Dada back in IPL, to play for Pune Indian Premier League better known as IPL is in the midst of its fourth edition. This time unlike the previous three there is no one favorite team that can be termed as the hopeful winner of this tournament. Players from all over the world participate in this tournament and the teams’ owners get the player by auction which looks odd to me. Negotiation between two parties is ok, but when a real auction takes place putting the players as the object for valuation. The topic of discussion is not here on this point; hence let that be in the hands of BCCI, the cricket administrative body in India.
IPL is a good platform for new players to show their talent and capabilities, which is indeed good. The tournament also is a money getter for the BCCI as well as the franchisees. So, from everybody’s perspective it is a good tournament.
Who will play for which team is the most critical factor that is decided on the money spending capacities of the franchisee owners. For the 4th IPL no owner liked to bid for Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of Indian Team, not even his old team that is the Kolkata Knightrider. Shah Rukh Khan the owner of KKR is probably responsible for Ganguly’s exclusion from the team, which was criticized by the people of Kolkata and Khan wanted Ganguly to become mentor for the team, which Ganguly discarded. Ganguly at the age of 38 is useful or not is another question; but we do see quite a few players play cricket at that age successfully. Since IPL is a Twenty20 format, here luck plays a significant role side by side the skill. Ganguly’s price tag of $ 400,000 in the auction bidding was considered low, yet no owner came up to include him in his/her team. Therefore, Ganguly was left out of the tournament. There was an effort of the Kochi team to take him, which did not happen due to rejection of the application by the BCCI. Now the owner of the Pune Warrior Abhijit Sarkar of Sahara Group has signed Sourav Ganguly in the team after its ace bowler Ashish Nehra was found unfit. Pune Warriors is struggling in its performance losing six games and winning just two. Ganguly’s inclusion might or might not make any difference in the team performance, but there is a big stake with the Ganguly, who showed his captainship ability better than any of his predecessor in the Indian team. Ganguly also is a prolific batsman and occasional bowler. We shall wait to see what this old horse can do for its new home the Pune Warrior.