| If you are an ardent fan of the modernized cricket | | | | A few new venues - Vishakapatnam, Ahmedabad |
| and you enjoyed the glamor and excitement that | | | | and Dharamsala have been added apart from the |
| came along with the Indian Premier League - Then | | | | existing 8 home venues of each of the teams. This |
| you have a reason to cheer about. The much | | | | time no new teams will be added but new players |
| awaited IPL is back to make the country go crazy in | | | | including the former ICL players will be available for |
| 2010. | | | | auction for IPL 3. |
| There are 97 players who have registered for the | | | | Initially, the craze started when top Industrialists like |
| IPL 2010 auction. The list of players includes a | | | | Mukesh Ambani and Celebrities like Shah Rukh khan |
| maximum of 26 players from Pakistan, 17 from Sri | | | | participated in the auction and successfully won the |
| Lanka, 12 from South Africa, 9 from New Zealand, 9 | | | | bids for owning franchises in the Indian Premier |
| from Australia, 8 from West Indies, 8 from England, | | | | League. The highest amount in this auction was for |
| 2 from Bangladesh, 2 from Zimbabwe, 2 from | | | | the Mumbai team. This team was successfully bid for |
| Canada, 1 Ireland and 1 from the Netherlands. The | | | | an astonishing amount of $111.9 million or Rs. 503.5 |
| players will be listed in the January 19th auction if the | | | | Crores by Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh |
| franchises express interest in them. Last year in | | | | Ambani. The next highest was for the Bangalore |
| 2009, out of 100 that registered 50 were in auction. | | | | team which was successfully bid for $111.6 million or |
| Several individuals and companies have shown a | | | | Rs. 502.2 Crores by the liquor king Vijay Malaya. |
| growing interest in owning IPL teams, such as actors | | | | This huge amount of money was never seen in the |
| Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt, and the | | | | history of cricket. The prize money announced was |
| Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. | | | | three times the prize money of a cricket world cup. |
| Bidders will be offered a choice of 8 to 10 cities that | | | | This is the main reason why the cricketers from all |
| can be made their home team venues and they will | | | | around the world are trying to make their place in |
| be allowed to bid for any number of cities. The | | | | the Indian Premier League. IPL has managed to |
| highest two bids will be chosen and companies will | | | | squash everything in its way & create history in |
| use the name of that city as their home base and | | | | the world of cricket. |
| sport their team brand. | | | | Cricket is considered to be more like a religion in India |
| The final schedule of IPL 2010 which is to be played | | | | than just a sport. And the God of cricket is here. So |
| in India rather than an international location has been | | | | it's going to be yet another season full of enthusiasm, |
| announced. The first match will be held between the | | | | excitement, glamor, & fun. The pre- IPL craze |
| defending champions Deccan Chargers and the | | | | says it all. It is going to be a success story all over |
| Kolkata Knight Riders. The IPL 2010 will begin on 12th | | | | again. So gear yourself up and get ready for IPL |
| March and the final match will be on 25th April, 2010. | | | | 2010. You surely wouldn't want to miss it, would you? |