The Indian Cricket Board’s selection committee will pick the Rest of India team for the Irani Cup on September 16 in Chennai. 

The Irani Cup is scheduled in November-December. The panel will also select the three teams for the Challenger Series, scheduled from October 8 to October 11, in the same meeting.

“The All India Senior Selection Committee Meeting will be held at 11:00 am on September 16, at the TNCA, Chennai, to select the Rest of India Team for the Irani Cup and the three teams for the Challenger Series 2009-10,” BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.

Air India Red found an unlikely batting hero in 23-year-old Sushant Marathe as they sent fancied ONGC crashing to defeat in the BCCI Corporate Trophy semifinal at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

After their bowlers had done extremely well to dismiss the strong ONGC batting lineup for a poor 213, left-handed Marathe, coming in at the fall of opener Naman Ojha, played a superb hand to steer his side into the final.

The five-wicket victory, that came with 10 overs to spare on a surprisingly rain-free day, was well earned given that the Airmen were up against a virtual Indian attack.

It was local lad Robin Uthappa who provided the initial impetus with a 49-ball 47 (7×4) but the cynosure was certainly Marathe. Looking at him bat on the day, it was tough to believe that he has just four first-class games (Mumbai) behind him.

Comfortable against pace and spin alike, Marathe (80 not out, 106b, 8×4) handled all that Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra could come up with. Only against offie Sarendeep Singh (2-36 from 10) was he circumspect.

Fellow Mumbaite Ankeet Chavan too played a cameo to bring about ONGC’s premature exit in the tournament. Marathe and Chavan notched up 67 unbroken runs off 69 balls, with Chavan hammering a quickfire 41 (45b, 6×4) in the process.

Earlier, ONGC, asked to bat by Yuvraj Singh, had just one substantial partnership, for the third wicket between skipper Gautam Gambhir (63) and Virat Kohli (47).

Air India Blue beat Indian Revenue by 140 runs in a match of the Corporate Cup tournament at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium on Thursday, sealing their place in the semi-final.

After winning the toss, Air India Blue got a flying start from their openers – Maninder Bisra and Chandan Yadav, who accumulated 71 runs in the first 11 overs before the game was stopped due to rain.

Rain wasted over an hour of the play and the game was reduced to 42-overs a side.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni came to bat first down at the departure of Yadav, who scored 74 runs. Dhoni played a quick-fire innings, remaining unbeaten on 106 runs of just 61 balls. Maninder, who studded his innings with 7 sixes and 14 fours, also remained not out on 152 runs.

The team scored 362 runs for the loss of one wicket in 42 overs.

The lone wicket-taker for Indian Revenue was Rakesh Badrapur.

Playing under floodlights, Indian Revenue could only score 222 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 42 overs. Amesh Shrikande and Ankit were the highest scorers for them with 121 and 33 runs respectively.

Indian Revenue’s Avik Chowdhary, who got man-of-the-match award for scoring 110 runs against ITC Wednesday, was run out by Mohammed Kaif on 24.

Things were not going good for Indian Revenue team as their leading batsman Hekin Shah was retired hurt after a bouncer hit him directly on the nose.

After preliminary first aid, Shah was immediately shifted to Fortis hospital in Mohali.

RP Singh and Mohit Singh grabbed two wickets each for Air India Blue.

With this win, Air India Blue has registered their place in the semi-final match Sunday. In the points tally they are leading with six points, whereas Indian Revenue and ITC have managed with only four and two points respectively.

Dhoni was adjudged man-of-the-match and received a trophy and a cheque of Rs.50,000.

Suresh Raina smashed a sparkling unbeaten 92 to power Air India Red to a thumping seven-wicket victory over India Cements in their last Group D match and book a semifinal berth in the inaugural Sahara BCCI Corporate Trophy limited overs tournament on Thursday.

Raina sent the India Cements bowlers for a leather hunt in his 107-ball innings which was studded with seven fours and two sixes at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

He was ably supported by opener and wicketkeeper Naman Ojha, who made a 75-ball 59 (5X4; 2X6). The duo put on 109 runs for the second wicket from 19.2 overs to take the match away from India Cements.

Earlier, put in to bat, India Cements made 243 for nine thanks mainly to contributions from S Badrinath (91) and Rahul Dravid (66) after the match was reduced to 47 overs a side following a brief shower during the 15th over.

Air India Red chased down the target of 244 with the loss of three wickets and four overs remaining. Captain Yuvraj Singh contributed 39.

For India Cements, Sudeep Tyagi was the most successful bowler with figures of 2/46 from nine overs.

With this victory, Air India Red topped the group with six points and play Group ‘B’ winners Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in the first semifinal on Saturday.

Earlier, a 133-run partnership between Badrinath and Dravid for the third wicket propelled India Cements to 243 for 9.

Badrinath started off with a feisty cut and a punchy drive against the seamers before lifting Ajith Chandila for two sixes in the 19th over. He showed his fine touch with a paddle shot against the medium-pacer Mundeep Mangela.

He, however, fell in the 41st over when he charged out too early against Chandila, who pushed it wide down the leg side to have him stumped.

Badrinath faced 110 balls from which he hit eight fours and two sixes.

Dravid was out before Badrinath, holing out to long-on in the 40th over, but by then he had played another one of his signature innings of watchfulness and aggression in equal measure.

He started off with singles and twos and never looked in any trouble. He hit four fours and a six from 72 balls.

After the dismissal of Dravid and Badrinath, the lower order crumbled.

SN Netravalkar claimed three India Cements wickets by conceding 48 runs while Dhawal Kulkarni and Chandila took two wickets apiece.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation made it to the semifinals of the inaugural Sahara BCCI Corporate trophy after their last Group B match against Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rains on Thursday.

Umpires SD Ranade and MR Singh took the decision to call off the match at the Andhra Cricket Association ground.

ONGC, who had beaten Madras Rubber Factory by 81 runs yesterday, topped the group with seven points to move to the semifinal stage.

Only the group toppers make it to the semifinals. ONGC will meet the winners of Group D in the first semifinal in Bangalore on Saturday.

Tata SC advanced to the semifinals of the inaugural BCCI Corporate Cup after their crucial last Group C match against Indian Oil was washed out due to continuous downpour at the serene Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium on Thursday.

Ajit Agarkar-led Tata SC, by virtue of their win against All India Public Sector Sports Promotion Board (AIPSSPB) in the rain-truncated Group C opener on Tuesday, moved to the last four stage. They will face the toppers of Group A, either Indian Revenue or Air India Blue on Sunday at Mohali.

Indian Oil desperately needed a win from Thursday’s match for a semifinal berth, especially after rain marred their opening encounter against AIPSSPB on Wednesday.

However, to the disappointment of the Wasim Jaffer led side, persistent rain did not allow a single ball being bowled for the second consecutive day, leaving them out of the tournament without even playing a single match.

With one win and two points from Thursday’s abandoned match against Indian Oil, Tata topped Group C with six points, while Jaffer’s side ended up with four points from two washed out matches. AIPSSPB finished at the bottom with only two points.

Persistent showers since last night did not give umpires K Hariharan and Rajesh Deshpande even a chance to consider for a truncated match as the entire HPCA ground was waterlogged, resembling an artificial pond. The match officials were left with no other option but to cancel the match.

A disappointed Indian Oil captain Wasim Jaffer held the scheduling of the tournament during the monsoons responsible for his side’s ouster from the event.

“It’s really disappointing to get out of the tournament without playing a match but we don’t have control over nature. The tournament is an encouraging step from the BCCI’s part but they could have scheduled it a couple of weeks later,” the right-handed opener said.

“It’s not just here, rain is playing spoilsport at Mohali and Bangalore as well.”

Meanwhile, match referee Manu Nayyar said there was no provision under rules to re-schedule the match.

“The decision to abandon the match was in keeping with the rules. There is no question of rescheduling it as the rule book doesn’t allow us to do so,” he said.

Steady rain and wet outfield on Wednesday, saw the match between Indian Oil and AIPSSPB abandoned without a ball being bowled and both the sides were awarded two points apiece.

Persistent rain had cast a shadow over the entire Group C leg of the tournament. The teams, which arrived here on Monday, did not get enough chance to do practice as the continuous downpour kept them largely confined to their hotel rooms.

The Indian cricket board on Thursday unveiled inaugural Sahara BCCI Corporate Trophy, with a number of cricketers including master batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh in attendance.

The 12-team tournament, aiming at reviving the waning corporate interest in the game, will be held in four venues across the country – Mohali, Vishakhapatnam, Dharamsala and Bangalore.

The trophy was unveiled by BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, joint secretary Sanjay Jagdale and corporate communications chief of Sahara Group Abhijit Sarkar.

Most of the Indian cricketer, including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will be seen in action during the one-day tournament to be held from September 1-8.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, which appeared to be a low-key event without much fanfare despite the presence of Tendulkar and Yuvraj, Srinivasan said over the years corporate interest in the game has declined.

However, Srinivasan was quick to add that introduction of the Indian Premier League has indeed “revived the corporate rivalries” to an extent.

Former India captain Rahul Dravid, speaking on behalf of the cricketers, lauded the BCCI’s initiative to conduct such a tournament and termed it a “great step in reinvigorating” corporate interest in the game of cricket.

The participating teams are Indian Revenue, ITC, Air India – Blue, BPCL, MRF, ONGC, AIPSSPB, Tata Sports Club, Indian Oil, Air India-Red, India Cements and BSNL.

Boosted by international recognition DY Patil Sports Academy is marching on. 

On Monday Rahul Dravid inaugurated their website www. dypsa.in and expressed a wish to play at least one international tie at the DY Patil Stadium before quitting the game.

“This place can be a training ground not only in cricket but for all disciplines and be a breeding ground for future sports people. I have no doubt that in future this will be the hub,” said Dravid.

The website highlights the facilities at the complex and its brief period of glory during the inaugural IPL when it hosted five games including the final. A British architecture journal in May rated it among the world’s top six cricket stadia.

The sports academy’s president, Vijay Patil, said sports federations, especially of swimming, tennis, squash and badminton, could utilise the facilities in the complex to conduct national level meets.

There are five tennis courts, two badminton courts and an Olympic-size swimming pool other than three glass-back squash courts, according to sports secretary and co-ordinator of the academy, Avinash Salvi.

Almost a month after Indian cricketers made headlines for rejecting a controversial WADA clause, Indian Cricket Board on Wednesday launched its anti-doping education programme with a day-long workshop for the physiotherapists.

The workshop was conducted by Dr Vece Paes, Dr Kinjal Suratwala and Dr Nitin Patel, who briefed on the various points about the Anti-Doping code and also distributed copies of hand books provided by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to the participants, BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said in a press release.

The Board will organise such seminars for every association for the benefit of the support staff as well as players in each of their teams during the course of the next 2-3 months.

India’s top cricketers had refused to sign the ‘whereabouts’ clause of WADA’s anti-doping code, claiming that it infringed on their privacy and compromised their security.

The International Cricket Council then formed a special panel, which included former captain Anil Kumble and Srinivasan, to resolve the vexed issue. The panel will have its first meeting on September 6 and 7.

The BCCI has decided to start an invitational ‘Inter-Corporate National Cricket Tournament’ with a prize money of Rs one crore to encourage business houses and public and private sector undertakings to employ cricketers in their organisations.

Noting that the employment avenues for cricketers have “declined” over the past few years, BCCI treasurer M P Pandove said “the step by the Board will re-generate employment for players in various firms.”

“To ensure that the corporate houses employ the cricketers, eligibility criteria for participation contains that only the regular employees of the business institutions take part in it,” he said.

For the current year, the tournament has been scheduled to be played from September one to eight at Bangalore, Mohali and Vizag. The matches will be a day-night affair and 50-overs a side.

The only exception is made for the under-19 event, where the corporates can field maximum two such players who are on the scholarship and not on regular payroll, Pandove said.

For the first year, as many as 12 teams have been invited by the BCCI to take part in the tournament, he said.

“The board may increase the number in the next coming years,” he said.

Pandove said Mohali has been alotted four matches, including the second semi-final to be played on September six.

Prominent players, who will participate in the tournament, include–M S Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, R P Singh, Rahul Dravid and Wasim Jaffer.

Pandove, who is also Honorary Secretary of Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), expressed his dissatisfaction over the fitness level of Punjab players playing at various levels.

He added that the PCA had recently conducted a camp to improve the fitness levels of the players.