ipl

What follows is a collection of live blog posts I conducted on the opening day of the 2009 Indian Premier League:

Before I move on from last Friday's IPL auction, I leave you with the lead story on the front page of Saturday's Telegraph (Kolkata), and with these five words:

Burt. Cockley. Kings. XI. Punjab.

Dammit. I look for some livestock to bid for on eBay and the first thing I strike is some tickets for a sold-out Taylor Swift concert...

Round Three at Goa. The most productive round in terms of the number of players acquired, though no big names claimed now... available slots and available money drying up.

Some news from Thursday's Wodonga cattle sales. "Stock and Land" newspaper reports that the heat wave kept prices down.

Offering a smaller than advertised yarding of 1,430 head, a distinct lack of northern orders was a feature of the sale. This resulted in a soft steer market of 150- 175c/kg lwt. Heifers fetched 140- 160c/kg lwt.

It's meat market day today at the Great Southern Regional Cattle Saleyards in Western Australia. We'll have reports when available, but meanwhile the cattle sales have begun at the Great Northern Saleyard in Goa.

"IPL is now a well established product on TV."

- Kunal Das Gupta, head of Sony TV India, as reported by Business Standard, 20.4.08.

Yes Kunal, a well established product less than 48 hours after its launch. Just one of the many cases of hyperbolics and just plain bollocks accompanying the birth of the Indian Premier League.

As I write, Delhi are 48 for 1 after six overs against the Deccan Chronicles Chargers, and presumably cruising to victory in Game Seven of the Indian Premier League. There's a lot to observe and a lot to talk about. Lots to blog about over the coming weeks if I have the time and maintain the energy.

One of the joys of having several different formats of the game of cricket is that one can retire more than once. Such is the case of Shane Warne.

His retirement from Test cricket - along with that of Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer - reduced the 2006/07 Ashes into one long farewell tour.

I wish I could understand the rules under which the buying of players by the Indian Premier League franchises operates. Meat Market II wrapped up at the Mumbai Hilton yesterday, and I just wonder how and if IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi is making things up as he goes along.

Consider the case of Ashwell Prince who, after being passed in at Meat Market I, was snapped up yesterday. Prince will not be a (Chennai) SuperKing, a (Rajasthan) Royal or a (Bangalore) Royal Challenger, he becomes a Mumbai Indian. But that's not the issue.