Dravid happy with Watson at the top

Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahul Dravid was happy that star all-rounder Shane Watson would be available for the team right at the start of the tournament. Watson is expected to join the team for their second game against Kolkata on April 08.

In an interview to the Times of India, Dravid stated that Watson brings a lot of depth to the team. "Last year, he was not there for eight or none games and we really missed him. This year, we are lucky to have him at the start. If he plays to his potential, then Rajasthan will benefit immensely." Dravid went onto add that Watson will be promoted to open the innings with Ajinkya Rahane.

Paddy Upton, Rajasthan's coach, said that he was very upbeat about the team's chances this time around. Speaking to the Hindu newspaper, Upton stated that it was important to work out a fine balance between personal and team performance. "The focus will be on delivering top performances at a consistent level. We provide space to the players to take their own decisions. Along with improving their sporting skills, we help them develop their personality in a holistic way."

We are powerless to stop the players: SLC

Reacting to mounting pressure on the authorities to prevent the Sri Lankan cricketers from taking part in the upcoming Indian Premier League, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has said it was powerless to stop the players.

"We can't force players not to go", Nishantha Ranatunga, the SLC secretary said on Saturday.

Buddhist nationalist groups throughout last week petitioned SLC to stop the cricketers from going to India to play in the IPL, after the government clarified that the players were free to go as long as they would not be playing in Tamil Nadu. Ravana Force, one of the groups which pressurised the SLC for a player boycott, said they would resort to sterner action if the players go to India.

"We will not let this happen. We will resort to much drastic action if they go", Ven Ittakande Saddhatissa, a Buddhist monk said.

Both Ravana Force and National Bhikku Federation have said that the Sri Lankans must skip the IPL in protest of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's ban on the Island's players from entering the state. Particularly there is anger among the locals on the reported dropping of Nuwan Kulasekara and Akila Dananjaya by the Chennai Super Kings as means of appeasement of anti-Sri Lankan forces in Tamil Nadu.

Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga described the axing of the two CSK players as too serious a snub that Sri Lankans must think about. As many as 13 Sri Lankan players are scheduled to appear for different franchises at the sixth edition of the IPL, commencing on April 3.

Lee prepared for role of KKR bowling coach

KKR pace ace Brett Lee said that he was fully prepared for the role of bowling mentor for the Kolkata team. The 36 year old takes the place of Pakistani legend, Wasim Akram, who was the bowling coach for the past couple of seasons. Lee said that he was proud to be the bowling mentor while still playing. He said that it was a challenge that he liked to take it up.

The former Australian fast bowler replaced Akram who earlier stepped down as KKR bowling coach as Akram wanted to spend more time with his family. "Wasim decided to spend time with his family and I wish him all the best. He was a great help for the bowlers and I will try my best as the new mentor," said Lee.

Lee admitted that he had big shoes to fill as Akram was an integral member in the KKR side captained by Gautam Gambhir. He was part of the core team along with coach Trevor Bayliss and Akram had a massive influence in KKR winning their first ever IPL in 2012.

The pace spearhead stated that he was ready to play second fiddle to Jacques Kallis, whom he described as the "go to man" in the team. "The bowling attack has variety thanks to the presence of players like Kallis. He has been a crucial player for KKR, be it with bat or ball."

KKR have a varied bowling attack with Lee and West Indian offie Sunil Narine. Both played a key role in the Kolkata franchise winning its maiden IPL crown in 2012. Medium pacers Laxmipathy Balaji and Rajat Bhatia are two other important members in the bowling attack which also boasts the likes of young left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla.

The loss of competitiveness in the IPL

Much newsprint has already been used in the country over debating the ban on Sri Lankan players in Chennai. Should sport and politics mix? Is the decision prompted by political expediency in view of the forthcoming general elections and where do we finally stop with such decisions? Should the BCCI have moved IPL matches away from Chennai like the way they had done in the case of Hyderabad during the Telengana unrest in 2010? And finally should the franchise owners abide by this decision or should they protest against the ban? Each of the questions are relevant and merit discussion. However, in this piece I'd like to concentrate on what this decision does to the Indian Premier League and how the tournament has lost competitiveness as a result of this imposition from the top.

Frankly, CSK hasn't lost much at all. Nuwan Kulasekara and Akhila Dhananjaya wouldn't even have made MSD's first team for most games. In fact, Kulasekara has been part of the team for a while now and has not played more than 25% of the games. And it is difficult to imagine Dhananjaya making the team ahead of the spin duo of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Rather when Mumbai play Chennai at the Chepauk sans Malinga it is clearly an unfair contest. Without Malinga to bowl the death overs, MI is half the side. It is like Chennai without MSD or Ashwin.

The same is true for the Pune Warriors and more so in the absence of Michael Clarke. Without the services of Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Matthews, the Warriors will be seriously weakened when they play Chennai in Chennai. The ban will also affect the Daredevils because they'd have to leave the skipper Mahela Jayawardene out. Delhi, who have traded Ross Taylor for Ashish Nehra and are without the services of Pietersen who is out of the IPL due to injury, will be a seriously weakened lot when they step out at the Chepauk. Finally, the Sunrisers without skipper Kumar Sangakkara in the team dressing room will be a ship without its captain.

Now let us conjure up a hypothetical situation. Imagine three teams locked in a tussle for a semi-final spot and one of them facing CSK in Chennai without the key players in their ranks. The other two teams, playing in other parts of the country, are in full strength. Simply put, it is blatantly unfair. This ban has seriously dented the credibility of the IPL and has the potential to seriously impact the final results. Team owners, who have picked particular players for particular roles, will now have to adjust last minute. And some players are simply irreplaceable. On the spin friendly Chepauk pitch Ajantha Mendis could well have been a match winner for Pune. Similarly, Malinga is always a match winner for Mumbai.

At a time when the IPL is in need of innovation and team owners are doing everything to grow the support base, the ban comes as a real problem for most of the teams. Weakened significantly as a result, they will now find it immensely challenging against a strong Chennai outfit, which is easily the most consistent team of the competition.

Finally, one should spare a thought for these players. For no fault of theirs they are being treated as pariahs in one part of India. To even suggest that by forcing Malinga out of the Mumbai-Chennai game we can force the hand of the Sri Lankan establishment is naive. This is not even a symbolic gesture. Rather, it trivialises the real issue, which is one of real serious significance. Each of us condemn genocide and by saying that Sri Lankan players will not play in Chennai we are suggesting that only Tamils can only mourn the loss of their brethren. What about Tamils in Kolkata or Mumbai? What about heir sentiments? How will they feel seeing Malinga play going by the same logic? And what about other Indians who feel equally strongly about genocide?

While politics and sports have always been the two sides of the same coin, playing of the national anthem at the start of play is a clear indication of such mixing; these blanket bans just don't serve any purpose. In this case all it has done is render some of the much anticipated games lopsided.

Ryder regains consciousness

New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder has regained consciousness and is talking to friends and family as he recovers from an alleged assault in Christchurch earlier this week, his manager said on Saturday.

Ryder, 28, was rushed to hospital early on Thursday with serious head injuries after being involved in two altercations outside a bar and fast food restaurant in Merivale, a suburb of Christchurch.

Local media reported Ryder had sustained a fractured skull and a collapsed lung in the assault. Two men have been charged with assault and will appear in court on April 4.

"Jesse's condition has improved to the extent that he is now out of the induced coma and off the ventilator," Ryder's manager Aaron Klee said in a statement issued through New Zealand Cricket. Jesse is awake and talking to us, but he is obviously still working through the immediate effects from being in the coma and the drugs the medical team have been using.

"Naturally we are thrilled with this progress. This is only the start of the recovery process for Jesse and there is still a big battle ahead to full health, but the progress is positive."

Ryder had been expected to travel to India for the lucrative Twenty20 tournament with the Delhi Daredevils this week, but had been in a self-imposed exile from international cricket after a series of alcohol-related incidents.

Despite publicly swearing off alcohol, Ryder had begun drinking again in recent weeks, New Zealand Cricket Players Association chief executive Heath Mills said on Thursday.

Police, however, told reporters on Thursday they did not think alcohol was a factor in the alleged assault. Ryder was not expected to return to international cricket for New Zealand's tour of England in May-June, following their 0-0 draw in the recently completed home test series.

An aggressive batsman with a superb eye and delicate touch, Ryder has made 1,269 runs in 18 tests at an average of 40.93 with a highest score of 201 and 1,100 runs in 39 one-day internationals at 34.37.