| Amid security fears in the subcontinent, the second | | | | - while fellow Englishmen Owais Shah, Paul |
| Indian Premier League will be hosted in South Africa. | | | | Collingwood, Ravi Bopara and Graham Napier will all be |
| The fixtures planned for IPL2 coincided with the 2009 | | | | in South Africa. |
| Indian general elections and as such the security | | | | The inaugural tournament was won by Mascarenhas' |
| forces were unable to cover the cricket matches. | | | | team and much of this is put down to the captaincy |
| The IPL is a cricket tournament in the twenty20 | | | | and coaching of Shane Warne. The final went down |
| format and because of the vast amounts of money | | | | to the last ball - with the scores tied Sohail Tanvir hit |
| involved it appeals to many of today's players. The | | | | the winning run to win the match, although much of |
| first tournament was held in 2008 and received a | | | | the credit must go to Yusuf Pathan for getting three |
| mixed reception - many loved the opportunity to | | | | wickets and a half century in the match. |
| watch some of the best cricketers in the world | | | | With the announcement that South Africa is to host |
| playing together but the tournament did clash with | | | | this year's tournament - still called the Indian Premier |
| other leagues around the world as well as | | | | League despite its new location - cricket fans have |
| international fixtures, meaning some players were | | | | been booking flights to Cape Town to see the |
| banned by their clubs and countries from joining. One | | | | opening fixtures - first up is Flintoff's Chennai Super |
| such country was England - who wouldn't let their | | | | Kings against Napier's Mumbai Indians before two |
| centrally contracted players go - and as a result there | | | | more Englishmen (Mascarenhas and Pietersen) come |
| was only one English representative, Hampshire's | | | | up against each other in the second game of the |
| Dimitri Mascarenhas, in India. | | | | day. All players will be hoping to end their tour in |
| This year the English Cricket Board has been more | | | | Johannesburg, where the final will be held; all, that is, |
| relenting and has allowed its players to join the | | | | except the English Test players, who have to be |
| league so long as they put their country first. This | | | | back in London before the final to take on the West |
| proved a happy compromise and Kevin Pietersen and | | | | Indies. |
| Andrew Flintoff were soon making headlines as they | | | | The information contained within this article is the |
| became the most expensive players in the auctions, | | | | opinion of the author and is intended purely for |
| both going for $1.5m. Flintoff was signed by the | | | | information and interest purposes only. It should not |
| Chennai Super Kings while Pietersen went to | | | | be used to make any decisions or take any actions. |
| Bangalore Royal Challengers. Mascarenhas will again | | | | Any links are included for information purposes only. |
| turn out for Rajasthan Royals - last season's winners | | | | |