IPL teams in 2009
Bangalore Royal Challengers
What’s their ‘thing’?
Bought loads of stonewallers, like Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and promptly finished second to last in 2008.
New players
Wisely added Robin Uthappa, Kevin Pietersen and Jesse Ryder to their obdurate batting roster.
Chennai Super Kings
What’s their ‘thing’?
Second stupidest name. Either ‘kings’ weren’t supreme enough or it’s a reference to a certain grade of cement hawked by the owner. Both are good reasons.
New players
Bought Andrew Flintoff for three small fortunes.
Delhi Daredevils
What’s their ‘thing’?
Having Mohammad Asif banned for drug taking. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir open.
New players
Rucks. David Warner, Australia’s sloggy new opener. Andrew ‘Ronald’ McDonald, Australia’s boring new all-rounder who should really spend more time indoors with his complexion. Forgotten man, Ashish Nehra. As well as England’s Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood.
Deccan Chargers
What’s their ‘thing’?
Shahid Afridi slagged off VVS Laxman’s captaincy and said Adam Gilchrist should take over. The owners promptly gave Afridi the boot, before adding: “Also, Adam Gilchrist is the new captain” – something they forgot to mention to Laxman. Charged their way to last place in 2008.
New players
West Indians, Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Smith.
Kolkata Knight Riders
What’s their ‘thing’?
Got to be the ludicrous name, hasn’t it?
New players
Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Mortaza.
Kings XI Punjab
What’s their ‘thing’?
Being a team of 11 equal-billing kings, like some sort of communist monarchy. They’re also ‘our’ team (in the loosest possible sense).
New players
Ravi Bopara and also ‘Burt Cockley’ who we’re going to go and find out more about, right this minute.
Mumbai Indians
What’s their ‘thing’?
Harbhajan Singh slapped his India team mate, Sreesanth. Sreesanth had a cry.
New players
JP Duminy and Kyle Mills.
Rajasthan Royals
What’s their ‘thing’?
Being the cheapskate team that won the IPL in 2008 with Shane Warne leading the way.
New players
Tyron Henderson
Subscribe to the King Cricket email updates
Demonstrate your ability to wear a T-shirt with a King Cricket T-shirt
heh.
Actually, ‘Super’ in the Kings name is very apt- the word is used in all kinds of ways colloquially in Tamil Nadu state (of which Chennai is the captial)- from real to the hilarious.
Actually both Sree and HArbhajan belong to the Kings XI.
Burt Cockley! No way is that the real name of a cricketer! Surely he is in fact one of the following:
- an elderly uncle
- a real ale enthusiast
- a morris dancer
- a folk singer
- a fisherman
- an East End publican
And your point is, Miriam?
So ’super’ is used as a prefix, even? That’s an interesting development. I think I might use it myself. Can’t let the absolute monarchists have all the fun.
Sorry Bert, are you a Cockley as well?
Would that I were, Miriam. Would that I were…
John, Sree does, but Harbhajan plays for (and for a time captained) Mumbai Indians.
What we wrote was misleading though – we meant they were India team mates.
Is the fact that this ‘preview’ thins out considerably towards the last couple of teams a subtle comment on the way the IPL’s novelty is wearing off, or is it just that there’s not much interesting to say about the Mumbai Indians or Rajasthan Royals?
It’s not exactly chock full of content up top either.