Newspaper round-up - March 15

Newspaper round-up - March 15


“The IPL is creating its dedicated set of followers and this doesn't include teenagers only. For proof, one had to be at the Eden Gardens on Sunday afternoon. The number of women was far more than what is seen during Tests or ODIs” wrote Hindustan Times on the increasing popularity of IPL. Fans of the Indian Premier League were quoted in the article. “I am not a cricket fan … don't even watch it on TV, although my husband does But I like the IPL for the colour it provides. This is my first day at the ground and I love the atmosphere. I think I'll be back again,” said Somdatta Chatterjee, a homemaker. On the popularity of the IPL among women, a fan responded, “You can say I’m an example. I have been coming to the ground since the first edition, mainly for my kids. But beyond the glamour and vibrant ambience, I have started liking the game too.”

Delhi Daredevils skipper, Gautam Gambhir said in his column in Hindustan Times on their upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals, “We’re going to be as aggressive as we can against the [Rajasthan] Royals on Monday — and trust me, we can be pretty aggressive. They’ve lost one, we’ve won one — we’re going to throw everything we can at them. And we’re looking forward to that.”

On The ITC group, the official hotelier for the India Premier League (IPL) event this year, The Gulf News quotes Praveen Anand, executive chef at the ITC Sheraton Park Hotels, as saying, “The basic philosophy for cooking for the cricketers given by the team manager and physiotherapist is that there should be no visible fat, no cream, butter and sugar, the food should be high on proteins and carbohydrates." On the Chennai Super Kings diet regime, it says, “According to him, the menu list is vetted by the team physiotherapist and manager and he has been given a player-wise menu list as to what they can and cannot eat”.

“Will Brian Lara do a Michael Shumacher? Will the West Indian legend pick up the bat again, just like the German icon has decided to get behind the wheels again?,” asked an article in the Times Of India. “ Maybe it’s time for me to hit the gym again”, Lara fuelled the speculation before the Kolkata Knight Riders game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, the article quotes. “He was always our first choice,” IPL commissioner Lalit Modi says of Lara. “He was the first one I had approached when the IPL was conceived. Sadly, he wasn’t available,” the piece elaborated.

“Another googly from Warne stable; RR captain renovates dressing room with a splash of team spirit and golden moments,” published DNA. “In order to induce freshness and lift the morale of his team, the Australian spin maestro has changed the interiors of their dressing room at their home grounds Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

The innovative look of the dressing room will have fixed seats for all 15 players with the backdrop of photographs showcasing team spirit and RR's golden moments. The think tank has also kept a monitor which will play RR song featuring co-owner Shilpa Shetty at regular intervals … This is completely Warne's idea. He believes in team culture and wants it to be reflected in the dressing room," the article added.