It is the inclement England weather that stopped IPL from traveling to England. But no reason to regret - Indian Premier League is going to give a gala appearance at the Lord’s just ahead of the Ashes series and that is with Shane Warne’s Royal Challengers. It will be an enormous team spearheaded by Warne and powerful with such stars of international cricket as Graeme Smith, and Morne Morkel and Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal. For Shane Warne, the match is going to have further significance; for the spin magician, this July6 match is going to be his final appearance at Lord’s

The development is yet another feather in the cap of IPL in its quest for adding more global flavor to the tournament. “This is yet another milestone in the international development of the IPL,” said an excited Lalit Modi. “We have shown this year that the IPL truly has global appeal, and for one of our teams to be playing at the 'home of cricket' in front of the wonderfully passionate British fans is very exciting,” added the commissioner of the IPL.

It is going to be a match with a cause. The proceeds from the match will be donated to the British Asia Trust. “After the disappointment of not being able to play the Champions League last year it is fantastic that the 2008 Twenty20 Champions of England and India can play such a match. The fact that the game will benefit such a worthy charity is tremendous bonus,” said Vinny Codrington, Chief Executive of Middlesex. However, from 2010 onward, it will turn into tripartite tournament with best-of-three teams vying for the title.

For the Rajasthan Royals management, the match comes as a great opportunity for the team for expanding their fan base in the UK. The team which is a powerhouse of talent is all set to showcase their talents before the England cricket crowd, which is more or less as passionate as their Indian counterparts. “This is a great opportunity for the Rajasthan Royals to expand our fan base in the UK, and to showcase the great international talent in the team, and on a personal note, I am especially pleased that the British Asian Trust will be benefiting from the event,” Manoj Badale, chairman of the Rajasthan Royals, sums up the upbeat mood in the Royals camp.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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