Newspaper round-up – March 23

“Pretty, slick and colourful, they’re fast becoming permanent fixtures in a world where glamour generates the best exchange rate. The IPL, an amalgamation of all that works in the modern sphere, has been quick to embrace cheerleaders. It’s Bollywood on the boundary,” reported The Times of India while discussing the cheerleaders for the Royal Challengers.

“IPL 2010 scores with TV audiences,” published The Hindu. It elaborated, “Study based on the first eight matches (up to March 16) reveals a nine per cent increase. It was 27.6 million in 2008; it’s 36.7 million in 2010. The DLF-IPL 2010 has created history by scoring an all-India record of 67 million eyeballs on SET Max for the first three on March 12 and 13”. It quoted Television Audience Measurement (TAM) Media official as saying,

“What a cracker of a match we had against Kings XI Punjab in our previous game. I would be lying if I don’t confess that I was disappointed to see my team, Chennai Super Kings, lose the way they did. It won’t be an exaggeration to say we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory… An interesting development for Chennai has been the arrival of the ever-smiling Makhaya Ntini,” wrote Mahendra Singh Dhoni in The Times of India on eve of Chennai Super Kings match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

“This is one grand rush for which this sleepy hill resort might not be ready. With Dharamsala all set to host two IPL matches in April, the tourism industry is working overtime to ensure that the cricketing and Bollywood stars - and their entourage - leave with pleasant memories,” reported the Hindustan Times.

“I have worked hard on my T20 batting for both South Africa and RCB and it seems to be paying off. I also enjoy opening in T20 as it allows me time to play the ball on merit, rather than thrash everything over the ropes. I haven't changed my style. I usually keep things simple in all three formats. I'm one of the very few genuine all-rounders today which is crucial in the shorter formats of the game,” DNA quoted Jacques Kallis as saying.

“Pune being included as one of the teams in the Indian Premier League is a big boost for the cricketers of this city and all those who play for Maharashtra. This will revive cricket and help Maharashtra team produce better results in domestic cricket," former Maharashtra player Riaz Poonawala was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.