A Look Over all IPL Teams

Royal Challengers Bangalore


Bangalore Royal Challengers would bank on their switch-hitting star Kevin Pietersen to switch the fortunes of the team in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Royal Challengers finished seventh, one above the bottom-placed Deccan Chargers, among eight teams in the inaugural edition. With some of the accomplished Test cricketers - Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Wasim Jaffer - in their ranks, Royal Challengers got the tag T20s Test side.

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, the owner of Royal Challengers, has looked to shed that image with some smart buys for the second edition.

Royal Challengers got New Zealand's left-handed batting sensation Jesse Ryder for a price of $160,000. They swapped Zaheer Khan for city player Robin Uthappa from Mumbai Indians. They acquired Gaurav Dhiman from Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals' tall speedster Pankaj Singh. They also have a new coach in South African Ray Jennings.

But their most prized catch was Pietersen for whom Mallya spent a record $1.55 million after winning a fierce bidding with other owners, who all had their eyes set on the South African-born English cricketer.

Mallya surely had an important role for Pietersen and was quick to hand over the captaincy to the charismatic player, who will be available only for the first 15 days before flying back home for the Test series against the West Indies.

Kallis will take over the reins from Pietersen. Dravid might not be available for the entire period as his wife is expecting their second child.

Apart from head coach Ray Jennings, Dale Steyn, Jaques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Roelof Van der Merwe and Dillion du Preez are the five South Africans among the Royal Challengers' ten foreign recruits.-sources(no copyright infrigment is intented)



Chennai Super Kings


Chennai Super Kings have plenty of depth and star power. They lived up to their pre-tournament favourite tag last year as they finished runners-up to Rajasthan Royals in a thrilling final.

The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Super Kings once again look a balanced and formidable side, with a fair sprinkling of domestic and international stars that include some of the world's best all-rounders.

England's Andrew Flintoff, who has been bought by the Super Kings for a record IPL pay package of $1.55 million, will add to the list of all-rounders in the team.

Flintoff, however, would be available only for the first two weeks before flying to England for the series against the West Indies.

The batting order looks strong with the likes of Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel, Suresh Raina, Dhoni, S. Badrinath, Flintoff, Morkel and Thushara.

Hayden, who hit a pacy 35-ball 65 in the warm-up game, will have a point to prove after his exit from the international arena.

Super Kings will miss one of their star performers Michael Hussey, who is among the top Australian players to skip the tournament and take rest before the packed international schedule.

Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan did not made much of an impact last year and would be looking to cast his magic.

Their pace department will have a problem of plenty with Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Manpreet Gony all doing a fantastic job last year. Morkel and Gony picked up 17 wickets each while Balaji was impressive as he was economical and also notched up the maiden IPL hatrick. Flintoff will add teeth to the attack.

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who was not successful as an opener in the inaugural season, has been given the coaching job.- sources(no copyright infrigment is intented)



Delhi Daredevils

An array of the world's most explosive batsmen and a lively pace attack give Delhi Daredevils the teeth to challenge any team in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Daredevils, who made the the semi-finals in the inaugural season last year, have won both their practice games, against Titans and Lions at Pretoria.

With the world's most devastating opening batsmen skipper Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in their ranks, Daredevils can hope to get off to a rollicking start. Gambhir, in fact, was the second highest scorer in the first edition with 534 runs.

The side has also purchased the Australian batting sensation David Warner, who became the first player since 1877 to play an international game before playing first-class cricket. The exciting Australian opener took the world cricket by storm with a breathtaking 89 off 43 balls in his Twenty20 debut against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Then there is A.B. de Villiers, the gifted South African athlete who can bat anywhere in the order and can also keep wickets. Tillakaratne Dilshan, Manoj Tiwary, Dinesh Karthik and new recruits Owais Shah, and Paul Collingwood complete a formidable batting line-up.

The middle order was off form last year, but the presence of new faces is likely to bolster the batting.

The pace attack is spearheaded by 40-year-old Glenn McGrath, who returns to action after the death of his wife Jane last year. He still can unsettle the best in the world.

Daredevils will miss the services of Pakistani paceman Mohammad Asif but recruited promising left-arm Australian swing bowler Dirk Nannes to fill the slot.

To add variety to the attack, Daredevils also have New Zealand captain and easily the world's best left-arm spinner, Daniel Vettori, and a top leg-spinner Amit Mishra, besides effective medium-pacers Farveez Maharoof and Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh, who stood out last year with 16 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 23.12.

Daredevils have traded promising opener Shikhar Dhawan for an additional bowler in Ashish Nehra and that, hopefully, should work in their favour.

Coach Greg Shipperd, who joined the team last week in Johannesburg, is satisfied with the team's progress.- sources(no copyright infrigment is intented)



Hyderabad Deccan Chargers

They had the world's best swashbucklers. Yet Deccan Chargers could win just two of their 14 matches in the first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Now with a revamped set-up, the team would be hoping to turn things around this year.

Former Australian wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist has replaced Indian veteran V.V.S. Laxman as the new captain while another Australian Darren Lehmann is the new coach. The team also has gone for a change in uniform.

Their big-hitting South African opener Herschelle Gibbs was put on sale in the second round of player auctions, but was not taken by any other team. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as he is back in form with a blistering century against Australia.

The team has high-voltage performers in Gilchrist, Laxman, Andrew Symonds and Rohit Sharma and together they are capable of ripping apart the deadliest attack. Chargers also have an efficient all-rounder in Scott Styris.

But the teams's pace attack fails to inspire awe. It will be headed by the Rudra Pratap Singh, who has failed to impress after his performance in the Twenty20 World Cup. The Indian youngster finished as the highest wicket-taker for the Chargers last year but it would be interesting to see how he performs on the bouncy pitches of South Africa.

The Chargers have gone slow with the bidding this year, recruiting low-key bowler Fidel Edwards and all-rounder Dwayne Smith.

However, what will work in the team's favour is their batsmen's ease on pacy and bouncy wickets. Gilchrist, Symonds, Gibbs and Styris are all proven performers on such tracks.

Gibbs, who returned to form with a match-winning century against Australia Monday, should enjoy playing in front of his home crowd and could also be handy with his knowledge of local conditions.

Symonds, who was out of form last year, will still be the player to watch out for and on his day can rattle the opposition single-handedly. However, Symonds would not be available for the entire tournament as he is on national duty in UAE for a one-day series against Pakistan.

It will also be interesting to see how the team responds to Gilchrist's captaincy as the players had failed to click as a unit last year.

After last year's poor finish, the team will be playing without much expectations and pressure and that should work in their favour.-
sources(no copyright infrigment is intented)


Punjab Kings 11

After making it to the semi-finals in the inaugural season, Kings XI Punjab under Yuvraj Singh will aim for nothing less than the title in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Last year, Kings XI were a low-profile team in the league but went about their task efficiently before suffering a batting debacle against Chennai Super Kings in the semi-final.

But this year Kings XI will have plenty to think about as they will miss some of their star performers of last season.

Australian Shaun Marsh, who was the highest run getter, will only be available for the second half of the season as he will be on national duty in UAE against Pakistan.

Also missing in action will be S. Sreesanth, who was involved in the slapgate controversy. Sreesanth took an impressive 19 wickets last year but this time a stress fracture has ruled him out of the tournament.

This will open a window of opportunity for Ranadeb Bose, who moved in after warming the bench for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year. Bose had a good domestic season guiding Bengal to the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy this season.

In Sreesanth's absence, the responsibility will be on left-arm medium pacer Irfan Pathan, who will spearhead the bowling attack.

Kings XI will also be pinning hopes on South African all-rounder Yusuf Abdulla, whose local knowledge of the situation will be an asset for the team.

The focus will also be on Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, who will be using the IPL to come back to the international fold. Lee, who managed just four matches last year, suffered a fracture in his left foot in Melbourne in January and the IPL will mark his comeback.

England's Ravi Bopara, who was bought in February's player's auction, is the latest addition. Bopara is considered as England's most promising young all-rounder and Kings XI will be hoping some sparks from the Indian origin player.

Also coming back to the international scene will be Sri Lankan batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. The duo was in the team bus that was attacked by gunmen in Lahore and will be looking to erase those horrific moments.- sources(no copyright infrigment is intented)



Kolkata Knight Riders

Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been the most controversial team in the run-up to the second season of the India Premier League with John Buchanan's multiple-captains sparking a debate. A day before the start of IPL, KKR handed the captaincy to explosive Brendon McCullum, removing Sourav Ganguly.

Ganguly, who led the team in the first IPL season, and West Indies captain Chris Gayle have been given the role of senior management in the team.

The dashing wicketkeeper-batsman McCullum gave a rousing start to IPL last year with a breathtaking 156 against Bangalore Royal Challengers in the opening match. But McCullum's innings remained the only highlight as KKR's performance dipped and they finished sixth. It would look for a similar spark of inspiration from the Kiwi opener to change their fortunes.

The good news for KKR is that McCullum will be available for the entire season alongside West Indies captain Gayle. Both in-form players are the backbone of KKR's batting line-up.

Former India captain Ganguly, who quit international cricket last year, has been through such unfamiliar territory before. The Bengal stalwart is at his best when pushed to the wall.

The team will miss Australian David Hussey, who had a successful season last year, as he is likely to join the squad in the latter half of the tournament after completing his national duty in the ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE.

In the bowling department, KKR will miss Pakistani fast bowlers Umar Gul and the charismatic Shoaib Akhtar.

Gul had an exceptional IPL season last year and even though his absence might be felt, in-form Ishant Sharma will be looking to step into his shoes.

The focus will be on Bangladesh medium pacer Mashrafe Mortaza, who is also known for his big hitting abilities. KKR bought Mortaza for a whopping $600,000 after an intense round of bidding with Preity Zinta's Kings XI Punjab, the longest in the IPL auction.

Sri Lanka's mystery bowler Ajantha Mendis will be the player to watch out for with his bag of tricks and fresh from his success in international cricket. The underrated Twenty20 specialist Murali Karthik will also add teeth to KKR's attack.- sources(no copyright infrigment is intented)



Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians will be looking to a fully-fit, in-form Sachin Tendulkar to make them serious contenders in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The most expensive of IPL teams, owned by business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, missed iconic Tendulkar in the first seven matches of the inaugural edition due to a groin injury. But his timely presence was inspiring for the team to recover remarkably from a disastrous beginning and reach within striking distance of the semi-final.

Mumbai Indians lost the first four matches under the captaincy of Harbhajan Singh, who was banned for the rest of the IPL for slapping teammate S.Sreesanth. They bounced back to win six matches in a row with Shaun Pollock leading from the front.

The star firepower of Sanath Jayasuriya, Pollock and Dwayne Bravo lifted the team from the dumps. Youngsters Abhishek Nayar and Dhawal Kulkarni, too, played a crucial role in reviving the team's fortunes.

Mathera marauder Jayasuriya will be a month shy of 40, making him the most aged player in the tournament, but he will be as dangerous as ever. Last year he sprang back to form, scoring 514 runs to become the second highest scorer in the tournament.

This year, he will have a fulltime partner in Tendulkar and seeing the two open the batting will be one of the highlight of the tournament.

Pollock will be doing the job behind the scene as a coach. Former India player Praveen Amre and Jonty Rhodes are the other two coaches of the team.

Zaheer Khan, who was exchanged with Bangalore Royal Challengers' Robin Uthappa, will be a big bonus to the team. He will lead the attack with fiery Sri Lankan slinger Lasith Malinga.

Mumbai Indians made a smart buy in South Africa's latest batting sensation J.P Duminy at the auction. Duminy was bought for a whopping US$950,000. They also got Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Ashraful and New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Mills besides trading Ashish Nehra for Shikhar Dhawan from Delhi Daredevils.

They will count on a strong line-up of allrounders in Bravo, Ryan McLaren, Duminy and Essex's Graham Napier, who hit a world record 16 sixes, cracking 152 against Sussex in a T20 match.- sources(no copyright infrigment is intented)


Rajasthan Royals


Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne is conscious of the fact that it would not be easy for his side to repeat last year's sensational feat of winning the Indian Premier League without two key players Sohail Tanveer and Shane Watson in the second edition.

The legendary leg-spinner made a specific reference to the loss of the two all-rounders who had played crucial roles in the team's triumph. Watson was the Player of the Tournament and Tanveer was the leading wicket-taker.

Watson and Tanveer will be ranging against each other in a one-day series between Australia and Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi next week.

Watson, however, is expected to join the Royals for the last five matches whereas Tanveer will have to sit out as he could come in only in case of an injury to a player as the Pakistani players were not permitted by their government to travel to India for the tournament in view of escalating tensions between the two countries in the post-26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The Royals, surprisingly, have dropped a bombshell by deciding to omit India player Mohammad Kaif along with five others to prune the squad.

Kaif, who was bought for $675,000 - the team's highest paid player - was dropped on the basis of his last year's form, scoring 176 runs in 16 matches at an average of 16, ignoring his utility as a livewire in the field and also his good form in the Ranji Trophy last season.

The other players dropped are Dinesh Salunkhe, Paras Dogra, Anup Revandkar, Srideep Mangela, Ashraf Makda and Azhar Malik. Salunkhe was the legspinner who was included in the 2008 squad through a TV talent-hunt show.

The team will once again rely heavily on Warne, whose captaincy was a revelation as he moulded a bunch of youngsters into a winning combination.

South African skipper Graeme Smith will be a pillar of strength while T20 specialist Yusuf Pathan has proved to be a matchwinner with his clean strikes. They have another T20 specialist in South African Tyron Henderson. The Royals shelled out $650,000 for the hard-hitting batsman who also bowls medium-fast.

Warne has backed an 18-year-old rookie pace sensation Kamran Khan from Uttar Pradesh as the player to watch out for.

Kamran, who is yet to play a first class cricket, gave a good account of himself in a practice match as he bowled Cape Cobras Justin Ontong with a yorker.- sources(no copyright infrigment is intented)