Delhi Daredevils, owned by GMR Industries, have a number of genuine match-winners in their squad. They boast of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order while wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik beefs up the middle-order. Tillakaratne Dilshan, along with AB de Villiers, has been a revelation in this format. Veteran Daniel Vettori adds depth to the squad. Daredevils made it to the semis in the first season.

In the second season, they rode high on the strength of Dirk Nannes’ pace, topped the league, but again, lost in the semis. Gambhir has now stepped in as captain after Sehwag decided to step down. Dehi have bought out Oz legend Glenn McGrath before the third season. They picked up Wayne Parnell, the South African left-arm pacer for a whopping USD 610,000 at the 2010 auction. They also included the U-19 player Manan Sharma in their ranks.

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The team from India’s princely state didn’t quite command the kind of respect and interest that befits royalty. So when the Rajasthan Royals, led by Shane Warne, swept the opposition away and took home the first-ever IPL title, everyone was surprised. Sohail Tanvir and Shane Watson were the other big names that powered the side, but it was players like Swapnil Asnodkar and Ravindra Jadeja that shone.

IPL 2009 got underway with Bollywood diva Shilpa Shetty and her then fiance Raj Kundra also joining the franchise as co-owners. Kaif was left out and Watson was unavailable. Tyron Henderson, who was roped in after a tug-of-war with KXIP, played just one game. Yusuf Pathan starred in a win over KKR in the only Super Over of the tournament. At the 2010 auction, Rajasthan bought two Australian players – Adam Voges and in a surprise move, the out of action Damien Martyn. The team had bought out Tyron Henderson, Robert Quiney and Mohd Kaif prior to the auction.

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Sachin Tendulkar was named captain and icon player of Mumbai Indians, the highest-priced side, owned by the Reliance Group of Companies, ahead of the inaugural IPL. The team had some turbo-charged players like Jayasuriya, Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan and Malinga. The side, however, failed to deliver on its promise in the inaugural competition, despite some memorable performances like that of the young all-rounder Abhishek Nayar.

The second season opened with two new names for the side – Zaheer Khan, who was brought in from RCB, and batsman Shikhar Dhawan from Daredevils. JP Duminy, the South African powerhouse, was roped in, fresh from his success in Australia. But the side could not quite make it even this time round, bowing out of the competition before the semis. Kyle Mills and Mohd. Ashraful have been bought out. At the 2010 auction, they bagged the biggest player of them all – Kieron Pollard – at USD 750,000 after winning the silent tie-breaker. Harshal Patel from the U-19 side has also found a place in the side.

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The reigning title-holders of the second edition of the IPL, Deccan Chargers had a fairytale second season. Plagued by poor performances, the team was placed at the bottom of the table at the end of IPL’s opening season. But they scripted an incredible turnaround in the second edition, claiming the title. Much credit for their rags to riches story goes to their captain Adam Gilchrist.

His compatriot Darren Lehmann joined the team as coach for the second edition. Deccan’s pace attack is led by the fiery Fidel Edwards and the steady RP Singh. They bought out Sri Lankans Nuwan Zoysa and Chamara Silva ahead of the third edition. To further strengthen their bowling, they picked up the much sought after West Indies fast bowler, Kemar Roach, for a staggering USD 720,000 at the 2010 auction. U-19 player Harmeet Singh was also picked for the coming tournament.

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Chennai Super Kings, owned by India Cements, managed to get the prized services of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the inaugural edition of IPL. Quite understandably, the Indian captain commanded the highest price at the player auctions – a whopping USD 1.5 million. Australia’s batting tour de force Matthew Hayden was roped in to give the batting a destructive edge – and he played his role to perfection in two successive seasons.

Stephen Fleming, who doubled as coach in the second season; the wily Muralidaran; batsman Suresh Raina; and all-rounder Albie Morkel helped Chennai reach the final. When the second round of auctions took place, Andrew Flintoff joined as one of the highest-paid players. In 2009, Hayden scored prolifically while his team entered the semi-final, only to be pipped at the post by RCB. Fleming has now been bought out by the side and is just the coach. At the 2010 auction, the team bought South African Justin Kemp, they also brought in Sri Lankan Thisara Perera for a sum of USD 50,000.

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