Page 231 - IPL 2
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B     ig names, big money and bigger ambition.





                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            That’s  how  one  thinks  of  Reliance  Industries.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Mr.  Mukesh  Ambani  extends  this  philosophy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            to  everything  he  does,  including  the  Mumbai

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Indians.  He  has  as  assets  the  biggest  Indian
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            cricketing  icon  Sachin  Tendulkar,  and  big

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            hitter  Sanath  Jayasuriya,  a  couple  of  batsman
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            who have each been around for over 20 years.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Legends that have proven that Twenty20 cricket

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            isn’t just for the 20 year olds.



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Reliance  Industries  had  bought  the  Mumbai
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Indians  franchise  bidding  the  highest  price

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            among all the cities, 111 milllion dollars. If David
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Shepherd  had  still  been  alive  he  would  have

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            hopped on one foot. As it turned out the feared
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Nelson  had  the  effect  on  the  Mumbai  Indians

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            too. The team simply never found its feet and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            failed to make it to the knock out stages of the

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            inaugural season.



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Season 1 was a forgotten story. Now with Sachin
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            available  for  the  entire  tournament,  a  pair  of

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            strike bowlers, Lasith Malinga would share the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            new  ball  with  Zaheer  Khan.  Zaheer  had  been
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            acquired  in  a  pre  season  transfer  deal  with

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Royal Challengers Bangalore. So Robin Utthapa

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            headed to his hometown and Zaheer to his. The
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            middle order was strengthened by West Indian
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            all rounder Dwayne Bravo and South African bat

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            JP Duminy, acquired in a fierce bidding war for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            close to a million dollars. The Mumbai Indians

                                                                                    sachin tendulkar                                                                    sanath jayasuriya                                                                                                                                                                   were  now  looking  like  a  different  team.  And


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