Rajasthan Royals mentor Rahul Dravid (left) and captain Shane Watson at a training session. (Rajasthan Royals)

 

Agencies/Abu Dhabi

 

One of the worst hit teams in last year’s spot-fixing scandal, Rajasthan Royals will be keen to clear their off-field image with good on-field performances when they begin their Indian Premier League campaign by taking on a formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi today.

The Royals were left feeling betrayed when errant Indian pacer S Sreesanth and two other teammates -- Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan -- were arrested for allegedly indulging in spot-fixing in at least three IPL matches last season. But they hardly let that hamper their performance on the field.

Ironically, RR ended up being the third best team in the last year’s cash-rich event. Led by veteran Rahul Dravid, they dominated the sixth edition, despite lack of big names in their ranks.

New captain Shane Watson said the spot-fixing controversy last year was the case of a couple of bad apples in the side, and assured that the team had got over the distraction and was concentrating on giving its best.

Under the able guidance of Dravid, who will be seen in mentor’s role this time around, coach Paddy Upton and skipper Watson, the team that is often considered underdog, will be looking at springing up surprises once again.

This year, RR have managed to put together a well-balanced side.

While they picked up players like Steven Smith, Tim Southee, Unmukt Chand and Rajat Bhatia, they managed to retain match-winners such as Watson, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson, James Faulkner and Brad Hodge. Watson has always been a key player for the Royals and the team is expected to excel under his leadership. The Sunrisers Hyderabad, who went down to the same opponents — Rajasthan Royals — in the Eliminator last season, will be looking to avenge their defeat.

 

Super Kings face Kings XI

Meanwhile, in the first match of the day, two-time former champions Chennai Super Kings would take on a revamped Kings XI Punjab.

The Chennai outfit, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is still reeling under the spot-fixing scandal, in which some of its top officials have been implicated besides a few players also being under the scanner.

Coach Stephen Fleming has been candid enough to admit that off-field issues cannot be just brushed aside and are like a distraction for the team, which under normal circumstances comes across as a well-oiled machine on a mission. “There’s a lot going on, I won’t lie. There are a lot of distractions (leading up to the tournament). I think we were all uncertain about how it was going to play out,” Fleming said in a subtle reference to the betting controversy which is now under a Supreme Court-monitored investigation.

This year, CSK would be without some of their most reliable stars, including Australian mainstay Michael Hussey and South African Albie Morkel, after losing them in the players’ auction. But with replacements like New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum and South African Faf du Plessis, CSK look formidable nonetheless.

Kings XI, which until the last season seemed lost in the glitzy event, has managed to instil balance and sheen to the side by making some smart purchases in the players’ auction.Led by Australian George Bailey, Punjab pulled off quite a masterstroke by snapping up destructive batsman Virender Sehwag.

 


 

Indian cricket board convenes Emergent meeting

 

Mumbai

Heeding to the demands of some affiliated state units, the Indian cricket board has decided to convene an Emergent Working Committee meeting in Mumbai on April 20 to take stock of the developments relating to the case before the Supreme Court regarding IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal.

“BCCI Working Committee meeting has been convened on April 20 in Mumbai,” BCCI`s vice-president Ravi Savant told Press Trust of India from Dubai.

The meeting comes in the wake of Supreme Court making it clear on Wednesday that N. Srinivasan cannot head BCCI till he comes out clean in a probe conducted against him and 12 others, including India-capped cricketers whose names have been mentioned by Justice Mudgal Committee report in the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.

At least six affiliated state units had sought an emergent Working Committee meeting of the BCCI on Sunday to discuss matters related to the Supreme Court case.

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