, KK might also bid for him to replace Shoaib Akhtar if they fail in the quest of FF or KP. Chris Gayle will be sending out feelers for JT.
SB the extra money will not be of use to RR for the auction because franchises cannot spend over US$ 2 million on the upcoming auction.
The 15.4 million raked in by selling 12% goes into the pockets of the owners.
RR will also be hit due to Watson’s absence.. him and Tanvir were the star players of last year’s tournament.
@SB, Q, the cap on the money to spend is like the umpire referral system – introducing needless complexity. But I see the need to the keep the richest team from bagging all the expensive (read good?) players.
VM, could you pls update BCC! (from blogspot) on yr blogroll to http://www.boredcricketcrazyindians.com
thanks!
Completly agree with your post. Mumbai needed a bowler despertatly… more of than in my analysis of Mumbai Indians http://cric4all.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/mumbai-indians/
@cric4all, welcome. Nice to see another wordpress-user cricket fan. I thought there weren’t many of us around here.
I recently started blogging. WordPress seemed most professional. I am happy so far. Ill tell you for sure after 6 months 🙂