players with family

Indian players with family

DC owners seek BCCI help to find buyer

The BCCI's working committee will meet on September 4 to decide on the future of thebeleaguered Deccan Chargers IPL franchise. The meeting comes after the franchise owners sought the board's help in finding a new buyer, conceding they could not carry on running the franchise given their financial problems.

At the meeting, board president N Srinivasan - who met the franchise owners recently - is likely to explain the BCCI's future stand. "They have thrown up their hands. They met the BCCI president directly and said that they cannot get their house in order," a BCCI working committee member, told ESPNcricinfo.

On August 14, the IPL governing council had asked the Chargers management to explain why the franchise had been mortgaged to two leading Indian banks when the BCCI held the ownership rights for the franchise. Granting a month to Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (DCHL), the board asked the Chargers' owners to come back with a reassurance that they were in a strong position to continue owning the franchise. T Venkatram Reddy, DCHL chairman, who was present at that meeting was confident the crisis would be resolved soon.

But earlier this week, Reddy revealed to The Economic Times that DCHL were in advanced talks with potential buyers and the franchise was in safe hands. However, according to the board official, the issue had become "complicated" with the investors in the franchise having asked the board to get involved.

"The lenders do not want the team to die. Nine lenders have written to the board saying they do not mind the team being sold and the board should try and help. The BCCI just wants now to facilitate in finding a buyer. We want to see if there is an amicable sale of the franchise," the official said.

In June DCHL had appointed Religare Capital Markets to look for potential investors who might be interested in buying a part or the entire stake in the franchise. But the board official pointed out any sale could not be a straightforward process. "It is not an easy task because there are some legal proceedings against the Deccan Chargers owners. There are also a number of lenders, number of people who have a stake in the team. One of the lenders has even filed a company winding-up petition," the official said.

Asked if the IPL could be in the danger of being reduced to eight teams, the official said that would be the final step. "We are trying to see and find out an amicable way out. If not, there is no other option. It is a complicated issue and is likely to be discussed during the working committee meeting," he said.

However not all board members are impressed at the sudden "soft approach" being thought about by the BCCI top brass. "Less than a month ago we had stated and issued a notice to the Deccan Chargers owners that in case they would not settle their dispute the board would auction for a new team. Now apparently we have to take a softer route. How are we concerned? The lenders are knocking at the BCCI doors because they are in trouble," a working committee member said.

Sachin Tendulkar has already said that he will not quit cricket to join politics and will always remain a sportsman. (TOI Photo)

SACHIN AS MEMBER OF RAJYA SABHA

NEW DELHI: Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Monday became the first active sportsperson to become a Member of Parliament when he took oath as a Rajya Sabhamember.

Sachin took the oath in the chamber of Rajya Sabha chairman and vice-President Hamid Ansari.

On his way to the Parliament, Sachin was accompanied by his wife Anjali Tendulkar and IPL chairman and MP Rajiv Shukla.

World chess champion Viswanathan Anand on Sunday said that Sachin serving as Rajya Sabha member would be a big step in his life and wished the cricket legend to enjoy his new role.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that Sachin will make a contribution as a Rajya Sabha member also as he has excelled in cricket and in whatever he has done so far.

Though he was nominated to the Upper House of the Parliament in April earlier this year, Sachin could not take oath due to his cricket commitments.

Sachin has already said that he will not quit cricket to join politics and will always remain a sportsman.

Sachin's nomination to the Rajya Sabha had taken political circles by surprise, even though it was in the works for a while. Cricket lovers too were bemused with many wondering how an active cricketer who is on the road for around 250 days a year will be able to do justice to his parliamentary duties - and if he can't, would this Rajya Sabha entry really enhance Sachin's stature?

Sachin, it is said, had sought time to think over the offer and had conveyed his acceptance to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

Sachin's nomination to the Rajya Sabha came after he completed a historic 100 international centuries in March earlier this year.

Official sources said the home ministry sent the name of Sachin under the "social service" category as sports is not specifically listed in fields eligible for nominations.

Sportspersons in Parliament 

RAJYA SABHA 

Elected: Dilip Tirkey (hockey) 2012

Nominated: Sachin Tendulkar (cricket) 2012

LOK SABHA 

Karni Singh (shooter) 1952-77

Kirti Azad (cricket) 1999, 2009

Navjot Singh Sidhu (cricket) 2004, 2009

Aslam Sher Khan (cricket) 1984, 1991

Jyotirmoy Sikdar (athletics) 2004

Chetan Chauhan (cricket) 1991, 1998

Naveen Jindal (shooter, member of Indian squad in Busan Asiad) 2004, 2009

Mohammad Azharuddin (cricket) 2009.

MS Dhoni becomes Lieutenant
Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni added one more feather to his cap as he was conferred honorary Lieutenant Colonel title in the Territorial Army on Tuesday.Army General VK Singh conferred the honorary positions to Dhoni and Olympic gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra. On Sept 13, President Pratibha Patil approved granting of honorary commissions to the sports stars. Dhoni said he would encourage

Enjoying with family after IPL5

There's hardly any off-season for Indian cricketers these days but somehow, after IPL, they spend little over a month with family and friends, before they embark on yet another tour -- this time not far but to Sri Lanka for a series of five one day internationals and finishing with a twenty20 (yes, there will be no test matches)..

Sri Lankans will be rust-free after full series against Pakistan and after this Indian visit, we've inagural Sri lankan premier League. here's how board has set up India's tour of Sri lanka.

The India v Sri lanka 2012 series starts 22nd June with 1st ODI at Mahinda Rajapaksa International stadium in Hambantota, followed by 2nd ODI at same venue on 24th.

Teams then move onto R Premadasa stadium in Colombo where last three one dayers will be played, on 28th and 31st July and 4th August. India and Sri lanka indulge in one off T20 match at Pallekele International stadium on 7th August 2012.

All ODIs are to be day-night encounters.

Fact : India has played on 6 ODI series in Sri Lanka won twice, on last two visits (in 2008 & 2009) after being beaten in 1993 and 1997 besides drawing in 1985 and 2006. Overall, India has played 51 ODIs in Sri Lanka, winning 19, losing 26 while 6 games produced no results.

Schedule : India in Sri Lanka : July & August 2012
Date	Match	Venue
22 July 2012	India v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI	Hambantota
24 July 2012	India v Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI	Hambantota
28 July 2012	India v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI	RPS, Colombo
31 July 2012	India v Sri Lanka, 4th ODI	RPS, Colombo
4 August 2012	India v Sri Lanka, 5th ODI	RPS, Colombo
7 August 2012	India v Sri Lanka, only T20	Pallekele

KKR made it for the first time