STORY BEHIND GANGULY EXCLUSION FROM KOCHI

New Delhi: Former India and Kolkata Kinght Riders skipper Sourav Ganguly may have lost a realistic chance of playing in this year's Indian Premier League, according to the IPL rule book.

It was learnt on Friday that the Kochi Tuskers Kerala had made an attempt to rope in Ganguly as a replacement player for Steve Smith. Having been ignored at the IPL-4 auction in January in Bangalore, the only way Ganguly could have come into the IPL was as a replacement player.

With Smith pulling out of injury, Kochi wanted Ganguly as his replacement but the rule book states that, a player can be replaced at the same or lesser price than the player to be replaced. Smith was purchased by Kochi for $200,000 while Ganguly's base price was $400,000.

Surprisingly, Ganguly's base price, initially, was $200,000. But former Indian skipper, along with a few other players, including Rahul Dravid, had increased it to $400,000.

If he had not done that, Ganguly could easily have walked into the Kochi team and fulfilled his dream of playing in the IPL-4.

CSK VS RCB HIGLIGHTS: MICHAEL HUSSEY AND STRONG BATTING LINE UP OF CSK LED TO CSK'S WIN

Chennai: Defending champions Chennai Super Kings rode on a blistering unbeaten 83 from Michael Hussey as they thumped Royal Challengers Bangalore by 21 runs to bounce back after their last match defeat in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.

Playing his first match of the tournament, Hussey smashed 11 fours and a six in his 56-ball knock to anchor Chennai to an imposing 183 for five after electing to bat at the M A Chaidambaram Stadium.

Chasing 184 for five for a win, Bangalore struggled throughout after losing three key wickets inside the first five overs before A B de Villiers made a last-ditch effort to snatch a win with a strokeful 64.

But the asking rate, which rose to nearly 15 by the 15th over, was too much to overcome and Bangalore could manage 162 for seven in 20 overs to slump to their third successive loss in the tournament.

De Villiers played some stunning shots, including a reverse-sweep six off Tim Southee, to make a match out of it before he was out in the penultimate over. His 64 off 44 balls contained five fours and two sixes.

Albie Morkel and Suraj Randiv took two wickets each for Bangalore while Tim Southee, Ravichandran Ashwin and Sadab Jakati scalped a wicket each.

Bangalore were at the backfoot as soon as they started the chase with two batsmen returning to the hut for just 17 runs on the board by the second over itself.

Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan's poor run of form in the tournament continued as he fell for a first-ball duck, caught by Anirudha Srikkanth at mid-wicket region off Morkel in the second ball of the chase.

One-down Asad Pathan looked like he was not concerned by the early jolt and hit two fours and six off Morkel as if taking revenge for dismissing Dilshan.

Pathan's brief aggression turned out to be flash in the pan as he was sent packing for 14 (off five balls) in the second over by Southee who bowled the batsman who played across while attempting a scoop shot.

Bangalore's misery was compounded as the other opener Mayank Agarwal (7) departed in the fifth over with Ashwin striking in his first over.

Agarwal inexplicably went for a big shot without reaching to the pitch of the ball and ended up skying one to Morkel. Bangalore were 31 for three in the fifth over.

Besides de Villiers, Virat Kohli was the other Bangalore batsman who took the Chennai bowlers to task before he was out while trying to accelerate the pace with the asking rate rising steeply.

Kohli, who made 71 in a losing cause in Bangalore's last match, gave special treatment to Jakati with two fours and a six in quick succession but it was the same bowler who had the last laugh.

Jakati enticed Kohli to come charging down the track and the batsman top-edged the ball to Anirudha at long-on. Kohli's 35 came from 28 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six.

At 73 for four in the 11th over, it looked a tough task for Bangalore to overhaul the target but A B de Villiers, who had been ordinary in the tournament so far, kept RCB in for a chance with some lusty hits.

De Villiers also picked out Jakati as he hit the bowler for a six and a four to take 13 runs from the 14th over but the South African did not get much support from the other end.

Saurbh Tiwary departed in the 15th over, dismissed by Suraj Randiv leaving Bangalore to score 111 runs from 9.1 overs with five wickets intact.

The late heroics by de Villiers gave a ray of hope to Bangalore but the hiccups in the initial overs proved costly in the end.

Earlier, Hussey cashed in on two dropped chances to score unbeaten 83 to help Chennai score 183 for five.

The Australian was well supported by opener Murali Vijay (31 off 21) and Suresh Raina (29 off 16) while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (22) provided late burst with some lusty hittings as the home side entertained the packed crowd.

For Bangalore, paceman Johan van der Wath (2/49) and off-spinner Ryan Ninan (2/31) were the most successful bowlers though both were quite expensive. Zaheer Khan also grabbed a wicket giving away 33 runs from his quota of four overs.

Openers Vijay and Hussey struggled to get off the blocks against the pace and spin combination of Zaheer Khan and Bangalore skipper Daniel Vettori, with the first four overs yielding just 18 runs.

Vettori introduced South African medium pacer van der Wath into the attack in the fifth over and he had almost accounted for Hussey's wicket on his second ball but Mohammad Kaif dropped a sitter at the mid-off region.

Vijay took van der Wath for special treatment in the same over as he hit him for two consecutive fours and a six to take 15 runs from the over.

Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan was not spared either as this time Hussey, playing in place of New Zealander Scott Styris, hit him for two consecutive fours in the sixth over.

Chennai reached the 50-run mark in 6.2 overs but immediately Vijay was dismissed by Ninan.

Next man in Suresh Raina (29) and Hussey put on a 45-run stand for the second wicket to take the Chennai total close to 100-run mark.

Raina's arrival provided the much-needed impetus to Chennai innings as the left-hander clobbered Ninan for two consecutive fours and a six in the 11th over.

But it was Ninan who had the last laugh as Raina, looking for another big shot, ended up giving a simple catch to Mayank Agarwal at extra cover. He hit three fours and a six in his 16-ball stay.

From there on, it was left to Hussey and Dhoni to guide Chennai to an imposing total.

Yet Another Century To Sachin And The Team Losses: But what the statistics shows?

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala should have been discussed for all the right reasons. There was an excellent exhibition of batting and of a fearlessness that defined the game. Sachin Tendulkar's first IPL and T20 hundred came in a trademark classy style and then Mahela Jayawardene and Brendon McCullum replied with a fearlessness that was imperative to lift the team after two straight losses.

But what was disappointing to see was the usual refrain about how the team loses when Tendulkar hits a century. In the last one year and despite the fact that he was instrumental in India lifting the World Cup just over a couple of weeks ago, there has been this myth that seems to have been built around his hundreds. While everyone eagerly waits for a big knock from Tendulkar, they are equally wary about the outcome of a game once he gets to the three-figure mark. And so it has become important to bust the myth and state the facts as they stand.

Sachin Tendulkar has hit 99 international hundreds with 51 coming in Test matches and 48 in one-day internationals.

In Tests alone, 20 of Tendulkar's hundreds have come in winning causes, another 20 have come in games that have either been draws or no results, and only 11 have come in a losing cause. Of those 11 occasions, it was often Tendulkar who stood tall amongst the ruins. His 114 against Australia at Perth in 1991-92 series is considered to be among his finest hundreds. But with no support from the other end and Kiran More, who batted at No. 10 in that game, being the second top scorer with 43 there was no way India could have won the match.

In the second innings of the first Test against England at Edgbaston in 1996, it was Tendulkar again who scored a masterly 122 out of a total of 219 as Chris Lewis picked up a five-wicket haul to run through the Indian innings.

His third hundred in a losing cause came when he captained the team to South Africa in the 1996-97 series. Playing the New Year Test at Newlands, Cape Town and facing South Africa's mammoth first innings score of 529/7 declared, Tendulkar walked in at No. 5 with the team reeling at 33/4. It soon became 58/5 but the champion was undeterred. He smashed 169 in an innings that was studded with 24 boundaries. And for once he found support in Mohammad Azharuddin who scored an excellent 115. But once Azhar was run out after a 222-run stand, the others failed to keep their wickets. Tendulkar was the last man to be dismissed.

The 1998-99 season was surely the heartbreak year for the little master. His 177 against Australia in the Bangalore Test gave India a healthy total of 424, but with a second innings collapse India lost the Test by eight wickets. Then during the tour of New Zealand, Tendulkar scored 113 in the second innings of the Wellington Test, thereby giving India the chance to set the Kiwis a target of 213 that they chased down with four wickets to spare. A month later, Tendulkar - battling an immense back pain - hit 136 against Pakistan in the Chennai Test that India lost by an agonising 12 runs. Nayan Mongia (58) and Rahul Dravid (10) were the only other two batsmen to get to double figures in that match.

Again and again, it was Tendulkar who put up a fight. It was Tendulkar who fought till the last ball.

Seven of his eleven Test hundreds in losing causes came in the decade of the 90s. And as Team India turned over a new leaf and Tendulkar found support, his hundreds came in more and more winning causes. From 2001 to 2011, Tendulkar has hit 27 Test hundreds - 15 of which have come in winning causes.

In one-day internationals as well, 33 of Tendulkar's 48 hundreds have come in winning causes, while 13 have come in losing causes and two in matches that yielded no result.

His first five one-day hundreds, each against different opponents, all came in winning causes and it wasn't till the league game against Sri Lanka in Delhi during the 1996 World Cup that a hundred from Tendulkar's blade had gone in vain.

While his Test hundreds in 1998-99 ended up in losing causes, the champion - starting with that amazing 134 against Australia in Sharjah in 1998 - hit 11 of his next ODI hundreds in winning causes.

From 2001 to 2011, Tendulkar has hit 21 ODI hundreds and 12 of those have come in winning causes, while one came in the tied game against England in the World Cup. And again his hundreds in losing causes too came in games where the others failed the team.

Chasing 329 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2003-04, Tendulkar hit 141 with extras coming in second best with 37. His next hundred, 123 vs Pakistan at Motera, Ahmedabad in 2004-05 helped India get to 315, but the bowlers failed to defend the target. And who can forget the 175 against Australia in Hyderabad where India lost by three runs chasing 350. In that game as well, the other batsmen barring Suresh Raina (59) failed to contribute and Tendulkar was once again the lone ranger.

In all, his 99 international hundreds have seen India home on 53 occasions, while 24 of them have come in losing causes and 22 have come in games that have been either drawn or tied or seen no results. I rest my case!

CSK VS KKR IPL4: CSK WON A THRILLER

Chennai: The IPL was off to the perfect start with Chennai Super Kings edging Kolkata Knight Riders by just 2 runs in a nail-biter. Jaques Kallis was superb with the bat scoring a classy 50 but it went in vain with some brilliant bowling and fielding by Chennai.

Earlier Anirudha Srikkanth smashed a superb 64 to help Chennai Super Kings post a decent score of 153. Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni supported him well with brilliant cameos.

After winning the toss and electing to bat Chennai Super Kings got off to the worst possible start when they lost opener Murali Vijay in the very first over for just four when he was caught in the mid on region by Rajat Bhatia off the bowling of Iqbal Abdulla.

Then coming at his usual position Suresh Raina was dropped early on by Yusuf Pathan who also dropped Srikkanth when he was finding his touch with the bat.

Raina along with Aniruda Srikkanth steadied the Chennai's innings with some brisk run making as the duo shared 75 runs stand between them. Raine then departed trying to go for the full monty and was caught in the deep by Sarabjit Ladda on the bowling of Yusuf Pathan.

On the other end Srikkanth was was looking in-form when he slammed bowlers all over the park. He was jioned in the middle by India's World Cup winning captain MS Dhoni.

Raina's wicket slowed down the things and despite a six each from Dhoni and Anirudha off an over from legspinner Sarajbit Ladda, only 43 came off six overs.

Chennai needed some big hits towards the end, but smart bowling from L Balaji and Kallis kept the runs in check. Albie Morkel showed off his strength hitting down the ground, slamming a four and a six off the final tow deliveries to lift the score past 150.

CSK VS KKR LIVE

Chennai: It will be a classic case of 'friends turning into foes' when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clash with Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening match of the IPL on Friday, less than a week after the duo guided India to their historic World Cup triumph in Mumbai.

As the cash-rich Twenty20 cricketing extravaganza gets underway at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, it will be the beginning of new era sans Lalit Modi, who was the face of the event during the first three editions.

Also this will be the first time that the league will feature 10 teams with the inclusion of Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

It will be there for all to see how the BCCI organises an event where Modi used to have a final say in every aspect. The former IPL commissioner and vice-president of BCCI has since then been suspended and now has taken refuge in London after the cricket board pressed numerous charges of corruption against him.

After a hugely successful players' auction which saw some of the young Indian players commanding astronomical prices, the Chirayu Amin-led IPL governing council will now look to capitalise on India's World Cup triumph which has definitely upped the stakes by manifold.

Coming back to tournament, defending champions CSK will certainly start as the overwhelming favourites against a team that hasn't been able to cash in on its enormous fan-following across India, thanks to its principal owner Shah Rukh Khan.

After having failed to make it to the semi-finals during the last three editions, the KKR management led by SRK and co-owner Jay Mehta have gone for a revamped side with Gautam Gambhir at the helm and T20 specialist Yusuf Pathan as one of the marquee players.

With Kolkata's favourite son Sourav Ganguly no longer a part of the team, it will be a big challenge for Gambhir and his boys to start winning and get the cricket crazy Kolkatans rooting for them.

The bigger challenge will be to get past CSK who have inarguably been the most consistent team during the last three editions with one championship, one runners-up and a last four finish. The biggest strength for CSK has been their ability to retain the most of their core players save Muttiah Muralitharan who will don the Kochi jersey.

Having retained Dhoni, Suresh Raina, local hero Murali Vijay and South African all-rounder Albie Morkel, the home team bid successfully to retain spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, prolific run-machine Subramanium Badrinath and Australian Michael Hussey, which gives their batting a formidable look.

The Indian captain is, however, the one who believes that its more about the on-field exploits than the reputation on-paper.

"Our team is quite good. Like I always say, it is about what we do on field; it's more important than how the team looks on paper. Fitness is the key during a long tournament like IPL.

"If all the players are fit and available for selection, it is a very good side," Dhoni said.

The skipper was all praise for his team's batting line-up.

"The batting line-up is as good as last year. Badri, Raina are there and South African Faf du Plessis has come in.

"We have all-rounders and Hussey will also join in. Overall, it's a very good batting line-up," he said.

Dhoni, however, played down the pressure factor, although there is a lot at stake.

"IPL is not about less pressure. Batting slots are decided according to situation. When all are shuffled up and down the order, it's according to the situation. Batting slots from 1-3 are fixed, then it's me or Badri. Aniruddh is batting very well for us. If we have to change the batting order, everyone has to be comfortable about doing it."

For KKR, it will be a make-or-break year. Gambhir, who hadn't exactly fired with the bat after the first edition of IPL will like to carry the confidence of his World Cup success into IPL. Also, he would like to showcase leadership skills and justify his USD 2.4 million price which was the highest during the auctions.

With the likes of Brett Lee and Shakib Al Hasan set to join after Australia vs Bangladesh, KKR will depend a lot on veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis and explosive English batsman Eoin Morgan to put up a solid show.

Apart from Gambhir and Yusuf, some of the domestic players to watch out for in the KKR squad will be Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary, former captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia, left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdullah and seamers L Balaji and Pradeep Sangwan.

MUMBAI INDIANS CONFIDENT UNDER SACHIN TO WIN IPL4

New Delhi: By the beginning of 2008, Mukesh Ambani was the richest Indian in the Forbes list, he owned one of the enviest houses on one of the costliest cities on earth and by the end of the first month of that year, he also owned the mightiest players in the game of cricket too.

Ambani's Reliance India Limited-owned Mumbai Indians comprised of Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan Singh, Andre Nel and the list went on.

It was a dream team by every means. The very sight of Sachin Tendulkar and Jayasuriya walking in to open the batting could intimidate even the most potent attacks. So it was no surprise when this team turned out to be the most watched team on television in the first edition of the IPL, accumulating almost 239 million viewers. But that dream team never marched into the realms of reality and what remained was desire of a kingdom that could have been theirs. Sachin was out of action for the first half of the inaugural season with a hamstring injury and when he returned, it was a tad too late.

Although Jayasurya and Pollock showed flashes of genius, individuals were not enough to pull the team through and Mumbai Indians failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

The 2009 edition was poorer and five wins in 12 games meant they ended second from below.

But 2010 brought a change of fortunes. Sublime Sachin, class personified, turned out to be team's wonder boy. He amassed 618 runs with a strike rate of 132.61 and the rest fell in place as the master gave his followers a sense of deja vu with repeated comparisons being drawn to his Sharjah and World Cup heroics.

The team sailed to the finals with spirited performances from Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo as well. But a mockery of a decision to hold back Pollard and inability to provide support to Sachin's lone fight cost the team badly and the trophy slipped from a sniffing distance in the final against Chennai Super Kings.

This edition should be the time to bury the ghosts of past mishaps. But the loss of important players like Jayasuriya, Bravo, Saurabh Tiwary, Jean Paul Duminy and Zaheer Khan might be hard to cope with.

However, there's freshness in the air. The burly Aussie all-rounder Andrew Symonds - though out of international cricket- is still good enough to make cold blood run down the spine of the oppositions.

The batting will revolve around Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, newly bought Aiden Blizzard, promising domestic players and a bunch of all-rounders.

The Mumbai bowling has Lasith Malinga, Munaf Patel, Clint Mckay and Harbhajan Singh. Going through the list, if you thought this barrel was insufficient for mass consumption, think again!

Move your eyes over their list of all-rounders. This team revels in its versatility. James Franklin, Moise Henriques, Symonds, Pollard, etc. can bat and bowl with equal ease while the likes of Rayudu and South African recruit David Jacobs are equally efficient both in front of the wicket and behind it.

So if all goes as per plans of the Mumbai Indians' think-tank, they could be the team to be wary of in season four.

Squad:

Sachin Tendulkar (c), Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Aditya Tare, Ali Murtuza, Ambati Rayudu, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pawan Suyal, Rajagopal Sathish, Surul Kanwar, Surya Kumar Yadav, T Suman, Yazvendra Singh Chahal, (Foreign) Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Andrew Symonds, Davy Jacobs, James Franklin, Moises Henriques, Alden Blizzard, Dilhara Fernando

RCB'S NEW CAPTAIN VETTORI

Bangalore: New Zealand's Daniel Vettori was on Tuesday named captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League, starting April 8 in Chennai.

Vettori, who led New Zealand to a record sixth semi-final appearance in the just-concluded World Cup, will replace spin legend Anil Kumble who captained the team in the last two seasons of the Twenty20 league.

Kumble will also be a part of the Bangalore franchise as a chief mentor.

"We are very excited for the upcoming season. Vettori is a highly experienced and respected leader and we hope to ride to the pinnacle of success this IPL under his leadership," RCB chairman Vijay Mallya said in a statement.

Director of Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd, Sidhartha Mallya added, "It is wonderful that we have somebody of his (Vettori) stature to lead our team this year. He is the ideal person to fill Anil's shoes."

Vettori represented Delhi Daredevils in the first three editions of IPL and his predecessor Kumble hailed the left-arm spinner's appointment to the leadership position.

"Vettori is a hugely respected professional not only within his team but amongst his international peers as well.

His unique ability to get players to perform as a unit and deliver more than just the sum of their parts, as he has done time and again with New Zealand, will be a big asset to any team," said the former India skipper.

RCB coach Ray Jennings was of the view that Vettori's experience and skill on the spin-fiendly Indian pitches will be of great help for the team in the upcoming tournament.

"Vettori is also probably the best spinner in the world at the moment and brings in tremendous skills that will be extremely useful on the Indian pitches," Jennings insisted.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Team: Daniel Vettori (captain), Virat Kohli, Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB De Villiers (wicket-keeper), Zaheer Khan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Dirk Nannes, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohammad Kaif, Abhimanyu Mithun, Charl Langeveldt, Luke Pomersbach, Rilee Rossouw, Johan van der Wath, Jonathan Vandiar, CM Gautam (wicket-keeper), S Arvind, Mayank Agarwal, Arun Karthick, Asad Khan Pathan, Abrar Kazi, Ryan Ninan, Bhareth Narayanan, Nuwan Pradeep.

DHONI CONFIDENT OF RETAINING THE IPL TROPHY

Chennai: A new-look Mahendra Singh Dhoni, shorn of hair following the World Cup triumph, looked set for another conquest as captain of the Chennai Super Kings team who he believes has the firepower to retain the Indian Premier League (IPL) title.

The Super Kings, winners in 2010 along with the Champions League, have retained most of the players with the notable exception of the legendary off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who was bought by Kochi Tuskers at the auction in January this year.


The IPL begins Saturday with Chennai Super Kings hosting Kolkata Knight Riders. The match is slated for an 8 pm start at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.


"The new team is quite good. Like I always say, it's not about how good the team looks on paper, but it's what we do on the field that is very important.

"I always say that the fitness of the players is the key. Players do struggle during the course of the IPL. If all the players are available for selection, then it is a very good side.

"Quite a few of them will be missing due to injuries and international commitments. Once we get together, we will be very good.


"The batting line-up is as good as last year - Vijay, Badri, Raina, myself and Albie. Du Pless has come in, we have the all-rounders and Mr.Cricket (Mike Hussey) will also join us. Overall, it's a very good batting line-up," he said.

Regarding Muralitharan's absence, Dhoni admitted the Sri Lankan would be missed.

"We will miss Murali. He had great influence in the dressing room. We knew that once the auction happened, we will miss a few key players.

"Once people were out of our pocket, we found it difficult to hold them back. We have to start all over again, but the core team is virtually the same," he said.

Team owner Gurunath Meiyappan, said: "We have been very professional in the way we handled our team. This year, we have kept our core team and hope to do well.

"We have been one of the most consistent sides in the IPL so far. Our focus on the basics has paid us rich dividends and our brand of cricket has won us global admirers.

"Our team has not needed any major changes and our core group remains the same. We have tremendous faith in our boys and under our inspirational captain. We expect them to scale bigger heights."

Coach Stephen Fleming said: "With most of our players being in action during the ICC World Cup, lack of match practice will not be an issue.

"Playing the best teams in the world and in our home grounds is the best build up any player could hope for. We are quietly confident of our prospects and will play like true champions.

"Our core team remains the same and we look forward to another successful run in this year's tournament too."

The Super Kings have on board Gulf Oil as a new sponsor for three years along with Aircel, which is the main backer.

Real or fake? Breathe easy, Team India lifted the right Cup

NEW DELHI: The nation had its mouth wide open in indignation, ready to yell "BETRAYAL" just as the clarifications started to come in fast and furious. Breathe easy, they all said, MS Dhoni had lifted the right World Cup trophy, not a fake one.

Monday morning brought the chilling "news". The real ICC World Cup, claimed a newspaper, had been detained by Customs officials. Dhoni and his intrepid warriors had been given a dummy. Lending credence to the news were two facts - one, the 2003 trophy that Ponting and his boys held was different from the one with the Men in Blue; and two, a trophy had indeed been detained by Mumbai Customs.

So, did the Customs babus lose all their common sense and pull out some obscure list of duty exempted goods to deny our champions their hard-fought right to lift the original trophy? Was this yet another instance of suffocating red-tape cheating the players and the people of the opportunity to hold and behold the Real One?

As the questions came angry and fast, the Customs department came out with a technical explanation. It said this particular trophy being carried into India by two ICC officials was not in the list of ICC goods exempted from duty; hence it was detained and duty was levied on it. However, the ICC said it would not pay and instead carry the trophy back to Dubai.

Soon, the ICC came out with a statement clarifying that Team India had been given the right trophy, the 'recognized trophy' for the winners of World Cup 2011. It said the 'perpetual trophy' had been detained by the Customs. This 'perpetual trophy' was given to winners until the 2003 edition of the Cup.

Australia, the 2003 winner, didn't like the idea of having to give back a Cup that it had won. Hence, said the ICC, a new system was devised. Both in 2007 and 2011, the 'perpetual trophy' was used only for promotional purposes and the winner was given a trophy specially made for that particular edition of the World Cup. No one had been cheated, said the ICC, nothing really had gone amiss.

If the 'perpetual trophy' had no role to play, why was it being brought into Mumbai for the final? Was the ICC trying to cover up? Was it that, like many trophies, the 'perpetual trophy' was the running trophy, to be presented at the ceremonial award ceremony, and after the victory lap, taken back and a replica given to the winner?

No, said ICC president Sharad Pawar. He insisted to TOI that the perpetual trophy was only for promotional purposes. In this case, it had been taken for display at the Colombo semifinal, while the other was at Mohali for display at the India-Pakistan match, he said. ICC Cup coordinator Dhiraj Malhotra said the same.

A search of World Cup pictures of the 2003, 2007 and 2011 seemed to bear out the ICC version. The 2003 Cup is indeed different from the 2007 and 2011 trophies.

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) also moved in by evening to clarify that the trophy had been retained by the Customs at the ICC's request. It said two passengers, Emma Waite and Rixon Heyder, brought it in from Colombo as part of their "personal baggage". It was not part of the list of items temporarily imported by ICC and hence exempt from duties. ICC itself had written saying that the trophy in question was not to be used for any purpose inside India, said the CBEC.

The Customs added that "in order to remove all doubts the concerned customs officers contacted ICC tournament director Ratnakar Shetty and enquired about the said trophy so that appropriate action could be taken expeditiously and the matter resolved." And Shetty wrote back saying, "We hereby request your office to hold the trophy in the customs warehouse at the airport until it is collected by the above passengers."

However, Dhiraj Malhotra had an interesting twist to give to this baffling controversy. He said this 'perpetual trophy', now at a Customs warehouse, had gone in and out of the country several times during the tournament. "I myself carried it to Mumbai from Bangladesh after the inaugural match. So, I don't know why it was detained this time," he told TOI.

If this was really the case, why did the Customs act this time? Was it sheer cussedness? Said BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla: "How can the Customs people do this? There must be a relook at laws on international trophies and medals. How can there be a duty on them?" How indeed?

Afridi's U-turn, now says 'I love Indians'

Karachi: After creating a furore by stating that Indians are not "large-hearted", Pakistan's ODI cricket captain Shahid Afridi did a volte-face, claiming that he was misunderstood and quoted out of context.

"Media makes a big deal of small issues. It is shameful. I have always done my bit to improve Indo-Pak ties but sometimes you say something and it is interpreted the other way. I have been quoted out of context," Afridi said.

"I have enjoyed my cricket in India and I love Indian people. Don't take my comments negatively. I have always got a lot of love and affection from Indian fans. And I request the media to play a more positive role and not waste time on such trivial issues," he told a news channel.

A close aide of Afridi told PTI that "whatever Shahid said about Indo-Pak relations was after he was asked about the statement made by Gautam Gambhir that the World Cup victory is dedicated to the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks."

"Watch the show again. It is clear Shahid was speaking in general terms when he was reminded that while he had said on returning home that Pakistanis should not treat India like an enemy, Gambhir had talked politics and tried to play up anti-Pakistan sentiments," the aide said.

Afridi's aide said while the cricketer spoke positively about India, the players across the border were doing the opposite about Pakistan.

"That is when Afridi made the remarks about Indians not being big hearted like Pakistanis and their media being very negative about Pakistan," the aide said.

As the remarks by Afridi caused a stir in the Indian media on Monday, the Pakistan captain preferred to power off his contact phones and go underground.

He is due to travel to Lahore on Tuesday to meet national selectors who are due to announce the Pakistan squad for the tour to the West Indies.

Afridi, after initially making himself unavailable for the tour due to personal reasons, has now opted to tour the Caribbean and play in the limited-over series.

Afridi's aide said the all-rounder was a firm believer that sports and politics should not be mixed together.

"That is why he was so upset with the reported statement of Gambhir," he added

SANGAKKARA STEPS DOWN AS SRILANKA CAPTAIN

New Delhi: Colombo: Sri Lanka's cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara said on Tuesday he was resigning from the job three days after his team lost to India in the World Cup final.

Sangakkara said he told the national selectors that he would quit as one-day and Twenty20 captain with immediate effect, but offered to continue as Test captain on an interim basis if required.

"After careful consideration I have concluded that it is in the best long-term interests of the team that I step down now as national captain so that a new leader can be properly groomed for the 2015 World Cup," Sangakkara, 33, wrote to Sri Lanka Cricket.

"This was a decision I made prior to the World Cup. I will be 37 by the next World Cup and I cannot therefore be sure of my place in the team."It is better that Sri Lanka is led now by a player who will be at the peak of their career during that tournament."

Sangakkara, a fluent left-hand batsman and wicket-keeper, said he had no plans yet to retire as a player.

"I met with the selectors on Monday and I explained my reasons for my decision and I assured them of my fullest support in helping our new captain settle into the leadership," he wrote."In this regard, I have offered to continue as the Test captain for the forthcoming series with England, and possibly Australia, if the selectors believe this would help the new captain and aid the transition.

"I have no plans of retirement from international cricket at this stage and, subject to form and fitness, I would like to be considered for selection in all three formats of the game for the foreseeable future."

Sangakkara has scored 8,244 runs in 94 Tests at an average of 57.25 with 24 centuries. He also has 9,164 runs in 291 one-dayers with 11 hundreds.

Sangakkara said he had enjoyed his two-year stint as captain since taking over from Mahela Jayawardene in March, 2009.

"It has been a true honour and a great privilege to serve my country as captain during the past two years," he said.

"Although bitterly disappointed that we could not win the final, I am very proud of the performances of the team.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank my team-mates and the coaching staff for their hard work and support."

There was no immediate comment from Sri Lanka Cricket or the national selectors on Sangakkara's decision.

GURU GARY OFFICIALLY QUITS AS INDIAN COACH BUT NOT FROM THE HEARTS OF A BILLION

Mumbai: After taking India to the World Cup glory and many other winning moments in the past, Gary Kirsten on Tuesday officially called it quits as the coach of the World Champion side.

Terming the three-year stint with Team India as a tremendous experience, 'Guru' Gary, said he felt honoured the way he was accepted by Indians despite being a foreigner.

"It's been a tremendous experience. I have been honoured by the way Indians have embraced me. It's been incredible to see how much the Indian people love this game. To see the support the boys get from the Indian fans is fantastic. It's a beautiful country. I have made lots of friends here," he said.

To give his family more time from now on, the South African declined to take any other career option in the near future.

"I am going home to spend some time with my family. But I have to consider my future at some time. I have been fortunate to have been offered some jobs but I want to spend time with my family right now," he said.

Kirsten, who has been instrumental in taking India to many memorable victories since the time he took over from controversy-ridden Greg Chappell, also said, "Coaching Indian cricket team has been my most cherished experience."

Looking back at the memorable World Cup, Kirsten said he was glad that every match that the team played in the group stage turned out to be close one as it prepared the side for the knockout stage.

"It was an interesting World Cup. We never had it easy. The first one against Bangladesh was perhaps the easiest. In the last three games of the knockout stage, there were no big individual contributions. It was a team effort. I was excited about the way we played," he said.

He also said that each member of the side played to its potential and made winning the World Cup possible.

"It has been an amazing achievement to be a part of this special group of cricketers," he said.

The 43-year-old also congratulated the Indian side for achieving the success they have managed so far.

Kirsten was also full of praise for the Indian public and said he would continue to visit the country whenever possible.

"I would definitely consider coming to India. IPL is certainly an avenue from a coaching point of view. But I don't know what I am going to be doing," he said.

The South African acknowledged that it would be a tough job for the next India coach as the task at hand is to sustain the consistency that the team has achieved in the past couple of years.


"Indian cricket is in a healthy position right now. Seam bowling is a slight concern but it has always been. But Indian cricket is going to be in a healthy state for a long time.

"It is going to be tough for the new coach in terms of the standards that have been set. But I don't see why the team should not continue doing well. The foundation has been set. The new coach should bring in fresh ideas," he said.

"I certainly wouldn't want the new guy to try and emulate what has been done in the past three years. Consistency for this team is now going to be very important. I think the foundation is well set," he explained.

Speaking about the young talent India have at their disposal, Kirsten sang praises for Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Cheteshwar Pujara.

"Virat Kohli is ready for Test cricket. He is a bright young star. He has taken the responsibility of playing for India in big games really well. I think it's important to have competitiveness to be in the Indian team. You cannot be in the team with average performances.

"I have really enjoyed working with Suresh Raina. He has been an exceptional player. I have been impressed with Cheteshwar Pujara who can be a star of the future in Test matches. Pragyan Ojha has done well and he just needs to keep learning what he has to do. It is important to find one or two quality seamers.

The 43-year-old also lauded team's bowlers who made the World Cup win possible.

"I was impressed with Munaf Patel. He performed well in the World Cup. Ashish Nehra also did well in the World Cup. Zaheer Khan has been number one for a long time but guys like these need support," Kirsten said.

Kirsten said Zaheer, in fact, is the best medium pacer in the world right now.

"Zaheer is the best 135kmph bowler in the world right now. He performs well under pressure. I think he is an unbelievable bowler to left-handers," he said.

He also appreciated flamboyant batsman Yuvraj Singh, who bagged the 'Man of the Tournament' award at the World Cup for his fantastic performance with both the bat and ball.

"He was well-prepared and he had worked hard on his bowling. For Yuvi to end up being 'Man of the Tournament', I am extremely proud of him," he said.

Asked whether he found handling temperamental pacer S Sreesanth difficult given that even skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to have given up on him, Kirsten broke into a laughter.

"Paddy spent a lot of time with Sreesanth. He is highly skilled. Sree needs to work on his consistency. He played seven Test matches in a row for us and he was the key. So I think he needs to deliver those performances consistently. It would be wasted potential if a Sreesanth didn't go to the next level in his cricket," he said.

Kirsten also urged his country's media to stop calling the South African chokers.

"South Africa is a great team but I think everyone seems to focus on the World Cup and the knockout stages. In a tournament like this, you need to have huge amount of experience in the middle order which I think they were probably a little short of.

"It worries me when the South African media puts up the chokers' tag. I can understand the opposition media doing it but your media shouldn't. I do feel sad for them. Graeme Smith said 'it's not easy, we are trying' and it's true, it's not easy," he said.

HARBAJAN SLAMS AFRIDI

Jallandhar: Ace Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday hit out at Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi for his out-of-turn reaction on Indians and their supposedly lack of big-heartedness.

"If Indians were not large-hearted, they wouldn't have made so much of progress and delivered growth," said an angry Habhajan, reacting to Afridi's controversial remarks that Indians cannot be as large-hearted as the Pakistani.

"I think it's been an uncalled for reaction. It wouldn't help the love and respect with which he is treated in this country."

Afridi, in a television interview, had berated Indians for their "lack of large heart, unlike Muslims and Pakistanis" and criticised Indian opener Gautam Gambhir for dedicating the win over Pakistan to victims of 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.

After his remarks created a furore, Afridi did a volte-face, claiming that he was misunderstood and quoted out of context.

"Media makes a big deal of small issues. It is shameful.

I have always done my bit to improve Indo-Pak ties but sometimes you say something and it is interpreted the other way. I have been quoted out of context," Afridi said.

Pak HC to probe Indo-Pak match ----Investigation on match fixing

Lahore: A petition filed in a Pakistani court on Thursday alleged that the India-Pakistan semi-final of the cricket World Cup was "fixed in favour of India" and sought a probe by the Federal Investigation Agency and National Accountability Bureau.

The petition filed in the Lahore High Court by Muhammad Irfan Mukhtar also alleged that the 'cricket diplomacy' by the two countries during the match was a 'conspiracy' hatched prepared by bookmakers to cover their crime.

The petition filed by Mukhtar's lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique named the Interior and Information Ministers, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, cricket team captain Shahid Afridi, players Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal and Karman Akman and Pakistan's envoys to to Britain, India and the UAE as parties to the matter.

The Pakistani side was defeated by the India in the semi-final that was watched by the Prime Ministers of the two countries.

The petitioner alleged: "The way the Pakistan team surrendered the match to India is obvious that the match was fixed and for the realising of which, even cricket diplomacy was initiated under a deep-rooted conspiracy wherein the role of two Pakistani ministers may also not been ruled out."

Mukhtar contended Pakistan was "deeply hurt" by the defeat of the national team and a probe should be conducted by the FIA, NAB, Federal Board of Revenue and State Bank of Pakistan to ascertain who was in contact with the players and details of their bank accounts.

GET READY FOR SUMMER BONANZA IPL 4 STARTS THIS FRIDAY

74 matches, 51 days: IPL-4 beckons

New Delhi: In the euphoric aftermath of India's historic World Cup win on home soil, the nation is set to host glamorous and cash rich Indian Premier League starting from 8th April 2011.


If you thought you have seen it all, enjoyed it all in the 50-over World Cup, just 4 days are left when Indian Premier League hits the road. So gear up for exciting 51 days and nail-biting 74 matches.



Here is the schedule of IPL-4:


APRIL GAMES


April 8, 8pm: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Chennai

April 9, 4pm: Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals - Hyderabad

April 9, 8pm: Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Kochi

April 10, 4pm: Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians - Delhi

April 10, 8pm: Pune Warriors vs Kings XI Punjab - Navi Mumbai

April 11, 8pm: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers - Kolkata

April 12, 4pm: Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils - Jaipur

April 12, 8pm: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians - Bangalore

April 13, 4pm: Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings - Mohali

April 13, 8pm: Pune Warriors vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala - Navi Mumbai

April 14, 8pm: Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Hyderabad

April 15, 4pm: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Jaipur

April 15, 8pm: Mumbai Indians vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala Mumbai

April 16, 4pm: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Chennai

April 16, 8pm: Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab - Hyderabad

April 17, 4pm: Pune Warriors vs Delhi Daredevils - Navi Mumbai

April 17, 8pm: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals - Kolkata

April 18, 8pm: Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Chennai Super Kings - Kochi

April 19, 4pm: Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers - Delhi

April 19, 8pm: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals - Bangalore

April 20, 4pm: Mumbai Indians vs Pune Warriors - Mumbai

April 20, 8pm: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala - Kolkata

April 21, 8pm: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals - Mohali

April 22, 4pm: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Kolkata

April 22, 8pm: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings - Mumbai

April 23, 8pm: Delhi Daredevils Kings XI Punjab - Delhi

April 24, 4pm: Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians - Hyderabad

April 24, 8pm: Rajasthan Royals vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala - Jaipur

April 25, 8pm: Chennai Super Kings vs Pune Warriors - Chennai

April 26, 8pm: Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Delhi

April 27, 4pm: Pune Warriors vs Chennai Super Kings - Navi Mumbai

April 27, 8pm: Kochi Tuskers vs Kerala Deccan Chargers - Kochi

April 28, 8pm: Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Delhi

April 29, 4pm: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians - Jaipur

April 29, 8pm: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors - Bangalore

April 30, 4pm: Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Delhi Daredevils - Kochi

April 30, 8pm: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab - Kolkata


MAY GAMES


May 1, 4pm: Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors - Jaipur

May 1, 8pm: Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers - Chennai

May 2, 4pm: Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab - Mumbai

May 2, 8pm: Delhi Daredevils vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala - Delhi

May 3, 8pm: Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Hyderabad

May 4, 4pm: Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals - Chennai

May 4, 8pm: Pune Warriors vs Mumbai Indians - Navi Mumbai

May 5, 4pm: Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Kochi

May 5, 8pm: Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils - Hyderabad

May 6, 8pm: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab - Bangalore

May 7, 4pm: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings - Kolkata

May 7, 8pm: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils - Mumbai

May 8, 4pm: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala - Bangalore

May 8, 8pm: Kings XI Punjab vs Pune Warriors - Mohali

May 9, 8pm: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings - Jaipur

May 10, 4pm: Deccan Chargers vs Pune Warriors - Hyderabad

May 10, 8pm: Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians - Mohali

May 11, 8pm: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Jaipur

May 12, 8pm: Chennai Super Kings Delhi Daredevils - Chennai

May 13, 8pm: Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Kings XI Punjab - Indore

May 14, 4pm: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Bangalore

May 14, 8pm: Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers - Mumbai

May 15, 4pm: Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils - Dharamsala

May 15, 8pm: Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Rajasthan Royals - Indore

May 16, 8pm: Pune Warriors vs Deccan Chargers - Navi Mumbai

May 17, 8pm: Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Dharamsala

May 18, 8pm: Chennai Super Kings vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala - Chennai

May 19, 8pm: Pune Warriors vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Navi Mumbai

May 20, 8pm: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals -Mumbai

May 21, 4pm: Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers - Dharamsala

May 21, 8pm: Delhi Daredevils vs Pune Warriors - Delhi

May 22, 4pm: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings - Bangalore

May 22, 8pm: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians - Kolkata


PLAY-OFF WEEK


Qualifier 1


May 24, 8pm: First Placed Team vs Second Placed Team - Mumbai


Eliminator


May 25, 8pm: Third Placed Team vs Fourth Placed Team - Mumbai


Qualifier 2


May 27, 8pm: Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier 1 - Chennai


Final


May 28, 8pm: Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 - Chennai
 

MEN IN BLUE SUPERSTITIOUS ON RED

New Delhi: The 'Men in Blue' actually relied on 'red' to win the World Cup, the biggest cricketing glory of any player.

The Indian team management took a conscious decision to wear 'red' at the venue, be it during practice session or in dressing room, right before the start of the World Cup. They wore 'blue' only while playing matches.

It was a departure from the blue dress code which Team India usually followed in several cricket series in lead up to the World Cup.

The team generally believed that 'red' symbolized energy and greater force than 'blue' and would enhance its chance to win the World Cup.

The kits sponsors of Team India responded to the request in good time though officially they would like to believe that technical and not any superstition is the reason behind it.

"Usually, we try to provide a darker colour so that players don't lose white ball in the background," a spokesman of the company said.

It isn't quite clear who actually was instrumental behind this move to red dress code for the Indians though a powerful BCCI functionary is said to have brought about this change.

It is said that 'red' was first tried in the practice game in Bangalore before the team went to Chennai for the second practice game.

It then took the conscious decision in favour of 'red' before embarking for Bangladesh for its World Cup opening game.

In the past, however, it was always dark blue colour shirt.

Only in this World Cup the colour 'red' emerged.

Hence the images flashing on television sets and newspapers were of a team sporting 'red' at the practice sessions or in dressing room while the match was in progress.

So much so that players preferred to shift to 'red' as soon as they were out and made way to the pavilion.

WE WILL MISS GURU GARY SAYS YUVI

Mumbai: For all the joy that the World Cup triumph has brought in, there is also a tinge of sadness in the Indian cricket team as it marks the end of inspirational coach Gary Kirsten's tenure and batsman Yuvraj Singh says the "father figure" would be missed.

"He always kept a check on me. He pulled me up when the chips were down. He is a father figure and I am going to miss him," Yuvraj told ICC's official website.

Kirsten, under whose guidance India became the number one Test and ODI side, ended with the team's World Cup title triumph and he has already ruled out reconsidering the decision.

"Cricket has been in the right direction since Gary came on and I hope it will remain so," said Yuvraj.

The dashing left-hander, who was named Man of the Tournament for a fine show with both bat and ball, said winning the mega-event was a dream realised.

"It's like living a dream. It still hasn't sunk in and the guys haven't slept. We have kissed the trophy about a 1000 times," he said.

"I am very proud of the team and myself. Our dream was to make the finals but to win it was extraordinary. Now I understand what it means to be a world champion," he added.

Indians not as large hearted as Pakistanis: Afridi

ISLAMABAD: Days after winning the hearts of numerous Indian fans with his remarks after his team's loss in the World Cup semifinal, Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has said Indians are not as large-hearted as Pakistanis.

Afridi also slammed the Indian media for its "very negative approach" and said the Pakistani media was a "hundred times better" than its Indian counterpart.

"In my opinion, if I have to tell the truth, they (Indians) will never have hearts like Muslims and Pakistanis. I don't think they have the large and clean hearts that Allah has given us," Afridi said during a talk show on Samaa news channel when he was asked about relations between the two countries.

"It is a very difficult thing for us to live with them (Indians) or to have long-term relationship with them. Nothing will come out of talks. See how many times in the past 60 years we have had friendship and then how many times things have gone bad," he said as the audience in the TV channel's studio applauded him repeatedly.

"We don't want to fight with each other but a third country - everyone knows which one it is - is trying to spoil our relations. (This country) is taking advantage of Pakistan and wants to take advantage of India. I don't want to go into details but these people will not let us come together," he added.

Asked about the Indian media's coverage of the Pakistani team during the semifinal with India at Mohali on March 30, Afridi replied: "The Indian media has a very negative approach and very negative thoughts. The people may not be like that but I think the media had a very dirty role in spoiling relations between us and India.

"Our media, which is criticised by people, is hundred times better than theirs," he said.

India beat Pakistan in the semifinal, which was watched by the Prime Ministers of the two countries, who used cricket diplomacy to boost the peace process between the two sides.

Afridi also criticised Interior Minister Rehman Malik for warning the Pakistani team not to get involved in match-fixing and Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who vowed to dedicate victory in the World Cup final to victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

"I think they were both very stupid comments by Rehman Malik and Gautam Gambhir...I wasn't expecting this from Gautam...This is all politics, what do you know about who carried out the Bombay attacks?" he said.

DHONI DID NOT INSPECT THE PITCH BEFORE FINAL

Mumbai: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not inspect the Wankhede Stadium pitch even for once prior to the World Cup final against Sri Lanka here, it was revealed on Monday.

Captains, players and team management usually inspect pitches a day or two before matches but Dhoni and his team-mates did not bother to do so before the World Cup summit showdown on Saturday, according to Wankhede Stadium curator Sudhir Naik.

"The only time Dhoni took a close look at the pitch was at the time of the toss," said Naik, the curator who had transformed the historic ground against all odds.

"Not only Dhoni, no member of the Indian team ever bothered to look or inspect the pitch," said Naik, a former India opener.

"Indeed, I told my ground staff that such a show of self-belief is the mark of a winning team," he said.

In contrast to this, the Sri Lankans agonized a great deal about the quality of the pitch, inspecting it from all corners and then debating over it for a long time.

Naik said they even crossed his path in trying to "feel" the wicket and he had to guard it to make sure that there was no damage.

"I still can't believe that it all passed off so well.

Believe me, it was touch and go," confessed Naik, who had to work really hard to prepare the pitch.

Naik was appointed curator of Wankhede Stadium early last year when the old structure had been pulled down and the new one was being built at a feverish pitch.

Tonnes of irons bars, fabrication, a cement plant and trucks of stones and bricks inside the stadium for the purpose of concrete construction had meant that the pitch, ground and outfield had taken a heavy beating.

"There were cranes everywhere. It was quite a labour to free the ground of rocks and pebbles. Any roller on top of it would have meant dents on the surface. It truly was race against time. I am happy it turned out well and in India's favour," he said with a sigh of relief.

WORLD CHAMPIONS STILL 2nd IN ODI RANKINGS

Dubai: The number one tag still eludes them but newly-crowned world champions India have closed the gap on top-placed Australia even as the team's in-form players moved up in the individual standings of the latest ICC ODI rankings issued here on Monday.

India (121) are now just seven points behind Australia, even though Michael Clarke's men have the chance to increase the lead over the 2011 champions as they have a three-match series against Bangladesh starting next week.

World Cup runners-up Sri Lanka have remained third but with an increase in ratings points of two, taking Kumar Sangakkara's side to 118 points, while South Africa sit in fourth, the ICC said in a statement.

In the individual rankings, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir have moved up. Tendulkar has risen a place to ninth while Gambhir's hard-fought 97 runs against Sri Lanka in the final of the World Cup has seen the 29-year-old rise four places to 10th.

Sri Lanka's Tillakratne Dilshan has risen to his career best ranking to date and is occupying the third position on the rankings after scoring the most runs in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, a total of 500.

Sangakkara still occupies the fourth place while India's Yuvraj Singh, the Player of the World Cup, remained in joint 17th place with Australia captain Ricky Ponting, the latter having risen six places.

Other batsmen moving in the right direction include England's Jonathan Trott in fifth (up by four places), South Africa's Jacques Kallis in 12th (up by three places), Ross Taylor in 19th (up by one place), Upul Tharanga in 26 (up three places), Mahela Jayawardena in 28th (up by three places), India's Suresh Raina in 31st place (up by four places), Misbah-ul-Haq in 36th place (up by three places) and Jesse Ryder in 42nd (up by 13 places).

The South African duo of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers continue to occupy the top two positions.

In the rankings for ODI bowlers, Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis is one of the big movers with the spin bowler rising nine places to take the eighth place, a position he last occupied in 2009.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has climbed five places to ninth, while India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has risen two places to sit 18th on the list.

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal has rocketed up nine places to 20th, while just outside the top-20, Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga has risen three places and is now sitting in joint 25th position with South Africa's Johan Botha.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori leads Zimbabwe's Ray Price by 23 ratings points with England's Graeme Swann in third and South Africa's Dale Steyn in fourth.

The only change in the top five of the all-rounders list is the drop of South Africa's Jacques Kallis to fifth and the ascension of Yuvraj to the fourth place.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan leads the field with Shane Watson of Australia in second and Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi in third.

YUVI SAID 'Maintaining top spot will be a challenge'

Mumbai: Player of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh feels the challenge for India after winning the World Cup will be to maintain the top spot in One-day Internationals.

Yuvraj, who scored 362 runs and took 15 wickets in the competition, said it is important for the team to raise the bar from here on.

"We have to raise the bar all the time. We can't afford to be complacent now and the challenge will be to maintain the top spot," said Yuvraj during the felicitation of the India team at Raj Bhavan here Sunday. India are also the number one side in Tests.

The southpaw recalled the moment when he saw tears in Sachin Tendulkar's eyes after India won the coveted crown at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

"It was a very emotional moment when we saw tears in Sachin's eyes. It is a dream come true and we are glad that we could do it for him and the entire nation."

Yuvraj also thanked his current and former captain for supporting him in testing times.

"When I started my career, Sourav was the captain and he supported me a lot. And now Mahi (Dhoni) also supports me. He has always been there and it is special when the whole team supports you. And this is what makes the team unity. But definitely Sourav and MS have been helpful in my career," he said.

WILL SACHIN BE IN WORLD CUP 2015 ? SACHIN'S COMMENTS FOR IT

Mumbai: Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday declined to speculate whether he would play in the 2015 World Cup, saying that there was no point in looking "too far ahead".

Describing India's World Cup win as a dream he had been chasing for 21 years, Tendulkar said that he could not sleep last night because he could not believe that India had really become world champions.

Asked if this would be his last World Cup and whether he would play in the next edition in 2015 to be held in Australia and New Zealand, Tendulkar replied, "All I will say is that it is a great moment, focus on this, enjoy this rather than looking back or too far ahead".

Tendulkar, who was speaking to reporters at a reception hosted in honour of the victorious team at Raj Bhavan, said "We should leave all that (speculation on his future plans) and enjoy this rare moment".

Asked if he was disappointed at missing a chance to make his 100th international century last night, Tendulkar said that was not relevant. The World Cup win was big and should be savoured.

Tendulkar's comments came in the backdrop of some speculation that he might consider retiring from ODI cricket so as to extend his Test career.

Earlier, speaking in a television programme, World Cup winning captains Imran Khan and Allan Border and legendary Vivian Richards, said a decision on whether to quit the shorter format of the game should be left to Tendulkar.

They noted that he had been playing some of his best cricket in all formats of the game in the last two years.

GURU GARY MAY BE PROTEAS NEW COACH ?

Mumbai: After guiding the Indian team to the coveted World Cup title after a gap of 28 years in his final assignment as coach, Gary Kirsten may be seen in the same avatar with his native South Africa.

Talking to BBC Radio 5, Kirsten said he has been approached by Cricket South Africa to take over as coach from Corrie Van Zyl in June but is yet to take a decision.

"They have approached me but I've said I'm not going to make any decisions just yet. I need to take some time off and clear my mind for a while after this magnificent journey," he said.

After India attained its hour of glory, the 43-year-old former South Africa opener was chaired around the ground by ecstatic young players Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, who have grown under him to become vital cogs in the team, to the roar of the packed Wankhede Stadium.

Under Kirsten, the Indian team rose to become the world's highest ranked Test outfit in 2009 and has maintained that coveted spot till date, besides attaining the pinnacle of the one-day game by winning the World Cup on Saturday night.

YUVI THE ARCHITECH OF WORLD CUP VICTORY

MUMBAI: Dropped from the Indian team only last year, a totally transformed Yuvraj Singh turned out to be the man with the Midas touch in India's campaign to win the World Cup.

A highly emotional Yuvraj broke down before 33,000 people at the Wankhede stadium and millions watching on television as he watched his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the winning six in last night's final against Sri Lanka.

Yuvraj said it was difficult to control his emotions after the victory and had tears in his eyes for the first time, terming the moment as a "dream come true" for the team.

"I think it was the first time I was in tears because everybody were in tears," Yuvraj said.

The dashing all-rounder, who had a dream run in the high profile tournament with 369 runs and 15 wickets, said he wanted to win the coveted title for Sachin Tendulkar.

"All through the tournament I wanted to win it for him because what he has given to Indian cricket nobody has. The things he has achieved is remarkable. I always prayed to the Almighty that you should give it to him before he retires."

It has been a remarkable change of fortune for the elegant left-hander who, a few months back, was struggling to retain his place in the team owing to poor form.

Despite being a regular in the ODI team, Yuvraj has never been able to cement a place in the Test team, which he has often said is the ultimate dream of any cricketer.

The retirement of former captain Sourav Ganguly provided him with the opportunity to cement a place in the Test team but he just could not grab the opportunity with both hands.

Yuvraj was in and out of the Test team till he was finally dropped for the home Test series against Australia in October last year and was even left out of India's Asia Cup ODI squad in June.

"Since the loss in T20 World Cup I went through a lot of criticism. Getting dropped from the Indian team after 7-8 years was a big jolt for me. Then I decided I only need to make things better, so I started working extra because there are times when you need to step up the paddle," he explained.

In the run-up to the World Cup, Yuvraj was dogged by persistent injuries and his form was also not too good.

"As a team it was a dream to win the World Cup. Since Gary (Kirsten) came and in the last two years we have been emphasising on the World Cup and how we gonna go about it and by small, small steps we have achieved what the whole of India wanted. It's just a dream-come-true for every individual," he added.

Yuvraj admitted he was not in the best of form before the start of the tournament.

"I was not really in the best of form (at the start of the tournament). Things just started happening for me. I started bowling well, batting well, fielding well. I worked really hard on my game since last year. I was just wondering why I was getting injured so badly."

Being dropped from both the Test and ODI teams and battling one injury after another was very frustrating and Yuvraj describes that phase as the "toughest period" of his career.

"It was tough time for me. I think that was the toughest period for me in the last 10 years. There was a time when I asked myself, 'do I want to continue'? Seriously, I thought, 'do I want to play anymore or not'? There was lot of negativity around me," he had said in an interview earlier.

MS DHONI TO "Dr" DHONI

RANCHI: The Jharkhand government on Sunday said that it would confer an honorary doctorate degree on local boy and Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni - who is yet to complete his graduation but who led his team to a fantastic World Cup victory in Mumbai.

"We will soon initiate the process to award honorary doctorate degree to Dhoni," said Baijnath Ram, human resource development (HRD) minister of Jharkhand.

The state HRD minister announced before the World Cup that a doctorate degree would be awarded to Dhoni if India win the tournament.

Dhoni, 29, is doing his graduation from St Xavier's College in Ranchi. He has been unable to complete the course due to his tight schedule.

Jharkhand earlier gifted a 4,000 sq feet plot and a Rs 11 lakh car to Dhoni when India won the T20 World Cup in 2007.

Celebrations continued in Ranchi for the second day after India beat Sri Lanka in the World Cup final in Mumbai on Saturday. People thronged to Dhoni's house situated at Harmu Housing Colony of Ranchi to congratulate his family members.

Dhoni's parents however preferred not to speak to mediapersons. The entire city seemed to be in a celebration mood and there was praise all round for Dhoni.

Soon after Dhoni hit the winning runs in the final match in Mumbai Saturday, children, youth and elderly came onto streets to celebrate the Indian victory.

"Dhoni tune kar dala" (Dhoni you did it) and "Jharkhand ka Lal, India ko dila diya World Cup" (son of Jharkhand has won the World Cup for India) were some of the slogans shouted by people in Ranchi.

Not only Ranchi but the entire Jharkhand witnessed Diwali-like celebrations till late in the night.

SACHIN WITH HIS DREAM TROPHY -SNAP OF THE CENTURY

Mumbai: One saw a rare emotional side of Sachin Tendulkar after India's historic World Cup triumph on Saturday and the iconic batsman is happy that a dream he had nurtured throughout his childhood has been finally realised.

"As a young boy, I grew up dreaming that I will be lifting the World Cup someday. Along the way, many things happened in my career and I am extremely happy about those.

"But this is the ultimate moment. It has brought smiles to the faces of all Indians. There are so many Indians who live abroad and they are proud of our achievement," Sachin told the media persons on Saturday.

Man of the tournament Yuvraj Singh said that this current bunch has always raised the bar for themselves and there's been fierce unity in the team.

"I guess we kissed the World Cup at least 1000 times. It's a great bunch who have backed each other. Thanks to Gary that we have been able to raise the bar. We have never been complacent," Yuvraj said.

Askeed about that emotional moment when Yuvraj was engaged in a bear-hug with Sachin Tendulkar.

"I don't know what he said when he hugged me but I have never seen tears in Sachin's eyes," the dashing southpaw said.

DHONI'S NEW LOOK

MUMBAI: Having carried the burden of expectations of a billion people, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lightened his burden by shaving off his head soon after vanquishing Sri Lanka in the World Cup final, to fulfil a pledge to the gods.

Dhoni surprised the world with his tonsured head this morning, having shaved off the hair in the middle of the night in his hotel room.

Dhoni is believed to have made a commitment to do so before a deity close to his hometown in Ranchi before the World Cup began. The priest had advised him to shave off the head between 2.45 am and 3 am which is what he did.

The hair will now be offered at the Balaji temple in Tirupati.

Dhoni's new look was first seen during an official photo-op session in front of the iconic Gateway of India, where some members of the Indian cricket team posed for shutterbugs with World Cup trophy.

Incidentally, Dhoni had cut his long locks after India won the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007.

GARY GURU LEAVES TEAM INDIA ON A HIGH NOTE WITH EMOTIONS AND TEARS

MUMBAI: Gary Kirsten ended his term as the Indian team coach on a euphoric note, guiding the country to an historic World Cup triumph at the Wankhede stadium on Saturday.

When the South African took over the reins, Indian cricket was on the recovery trail after the tumultuous tenure of Greg Chappell, but as he prepares to leave, Kirsten surely has several reasons to rejoice.

During his hugely successful and path-breaking tenure, India have risen to the summit of Test cricket, by claiming the number one spot, before winning the ultimate prize of the limited-over game - the coveted World Cup.

After the magnificent victory, Suresh Raina fittingly carried the former South African opener on his shoulder for a lap of honour, and he was accompanied by Virat Kohli, in front of 33,000 roaring spectators.

Staying well in the background and not trying to steal the limelight, Kirsten had charted the glorious path for the Men in Blue.

The former Proteas opener, a dour and doughty batsman, brought to the coach's job single-minded dedication and devotion as well as steely determination that helped India scale one peak after another.

India needed Kirsten's calm and assured presence after their shock exit shock exit in the 2007 World Cup and how well he delivered.

Kirsten's success mantra lay in giving as much space as they desired to the top Indian players.

It's significant to note that Kirsten's tenure also coincided with the re-emergence of champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar after being troubled by a spate of injuries.

Spearhead Zaheer Khan also rediscovered his form during Kirsten's tenure and has played a major role to the team's success.

The coming-of-age of Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh, after his own spell of self-doubt, apart from the emergence of youngsters like Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina - in the limited overs format - during his the South African's time also helped India become a superpower.

Though Kirsten can take pride in the fact that Indian batting wears an assured look, in both Tests (with the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman around), the same cannot be said of the team's bowling resources because of loss of form and a spate of injuries.

That would be one of the biggest challenges for the man who takes over the reins from Kirsten.

But for now, the South African should bask in glory of his boys' success.