Will be happy if Yusuf scores a 50 or a 100 and Delhi Daredevils win: Irfan Pathan

Interesting contest is on the cards when Delhi Daredevils will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening IPL encounter at Eden gardens on Thursday. All-rounder Irfan Pathan will be against hard hitting brother Yusuf Pathan and the fans would be looking for a contest between the bat and the ball.

“This is the only game of cricket that I don’t enjoy. It’s something I think I can’t handle,” Irfan declared at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday as the prospect of taking on brother Yusuf loomed on the horizon. “Otherwise, I love this game; I want to play every day if I can. Honestly, I didn’t think it would be upon me first up in the IPL,” he added in the same breath, says a report in The Times Of India, adding that but they are professionals and have to be honest to their teams

“Just yesterday we were talking and I told him that hope a situation doesn’t arise where I’m bowling the last over to him with 10 or 15 runs required. This is the only time I’d be thinking negative; otherwise I love a challenge,” he said, before settling for a ‘solution’. “The best would be if he scores a 50 or a 100 and we go on to win the match,” Irfan smiled.

Meanwhile former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram says fitness and bench strength will hold the key in the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League, according to a report in The Tribune. "With all the travel involved and summer upon us, fitness will be key. Hence bench strength and fitness levels will be crucial," Akram, who is a bowling consultant with the Kolkata Knight Riders, said.

"It will be interesting to see how senior Indian players like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan cope up. They all have major roles to play for their respective teams," he added. Akram believed the pressure will be enormous on Ravindra Jadega who will look to justify the amount Chennai shelled out for him.

Players are crazy about their equipment but Suresh Raina has taken the passion to another level, reads an article in Hindustan Times. The left-handed batsman's love for bats is such that he could well be termed the 'Batman' of Indian cricket. His Chennai Super Kings teammates say he must have the most number in world cricket.

“I love to have a lot of bats and have around 350 bats at home,” Raina told HT.

It will be interesting to check how he manages with the airlines with such a heavy baggage because, he admits, his kit contains more than a dozen bats most of the time. “Here also, I have brought 10 extra. I know teammates would ask for them, so I keep that stock separate.”

Meanwhile Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals made a fresh bid to settle their differences with the Board of Control for Cricket in India “At the IPL governing council meeting, also attended by the Board president N Srinivasan, the two franchises made a presentation to settle all pending issues amicably, says media reports.

There was no immediate decision but it was learnt that the Board's response was positive towards the two franchises.

Meanwhile according to a TOI report, with the IPL season having begun, the bookies are back at work, expecting business to the tune of over Rs 75,000 crore – a substantial portion of which is likely to be generated from the National Capital Region.

Sources claimed they have already received calls and bets are being accepted for each match and every performance five days in advance. “While the first match between Chennai and Mumbai on Wednesday did not spell out a clear winner, with bookies offering Rs 1.90 (on an investment of Re 1) on wins by both, the Kolkata and Delhi game on Thursday clearly has the bookies rooting for Kolkata. For every Re 1 bet, one stands to gain Rs 1.80 on Kolkata’s win and Rs 2.10 on Delhi’s win,” adds TOI.