IPL MOHALI TEAM:PUNJAB KINGS

· Yuvraj Singh

Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Slow left-arm orthodox
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Irfan Pathan

Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Left-arm fast medium
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Brett Lee

Specialisation: Right arm fast bowler, Right hand batsman
Availability: Not in 2008 Nationality: Australian
· Kumar Sangakkara

Specialisation: Left-hand batsman, wicketkeeper
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Sri Lankan
· S Sreesanth

Specialisation: Right arm fast medium, Right hand batsman
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Mahela Jayawardene

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Right arm medium
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Sri Lankan
· Piyush Chawla

Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Leg break googly
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Ramesh Powar

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Off break
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Ramnaresh Sarwan

Specialisation: Right hand batsman
Availability: Until May 16
Nationality: West Indian
· Simon Katich

Specialisation: Left hand batsman
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Australian
· James Hopes

Specialisation: Right arm fast medium, Right hand batsman Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Australian
· Kyle Mills

Specialisation: Right arm fast medium
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: New Zealander
· Tanmay Srivastava

Specialisation: Left hand batsman
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Ajitesh Argal

Specialisation: Right arm fast medium
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian

IPL JAIPUR TEAM::RAJASTHAN ROYALS

· Md Kaif

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Off break
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Graeme Smith

Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Off break Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: South African
· Yusuf Pathan

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, off-break
Availability: Whole Tournament Nationality: Indian
· Shane Warne

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Leg break Googly
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Australian
· Munaf Patel

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Right arm fast
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Younis Khan

Specialisation: Right hand batsman
Availability: From April 27
Nationality: Pakistani
· Kamran Akmal

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Wicket keeper
Availability: From April 27
Nationality: Pakistani
· Justin Langer

Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Right medium
Availability: Not in 2008
Nationality: Australian
· Dmitri Mascarenhas

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Right arm fast medium
Availability: -
Nationality: England
· Shane Watson

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Right arm fast medium
Availability: Not in 2008
Nationality: Australian
· Sohail Tanvir

Specialisation: Left hand batsman
Availability: Full Tournament
Nationality: Pakistani
· Morne Morkel

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Right arm fast medium Availability: Full Tournament
Nationality: South African
· Ravindra Jadeja

Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Slow left-arm orthodox
Availability: Full Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Taruvar Kohli

Specialisation: Right hand batsman
Availability: Full Tournament
Nationality: Indian

Kollywood stars to endorse Chennai Super Kings

Two of the most popular actors in Kollywood, Vijay and Nayanthara, have been signed up to be the brand ambassadors for the Indian Premier League’s Chennai team, Chennai Super Kings, run by India Cements Limited. The team has the logo of a roaring lion and and their tagline goes: Fearless entertainers who will play to win.

Vijay and Nayanthara will add glamour to IPL's Twenty: 20 matches. Both of them will endorse Chennai Super Kings, appear on hoardings and in television ads, and will turn up at the matches (played in Chennai, Mohali, Kolkata and Mumbai) to cheer for Dhoni and his team.

Both the stars are riding a wave and are extremely popular in south India. India Cements Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, TNCA President and BCCI Treasurer N Srinivasan, the franchisee owner of Chennai Super Kings has pulled off a coup by getting two of the hottest stars in south to endorse for them.

The market buzz is that Vijay and Nayanthara who have never endorsed before (though Vijay has featured in a Coke commercial before he became a superstar) have been paid a bomb to endorse for Chennai Super Kings.

Akshay Kumar to endorse Delhi Daredevils

New Delhi: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was on Monday roped in as brand ambassador of the Indian Premier League's 'Delhi Daredevils' team.

Akshay, born and brought up in the capital's Chandni Chowk area, surprised a packed room at a five star hotel when he emerged in dim light making a batting gesture with helmets and a willow in Daredevils' red and black shirt.

"My heart beats for Delhi. I consider myself a pucca Dilliwalah. I would like to thank the GMR Group (team owners) for choosing me as the first fan of Delhi Daredevils. I hope I become a lucky mascot for the team," the actor said with his trademark mischievous smile.

The actor, who gave two big hits recently, advised probing journalists not to think of his involvement in IPL as taking on fellow actor Shah Rukh Khan and think of him as a Delhiite, who wish to bring success to the team.

"Please keep such things aside. Why do you think of such things? I am sportsman also. Let us talk about cricket. I want to commit myself on some things which are very dear to me, that is why I am here."

"I have endorsed very few products in my 18-year film career - Coca Cola and Grasim. This (becoming brand ambassador of Delhi IPL team) is very dear to me since I am Delhiite in my heart," Akshay said.

He laughed at a suggestion that actors are involving in cricket because of Bollywood's diminishing entertaining value to the people. "When we are invited in many cricket functions, do they mean that cricket is reaching out to Bollywood to attract people," he countered.

Akhsay praised Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag for scoring a triple century in India's first Test against South Africa in Chennai and also welcomed Pakistani stars Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Asif to the team.

McGrath looking forward to playing against Tendulkar

New Delhi: Former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath on Thursday said there are few players of Sachin Tendulkar's calibre in the international arena and he is looking forward to play against him during the IPL.

Speaking at a press conference here after a practice session of the Delhi Daredevils, McGrath said, ''playing against Sachin Tendulkar is always fascinating for me. He is a class act. Whether it is Test or One-Day he is genius. But in the T20 format he can be destructive because the game is tilted towards the favour of batsmen,'' he added.

he 38 year-old, who retired from international cricket last year, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday night and attended fielding drills on Wednesday morning with the Delhi Daredevils, the franchise that bought him for 350,000 dollars.

McGrath, who has gained some weight after retiring from international cricket remarked, ''I am excited about this new format of the game.

''Coming back to India for such a fascinating tournament is really great. Playing in IPL will be totally different experience,'' he said.

Praising Chennai triple centurian and his captain in the event, Virender Sehwag, McGrath said playing with and under him will be really very challenging.

''Sehwag on his day can destroy any attack. He is very destructive and class player. We are lucky that he is with us,'' he said.

Replying to a question that according to a survey, 45 per cent of the Australian players wants to take retirement for playing in the cash-rich IPL, McGrath said, ''It is surprising that Australian players are so fascinate to play in the IPL. But I will be disappoint if they join IPL before playing any international cricket.

Referring to Indian hospitality and there love for cricket, McGrath said that the public here will receive Symonds in a cordial manner.

''Inspite of all the controversies and bad blood during India's Tour down under, auction shows that what Indian think about Symonds,'' he added.

IPL HYDERABAD TEAM::DECCAN CHARGERS

· Andrew Symonds

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Off-break
Availability: Not in 2008
Nationality: Australian

· RP Singh

Specialisation: Left-arm fast medium
Availability: Whole Tournament<>br Nationality: Indian

· Rohit Sharma

Specialisation: Right hand batsman
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Adam Gilchrist

Specialisation: Left-hand batsman, wicketkeeper
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Australian
· Shahid Afridi

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Leg break googly
Availability: From April 27
Nationality: Pakistani
· Herschelle Gibbs

Specialisation: Right hand batsman
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: South African
· VVS Laxman

Specialisation: Right hand batsman
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Indian
· Chaminda Vaas

Specialisation: Left-arm fast medium, left hand batsman
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Sri Lankan
· Scott Styris

Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Right-arm medium fast
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: New Zealander
· Nuwan Zoysa

Specialisation: Left-arm fast medium
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Sri Lankan
· Chamara Silva

Specialisation: Right hand batsman
Availability: Whole Tournament
Nationality: Sri Lankan

Shah Rukh, Ganguly unveil Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and former India captain Sourav Ganguly Tuesday unveiled Kolkata Knight Riders, the Kolkata team of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), at a glittering ceremony here.

As the team's theme song "Korbo, Lorbo, Jitbo" (We will do it, fight it and win it) blared and the Bollywood king raised his hands with team captain Sourav Ganguly, coach John Buchanan and actor Juhi Chawla, a glamorous chapter of cricket was written inside ITC Sonar Bangla hotel here.

The black and gold team jersey was also unveiled.

Full coverage: Indian Premier League

"Black is the colour of goddess Kali (a symbol of Kolkata) and we aim for gold," Shah Rukh Khan said.

The team's owner is Shahrukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment in partnership with Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta. Sourav Ganguly is the icon player and will lead the Kolkata franchise. (By a Sify Correspondent)