Everything You Need to Know About IPL 6

Why is Ricky Ponting the captain of Mumbai? Why is Gony playing for Kings XI? If you had no clue who played for which IPL team, things this season are all set to get more confusing.

By Team FHM · Apr 2013 · 6 min read

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The schedule

Begins: April 3, 2013

Ends: May 26, 2013

Read FHM India in the digital libraryEvery issue, every shoot, on TCG Media.

Number of teams: 9

Number of players: More than 80

Opening ceremony: Salt Lake City, Kolkata

Opening match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils, April 3, Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Title Sponsor: Pepsi (The title sponsor for the first five season of IPL, DLF didn't renew their contract, which was bought for ₹250 crores, reportedly because of the slump in real estate. Pepsi will continue to be the title sponsor till 2017, and the deal is worth ₹398 crores)

Teams terminated: Deccan Chargers (IPL 2 winners) and Kochi Tuskers Kerala

New Franchise: Sunrise Hyderabad (bought for 85 crores by Sun TV Network)

The expected TRP game

Average TRP: 3.9 TVR

Most watched teams: Mumbai Indians (4.5), Kolkata Knight Riders (4.2) and Chennai Super Kings (4.1)

What decides the TRP: Home team (84%), Favourite team (79%), Indian stars (64%), Match timings (49%)

First 18 games of the match decide the popularity of the season

Favourite teams

Mumbai Indian: 23%

Chennai Super Kings: 19%

Kolkata Knight Riders: 14%

Change in popularity charts

Highest growth: Hyderabad 200% (2% to 6%)

Biggest drop: Royal Challengers Bangalore 50% (12% to 8%)

Most popular players for 2013

Sachin Tendulkar (MI)

MS Dhoni (CSK)

Yuvraj Singh (PW)

Virat Kohli (RCB)

Virender Sehwag (DD)

Chris Gayle (RCB)

Ricky Ponting (MI)

Brett Lee (KKR)

While the first two editions of the IPL cornered the general entertainment channels forcing them to discontinue a lot of shows, IPL viewership lost its charm during IPL 3, 4 and 5. Eight new shows were launched during IPL 4, and five during IPL 5. Though no shows are being launched in 2013, no shows are being launched during IPL 6.

Source: Business Standard

Firsts

The first hatrick by a bowler: Laxmipathy Balaji (for: Chennai Super Kings; against Kings Punjab X1, Pathan, Piyush Chawla and VRV Singh; 2008)

First 5 wicket haul: Pakistan, Sohail Tanvir (for Rajastha Royals; against Chennai Super Kings; 2008)

First bowler to give 50 runs in 4 over Spell: James Hop (for: Kings Punjab X1; 2008)

The first slap-gate incident: Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth (for: Mumbai Indians; against: Kings Punjab X1; 2008)

The first umpire to be suspended: Amish Saheba (for speaking to the press about slap-gate; 2008)

First CEO to be sacked: Charu Sharma (for poor performance of Bangalore Royal Challengers in 2008)

The first pair of brothers from Australia who played the IPL: David Hussey and Michael Hussey

Auction highlights

Unsold players

Aaron Finch - base price $200,000

Darren Bravo - base price $100,000

Herschelle Gibbs - base price $200,000

Ravi Bopara - base price $100,000

Doug Bollinger - base price $200,000

Paul Harris - base price $20,000

Scott Styris - base price $100,000

Farveez Maharoof - base price $50,000

James Hopes - base price $100,000

Biggest Disappointments: No one bought Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke in the first round of bidding. However, the biggest names of the 108 players to go under the hammer, were snapped by Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors respectively for their base price of USD 400,000.

The biggest buyer: RCB (Bought three Indians and four foreign players)

Country with maximum number of players in auction: Australia, 13

Number of Indian players in auction: 6

New Franchise: Sunrise Hyderabad

Number of first timers: 14

Number of players returning to IPL: 23

Last minute fallout: Though Kevin Peterson remained one of the hot favourites for the upcoming season, he withdrew just 12 days ahead of the season because of a kneww injury that he sustained while playing against New Zealand in March.

Will Sri Lankans play: Considering the political tussle between Indian and Sri Lanka, it wouldn't be quite surprising if the 12 players who are contracted for the season don't play over security issues. If it happens, then the biggest loser will be Chennai Super Kings that will hope to ride high on the performance of Kulasekara and Dananjaya.

Challengers' challenge: It' double whammy for the team owned by Vijay Malaya. Firstly, the Kingfisher employees frustrated over non-payment of salaries for almost a year now have threatened to disrupt the matched. Secondly, due to the recently announced elections in the state of Karnataka, there could be a change in their match schedules.

Recalling the controversies that made IPL a hit

Spot fixing, 2012: BCCI had to ban five players - Shalabh Srivatava (KXIP), TP Sudhindra (DC) , Abhinav Bali (Delhi cricketers), Mohnish Mishra (PW), Amit Yadav (KXIP) - from all forms of cricket after a news channel aired a sting operation in which the said players agreed to spot fixing. Mohnish admitted that he had even received 1.5 crores, in black, for spot fixing.

Cricketer arrested for molesting a US women, 2011: The Australian middle order batsman Luke Pomersbach who was then playing for RCB was arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly molesting a US woman.

SRK scuffle, 2012: The superstar was banned by Maharashtra Cricket Association from entering the premises of Wankhede Stadium for manhandling a security staff. While SRK admitted to the manhandling, he insisted that he reacted in an unruly manner because the guard pushed and misbehaved with his kids and friends.

Termination of Kochi Tuskers Kerala: The team that made its debut in 2011 was terminated by BCCI on September 19, 2011 for breaching the terms and conditions of the contract. The controversy also saw politico Shashi Tharoor lose his cabinet stature.

When Shane Warne abused Sanjay Dixit, 2011: The Aussie who represented Rajasthan Royals was imposed with a fine of US$50,000 by the BCCI for publicly criticising Rajasthan Cricket Association secretary Sanjay Dixit over changing of pitches in Jaipur during the IPL

KRK dumping Dada: Though SRK had insisted that there can be no Kolkata team without Saurav Ganguly, the teams poor performance in the first three seasons changed the mind of KKR owners. Now, Kolkata really doesn't mind his absence after the terrific win last year.

Outgoing Modi, 2010: The man who made IPL what it is today was sacked as the IPL commissioner minutes before the presentation ceremony of the 2010 IPL final for misappropriation of funds. Not just a legal case was files against him, but he also had to leave the country following the political and sporting turmoil that his sacking led to. He now stays in London.

Ravindra Jadeja banned, 2010: He was banned from playing in the IPL 2010 for trying to negotiate a contract with another franchise and delaying the signing of his contract with Rajasthan Royals.

Hirwani asked to leave the VIP lounge by Lalit Modi, 2010: Narendra Hirwani, the Central Zone representative and former Test player was asked to leave the VIP enclosure at Brabourne Stadium by Commissioner Lalit Modi during a match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.

Slap gate, 2008: This was the first controversy of the game and the season. During a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in April, the spinner playing against KXP slapped Sreesanth.