A List of Players who were Bought, Transferred, Retained and went Unsold For IPL 2012

IPL 2012 auction

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 4, 2012

A list of players who were bought, transferred, retained and went unsold for IPL 2012

Bought
Brendon McCullum - $900,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $400,000)
Ravindra Jadeja - Maximum purse of $2 million bid by Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers. It goes to a tiebreaker. Bought by Chennai Super Kings for an undisclosed amount (base price $100,000).
Muttiah Muralitharan - $220,000 to Royal Challengers Bangalore (base price $200,000)
Mahela Jayawardene - $1.4 million to Delhi Daredevils (base price $300,000)
Herschelle Gibbs - $50,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $50,000)
Brad Hodge - $475,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $200,000)
Parthiv Patel - $650,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price $200,000)
Dinesh Chandimal - $50,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $50,000)
Andre Russell - $450,000 to Delhi Daredevils (base price $50,000)
Mitchell Johnson - $300,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $300,000)
RP Singh - $600,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $200,000)
Vinay Kumar - $1 million to Royal Challengers Bangalore (base price $100,000)
Sreesanth - $400,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $400,000)
Ramesh Powar - $160,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)
Brad Hogg - $180,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $100,000)
Sunil Narine - $700,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $50,000)
Robin Peterson - $100,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $100,000)
Daniel Harris - $70,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price 50,000)
Kevon Cooper - $50,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price 50,000)
James Faulkner - $190,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)
Azhar Mahmood - $200,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)
Thisara Perera - $650,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $50,000)
Marchant de Lange - $50,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $50,000)
Darren Bravo - $100,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price $100,000)
Doug Bracewell - $50,000 to Delhi Daredevils (base price $50,000)

Retained
(Players who were signed last year as a replacement for injured players and then retained by the franchise for this year)
Chris Gayle - Royal Challengers Bangalore, $550,000
Sourav Ganguly - Pune Warriors, $400,000
David Miller - Kings XI Punjab, $100,000

Transferred
(Main players signed during the IPL's trading window between December 15 and January 20)
Kevin Pietersen - Deccan Chargers to Delhi Daredevils
Andrew McDonald - Delhi Daredevils to Royal Challengers Bangalore
Dinesh Karthik - Kings XI Punjab to Mumbai Indians
Pragyan Ojha - Deccan Chargers to Mumbai Indians
R Sathish - Mumbai Indians to Kings XI Punjab
Harmeet Singh - Deccan Chargers to Kings XI Punjab

Unsold
James Anderson - base price $300,000
Tamim Iqbal - base price $50,000
Adrian Barath - base price $50,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan - base price $100,000
Ian Bell - base price $200,000
Owais Shah - base price $200,000
Upul Tharanga - base price $50,000
VVS Laxman - base price $400,000
Matt Prior - base price $200,000
Brendan Taylor - base price $100,000
Mark Boucher - base price $100,000
Justin Kemp - base price $100,000
Marlon Samuels - base price $100,000
Steven Smith - base price $200,000
Ravi Bopara - base price $100,000
Luke Wright - base price $200,000
Kevin O'Brien - base price $50,000
Dwayne Smith - base price $100,000
Lonwabo Tsotsobe - base price $50,000
VRV Singh - base price $100,000
Vernon Philander - base price $200,000
Fidel Edwards - base price $100,000
Ravi Rampaul - base price $100,000
Peter Siddle - base price $200,000
Tim Southee - base price $100,000
Graeme Swann - base price $400,000
Rangana Herath - base price $50,000
Ajantha Mendis - base price $50,000
Steve O'Keefe - base price $100,000
Xavier Doherty - base price $100,000
Michael Klinger - base price $50,000
Richard Levi - base price $50,000
Alviro Petersen - base price $100,000
Lendl Simmons - base price $50,000
Farveez Maharoof - base price $50,000
Jacob Oram - base price $100,000
Moises Henriques - base price $50,000
Ben Laughlin - base price $50,000
Ryan McLaren - base price $100,000
Nicky Boje - base price $200,000
Jacques Rudolph - base price $20,000
Andy McKay - base price $50,000
Alister McDermott - base price $20,000
Michael Neser - base price $50,000

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Sahara Withdraws Sponsorship of BCCI and IPL

India news

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 4, 2012

Sahara India Parivar has cut its ties with the BCCI, withdrawing its sponsorship of the Indian team and ownership of the Pune Warriors IPL franchise. The decision was announced on Saturday morning, an hour before the IPL 2012 auction - which went ahead without any representation from Pune Warriors.

In its formal statement, Sahara referred to several points of dispute with the BCCI, dating back to its first sponsorship deal in 2001 but largely relating to the IPL. It said it would "continue paying the sponsorship money" to the BCCI for a period of "2-4 months" it would take to find a new sponsor. The group had won the bid for the Indian team sponsorship most recently in May 2010.

In its initial response, IPL governing council chairman Rajeev Shukla said that the BCCI had yet to receive anything in writing from Sahara about the withdrawal of sponsorship.

The group, which has sponsored the Indian team for 11 years, had cited several reasons for its sudden pull-out, its most recent differences with the BCCI concerning its involvement in the IPL.

The latest dispute arises around a request by Sahara to be allowed to add Yuvraj Singh's price into its auction purse for the February 4 auction after it was learnt that Yuvraj could not take part in the IPL as he is undergoing medical treatment for a tumour in his lung. When the request was refused, Sahara said it was "yet again" a case of the BCCI denying them "natural justice."

The differences between Sahara and the IPL began in 2008 when Sahara's bid for one of the first eight IPL franchises was "thwarted" following disqualification on what it calls, "a small technicality on the whims and fancies of BCCI." Last year, the group had successfully bid $370m for the Pune franchise when the IPL had opened up the league to two new teams.

Sahara had asked for a refund of what it called its "extra bid money" stating that its bid price had been calculated on the basis of 94 matches to be played in the IPL's fourth season. It said it had been denied, "on the basis of strict rules." Other requests, like opening up the auction to all players once again in order to to achieve a "level playing field" or allowing one extra foreign player for the two new teams were also turned down.

"We are withdrawing from all cricket under BCCI," the group stated. "However, we don't want to give any problem to the BCCI and we also feel that the players should not suffer. BCCI will definitely take 2-4 months to get a new sponsor and we will continue paying the sponsorship money till then. All other IPL team players, coaches and other such associates will definitely get their due this year, in case they do not get a chance to play."

The sudden turn of events took the Indian cricket fraternity by surprise. It appears even players of the franchise were not aware of the developments, with several tweets expressing surprise.

This Sahara pullout comes a day after Kochi Tuskers Kerala, the other team which made its IPL debut with Pune last year, announced it would take the BCCI to court for terminating its contract. The 2012 IPL was reduced to nine teams as a result. Another sponsor, Maxx Mobiles, has reportedly withdrawn as strategic time-out and official play-off sponsor of the IPL. It had signed a three-year contract for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons

Over the past six months, the BCCI has terminated the Kochi franchise as well as its broadcast deal with Nimbus Communications, who were the rights holders for all cricket played in India.

QUICK COMMENT

Blow for the BCCI

Conventional wisdom suggests Sahara India's decision to end its ties with the BCCI, and the IPL, will have little material effect on the world's richest cricketing body. There will be enough sponsors lining up to clamber on the gravy train that is Indian cricket. But these are not conventional times, and Saturday morning's dramatic announcement - made an hour before the IPL auction was due to start - comes at a particularly awkward moment for the board. It is now without a TV rights holder, a main sponsor, an IPL franchise and a buyer for its internet rights. None of these on its own is an insurmountable problem but together they weaken the BCCI's hitherto omnipotent position.

They also reveal the inherent problems within the administration of the game in India that had been papered over by first the dazzling financial success of the IPL and then by the team's rise to the top of the Test match rankings and its World Cup win. In the months since that heady evening in Mumbai in April, the game in India seems to have taken several steps back. The 2011 IPL returned the lowest TV ratings for any of the four seasons; not good news for a tournament whose revenues are based on eyeballs. A few months later the sight of empty stands in Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai during an ODI series in which India beat England 5-0 added to the sense of disquiet. That series also saw signs of tension between the BCCI and Nimbus, the TV rights holders, which eventually led to the contract being terminated.

Saturday's events will be particularly embarrassing for the BCCI as they impact the IPL, its flagship tournament and the basis for its global clout. Sahara's reasons remain allegations for the moment but they emphasise the common perception - one that has existed since the days of Lalit Modi - that the IPL is run in an ad hoc manner. The tournament's fifth season, already down to nine teams following Kochi's contentious exit, is now in a state of confusion for players, for administrators and presumably the broadcasters too. When the BCCI sneezes, the cricket world catches cold; it must now act fast to restore credibility before the confusion goes viral.
Jayaditya Gupta

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England Players Miss Out on IPL 2012 Auction

IPL 2012 auction

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 4, 2012

Not one of the five current England cricketers on sale in the IPL auction were sold. The only players from the current England squad who will play in the fifth season of the IPL are Kevin Pietersen - who was transferred to the Delhi Daredevils for a reported US$2million - Eoin Morgan, who is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad and Stuart Broad, who was bought by Kings XI Punjab in 2011.

James Anderson, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara did not attract any bids. Chris Tremlett had been included in the auction list but withdrew after flying home from England's tour of the UAE with an injury.

The news will be welcomed by the England management who wanted maximum time for England's players to rest after their tour of Sri Lanka, which ends on April 7, and prepare for the start of the international summer, which begins on May 17 against West Indies at Lord's.

Anderson hoped to use the IPL to press his claim for a recall to England's Twenty20 side ahead of the World Twenty20 in September, but his base price of $300,000 was too much to attract any interest. He last played Twenty20 cricket for England in 2009 and spoke out at players not being given more opportunities to develop their T20 skills.

Pietersen was transferred to the Daredevils from the Deccan Chargers before the auction. He will join India batsman Virender Sehwag and Australia's David Warner for the fifth season of the IPL. He was first signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009 for $1.55 million but when the players we re-auctioned in 2011, Pietersen saw his price tag fall to $650,000. Morgan, on the other hand, saw his price increase in the 2011 auction, when the Knight Riders bought him for $350,000. He had been the only England player to be handed a new contract before the 2010 season, when the Royal Challengers signed him for $220,000. Broad was bought for $400,000 by Kings XI in 2011.

Former England internationals Owais Shah - who played for the Cape Cobras in the Champions League in September - and Luke Wright - who turned out for the Melbourne Stars in Australia's Big Bash League, scoring a hundred from 44 balls against Hobart - were not bought. Ireland's Kevin O'Brien also missed out in Saturday's auction.

12:08 GMT, February 4: This story has been corrected to include the fact that Eoin Morgan will play for the Kolkata Knight Riders and Stuart Broad will turn out for Kings XI Punjab in the 2012 IPL

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Kochi Owners to go to Court Over Termination

IPL news

Tariq Engineer

February 3, 2012

Rendezvous Sports World Pvt Ltd, one of the co-owners of the terminated Kochi Tuskers Kerala IPL franchise, is planning to go to court next week in a late bid to revive the team. The Kochi franchise was annulled by the BCCI in September 2011 for their failure to provide a fresh bank guarantee to the board.

"Monday or Tuesday we will file a case in court," Prashanth Mishra, a Rendezvous official, told ESPNcricinfo. "We want to be a part of IPL season 5."

However, since the termination the BCCI has not only cashed the existing bank guarantee, worth approximately $30.39 million, but has also included a number of former Tuskers players in Saturday's player auction. That means even if the court were to grant a stay on Kochi's termination, they would still be without players.

When asked why the company had waited so long before deciding to file a case, Mishra said their intention had always been to try and get the team reinstated, but that it took them longer than expected to get a new bank guarantee in place. "We wanted to make sure we have no problems in terms of funds, so that we can run the franchise for many years to come." He also said it would be inappropriate to discuss their plans on how they would sign players at this stage, but did say the owners were resigned to losing some of their key players from last year.

The company is banking on the court following the precedents set in the cases involving the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, which were both terminated by the BCCI in 2010. The franchises' respective owners went to court fairly soon after, with the Bombay High Court granting a stay on their termination and allowing them to play in the 2011 tournament while their cases were referred to arbitration. Rendezvous had wanted to file a petition before the auction, in order to prevent their players from being sold to other franchises, but Mishra said they were unable to get it done in time.

Should Rendezvous go to court as planned, it will be the latest in a list of cases filed against the BCCI over the IPL, following the Royals and Kings XI Punjab and the former IPL chairman, Lalit Modi, who went to court repeatedly in a bid to halt the board's disciplinary procedures against him, although unsuccessfully.

In order to bolster their efforts, representatives from Rendezvous have met the chief minister and sports minister of Kerala to ask for support in their efforts to save the franchise. They have also approached the Kerala Cricket Association for their support. "[Rendezvous] is confident that it will be successful in getting the team to play this season," the company said in a statement, "and we would like to promise the state of Kerala that we will take any possible steps to keep the team alive."

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Yuvraj Singh Ruled Out From IPL 2012

India news

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 26, 2012

Yuvraj Singh, the India batsman, could be ruled out of cricket for as many as six months due to the ongoing treatment of his non-malignant lung tumour. This means he will at least miss the Asia Cup and the IPL, where he captained the Pune Warriors last year.

The last time Yuvraj played competitive cricket was the Tests against West Indies last November, and he was originally hoping to return as early as next month's ODI tri-series in Australia.

According to PTI, quoting an unnamed source from the IPL, Yuvraj is currently overseas. He has travelled to the United States in order to undergo "advanced treatment" for the tumour following which there will be a period of recuperation expected to take several months as well. This means he would not be available to play in the IPL, which starts on April 4. The unnamed IPL source said it could take up to "six months" for Yuvraj to return to cricket.

It has been a nightmare run for Yuvraj since his Man-of-the-Series performance in India's World Cup victory last year. An injury kept him out of the tour of the West Indies and his contribution to India's tour of England was cut short by a finger injury sustained during the Nottingham Test. He returned for the home Tests against West Indies, and was left out of the side for the third Test, in November.

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David Miller Retained By Kings XI Punjab For IPL 2012

Indian Premier League 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 21, 2012

David Miller, the South Africa middle-order batsman, has been retained by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the fifth season of the IPL, and given a two-year contract. Miller had joined Kings XI as a replacement for Dimitri Mascarenhas last season but did not play a game. He has been on the fringes of the South Africa ODI and Twenty20 side, and scored a half-century against Australia in the October 2011 series.

Teams who signed replacement players last season have first rights to their services this season, provided they can come to an agreement with the player on the price. Had Miller not been retained by Kings XI he would have gone into the mix for the February 4 auction. Kings XI sold Dinesh Karthik to the Mumbai Indians earlier in the transfer window, which closed on January 20, and have brought in R Sathish and Miller to bolster the batting.

Miller has never played an IPL match, but averages 31.30 in Twenty20s for his South African franchise the Dolphins with a strike-rate of 127.75. English county Durham signed him to play in the 2011 Friends Life t20, and he scored 212 runs at an average of 26.50.

After being drafted into the South Africa team as a 20 year old in 2010, Miller was left out of the squad for the 2011 World Cup. He received a recall for the home ODIs and Twenty20 internationals against Australia, but despite his half-century did not even figure in the squad for the series against Sri Lanka.

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Ganguly and Donald Join Pune Warriors Coaching Staff

Indian Premier League 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 21, 2012

Sourav Ganguly and Allan Donald have been added to the Pune Warriors coaching staff ahead of the fifth season of the IPL. Donald will be the team's bowling coach, while Ganguly will play a dual role as player and mentor. The Warriors will be without a head coach - Geoff Marsh left to coach Sri Lanka - and Donald and Ganguly will join Paddy Upton, the mental and conditioning coach, and Praveen Amre, the batting coach.

Ganguly, who joined the Warriors midway through last season as a replacement for Ashish Nehra, has been retained by the franchise for $400,000. That leaves the Warriors with $1.6 million to spend in the February 4 auction.

Donald, who is the South Africa bowling coach, will be available during the IPL, since South Africa do not have any international cricket in April and May. The Warriors are keen to get Donald to come to India to conduct a bowling camp with their bowlers before South Africa leave for their tour of New Zealand on February 9. The camp will have to be held sometime between January 23, when South Africa's home series against Sri Lanka ends, and February 4, when the Duleep Trophy starts.

The Warriors had a poor first season in the IPL in 2011, finishing second last in the table. Ganguly, who went unsold in the initial auction, was unable to make an impact after joining the Warriors, with a highest score of 32 in four innings, but sees his role expanded this year. The $400,000 paid to retain Ganguly was the same as his base price in the 2011 auction.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore Retain Chris Gayle

IPL 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 20, 2012

Chris Gayle has been retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the next two IPL seasons. The Royal Challengers had first rights to Gayle's services after he represented them as a replacement for Dirk Nannes in the previous year. Though the amount he has been signed for is yet undisclosed, it is to be revealed to the IPL authorities and will be deducted from the Royal Challengers' auction purse.

"We are delighted to make Chris Gayle a permanent member of our IPL squad. We are confident that with players like him in our side, we will take the extra step this season, and win our maiden IPL title," Sidhartha Mallya, Director, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, said in a release.

"To me, Bangalore has been a home away from home," Gayle said. "I wanted to continue playing for them, and it turned out that they were keen to retain my services."

The IPL trading window closes on Friday, January 20, and the Royal Challengers had the option to either retain Gayle or leave him to be open for auction on February 4. He went unsold at the auction last year and the maximum amount the Royal Challengers could pay him was $650,000, the amount Nannes was bought for. He joined them on a one-year contract and topped the run-charts in the 2011 season. This year, however, he could be bought for a significantly higher amount; the purse each franchise has been allowed is $2 million.

Gayle was in prime form in the IPL last year, playing a crucial role in Royal Challengers' journey to the final. He struck two centuries, three half-centuries, picked up eight wickets - a prize catch for any franchise that had his services for the season to follow. A BCCI official, at the time when Gayle's future was uncertain, told ESPNcricinfo that the Royal Challengers were keen on signing Gayle but would have to shell out a large portion of their purse to convince him. "Bangalore want Gayle because they see the cricketing merit in the decision as he helped them to the final last year," the official had said. "But if they decide to sign a deal with him, they will have to pay big money and if they do that they will be left with nothing much at the auction."

The Mumbai Indians, a richer franchise than the Royal Challengers, were also interested in signing Gayle but Royal Challengers made use of their first rights to his services.

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Where will Chris Gayle Go in IPL 2012?

IPL 2012

Nagraj Gollapudi

January 16, 2012

Four days before the first trading window of the IPL shuts, the biggest question surrounds the future of Chris Gayle, the West Indies opener. Gayle turned out for the Royal Challengers Bangalore last season, and topped the run-charts while taking them to the IPL final. However, Gayle joined the Royal Challengers as a replacement player midway through the season and was hence on a one-year contract. This year the Royal Challengers have first rights to his services, but it is up to Gayle whether to accept their offer or make himself available for the February 4 auction.

Either way, Gayle stands to cash in on the Twenty20 reputation he has built after hitting two centuries and five half-centuries for the Royal Challengers over last year's IPL and Champions League T20. Last season, he went unsold in the original auction and when he replaced an injured Dirk Nannes the maximum the Royal Challengers could pay him was $650,000, the price Nannes was bought for. This year, Gayle can be bought for up to $2 million, the purse each franchise is allowed.

The Royal Challengers are looking at breaking the bank to retain him before January 20, and if they cannot come to an agreement with him other franchises can bid for him in next month's auction.

"You will have to wait. We will make an announcement soon," Siddharth Mallya, the owner of the Bangalore franchise, told ESPNcricinfo, without revealing any further details. But the Royal Challengers are hot on the heels of Gayle, who is currently playing in the Big Bash League in Australia for the Sydney Thunder. Should the Royal Challengers manage to sign Gayle before the auction, they will have to disclose the fee they have agreed with him to the IPL authorities, and that amount will be deducted from the franchise's $2 million purse at the auction.

A BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo that the Royal Challengers wanted to sign Gayle but they would have to shell out a large portion of their purse to convince him. "Bangalore want Gayle because they see the cricketing merit in the decision as he helped them to the final last year," the official said. "But if they decide to sign a deal with him, they will have to pay big money and if they do that they will be left with nothing much at the auction."

As far as Gayle is concerned, he is spoilt for choice. Reportedly the Mumbai Indians, who have already signed Dinesh Karthik (for $2.35 million) and Pragyan Ojha during the transfer window, have expressed their interest in buying Gayle. "Every franchise would like to have Gayle. He turned one IPL on his own," one of the franchise officials said. According to him Gayle would easily get the maximum $2 million purse available to each franchise. If more than one franchise bids $2 million for Gayle, it will go to a secret tie-breaker in which the competing franchises will submit closed bids.

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Kochi's Foreign Players Asked to Sue Owners

Indian Premier League

Tariq Engineer

January 13, 2012

The BCCI has asked the international players who had signed with Kochi Tuskers Kerala, the now defunct IPL franchise, to file individual court cases against the owners in order to recover the money due to them. ESPNcricinfo understands that the move is purely a legal requirement and that the board has assured the players, who signed a two-year contract, that they will receive their money for IPL 4 and IPL 5. The international players who played for Kochi included Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Brendon McCullum and Steven Smith.

The Kochi franchise was terminated by the BCCI last September for breaching its terms of agreement. The board also encashed the team's bank guarantee worth Rs 156 crores (US$ 30.39 million). At the time, Rajeev Shukla, the IPL chairman, said the board would protect the players' rights.

"Our prime concern will be the players' interest, their interest is not hampered in terms of financial losses and also in terms of their participation in the tournament," he told PTI. "Suppose these players are re-auctioned for some other franchise and if there is any difference in what they are supposed to get, it will be compensated by us."

The need for the players to file individual cases arose because the player contracts are between the players and the franchises, and not the BCCI. Under Indian law, a legal agreement between two parties is required when it comes to remitting money overseas. In the absence of an agreement, if the board transferred money to the players in other countries, it would violate the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, something it has already been accused of violating multiple times by the government.

Therefore to avoid contravening the law, the board wants the players to sue Kochi with the BCCI included as party to each case. ESPNcricinfo understands this would then lead to the players being permitted to be paid by the BCCI for the 2011 season and beyond.

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McDonald Joins Royal Challengers Bangalore

Indian Premier League 2012

Tariq Engineer

January 11, 2012

Royal Challengers Bangalore have picked up Andrew McDonald, the allrounder from Australia, from the Delhi Daredevils for the 2012 IPL season, the IPL has said. Harmeet Singh, the Punjab medium-pacer, has also moved from Deccan Chargers to Kings XI Punjab.

According to a Daredevils official, the transfer fee for McDonald was US$100,000. McDonald played only one game for the Daredevils in 2011. In his three seasons with the team, he played just six games, scoring 76 runs and taking five wickets.

"All-rounders are a priceless asset and we are pleased to add Andrew to our squad," Sidhartha Mallya, the director of Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, said. "He has excelled with bat and ball in different formats. We have no doubt that he will make a big difference to our prospects in the coming IPL season."

TA Sekar, the head of cricket for Daredevils owner GMR Sports, said McDonald "would fit in well with the Royal Challengers."

McDonald is currently playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, where he has made 156 runs from five games at an average of 52.00 and a strike-rate of 136.84.

Harmeet played two games for the Chargers in 2011, picking up three wickets at an economy rate of 7.57.

Harmeet and McDonald were the fourth and fifth players to be traded during the current transfer window. Dinesh Karthik moved from Kings XI to the Mumbai Indians for a record $2.35 million, with R Sathish heading in the opposite direction. Kevin Pietersen was transferred to the Daredevils from the Chargers.

"The process of player-transfers during the trading window is gaining in momentum, and we are likely to see more action in the days leading up to 20 January 2012, when the first part of the window will close," Rajeev Shukla, the IPL chairman, said.

There will be another short window for trading after the February 4 auction in which the players of now-terminated franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala will be sold. The 2012 IPL will run from April 4 to May 27.

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Kevin Pietersen Transfers to Delhi Daredevils

Indian Premier League 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 8, 2012

England batsman Kevin Pietersen has transferred to Delhi Daredevils from Deccan Chargers for the 2012 season of the IPL, the IPL has confirmed. Pietersen is the third player to switch teams during the transfer window, after Dinesh Karthik and R Sathish.

"We are pleased to add Kevin to our line-up. He brings rich experience and an explosive quality to our batting and can be a more than handy offspinner as well," said TA Sekhar, GMR Sports' Head (Cricket). "We are sure that Kevin will help us to be very competitive this season and the Delhi Daredevils fans will enjoy this addition."

Pietersen was earlier part of Royal Challengers Bangalore and had captained the team for a few games in 2009. He was acquired by Deccan Chargers during the 2011 player auctions but could not play as he was recovering from a double hernia.

Pietersen, currently in the UAE for England's away series against Pakistan, said he was looking forward to the challenge of being part of a new setup. "I am looking forward to a wonderful time with the Delhi Daredevils," Pietersen said. "It will be a great experience to be playing in the same squad as Sehwag."

The first window for trading between IPL franchises closes on January 20. There will be another short window for trading after the February 4 auction in which the players of now terminated franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala will be sold. The tournament will run from April 4 to May 27, 2012.

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IPL 2012 To Start and End in Chennai

IPL news

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 6, 2012

The fifth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), comprising nine teams and 76 matches, will begin and end in Chennai, with the opening match on April 4 and the final on May 27. The teams will play each other at home and away during a league phase consisting of 72 games at 12, possibly 13, venues, beginning with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings playing Champions League T20 winners Mumbai Indians.

There won't, however, be any matches in Sri Lanka, the BCCI apparently turning down a suggestion by Sri Lanka Cricket to stage a few games there.

The Pune Warriors franchise will host eight games at the new stadium in Pune, subject to its completion. In 2011, Pune had to stage their 'home' games at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. Dharamsala and Visakhapatman will also host two games each, and Cuttack is listed as an alternate venue to Hyderabad for two matches.

The first Qualifier, which will be contested by the top two teams in the league, and the Eliminator, contested by Nos. 3 and 4, will be held in Bangalore. Chennai will host the second Qualifier, which will be played between the winner of the Eliminator and the loser of the first Qualifier, and the tournament final.

The tournament is scheduled to begin 12 days after the Asia Cup final and a week after the end of South Africa's tour of New Zealand. At present there are three international series that will clash with the 2012 IPL and could affect player availability for both the franchises and the countries. Sri Lanka are hosting England in April, while West Indies host Australia and then travel to England in May.

The next player auction for the IPL is scheduled for February 4.

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Dinesh Karthik to Transfer to Mumbai Indians

IPL news

Nagraj Gollapudi

January 5, 2012

Dinesh Karthik, the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper, will move from Kings XI Punjab to the Mumbai Indians in the first notable transfer ahead of the IPL's fifth season. Karthik was bagged by the Mumbai Indians for an undisclosed sum. A BCCI insider said it was easily the highest sum paid to buy a player from another team in the history of the IPL. In exchange for Karthik, allrounder R Sathish will go to Kings XI.

"It was a substantial sum and easily the highest in strictly trading terms," the board official said. "Mumbai wanted a keeper. Punjab did not mind as they were getting a good amount of money."

Kings XI had spent $900,000 (Rs 4.77 crores) on Karthik during the Jaunary 2011 auction, making him the second-most expensive player in their squad, behind David Hussey and joint with captain Adam Gilchrist. Though the IPL and both franchises have been muted about the trade, it is understood that Mumbai have paid somewhere between $2-2.5 million (Rs 10.59-13.2 crores) for Karthik. Unlike during the auction, when the franchises are restricted by a specific purse, there are no caps on spending during trading. According to IPL rules, 20% of the profit made in a trade - in this case believed to be between $1.1-1.6 million - goes to the player with the rest going to the franchise selling him.

Sathish, who does not have an India cap, will be paid Rs 30 lakhs ($56,619) by Kings XI according to IPL rules.

Despite having a power-packed squad, Mumbai Indians have struggled to find a full-time wicketkeeper. Yogesh Takawale, Luke Ronchi and Aditya Tare were tried over the first three seasons. They bought South African Davy Jacobs during the 2011 auction, and he turned heads by standing up to the quicks. However, he picked up a hip injury during the Champions League T20 in September last year, forcing Mumbai Indians to throw the gloves to Ambati Rayudu, whose frailties as a keeper were exposed during the tournament.

When the trading window opened on December 15, 2011, Mumbai Indians immediately declared their interest in Karthik. Kings XI have Gilchrist as their first-choice wicketkeeper and Haryana's Nitin Saini in reserve, which would have made it easier for them to take the large amount offered for Karthik.

Karthik spent the first three IPL seasons at the Delhi Daredevils but they did not retain him for the next season. Kings XI grabbed him at the auction, doubling the $525,000 Delhi had bought him for in 2008. Karthik was the first-choice wicketkeeper for the Daredevils but had to play as a batsman for Kings XI. In thirteen matches for Kings XI, he scored 282 runs at 25.63. In his 46 matches for the Daredevils, in the IPL and CLT20, he got 803 runs at 25.90 and affected 37 dismissals.

Sathish joined the Mumbai Indians for the third season of the IPL; he was granted amnesty by the BCCI after he quit the rebel Indian Cricket League. He played 28 matches for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and CLT20, scored 223 runs at 15.92 and took two wickets. He also impressed with his athletic fielding.

The first window for trading between IPL franchises closes on January 20. There will be another short window for trading after the February 4 auction in which the players of now terminated franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala will be sold.

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Trevor Bayliss Named New Coach of Knight Riders

IPL news

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 3, 2012

Trevor Bayliss, the former Sri Lanka coach, has been named as Kolkata Knight Riders' new head coach, replacing Dav Whatmore who stepped down two days ago.

"We are pleased to welcome Trevor Bayliss as our head coach," Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of the Knight Riders, said in a press release. "With his rich experience, very successful track record and knowledge of the conditions in the subcontinent, we believe he is the right person to take KKR to the next level of performance."

Bayliss, 49, will be the third coach of the Knight Riders, after John Buchanan and Whatmore. "I have followed the IPL and KKR's performance and I am honored to become part of this team," Bayliss said, "which has already built a reputation as a very popular & professional franchise."

Bayliss had been in charge of the Sri Lankan team for four years before resigning following their run to the 2011 World Cup final. He had also guided them to the final of the World Twenty20 in 2009. As coach of New South Wales until 2006-07, he helped the Blues win a Pura Cup title as well as a domestic one-day trophy. He isn't new to the world of Twenty20 franchise cricket either, and is currently in charge of the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League tournament in Australia. The BBL appointment came after he missed out to Anthony Stuart on a mentoring assignment with the New South Wales team.

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Sri Lanka Cricket Eager to Host IPL Matches

Sri Lanka news

Tariq Engineer in Colombo

January 3, 2012

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has approached the BCCI about the possibility of hosting IPL matches, the new SLC president, Upali Dharmadasa, has said. The idea has been proposed as a way for SLC to raise additional revenue because the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) failed to get off the ground last year, after the BCCI's refusal to allow Indian players to take part in the tournament.

It is for the same reason - an increase in revenue - that India's tour of Sri Lanka in July 2012 will comprise three one-dayers and three Twenty20 games, and no Tests as had been earlier planned. SLC is presently facing a severe shortage of funds following the construction of new stadiums in Pallekele and Hambantota and the renovation of the Premadasa Stadium for the 2011 World Cup.

"I feel it [a T20 league] is a needed thing," Dharmadasa told ESPNcricinfo. "But I don't think it is the right time with India having the IPL. With most of our players going and playing there and the countries being so close, I would request the Indian board, and we have already started talking, why not play a couple of matches in Sri Lanka?"

Dharmadasa pointed out that the flight from Bangalore to Colombo was only an hour long and the flight from Mumbai was only slightly longer than a Mumbai to Chennai flight. "Make it a venture," he said. "On the whole, they [the BCCI] will help Sri Lanka as a tourist attraction and see that Sri Lanka Cricket comes up."

India were supposed to play a full tour - three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 game - in Sri Lanka but it was cut down to just three Tests in the new Futures Tour Programme. Dharmadasa then met with BCCI president N Srinivasan, after being appointed interim SLC president earlier this year, and convinced him that holding limited-overs games would be more beneficial financially to Sri Lanka.

"I am talking to the TV rights owners, Ten Sports," Dharmadasa said. "I am hopeful of raising almost US$12.5 million." He also said he was trying to arrange a fourth ODI as well. "From a revenue point of view, I would love India to tour Sri Lanka three times a year," Dharmadasa said. "Unfortunately, it is not possible. But whenever possible [we would like them to tour]."

The SLPL, in July 2011, had been postponed to August 2012, after facing a series of problems, including the unexpected withdrawal of Indian players from the tournament. The BCCI had withheld permission for its players to participate on the grounds that Somerset Entertainment Ventures, which owned the commercial rights, would be handling the contracts for international players and that could lead to complications should disputes arise over payments. There were also suggestions that former IPL chairman Lalit Modi had a hand in the event, but SLC and Somerset repeatedly denied those allegations, as did Modi.

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Whatmore Steps Down as Knight Riders Coach

IPL news

Tariq Engineer

January 1, 2012

Dav Whatmore has resigned as head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders IPL franchise. Whatmore is the favourite to become the next coach of Pakistan, and cited his inability to discharge his duties with the Knight Riders as he pursues an international role.

The PCB has invited Whatmore to Pakistan in the second week of January to discuss his appointment, and the Knight Riders expressed their support of his desire to coach a national team again. Whatmore is a former coach of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"We have been most supportive of Dav's keen interest in pursuing an international coaching role and wish him the very best," Venky Mysore, the chief executive of the Knight Riders, said. "His decision to resign is to ensure that Kolkata Knight Riders are able to plan for the transition and we thank him for that. We also thank him for all his contributions over the past two years"

Whatmore 's tenure with the Knight Riders lasted two seasons. In his first year, they finished sixth out of eight teams but a completely revamped side under captain Gautam Gambhir reached the knockouts in 2011 before losing to the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator.

"The team has progressed in the right direction and as always, I wish the team continued success and look forward to them progressing to silverware in 2012," Whatmore said in a statement. Many thanks to those who have supported and believed in me."

The Knight Riders have begun a search for a new head coach and would like to have a replacement named before the IPL player auction on February 4. "The head coach is a very important role," Venky Mysore, the franchise's chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. "It is important that the coach has ownership of things."

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IPL Auction will be Held on February 4

IPL 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 15, 2011

The player auction for the 2012 IPL will be held on February 4, the governing council has announced. The players from the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise, which was terminated earlier this year, will be part of the auction. The venue is yet to be announced.

The council had earlier confirmed that the squad sizes for each team have been increased from 30 to 33, with eleven foreign players per squad, up one from the previous limit of 10. However, the number of foreign players that can be part of the final XI will remain at four. The teams will have an additional salary cap of $2 million.

Should any of the Kochi players fail to attract the bid, their salaries will be covered by the IPL through the franchise's bank guarantee worth Rs 156 crores that has been encashed by the BCCI. Among the leading players that will be part of the auction are Muttiah Muralitharan, Brendon McCullum, Mahela Jayawardene and Ravindra Jadeja.

The governing council also decided that the first window for trading players will be between December 15 and January 20, with a shorter window after the auction. There is no financial cap on trading, though each franchise can add only a maximum of four players to their squad through trading.

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Paul Nixon To coach Pune Warriors in IPL 2012

County news

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 12, 2011

Paul Nixon, the former Leicestershire wicketkeeper, has taken up a role with Pune Warriors for next year's IPL meaning he won't take up a full-time position with his former county.

Nixon, 41, retired at the end of the 2011 season after winning the Friends Life t20 in August but he rejected the offer to become batting coach at Grace Road to take up a role in India.

"It was a massively tough decision," Nixon told the Leicester Mercury. "But over the last few years I have got involved in other things and I have had an offer from the IPL to go and coach. It's waiting to be finalised and I would have liked everything to have been done before I turned down the full-time role with Leicestershire. They came to me about the role, we have agreed terms and it's a case of running it past the board and getting contracts signed."

The IPL begins on April 4 and Nixon has a contract offer for 80 days. He is hoping this opportunity can lead to future work. "You go and show what you can do and add value to the organisation, and the players, and take it from there,"he said. "I know I can add value. I've got a lot of experience in Twenty20 cricket. You have to do a good job and enjoy it.

"I like to think I have a canny knack of winning trophies. It would be nice to win one with Pune Warriors, that's the plan," said Nixon, who won the County Championships twice with Leicestershire in 1996 and 1998 and three Twenty20 titles in 2003, 2007 and 2011. He also won the National League with Kent in 2001.

Leicestershire head coach Phil Whitticase said the door was not closed for Nixon at Grace Road. "Nico could not commit to anything because he had other irons in the fire, but he will be involved in some capacity."

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Kochi IPL Players to be in 2012 Auction

IPL 2012 news

Tariq Engineer

December 10, 2011

The player auction for the 2012 IPL will be held in late January or early February and the teams will have an additional salary cap of $2 million, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The players from the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise, which was terminated earlier this year, will be part of the auction.

According to a formal communication from the IPL Governing Council, which met earlier today in Chennai, the squad sizes for each team have been increased from 30 to 33, with eleven foreign players per squad, up one from the previous limit of 10. However, the number of foreign players that can be part of the final XI will remain at four.

The teams will play their games on a home-and-away basis, so each of the nine teams will play 16 games as opposed to 14 in 2011. The changes mean the IPL reverts back to its original format, where all the teams played each other twice, a format that the franchises have always preferred. There were no changes to the play-off format. The two finalists, Chennai and Bangalore, will host the play-offs in 2012.

The decision to include the Kochi players in the player auction effectively means the board has decided to stick with nine teams for the time being. The BCCI voted to terminate the Kochi franchise at its annual general meeting in September. At the time board president N Srinivasan said that the governing council would decide on whether to issue a tender for a 10th franchise.

Should any of the Kochi players fail to attract the bid, their salaries will be covered by the IPL through the franchise's bank guarantee worth Rs 156 crores that has been encashed by the BCCI. Among the leading players that will be part of the auction are Muttiah Muralitharan, Brendon McCullum, Mahela Jayawardene and Ravindra Jadeja.

An official of one of the franchises was satisfied with the format for the 2012 season but not with the decision to increase squad size. "After Kochi went, the home-and-away format is a logical step," the official told ESPNcricinfo. "But 33 players is too much. Even 30 were too many. What they are trying to do is to ensure that the Kochi players get hired. If they are not hired, then the IPL has to pay for them. So they are trying to push that cost to the franchises by saying, 'Some you hire and some we'll hire'. Otherwise it makes no sense to increase the foreign players' count to 11. Even ten was too many as you are only playing four."

The governing council also decided that the first window for trading players will be between December 15 and January 20, with a shorter window after the auction. There is no financial cap on trading, though each franchise can add only a maximum of four players to their squad through trading.

In other IPL news, Chris Gayle is likely to stay with Royal Challengers Bangalore as a rule that allows the team which hired the replacement player to have the first right over him has been retained. Gayle transformed Royal Challengers' fortunes after being brought in following Australia fast bowler Dirk Nannes' injury early in the 2011 season, steering the team to the finals.

Also, in a jolt to the IPL, MAXX Mobile, the sponsors for the strategic timeout, have decided to terminate their three-year contract which was signed in 2010. The governing council deliberated on possible action against the company in case it does not compensate the IPL for exiting the contract ahead of the expiry date.

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