Page 232 - 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


 220  MUMBAI INDIANS                                                                                                                                  MUMBAI INDIANS  221
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