Shilpa-Raj stake is legitimate :RR

After questions were raised about why they're not mentioned in ownership documents for the Rajasthan Royals, Shilpa Shetty and husband Raj, along with their co-owners, have said they're legitimate stakeholders in the Jaipur team of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

On Monday, Shashank Manohar, president of the Board of Control forCricket in India (BCCI), said that the parentage of the Royals seems uncertain. "We are asking Modi, how can he sign an agreement with A when the bid came from B. Modi made a statement that the entire world knows who the shareholders are but the fact is that not even the Governing Council members know about Rajasthan Royals. I did not find the names of Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra in the papers and they claim to be stakeholders."

An alarmed Shilpa Shetty tweeted on Monday "Woke up & heard on TV that we're not co-owners of RR! There's no doubt Raj is a stake holder & I'm the brand ambassador."

Forty per cent of the Royals franchise is owned by Suresh Chellaram, Modi's wife's brother-in-law. The board says that if shares were transferred to Shilpa and her husband after they invested in the Royals, no transfer fee has been paid.

Here's the full statement from Rajasthan Royals:

Rajasthan Royals would like to clarify certain misconceptions about the franchise, which have been raised through the media.

The Rajasthan Royals franchise bid was successful, with full compliance of BCCIguidelines, in a process conducted with the committee members of BCCI in January 2008. Full details of the consortium bid structure and the way the company would be set up were contained in the original submission to the BCCI in January 2008. The structure has been completely transparent and in accordance with regulatory guidelines ever since.

The corporate structure was established in accordance with the details provided in the bid submission shortly after the bid. It was not established prior to the bid, as we obviously did not know if the bid would be successful. Moreover, the time allotted between the Invitation to Tender (27 December 2007), and the bid submission date (23 January 2008), would not have allowed sufficient time to incorporate the intended structure with an Indian entity.

The investors agreed to submit the bid using a consortium, led by UK-based Emerging Media (IPL) Ltd. The other entities in the consortium were disclosed in the bid submission documents.

Subsequently, on 8 March 2008, an Indian company Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd was incorporated, as detailed in the bid submission. We then executed the franchise agreement on 14 April 2008. The ownership of the consortium did not change between the award of the bid on 23 January 2008 and the signing of the franchise agreement on 14 April 2008.

As part of our strategy to broaden our shareholder base, in February 2009 Kuki Investments Ltd (Raj Kundra and Family) acquired an 11.7% stake in EM Sporting Holdings Limited, the parent company of Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd, which was fully disclosed to the BCCI/IPL.

According to the BCCI/IPL rules, the IPL was entitled to 5% of the increase in the pro-rata value of the franchise. In February 2009 the Rajasthan Royals contacted the BCCI to agree the precise definition, to agree the amount that needed to be paid, and we are still awaiting a response. For absolute clarity the payment has been fully accrued for within our accounts.

The current shareholders of EM Sporting Holdings Limited, who all have multiple business interests and independent means, are as follows: Emerging Media (IPL) Ltd (Manoj Badale - 32.4%), Tresco International Ltd (Suresh Chellaram Family - 44.2%), Blue Water Estate Ltd (Lachlan Murdoch - 11.7%) and Kuki Investments Ltd (Raj Kundra & Family - 11.7%). There are no other shareholders.

In accordance with regulatory filings, we subsequently volunteered to make a full disclosure application (in July 2009) through the Government's FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) process. The relevant information submitted in that application, including details of the structure, now appears to be publicly available. Our application was not initially accepted due to a miscommunication of submission timings. Our subsequent application in January 2010 has not been rejected. We are well advanced towards fulfilling the procedural steps and additional information requests necessary to satisfy the FIPB.

Rajasthan Royals have always conducted themselves with integrity and look forward to co-operating with the BCCI to ensure continued public support for the IPL.

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Chennai Super Kings are the IPL3 champions

Chennai Super Kings were crowned Indian Premier League 3 champions after thumping Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in a thrilling summit clash here on Sunday night.

Electing to bat, Chennai posted 168 for five, thanks to Suresh Raina's unbeaten 57 and then restricted Mumbai to 146 for nine to win their maiden IPL title in the grand finale at the packed D Y Patil Stadium.

Chennai though had to spend some anxious moments towards the close of Mumbai run chase with big-hitting Kieron Pollard threatening to almost singlehandedly win the match before he was out in the penultimate over for a 10-ball 27 which was studded with three fours and two sixes.

For Chennai, who were playing in their second final after finishing runners-up to Rajasthan Royals in 2008, it has been a roller coaster ride having made it to the semifinal in their last league match.

Mumbai, who were playing in an IPL final for the first time, were the most consistent side in the tournament having won 10 of their 14 league matches, but they faltered at the final hurdle.

For Mumbai, captain Sachin Tendulkar, who declared himself fit for the grand finale after sustaining a right hand webbing split in first semifinal, top-scored with a 45-ball 48 which was studded with seven fours but he did not get enough support from his batting colleagues.

Tendulkar's 66-run stand from 58 balls for the second wicket with Abhishek Nayar was the only substantial partnership for Mumbai. Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati emerged the most successful Chennai bowler with two for 26 while Doug Bollinger, Albie Morkel, Muttiah Muralitharan and Suresh Raina took a wicket apiece.

Mumbai began their run chase of 169 on a shaky note with opener Shikhar Dhawan failing to score the opening over from Ravichandran Ashwin and was out in the second over bowled by Bollinger for an eight-ball duck.

Mumbai struggled for runs before Tendulkar and Nayar took 10 runs from the fifth over by hitting a four each off Ashwin. Tendulkar, who celebrated his 37th birthday yesterday, then smote Albie Morkel for two fours to take Mumbai to 33 for one after the first power-play.

With off-spinner Muralitharan introduced in the seventh over, runs came in trickles and he was unlucky not to have got Nayar with Matthew Hayden dropping the batsman when on eight. Nayar struck two sixes in as many balls off Jakati in the 10th over to take Mumbai score to 58 for one at the halfway mark.

With the asking rate over 11 by the 10th over, Mumbai looked like pressing the accelerator but they lost two wickets in the 12th over with Nayar and Harbhajan Singh returning to the hut in the space of five balls. Nayar was run out for a 26-ball 27 after being sent back by Tendulkar and Harbhajan, who was surprisingly sent up the order, was LBW to Raina for just one.

Mumbai's hopes almost ended with the departure of Tendulkar in the 15th over and the veteran batsman, who wore the orange cap for being the tournament top scorer, was out while trying to pushed the run rate, holing out to Murali Vijay off Jakati.

Saurabh Tiwary, who has been in fine form in the tournament, followed Tendulkar three balls later as he holed out to Raina off Jakati for a duck.

Mumbai needed 68 from the last five overs and JP Duminy's (6) departure in the 17th over did not help the Mumbai cause. But big-hitting Kieron Pollard, who was surprisingly sent in number eight, raised hopes of a stunning victory for Mumbai by singlehandedly taking 22 runs from the 18th over bowled by Bollinger.

Mumbai needed 33 runs from the last two overs but a mix up led to Ambati Rayudu's run out in the fifth ball of the penultimate over and next ball Pollard was out to end Mumbai's dreams of winning the title.

Earlier, Raina took advantage of some sloppy catching by Mumbai Indians as he struck an unbeaten 57 to pilot Chennai Super Kings to 168 for five in the summit clash which was preceded by a 40-minute closing ceremony.

The left-handed Raina, who came one down on team score of 44, was dropped twice -- on 14 and 28 -- before making a crucial 57 not out in 35 balls embellished with three sixes and as many fours.

But for Raina's knock and his 72-run partnership with his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (22 in 15 balls) for the fourth wicket, Chennai would have ended with a much lesser score. Electing to bat, Chennai made a decent start with openers Matthew Hayden (17) and Murali Vijay (26) putting on 44 runs.

The Mumbai Indians bowling attack then put an effective shackle on the batsmen on a wicket that offered good bounce but on which the ball stopped a bit on the batsmen. For Mumbai, tall Sri Lanka pace bowler Dilhara Fernando emerged the most successful with 2 for 23 while Zaheer Khan and Kieron Pollard picked one wicket apiece.

Openers Hayden and Vijay started cautiously and saw off one over each from Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga before stepping on the accelerator. It was the left-handed Hayden, who has been struggling in the tournament, who started the attack by hoisting Harbhajan over long on for the first six of the match in the third over.

Vijay then pulled Zaheer Khan into the stands beyond the mid-wicket area and then punched Malinga exquisitely to the extra cover fence for a four.Malinga was then square cut by Hayden and the duo looked all-set for a big stand. But Vijay fell caught just inside the boundary line off a skier by Saurabh Tiwary off Fernando. His 26 came off 19 balls and included two sixes and a four.

From 44 for one, it became 47 for two when Hayden, who survived a close leg before wicket appeal off Zaheer earlier, tried to charge out to Kieron Pollard and mistimed a pull to be caught behind by wicketkeeper Ambati Rayudu.

Chennai progressed to 58 for two after 10 overs, sign that Mumbai have bounced back into the game. Raina and S Badrinath (14) got together briefly before the latter got out, caught at fine leg for 14 off Fernando. Then came the most fruitful stand of the innings between Raina and Dhoni. They put on 72 runs in 35 balls.

But after Dhoni fell in the 18th over, it was Raina --who struck Pollard for two sixes in the 16th over in which the bowler conceded 29 runs -- who made sure that his team ended with a decent total.

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Modi stripped his security cover

A day after Lalit Modi was shown the door by the BCCI, he is all set to lose his security cover too. If reports are to be believed, Modi's security cavalcade will be a thing of the past. Mumbai police officials are considering withdrawing his police protection, which incidentally he had been getting for free for the past year. A senior police officer confirmed the move, saying, "We are awaiting the reports from the local police station, Crime Branch and Special Branch on threat perception to Modi and his family. If the report is negative, we will immediately pull out the policemen provided for his security." Free of cost Modi had been given police protection free of cost, thanks to a powerful neta, who apparently made a phone call to a senior cop, asking that Modi and his family be provided security. Five cops were immediately sent to give day-night protection to Modi and his family. For the past two months, this number has increased to 10. The estimated cost of this protection works out to almost Rs 15 lakh (at the rate of Rs 600 per constable per day, for a year). MiD DAY had reported about police security for Modi on April 2, 2009 'Lalit Modi and family live under threat'. Police officials attached to the protection branch admitted to receiving verbal instructions initially on Modi's security cover and subsequently provided him with two armed constables (one on each shift). His wife and children were entitled to one constable each for 12 hours. Cop cover The number of policemen was gradually increased after Modi wrote a letter to Mumbai Police Commissioner D Shiva-Nandan on March 2, 2010 (a copy of which is with MiD DAY), in which he thanks the police department for doubling his security and also asks for more protection for his family. Accordingly, a few days later the protection department doubled the manpower for Modi and his family. Modi was provided 2+2 (two constables in day and two at night) armed with carbines and his family was provided with one constable each (12-hr shift) for 24 hours. "Even if Modi stayed out of Mumbai or India during the above period, he was still under the police cover and officials from protection branch were in constant touch with his personal security guards, knowing his movements and details," said a police officer. Advocate M P Vashi, who had earlier filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court on unwanted police protection given to political leaders, said, "The police should not have wasted 10 of their men for Modi and his family. They do not deserve such treatment. They enjoy such luxury for free only due to their nexus with certain political leaders."

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Yuvraj ruled out of Sri Lanka series

India's middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh has been ruled out of the remaining two ODIs of the five-match series against Sri Lanka due to his finger injury. "Due to the finger injury sustained earlier, Yuvraj Singh has been advised rest and therefore he will not play in the fourth and fifth ODI matches against Sri Lanka," BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement. Yuvraj had sustained the injury during the second Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka in Mohali where the left-hander starred both with the bat and the ball to script India's series-levelling win. The injury was serious enough to keep Yuvraj out of the first two ODIs, with Virat Kohli substituting him in the playing XI. Yuvraj, who missed first two ODIs, played in the third match at Cuttack scoring 23 runs that India won by 7 wickets. The Punjab southpaw is likely to miss the Bangladesh tour as well, where India play a tri-series against the hosts and Sri Lanka before a three-Test series in Bangladesh.

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Tendulkar's brilliance gives India 2-1 lead

Sachin Tendulkar cracked a fluent unbeaten 96 as India spanked a hapless Sri Lanka by seven wickets in a low-scoring third One-Day International to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series here on Monday.

Chasing 240 for a win, Tendulkar played the sheet anchor as he ensured that India overhaul the Sri Lankan target comfortably with more than seven overs to spare at the jam-packed Barabati Stadium here.

Stand-in-captain Virender Sehwag contributed a breezy 28-ball 44 while Dinesh Karthik and Gautam Gambhir made unbeaten 36 and 32 respectively as India reached 242 for three in 42.4 overs.

Earlier, young all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja turned the game over its head with his career-best bowling figures of 4/32 as India came back strongly in the second half of Sri Lankan innings to bundle them out for 239 in 44.2 overs after the visitors chose to bat.



Sri Lanka were looking strong to even each 300 at 169 for two in the 25th over before losing way. Jadeja triggered the Lankan batting collapse by removing opener Upul Tharanga who top-scored with 73. The visitors, in fact, lost their last eight wickets for the addition of just 70 runs.

Tendulkar then ensured that fine show by the bowlers did not go waste as he first played second fiddle to Sehwag in the 55-run opening stand and then opened up to hit some delightful boundaries to take the home team past the Lankan total.

Tendulkar, who notched up his 93rd half century today, faced 104 balls and hit 13 fours in his knock.

The two sides now move to Kolkata for the fourth one-dayer on Thursday.

The Indian opening duo of Tendulkar and Sehwag found their rhythm early in the run chase with the Delhi dasher smashing 16 runs from Lasith Malinga's first over.

He hit nine boundaries, three each coming off Nuwan Kulasekara, Malinga and Chanaka Welegedara and all three of them in an over of each bowler. Welegedara broke the opening stand of 55 by dismissing Sehwag in the seventh over.

Unaffected by Sehwag's dismissal, Tendulkar took the Indian chase forward playing sensibly as he added 72 runs with Gambhir before the left-hander became the victim of rookie off-spinner Suraj Randiv who took a low catch off his own bowling.

Tendulkar, who reached his fifty off 52 balls, later opened up to play some exquisite shots through the gaps to the boundary to the delight of the packed Barabati crowd.

In one shot, he improvised on a late cut when he arched his back for an upper cut to a rising Kulasekara delivery that raced over the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper's head for a boundary.

Yuvraj Singh (23 from 40 balls) did not have a memorable outing after a 42-run partnership with Tendulkar as he became Welegedara's second victim.

Dinesh Karthik, who had a tough time behind the stumps, gave a fine support to Tendulkar at the other end remaining unbeaten on 36 from 32 balls with one big six and five fours.

Earlier, Jadeja produced his career-best four-wicket haul as India bundled out Sri Lanka for a modest 239.

Electing to bat, Sri Lanka made a rousing start before they lost way in the middle overs as Indian slow bowlers brought themselves back into the game.

Jadeja claimed four for 32 - his best from 12 ODIs - while Ashish Nehra and Ishant Sharma took two wickets apiece to bring an end to Sri Lanka innings in 44.2 overs.

Tharanga (73) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (41) gave Sri Lanka a perfect start going with a run rate in an excess of 10. Captain Kumar Sangakkara (46) then stood in a 100 run partnership with Tharanga as the Lankans looked set for a big score before the Indians came back strongly.

Sri Lanka scored 14 runs from the first over from Zaheer Khan, who struggled with his line with four wides. Runs came at ease for Sri Lanka who raced to 50 in 3.4 overs with Dilshan and Tharanga not giving time for Zaheer and Ishant Shrarma to settle down.

Zaheer conceded 26 runs from his first two overs before Sehwag brought in Ashish Nehra in the fifth over.

Nehra managed to curb Tharanga's strokeplay with four dot balls and his tight over almost gave India the breakthrough in the form of a suicidal run-out of Dilshan.

But Dinesh Karthik, who kept the wickets in place of regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, horribly messed it up after neatly collecting it.

The wicketkeeper had plenty of time to run out Dilshan but he missed the stumps completely from a close-in throw.

India, however, quickly got the breakthrough in Nehra's very next over when he dismissed the dangerman Dilshan as Sri Lanka lost their first wicket for 65.

A short delivery from Nehra tempted Dilshan for a pull shot that took the top edge as Karthik took the easy catch.

Sangakkara and Tharanga, however, ensured that the visitors maintain a good run-rate as Sri Lanka reached 150 in 19.4 overs. Tharanga completed his half-century from 51 balls.

Bringing himself in place of Nehra, Sehwag bowled a crucial four-over spell to break the century partnership between Sangakkara and Tharanga.

The Indian stand-in captain beat Sangakkara in the air and Karthik dismissed the Lankan stumped from a second attempt. Sangakkara hit three boundaries and one six.

Sangakkara's dismissal was followed by two quick wickets with the addition of just eight runs. Opener Thranga, looking good on 73, was brilliantly bowled by Ravindra Jadeja in his first over, while Mahela Jayawardene (2) followed suit in the next over as Sri Lanka were quickly reduced to 173 for four.

Continuing his tidy spell, Jadeja then castled Chamara Kapugedera (15) to pick his second wicket.

Having conceded 49 from his first four overs, pacer Ishant returned with a brilliant spell to dismiss Thilina Kandamby (22) and Suraj Randiv (0) in successive balls.

Jadeja then got his fourth victim before Nehra finished off the Sri Lankan innings.

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Scoreboard: India vs. Sri Lanka, second day, second Test

KANPUR - Scoreboard at the end of second day’s play in the second cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Green Park stadium here Wednesday.

India first innings:

Gautam Gambhir c&b Muralitharan 167

Virender Sehwag c Dilshan b Muralitharan 131

Rahul Dravid run out (Herath) 144

Sachin Tendulkar c Samaraweera b Mendis 40

V.V.S. Laxman c Dilshan b Herath 63

Yuvraj Singh c Sangakkara b Mendis 67

Mahendra Singh Dhoni b Herath 4

Harbhajan Singh b Herath 5

Zaheer Khan c Mahela b Herath 1

Sreesanth lbw Herath 0

Pragyan Ojha not out 1

Extras (b 4, lb 11, nb 4) 19

Total (all out in 154 overs) 642

Fall of wickets: 1-233 (Sehwag, 41.2 overs), 2-370 (Gambhir, 75.1), 3-464 (Tendulkar, 102.5), 4-511 (Dravid, 113.2), 5-613 (Laxman, 141.1), 6-619 (Dhoni, 145.2), 7-639 (Harbhajan, 149.4), 8-641 (Yuvraj, 152.2), 9-641 (Khan, 153.3)

Bowling:

Chanaka Welegedara 26-4-103-0

Angelo Mathews 17-2-49-0

Rangana Herath 33-2-121-5

Ajantha Mendis 38-3-162-2

Muttiah Muralitharan 37-0-175-2

Tillekaratne Dilshan 3-0-17-0

Sri Lanka first innings:

Tillekaratne Dilshan c Ojha b Khan 0

Tharanga Paranavitana batting 30

Kumar Sangakkara batting 30

Extras (b 4, lb 1, nb 1) 6

Total (for one wicket in 24 overs) 66

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Dilshan, 0.1 overs)

Bowling:

Zaheer Khan 7-3-14-1

Sreesanth 6-0-29-0

Harbhajan Singh 7-3-9-0

Pragyan Ojha 4-2-9-0

Umpires: Tony Hill (New Zealand) and Nigel Llong (England)

TV umpire: Sanjay Hazare (India)

Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)

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Tons of runs in the Park

For brief periods in the afternoon at the Green Park, the otherwise ebullient crowd would become glum. They were experiencing what is known in Test cricket as ‘going through the motions’.

It was an irony that while the day’s hero, Gautam Gambhir, was doing his job of consolidating his century efficiently by working the ball around with soft hands, the crowd went wild when he spooned a catch back to Muttiah Muralitharan. For, Sachin Tendulkar had walked in, disturbing the serenity of the place. But no sooner had he settled down than the fans slipped to that period of lull again.

Toil for the bowlers seems to have become the norm in the series and Tuesday was no different. A few records — India’s highest on a single day in Test cricket, and Sehwag-Gambhir bettering their previous best opening partnership — are massive reasons to celebrate. Despite that, there were patches of blandness today.

The pitch made the world’s highest wicket-taker and a couple of Sri Lankan mystery spinners look like club cricketers. From the moment Sehwag survived the first-over scare — a missed chance by the Jayawardenes to catch him — cricket became a ‘batathon’.

This throws up the question: Can a slow and low wicket on the very first day entice crowds to Test cricket? Maybe, it is too early to pass a judgement for Virender Sehwag believes it’ll turn later. Sri Lanka would be hoping it doesn’t.

The visitors ran into an inspired batting line-up, which looks set for a huge total. The man who orchestrated it did everything right. Gambhir batted a step outside the crease to negate any leg-before shouts, and stitched his bat with the pads while proffering his right leg to ensure nothing went through like it did in Ahmedabad.

Just like five years ago, when he made 96 against South Africa, he used the arc between gully and point to get runs early on. The only difference was that nothing went out of control this time.

Once settled, he bisected the fielders well, smashing shots through covers, square-cutting ably and hitting straight down. After some false, ill-timed shots, the Delhi opener got into the thick of things. His first confident stroke came in the 12th over when he stretched out to hit one through covers off the front foot off Mathews and then pulled one through the same region off the penultimate ball of that over.

If Gambhir relied on running — he got just one-third of his runs through fours — Sehwag was all power. He hammered two sixes — one off a heave over midwicket and the other over long on. Behind the deft pushes and nudges of Gambhir and the crashing hits of Sehwag was the wristy grace of Rahul Dravid. Dravid waited on the ball and directed it wherever he wanted. He was solid and, on 85, looks good for another century

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