Sponsor note: THIS EDITION will see a new title sponsor, Chinese smartphone-maker Vivo, which will be associated with the IPL for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Speaking about the collaboration, Alex Feng, CEO, Vivo India, said, “The slogan inscribed on the IPL trophy is ‘Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi’, which translates to ‘Where talent meets opportunity’. Vivo, as a brand for the youth, identifies with this slogan. As a new brand for Indian consumers, we want to reach out to every person and IPL is the right platform to do that.”
Total outlay on sponsorship for two years: Rs 150 crore*
* As per market estimates and media reports
Auction action
A TOTAL of 94 players were sold—and R136 crore spent—in the auction for the 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which will begin on April 9. Of the top buys, five were all-rounders: Australia’s Shane Watson (purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore for R9.5 crore), India’s Pawan Negi (picked up by Delhi Daredevils for R8.5 crore), South Africa’s Chris Morris (picked up by Delhi Daredevils for R7 crore), India’s Yuvraj Singh (bagged by Sunrisers Hyderabad for R7 crore) and Australia’s Mitchell Marsh (picked up by Rising Pune Supergiants for R4.8 crore).
Amount spent by the eight franchises in the 2016 auction
Delhi Daredevils
Rs 31 cr on 14 players
Top buy:
Pawan Negi (all-rounder, India) for Rs 8.5 crore
Gujarat Lions
Rs 16.65cr on 19 players
Top buy: Praveen Kumar (bowler, India) for Rs 3.5 crore
Kings XI Punjab
Rs 10.55cr on eight players
Top buy: Mohit Sharma (bowler, India) for Rs 6.5 crore
Kolkata Knight Riders
Rs 5.7 cr on seven players
Top buy: Jaydev Unadkat (bowler, India) for Rs 1.6 crore
Mumbai Indians
Rs 13.10cr on seven players
Top buy: Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper, England) for Rs 3.8 crore
Rising Pune Supergiants
Rs 21.80 cr on 18 players
Top buy: Mitchell Marsh (all-rounder, Australia) for Rs 4.8 crore
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Rs 15.45 cr on 11 players
Top buy: Shane Watson (all-rounder, Australia) for Rs 9.5 crore
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Rs 21.75cr on 10 players
Top buy: Yuvraj Singh (all-rounder, India) for Rs 7 crore
Amount spent in previous auctions
2015: Number of players sold: 67
Total money spent: Rs 87.6 cr
2014: Number of players sold: 154
Total money spent: Rs 262.6cr
2013: Number of players sold: 37
Total money spent: $11.89 m, or Rs 78.47cr
Source: www.iplt20.com
Mentor edge
OVER THE years, one of the most prominent trends in the IPL has been the inclusion of team mentors. These are some of the game’s most established names who guide the young players about the various aspects of the sport. This year’s edition will see big names like Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid donning the cap. Sehwag, who retired from all forms of cricket in 2015, will mentor Kings XI Punjab. The former explosive batsman’s tips could be a boon for any opening batsman. Dravid, nicknamed ‘The Wall’ due to his calm and solid performances for India, has been roped in by Delhi Daredevils. His presence could work wonders for the Daredevils squad, which hit a rough patch in the last two IPL seasons.
Pakistan’s Wasim Akram (Kolkata Knight Riders) and India’s Anil Kumble (Mumbai Indians) have taken up similar roles in the past seasons of the IPL. Experts say mentors play a key role in today’s day and age, where young cricketers often fall prey to ills such as fast money and match-fixing. A lot of these players are international stars, so there is every chance that a budding player might face a language or culture barrier. A mentor, who could have been in similar situations during his playing years and coped with the pressure, can be an immense support system in such situations.
Spanking new
IN THE aftermath of a spot-fixing scandal in 2013, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were suspended from the IPL for two years in July 2015 by a Supreme Court-appointed panel. It was left to the Board of Control for Cricket in India and IPL officials to fill the two spots. The end result has been the inclusion of two new franchises this year.
Rising Pune Supergiants
Owner: Sanjiv Goenka of
RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group
Captain: MS Dhoni
The Supergiants have conducted probably the best bit of business ahead of the tournament by getting Indian skipper MS Dhoni as their captain. Dhoni’s experience with Chennai Super Kings—the team he captained since 2008 and lifted the trophy for in 2010 and 2011—could prove beneficial for the Supergiants in their maiden IPL season. They have a strong roster that includes the likes of Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, batsman Ajinkya Rahane, pacer Ishant Sharma, South Africa’s Faf du Plessis and Albie Morkel, Australia’s Steve Smith, Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera and veteran England batsman Kevin Pietersen.
Gujarat Lions
Owner: Keshav Bansal of Intex Technologies
Captain: Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina, another important cog in the Chennai Super Kings machine, will be the focal point for Gujarat Lions. Having made his debut for the Super Kings in the 2008 edition, Raina went on to score 3,699 runs in 132 IPL matches, which makes him the highest run-getter in the IPL. Besides Raina, the Gujarat Lions squad has a lot of talent and experience in the form of West Indies’ Dwayne Smith, New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, South Africa’s Dale Steyn, Australia’s Aaron Finch and India’s Ravindra Jadeja.
Power players
Pawan Negi
Justifying the tag of the most expensive Indian player in this year’s IPL won’t be an easy task for this young all-rounder, as all eyes will be on him. Negi, a left-arm slow bowler who was picked up by Delhi Daredevils, is also productive as a hard-hitter down the order. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders, but we have to see how he takes the pressure on the big stage. He comes with a lot of reputation and credibility because he has had a very good domestic season. But again, the R8.5-crore price tag could play on anyone’s mind… We need to see how good he is when he is exposed to such kind of pressure,” says author and sports journalist Boria Majumdar.
Previous IPL experience: Chennai Super Kings
Hardik Pandya
A bowling all-rounder, Pandya will be playing for Mumbai Indians. He was impressive not only in the 2015 edition of the IPL, but in Asia Cup and World Cup T20 as well. “I would imagine that, in terms of players you are facing and the pressure, the World T20 is a more difficult competition than the IPL. If Pandya has done well there (the T20 World Cup), there is no reason why he can’t carry the same form over to the IPL,” says cricket expert and columnist Ayaz Memon. Previous IPL experience: Mumbai Indians
Ashish Nehra
At 36 years of age, most people would say Ashish Nehra’s best years are behind him. But the lanky left-arm pacer from New Delhi proved his detractors wrong with his recent bowling display. He has the potential to add a lot of experience to any bowling line-up in the tournament, having been a part of the IPL since 2008. “His performance in the IPL, if it is in keeping with how he has performed in the last two-three months, should be very good. At this age, what is working for him is that, mentally, he is attuned to the fact that he has to play T20 matches and bowl four overs. He’s got the guile, skill and experience to do well in this format,” says Memon. No wonder then that Sunrisers Hyderabad paid R5.5 crore for him in this year’s auction. Previous IPL experience: Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors India, Mumbai Indians