1470 Days

March 23, 2007 - India were knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage after losing to Sri Lanka and thus not making it to the Super Eights. India limped back home. Rahul Dravid quit as Captain (he genuinely said his contract was till the World Cup anyway) and Greg Chappell was sacked as coach of Team India. India needed a path. A Path that will help them overcome every possible roadblock and yet reaches the target. It needed that desperately.

April 02, 2011 – The day Indians will never forget. The stage was the same. The Opposition was the same. Here is India now the World Champions, beating every possible opponent on their way to the target that the road they followed led them to. The Men in Blue have managed to beat the opponents when it mattered. The pressure was there alright. The way the boys rose to the occasion demands applause.

So what exactly happened in the aftermath of the Caribbean disaster? India thought hard of the way forward. Something similar to the John Wright – Sourav Ganguly combo was needed. In a game like Cricket, it is always the Captain who must be dynamic. The Coach is a very important person but there is a proper way for him to be known as a coach. Rahul Dravid was a calm, cool Captain. He was what he was. You can never see Rahul Dravid command someone. He’ll do things in a Rahul Dravid manner which is everything but dynamic. On the other hand Greg Chappell was an aggressive, ambitious and autocratic manager. Something which will never work in a sport like Cricket, because one cannot set the field from the dressing room. It’s the captain who does that and he should be more active.

The Rise of Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the helm brought about a massive change in the Outlook of Indian Cricket. India went to South Africa after a prolonged agitation against the then newest form of the game, the 20-over version. No-one gave India a chance and without any pressure (although it was there back home from India) the Men in Blue dominated the tournament and emerged as Champions. It brought about a huge relief to the country and the cricketers as the memories of 2007 in West Indies slowly began to fade away. India was on the rise. Now they needed a cool headed coach.

Anil Kumble, the then Indian Captain in the longer format was part of the selection process and he had a long meeting with one of the candidates and came out showing his Thumbs Up to the Committee. He was impressed with that man’s vision, his attitude and most importantly his character. Gary Kirsten was finally named India’s coach and the target was set. 1) To make India the No.1 team in Tests and 2) To make India the World Champions in ODIs. The process had just begun.

The results began to improve dramatically. India beat Australia in Australia in a tri-series which never happened before that. The rise was evident. In the longest version, India continued to show marked improvement and kept going with the target. It was in late 2008 when two of India’s greatest Cricketers decided to hang their boots. India bid farewell to Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. Generally when two of the team’s top players retire, the transition will be the most watched aspect.

Despite the retirements India continued to grow. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named Captain for Tests too. Along with Gary Kirsten, Dhoni started to change the team’s methods. He believed in himself, backed the team and led admirably. Kirsten remained behind the screens and India was blossoming in front of it.

No.1 in Tests came soon after. India, thanks to contributions from everyone, is still the No.1 team in test cricket. Team Unity has been good. The players trust each other and the results are evident. Victories everywhere and India is no more a ‘soft’ traveller abroad. Target No.1 was accomplished.

The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup proved India’s persistence in achieving their second target. India picked a side that was not necessarily the best side in the tournament but one which was capable of playing well in any condition.

Spin bowling was most talked about and India used it pretty well. Three spinners - R Ashwin was used sparsely but in the important games. Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla did their bit. Not a great tournament for either of them personally, but I’m sure they gave their best possible effort.

In a tournament held in the sub-continent, fast bowlers would generally tend to struggle. So to get a decent wicket tally will satisfy any fast bowler. But to lead the wicket-takers list is something astonishing. Zaheer Khan proved yet again why he is the leader of the bowling attack bowling wonderfully whenever called by the captain. Munaf Patel was reasonably consistent bowling at a military medium pace. His delivery to get rid of Abdul Razzaq in the semi-final game was a memorable one. In fact that, along with Zaheer Khan’s two beauties to Devon Smith and Michael Hussey was the three balls of the tournament by the Indian bowlers.

Gautam Gambhir came to the party just when the innings from him was required. In fact he looked in good form right through but was unfortunate with some ordinary shots and poor running. Virender Sehwag provided some cracking starts opening the innings. Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina played some good cricket with the bat and most importantly both contributed immensely in the field.

Yuvraj Singh deservingly won the Player of the Tournament award. After Lance Klusener in 1999, he is the next all-rounder to win the award. Wickets everytime when he was called to bowl, important contributions with the bat, his innings against Australia was a treat. And just when it mattered, we saw the Yuvraj of 2002. Livewire he was in the field. Dived all around and he along with Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina would have saved atleast 15-20 runs in the final. Just imagine the importance of it by adding those runs with Sri Lanka’s total. The match would have been tighter than it was. It just shows how important fielding is. Yuvraj was THE Man who excelled in every department.

If there was one thing Sachin Tendulkar had not achieved in his short career it was being part of the World Cup winning squad. Not anymore. Every player interviewed said it was for Sachin Tendulkar. Virat Kohli said fittingly “This man has carried India’s hopes for 21 years, it’s time we carry him on our shoulders”. Any Indian watching the sight of Sachin Tendulkar being carried by his team-mates would have stood up. Such is the respect the man commands. Not that he was just a part of it. He was sensational with the bat. Hundreds against England and South Africa proved he is playing as well as he ever has. Tears after the World Cup win shows how proud he is to be an Indian. Wonderful player and the greatest sportsman India has produced. A Real Champion.

Every team member looks up to one man to know what they must do. The Captain must be capable of taking bold decisions. Mahendra Singh Dhoni led with distinction. His achievements as a captain are a perfect benchmark for the future captains to look up to and if they are equally successful as MS Dhoni then the future of Indian Cricket is SUN bright. His famous statements in the post-match presentation ceremony show that the man is aware of the environmental pressure he is under. His decisions may have been criticized by many but he stood firmly by it. Be it keeping Ravichandran Ashwin out of the team longer or giving Ashish Nehra the last over against South Africa, he has listened to what the cricketing sense says.

What a farewell party for the quiet yet influencing Gary Kirsten. India owes Kirsten a lot. He has remained very quiet all the time he’s been in India and here he is retiring as the coach of the World Cup winning team. Well done Gary. We respect your contributions to Indian Cricket and you will never be forgotten.

So what a turn-around! Indian Cricket is now blossoming wonderfully and let Mahendra Singh Dhoni lead India to more heights. Well done Team India! We are the World Champions!

World Cup - Mumbai Final

The two best teams in the tournament, and by no coincidence led by the two finest captains, will contest the final. Nothing can be better for what has been an outstanding event. The World Cup has given new life to the 50-over game and it has been hosted with great passion in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and in India. Now it has a dream final.

India will start favourites because they seem the more rounded of the two sides. They have players for most occasions and have batting match-winners of extraordinary pedigree. More important, as the tournament draws to a close, they seem to have a better idea of the combination they must believe will bring the World Cup home.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar are the best opening pair of the tournament, though by sheer weight of runs Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan will contest that. After the 175 against Bangladesh, Sehwag has been playing cameos, a bit like a brilliant actor working two shifts and leaving quickly after having delivered his lines impeccably. But even if he only does that, he makes it much easier for the batsmen to follow; especially, he takes the load off Tendulkar, who, apart from a quixotic phase in the semi-final, is batting as well as he ever has. The one thing he doesn't have in his gallery, a winner's medal, is a step away and I will be very interested in seeing how he keeps ambition at arm's length in the final.

India have resolved what is becoming a key position in this World Cup: Suresh Raina has batted with much confidence against Australia and Pakistan. Truly he has won back his spot and it has been wonderful to see him field, an area India are rather thinly endowed in. And Dhoni's extraordinary handling of Yuvraj Singh means he has the option of playing an extra seamer as he did against Pakistan. By working on his bowling Yuvraj has given himself the time to rediscover his batting form, paradoxical as that might seem.

India will come to Mumbai with their confidence soaring after back-to-back wins against opponents against whom they have had their most bruising encounters. And I have no doubt that Dhoni will not allow a win against Pakistan to be rated higher than any other. It cannot be so. It was a semi-final, not a final.

Indeed, Dhoni's leadership has been outstanding. He has backed his hunches and taken calls that might have seemed bizarre at the time, but always he has stayed calm and in control. It is a wonderful quality for a leader to possess. Having taken India to a World Twenty20 title, to the No. 1 spot in Test cricket, he now has the opportunity of winning a World Cup.

Arrayed in front of him are Kumara Sangakkara's mild, humble men, who become mighty competitors on a cricket ground. They have the most wonderfully innovative bowlers, men with unique styles and actions and who come at you from different angles. The top four batsmen are in brilliant form, and like India they are led by a man with extraordinary poise and assurance. Unlike India, though, they haven't quite ticked all their boxes yet.

Dilshan, Tharanga and Sangakkara have batted with great assurance, but after them, Mahela Jayawardene, another big-match player, hasn't had enough time in the middle, and Nos. 5, 6 and 7 appear a bit fragile. I believe Angelo Mathews should be the highest of those numbers, but he seemed to be in some pain in the quarter-final. If he is handicapped, and cannot bowl, for example, the Sri Lankans will lose the one outstanding feature they possess: the balance to the side. Mathews must bowl, otherwise the bowlers will start occupying positions from No. 7, and that would be dangerous. It must be a worry, too, that neither Thilan Samaraweera nor Chamara Silva has looked in good form. Sri Lanka look vulnerable if someone can penetrate their excellent top order early.

Hopefully Muttiah Muralitharan will be ready for the big day. He has had an extraordinary sense of drama to his life, picking up wickets with the last balls he bowled in Tests and in one-dayers in his country. Winning a World Cup and retiring would be a dream come true. In the home dressing room, too, they will be aware that the best present they can give Tendulkar is a World Cup medal. There will be some emotion in both camps.

Hopefully it will be a match worthy of a final, but even if it isn't - and the last three haven't been - it will not take away from what has been a really good World Cup.

- Harsha Bhogle's Preview (Source: Cricinfo)

IPL - Registered Squads

Chennai Super Kings:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Subramanium Badrinath, Joginder Sharma, Sudeep Tyagi, Abhinav Mukund, Aniruddha Shrikant, Ganapathi Vignesh, K Vasudevdas, Shadb Jakati, Vijaykumar Yomahesh, Albie Morkel, Michael Hussey, Dwayne Bravo, Doug Bollinger, Scott Styris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suraj Randiv, George Bailey, Faf du Plessis

Mumbai Indians:

Sachin Tendulkar (Captain), Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Aditya Tare, Ali Murtuza, Ambati Rayudu, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pawan Suyal, Rajagopal Sathish, Surul Kanwar, Surya Kumar Yadav, T Suman, Yazvendra Singh Chahal, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Andrew Symonds, Davy Jacobs, James FRanklin, Moises Henriques, Alden Blizzard, Dilhara Fernando

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Gautam Gambhir (Captain), Yusuf Pathan, Manoj Tiwary, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Jaidev Unadkat, Iqbal Abdulla, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Manvinder Singh Bisla, Pradeep Sangwan, Rajat Bhatia, Sarabjit Ladda, Shami Ahmed, Shreevats Goswami, Jacques Kallis, Brad Haddin, Shakib Al Hassan, Brett Lee, Eoin Morgan, Ryan ten Doeschate, James Pattinson

Delhi Daredevils:

Virender Sehwag (Captain), Irfan Pathan, Naman Ojha, Ajit Agarkar, Ashok Dinda, Umesh Yadav, Venugopal Rao, Aavishkar Salvi, Prashant Naik, Rajesh Pawar, Robin Bist, S Sriram, Tejashwi Yadav, Unmukt Chand, Varun Aaron, Vikash Mishra, Vivek Yadav, Yogesh Nagar, Shahbaz Nadeem, David Warner, James Hopes, Morne Morkel, Aaron Finch, Mathew Wade, Roloef van der Merwe, Andrew McDonald, Travis Birt, Collin Ingram, Robert Frylinck

Pune Warriors:

Yuvraj Singh (Captain), Robin Uthappa, Ashish Nehra, Murali Kartik, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Bhuvenshwar Kumar, Dheeraj Jadhav, Ekalavya Dwivedi, Ganesh Gaikwad, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Harshad Khadiwale, Kamran Khan, Manish Pandey, Mithun Manhas, Mohnish MIshra, Rahul Sharma, Sachin Rana, Shrikant Wagh, Shrikant Mundhe, Imtiyaz Ahmed, Graeme Smith, Tim Paine, Angelo Mathews, Nathan McCullum, Callum Ferguson, Wayne Parnell, Mitchell Marsh, Jerome Taylor, Alfonso Thomas, Jesse Ryder

Kochi Tuskers Kerala:

Mahela Jayawardene (Captain), VVS Laxman, S Sreesanth, RP Singh, Parthiv Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Ramesh Powar, R Vinay Kumar, B Akhil, Chandan Madan, Deepak Chowghule, Kedar Jadhav, Raiphi Gomez, Sushant Marathe, Tanmay Srivastava, Y Gnanswara Rao, Yashpal Singh, Prashant Padmanabahan, Brendon McCullum, Steven Smith, Muttiah Muralitharan, Brad Hodge, Thisara Perera, Steve O'Keefe, Owais Shah, Michael Klinger, John Hastings

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Virat Kohli, Zaheer Khan, Saurabh Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara, Abhimanyu Mithun, Mohammed Kaif, Arun Karthik, CM Gautham, Abrar Kazi, Mayank Agarwal, Bharath Narayan, Raju Bhatkal, Sreenath Aravind, Ryan Ninan, Asad Khan Pathan, Tillekratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori, Dirk Nannes, Charl Langeveldt, Luke Pomersbach, Johan van der Wath, Rilee Rossouw, Nuwan Pradeep, Jonathan Vandiar

Rajasthan Royals:

Shane Warne (Captain), Rahul Dravid, Pankaj Singh, Aakash Chopra, Abhishek Raut, Aditya Dole, Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Paunikar, Ashok Menaria, Deepak Chahar, Dishant Yagnik, Faiz Fazal, Nayan Doshi, Pinal Shah, Samad Fallah, Siddharth Trivedi, Stuart Binny, Amit Singh, Dinesh Salunkhe, Swapnil Asnodkar, Sumit Narwal, Ankeet Chavan, Shane Watson, Ross Taylor, Johan Botha, Paul Collingwood, Shaun Tait

Deccan Chargers:

Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra, Manpreet Gony, Akash Bhandari, Anand Rajan, Ankit Nagendra, Arjun Yadav, Ashish Reddy, Bharat Chipli, DB Ravi Teja, Harmeet Singh Bansal, Ishank Jaggi, Ishan Malhotra, Jaydev Shah, Kedar Devdhar, Sunny Sohal, Kevin PIetersen, Cameron White, Kumar Sangakkara, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn, Daniel Christian, Chris Lynn, Juan Theron, Michael Lumb

Kings XI Punjab:

Adam Gilchrist (Captain), Dinesh Karthik, Abhishek Nayar, Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla, Bhargav Bhatt, Bipul Sharma, Love Ablish, Mandeep Singh, Nitin Saini, Paras Dogra, Paul Valthaty, Shalabh Srivastava, Siddharth Chitnis, Sunny Singh, Vikramjeet Malik, Amit Yadav, Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, Stuart Broad, Ryan Harris, Dimitri Masceranhas, Nathan Remington

India's World Cup

It’s difficult to digest the jinx – No host country has ever won the ICC Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka won it in the sub-continent in 1996 but the final was not in their homeland (it was in Lahore). So the jinx continues. The Final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup will be in Mumbai. So can India break the tradition by becoming the first host to lift the coveted prize this time around? Can MS Dhoni lead India yet again to another level by becoming the first Indian Captain to hold TWO World Cups? (The first was the Inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007) Actually I think he can.

For the start here is an outstanding stat – every Indian will know it and be proud of it. India hasn’t lost an ODI since the birth of 2010 in India. And India will play all but one of their entire World Cup games in India. (The first game will be in Bangladesh) So that’s a good beginning. Though relying on statistics is not the greatest thing to do, one can understand something from this stat. That India understands local conditions better. They adapt their game accordingly.

India’s batting line-up is definitely the best in the World right now, keeping in mind the pitch and wicket playing conditions. Sachin Tendulkar looks like he’ll not stop till he touches the World Cup as Champion. That’s a good sign. A passionate Sachin is always more dangerous than an in-form Sachin. Fortunately for India, Tendulkar is now both passionate and definitely in the form of his life. Hopefully India will win the World Cup to honour the achievements of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar to whom this will be the biggest gift the country can give. What a Champion he has been and he deserves to win what will probably be his last Cricket World Cup.

Sehwag and Gambhir signify India’s top order strength and together with Sachin Tendulkar can bat for most part of the 50-overs. If one of the three stay till the 40^th over then India will be difficult to stop. If Sehwag stays till the 40^th over, the opposition can forget winning the game. Such is the nature of the Delhi lads; their mental strength can destroy any opposition. They understand each other so well and are are a dangerous pair.

The middle-order is important for any team and India has a strong middle order. Virat Kohli is India’s leading batsman in the last two years and increasingly looks in threatening form. Especially in run-chases Kohli has performed remarkably in tough situations. Yuvraj Singh is a real match winner and on his day can make any bowling attack ordinary. This World Cup, Yuvraj will be given an additional responsibility of consistently bowling 10 overs for his side. His left-arm orthodox is still under-rated and he can be a weapon India can use most times.

Suresh Raina is the finisher and his role will be to continue the role performed by the top order in the last overs. Especially in the batting PowerPlay, India can rely on Suresh Raina to hammer the attack to all parts. His part-time off spin could be a handy back-up option which can be used when India need it. Add to that he is India's best fielder and can easily save 15-20 runs for the team. Spectators in the midwicket region beware. The ball is coming your way.

Captain - Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one man who can bat anywhere in the batting order. He will be a floater; will come in based on the situation. He is very consistent, is energetic and as Captain will definitely bring the best out of the players. Under him, India has enjoyed playing the game and leading the World. MS Dhoni’s strategic moves will be the focus of attention and India can trust their captain. Also he is faster than lightning when it comes to whipping the bails off. MS Dhoni is India’s belief. India has never had a 'keeper who kept well and batted better at the same time. MS Dhoni is a change and is India's answer to those critics.

Harbhajan Singh will probably be India’s lone spinner in the starting XI. India will use Yuvraj and Raina for the 10 overs. If Harbhajan stays the same he was in South Africa, then India can hope for an economical 10 overs from the Sardar. He is a much improved and dangerous batsman and if he can chip in will a quickfire cameo it will be fantastic for the team. He is one man who will always look into the eye of the opponent and a fighter to the core.

Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar will be the opening bowlers and one is a leader and another swings the ball both ways. One is the best left-arm seamer in the world and the other is a capable new ball bowler who can destroy the batting with his movement. Munaf Patel will in all probability be the third seamer in the XI and has been in top form of late. India will need his line and length bowling in the middle overs.

India’s bench strength exudes confidence too. Yusuf Pathan, if he gets the chance will demolish the bowling single-handedly. India will use Piyush Chawla in the group stages against the minnows. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ashish Nehra can also be useful replacements if and when they are needed.

And most importantly, this will be Gary Kirsten’s last assignment as India’s Coach. He has been brilliant, wonderful, fantastic, cool, calm and composed. Together with Dhoni, he has taken India to levels the team had never experienced. He has taken India to No.1 in Tests and most importantly supported the team to remain there till now. It will be a feather in the cap of Gary if he leaves India as the Coach of the World Cup winning team. He has been a better version of John Wright who along with Sourav Ganguly took India to the final in the 2003 edition. So can Gary do one better?

I think he can. I strongly back India to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Do you too think so?

Cricket World Cup Squads

Host Country 1 - India

MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla, R Ashwin

Host Country 2 - Sri Lanka

Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.

Host Country 3 - Bangladesh

Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shahriar Nafees, Raqibul Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo.

Other Countries: Australia

Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Cameron White, Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, John Hastings, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, Doug Bollinger.

England

Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy.

Pakistan

Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shehzad.

South Africa

Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk (wk)

New Zealand

Daniel Vettori, Hamish Bennett, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock.

Zimbabwe

Elton Chigumbura (capt), Regis Chakabva, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Sean Ervine, Gregory Lamb, Shingirai Masakadza, Christopher Mpofu, Raymond Price, Edward Rainsford, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams.

Netherlands

Peter Borren (capt), Wesley Baressi (wk), Mudassar Bukhari, Atse Buurman Tom Cooper, Tom de Grooth, Alexei Kervezee, Bradley Kruger, Bernard Loots, Adeel Raja, Pieter Seelaar, Eric Swarczynski, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Berend Westdijk, Bas Zuiderent.

Kenya

Jimmy Kamande (capt), Seren Waters, Alex Obanda, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Steve Tikolo, Tamnay Mishra, Rakep Patel, Maurice Ouma, Thomas Odoyo, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Elijah Otieno, Peter Ongondo, Shem Ngoche, James Ngoche.

Ireland

William Porterfield (capt), Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, Niall O'Brien (wk), Kevin O'Brien, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, John Mooney, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Gary Wilson (wk), Andrew White, Ed Joyce.

West Indies

Darren Sammy (capt), Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Carlton Baugh (wk), Andre Rusell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Adrian Barath.

Canada

Ashish Bagai (capt & wk), Rizwan Cheema (vice-capt), Harvir Baidwan, Nitish Kumar, Hiral Patel, Tyson Gordon, Henry Osinde, John Davison, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Parth Desai, Karl Whatham, Khurram Chohan, Jimmy Hansra, Zubin Surkari, Balaji Rao, Hamza Tariq.

IPL Squads

Squads after the IPL Auction: (Overseas players in Italics)

Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Albie Morkel, Michael Hussey, Wriddhiman Saha, Dwayne Bravo, Doug Bollinger, Subramaniam Badrinath, R. Ashwin, Scott Styris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Joginder Sharma, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sudeep Tyagi, Suraj Randiv, George Bailey, Faf du Plessis.

Deccan Chargers: Kevin Pietersen, Cameron White, Kumar Sangakkara, JP Duminy, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Dale Steyn, Daniel Christian, Manpreet Gony, Chris Lynn, Juan Theron, Michael Lumb

Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, David Warner, Naman Ojha, James Hopes, Morne Morkel, Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade, Ajit Agarkar, Ashok Dinda, Umesh Yadav, Roelaf van der Merwe, Venugopal Rao, Andrew McDonald, Travis Brit, Colin Ingram, Robert Frylinck

Kings' XI Punjab: Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, Dinesh Karthik, Stuart Broad, Abhishek Nayar, Praveen Kumar, Ryan Harris, Piyush Chawla, Dimitri Mascarenhars, Nathan Rimmington

Kochi: Mahela Jayawardene, VVS Laxman, Brendon McCullum, S. Sreesanth, RP Singh, Parthiv Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Steven Smith, Ramesh Powar, Brad Hodge, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thisara Perera, Stephen O'Keefe, Owais Shah, Michael Klinger, John Hastings

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Brad Haddin, Shakib-al-Hassan, Bret Lee, Eoin Morgan, Manoj Tiwary, L. Balaji, Jaidev Unadkat, Ryan ten Doeschate, James Pattinson

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, David Jacobs, James Franklin, Munaf Patel, Clint McKay, Moasis Henriques, Aiden Blizzard

Pune Warriors: Yuvraj Singh, Graeme Smith, Robin Uthappa, Tim Paine, Angelo Mathews, Ashish Nehra, Callum Ferguson, Wayne Parnell, Mitchell Marsh, Jerome Taylor, Alfonso Thomas, Jesse Ryder, Murali Karthik

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Warne, Shane Watson, Ross Taylor, Rahul Dravid, Johan Botha, Paul Collingwood, Shaun Tait, Pankaj Singh

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Tillakartane Dilshan, Zaheer Khan, AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori, Sourabh Tiwary, Dirk Nannes, Cheteshwar Pujara,Charl Langeveldt, Luke Pomersbach, Abhimanyu Mithun, Johan Van der Wath, Rilee Rossouw, Nuwan Pradeep, Jonathan Vandiar, Mohammad Kaif