Dravid frustrated after another defeat

Rahul Dravid is satisfied with his own batting but seeing his side plunging to yet another defeat makes him "frustrated".

"I am satisfied with my batting. I am playing well but things have not been good for us. I am frustrated a bit because nothing has been working out despite having very good players in our ranks," Dravid told reporters after his team's 65-run loss against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Saturday, 17 may, 2008.

IPL giving Shah Rukh 'sleepless nights

Four days before the start of the Indian Premier League -- the latest initiative of the Board of Control for Cricket in India -- and the negatives are piling up. In an extensive interview to the Kolkata-based Anand Bazaar Patrika, Shah Rukh Khan , who owns the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, said he is "quite disappointed" at the poor audience response. "The first day, when I heard this, I was really surprised that only 237 tickets had been sold at the counter," Khan told the Kolkata paper. "I am truly finding it difficult to accept this. I have never, till date, requested my fans to go and see my films. Never ever done it. I am a bit surprised as to why, despite keeping the ticket prices low, people are not showing any interest." Khan said he is "very tired" by the IPL experience. "I never thought so many problems would crop up when I bought the Knight Riders. I was not prepared for these circumstances.

A rosy picture, removed from reality, was painted to me," he said. One element in that rosy picture was that the franchise owners would be allowed to stage various forms of entertainment at the venues, in order to woo the fans. Apparently even that has run into trouble -- apparently the Kolkata government, unlike governments of states hosting other franchises -- has refused to provide tax exemption.