Pragyan Ojha joins Mumbai Indians

MUMBAI: Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha on Saturday joined Mumbai Indians after four seasons with Deccan Chargers for the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting April 4. 

Ojha, who is currently with the Test team in Australia, is the sixth player to be transferred during the 2012 trading window. Ojha won the Purple Cap for being the highest wicket-taker in the 2010 edition of the league. 

Mumbai Indians' co-owner Nita Ambani said Ojha's addtion would bolster the bowling department. 

"With a spinner of Pragyan Ojha's competence, we fortify our bowling department that has won us many matches in the past seasons. Pragyan Ojha is a player of great international repute, and we welcome him with much excitement," said Nita. 

E Venkat Reddy, chief operating officer of Deccan Chargers, said Ojha played a big role in the team's triumph in 2009. 

"Pragyan is an outstanding cricketer. He was one of the chief architects of our triumph in 2009. His performances for India, and in the IPL, speak for themselves. We wish him all the best for the future," he said.

Yuvraj Singh doubtful for IPL 5

NEW DELHI: India's World Cup star Yuvraj Singh will not only miss the tri-series in Australia but may also not be available for this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). 

According to sources in the National Cricket Academy, the Punjab southpaw may have to undergo surgery to completely remove the non-malignant tumour in his left lung which has laid him low. 

In case he goes under the knife, Yuvraj will not recover in time for the IPL. "He has been working very hard at the NCA, but he can't get back to the field until unless he is 100% fit," an official told TOI on Saturday. 

Yuvraj's absence in the ODI series will be a blow for the Indian team, which is being thrashed by Australia in the ongoing Test series. It will be an even bigger blow for IPL team Pune Warriors to lose their captain. 

According to Pune's coaching staff, the team is quite concerned about the player's health. "Yuvraj is the star player for Pune. If he goes for this surgery, he most likely will not be fit for the IPL. Yuvi's absence will leave a big hole in Pune's batting line-up," a Pune coaching staff said. 

Warriors' management and the IPL governing council will have to take a call on Yuvraj's replacement. A source close to developments said, "Most of the leading cricketers suggested that Yuvraj shouldn't risk his health. If the doctors are suggesting an operation, he should get it done. And if that happens, an operation at this stage means he is not going to play the IPL." 

Either BCCI or the IPL governing council will have to form a medical panel to plan for his thorough check-up . "We can't rush his comeback ," an insider said. 

Yuvraj hasn't played one-day cricket since last year's World Cup. An injury kept him out of the tour of the West Indies and his England tour was shortened by a finger injury. The left-hander made a comeback during the home Test series against the West Indies.

Pune Warriors retain Ganguly for coming IPL season

NEW DELHI: Inducted as an injury replacement last year, former India captain Sourav Ganguly has been retained by Pune Warriors for the coming Indian Premier League season. 

Ganguly had signed up with the outfit after the start of the tournament last year. He had been a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three editions of the Twenty20 event and had led the side in 2008 and 2010. 

"We are privileged to have a player of Sourav Ganguly's calibre in our squad. He has been one of India's greatest and most inspirational cricketers. We have no doubt that his presence in the team will boost the team's prospects in the IPL, and motivate the boys to excel themselves," Abhijit Sarkar, Pune Warriors director, said. 

IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said the presence of veteran such as Ganguly enhances the league's appeal. 

"Sourav Ganguly's record speaks for itself. Icons like him only enhance the phenomenon that is the IPL. He has always set high standards for himself, and we can expect some outstanding performances from him in the tournament," Shukla said. 

Elsewhere, Kings XI Punjab have signed David Miller, the middle-order batsman from South Africa, for the next two seasons. 

The IPL's fifth edition will start on April 4.

Gayle is only human: Gillespie

After having defeated Delhi Daredevils in a must-win game, Kings XI Punjab now look to maintain their winning run in IPL 2011 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Speaking to the press ahead of the team’s crucial encounter, KXIP bowling coach Jason Gillespie spoke about coming up with plans for the RCB batsmen and the bowlers who’s impressed him in IPL 2011.

Excerpts from the pre-match press-conference:

On having specific plans for Chris Gayle as the bowling coach of KXIP

We’ll certainly make some plans for Chris Gayle. He’s been in wonderful form. But while we’ll be coming up with some plans for Gayle, it will be pretty foolish of us to discount the other very good plays in the [Royal Challengers] Bangalore side. So we’ll certainly be having a plan for all their batters. But yes, for Chris we will try and come up with something since he is in very special form and we have to try and negate that.

On the morale in the KXIP squad after three consecutive wins

I think the guys are really enjoying each other’s company and playing some good cricket. What we’ve been able to do is get our batting and bowling sorted in the one game. There have been a lot of games which we went down in, where we either batted really well and bowled poorly or vice-versa. So to be able to bat and bowl equally well in games has shown that we can mix it with the top teams. There is no doubt about that.

On whether KXIP are focussed intently on the points table

No, we don’t really focus on that too much. We don’t even really focus on the result of the game. We try to make sure that in all the disciplines of the game we can do as best as we can and as consistently as we can. And our belief is that if we do execute our skills to the best of our ability the result will take care of itself.

On whether bowling to an in-form batsman like Chris Gayle can be intimidating for a bowler

It certainly presents a unique challenge. What we are talking about with our bowlers is making sure that their preparation is as best as it can be. And [I ask them to] just go out there with the belief that the plan will work if you bowl in the right areas. Chris Gayle is only human. He can nick a ball like anyone else, or miss one. So he is in good form but our belief is that if we bowl to our plan and back that up with some really positive, strong body-language in the field, we can restrict RCB to a lower score.

On whether Gayle’s is the key wicket in the game against RCB

It will certainly be nice to knock him over for not many tomorrow. There is no doubt about that. But as I said before, we’d be pretty silly to just focus on Chris Gayle.

On the bowlers who have impressed him this IPL

There’s been a number [of them]. From the Delhi Daredevils, Varun Aaron, I think; he bowls with real pace. That’s a good sign for India. I think Ishant Sharma is a fantastic bowler. He certainly has come along in the last couple of years from what I have seen from afar. I think he is a very good bowler and he is only going to get better. And then I look at our line-up and, obviously, there is Praveen Kumar. For a guy who has spent a bit of time on the sidelines, he’s coming back from an injury, he’s performed quite well for us. [He’s] probably one of the most skilful bowlers in world cricket. He can swing the ball both ways. [He] puts batsmen under pressure. There are a number of bowlers going around India and, I think, the bowling stocks are quite rich.

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RCB guys really good: Gayle

Royal Challengers Bangalore registered their seventh consecutive win by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets in a rain-curtailed encounter on Saturday night.

Man-of-the-match Christ Gayle was instrumental in making things easy for RCB with a 12-ball 38. He struck six fours and two sixers and also wrested the Orange Cap from Virender Sehwag.

Gayle spoke at the post-match press conference. Excerpts:

On the mood in the RCB camp and his contributions to the team's progress

Things have progressed well after my first game. The guys are really good. We keep communicating with each other. Ours is a young team. The good thing about it is we are up front off the field and on the field as well. That's the key for any particular player: go with a relaxed frame of mind. It has been brilliant in the dressing room. We have lot of fun. So it’s very good.

On his respect for bowlers

Every team has got quality bowlers. I have got to be prepared for them just like how you have prepared for me as well. It’s a case where I try and play my game all the times because I won't get a second chance. As a batter I try to be ready for each and every particular bowler whether they are going to open with a spinner or a fast bowler. Every bowler is capable of getting wickets. So it’s a situation where I have got to try and prevent that. I am just trying to enjoy it. I look at it as a challenge. Whatever the situation, whether you are batter or a bowler, you have to back yourselves.

We’ll take a lot of positives: Mahela

Kochi Tuskers Kerala put up a clinical performance to crush Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets in Indore. However, their skipper, Mahela Jayawardene addressed the post-match press conference with mixed feelings. While he was happy with the way his boys clicked as a unit to end RR’s hopes of qualifying for the Playoffs, he also rued the lack of consistency of his own team due to which they were left with less than an outside chance of going further in the tournament.

On KTK’s overall performance in their debut IPL season

I’m still disappointed [despite being sixth on the points table]. The way we started [with two back-to-back victories], we looked good to qualify in the top four and even win the tournament. That’s what our goal was. We’ve had our chances but we failed to grab them. This win shows what we can do when we click as a unit. We haven’t been consistent and there’s a lot for us to learn from this season.

On the positives the team can draw from this season

We’ve found quite a few young Indian boys who can deliver and the international guys too have put their hands up and performed. Parthiv, Jadeja, Sree, Vinay Kumar and RP Singh have been brilliant. We’ve got bench strength in Muralitharan and Thissara Perera. We have talent and we have a very good chance of coming back stronger the next year. But we need to keep working hard. It’s not going to come easy for us even in the next season.

On the team’s improved performance after losing the last game

We made some mistakes in that game with bat and ball. In T20 once you make a mistake it’s very hard to make a come back into the game. But today, we had an almost perfect game – with the ball, bat and in the field. Consistency is one area we need to work on.

On RP Singh’s performance in the tournament

RP Singh is a great prospect. He has done well for India as well. He was injured, made a strong comeback and he’s continued his good run in this tournament as well. RP and Sreesanth have spearheaded our bowling attack and it’s good to have such experienced bowlers in our team. It gives our pace attack depth and options to try out different combinations.

On his decision to field first

The other day we couldn’t defend 180. It’s a small ground with a very good batting track. So we took the route of restricting them and then chasing it down. And for that we beefed up our batting.

On whether the track for this game was different from the last one

It was pretty much the same, probably slightly slower than the first day. But it is a very good batting wicket.

On their next game in Chennai

Unfortunately I’m leaving for Sri Lanka tomorrow early in the morning. But I’ll speak to the boys tonight and give them the confidence they need. We need to finish on a high. We beat Chennai in Kochi, so we just need to focus on our strengths and execute our plans. They’re a tough team to beat but we’ve got nothing to lose. I just want the guy to go out there and enjoy their cricket.