New Zealand coach John Wright’s entirely backing batsman Martin Guptill’s decision to make down the cash from the Indian Premier League.
Guptill’s turned down a contract with a side in the lucrative Twenty20 tournament in 2012, deciding instead to return to Derbyshire to play across three forms of the game.
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Rahul Dravid has been appointed the new skipper of Rajasthan Royals. Dravid succeeds Shane Warne, who captained Royals in the initial four IPLs and led them to the championship in the league’s first season. Dravid has been purchased by Royals in the 2011 IPL public auction for $500,000, after playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore for that first three years. One of the reasons Dravid was signed by Royals was his tested leadership abilities.
“I am honored to lead the Rajasthan Royals and look forward to the valuable inputs from my team-mates who are already leading their own national sides and clubs,” Dravid stated. “My goal will be to get the best out of an extremely good team and invoke the same team spirit which won the franchise the very first IPL, and has been a trademark on the Rajasthan Royals since that time.”
Warne announced the retirement from the IPL following the 2011 tournament and Royals had a number of gamers with leadership experience from which to choose his successor. The team consists of present New Zealand skipper, Ross Taylor, and former overseas Twenty20 captains Johan Both and also Paul Collingwood. Shane Watson, the Australia all rounder was an additional prospect but in the end Dravid’s qualifications were too robust too ignore.
“No one in the team possesses Rahul Dravid’s prominence,” Raghu Iyer, Rajasthan Royals spokesperson told. “He is likely one of the world’s best ever. Very tough not to appoint him as skipper.”
Warne accented Dravid’s leadership ability. “He is not only one of the world’s greatest batsmen, but a leader par excellence. The Royals team is a group of incredibly enthusiastic and talented players who understand their roles perfectly and I am certain that they will thrive under Dravid’s impressive leadership.”
In his debut season with Royals earlier this year, Dravid have scored 343 runs in 12 matches at an average of 31.18 and a strike-rate of 109.23. The team accomplished sixth in the points table, and were in the hunt for a play-off spot for most of the season before fading at the end.
The IPL Governing Council met in Hyderabad discussed various matters related to Indian Premier League 2012.
The Governing Council has requested the Management team to return with choices for the format and structure for the 2012 season of the tournament.
The Governing Council also authorized various operational items for the approaching IPL season.
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Jimmy Anderson has just spent 14 hours in India – the very next time he goes he desires that it is a longer stay.
The England as well as Lancashire bowler jetted to Mumbai for an awards ceremony on Saturday and was back again at Heathrow on Sunday morning.
It turned out a worthwhile journey, as he picked up the CEAT ratings International Bowler of the Year Award to add to his expanding set of awards.
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The challenging and tumble game of rugby could be upon the brink of creating their own version of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Promoters of rugby in India feel that the achievements of cricket via the IPL medium could possibly be successfully replicated inside
sport of rugby and in which Goa will be an ideal choice for being the favored pitch for the game in India.
Pramod Khanna, president from the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU), told IANS that the IPL-like formula could well be announced soon
and that the primary pool would comprise eight teams, which may subsequently be raised to 16 club teams.
“We are working by using an Indian Premier League like idea,” said Khanna, who had been in Goa to announce the HSBC Asian Rugby Sevens
series, an important Asian competition held in Goa over 2 days beginning Weekend.
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