Tendulkar lead Mumbai Indians in new IPL season

Mumbai Indians say skipper Sachin Tendulkar, who is in London for a routine check-up on an old toe injury, will be available for the fifth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that begins next week. "Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar will be joining the in-progress camp at Wankhede Stadium from 31st March 2012 and is fully available for the entire IPL season five. Sachin is in the United Kingdom to consult his doctor and will be back in India to join the camp from March 31" Mumbai Indians said in a statement yesterday. Tendulkar had to rush to London on Tuesday for a check-up on his injury, which has resurfaced and might need surgery. He also missed Rahul Dravid's felicitation ceremony here on Tuesday evening. Four weeks' rest Tendulkar picked up the injury nearly a decade ago, but it came back to haunt him last year, forcing him to miss the ODI series in England in September. He had to consulted a specialist in London and was advised four weeks' rest. Tendulkar was also ruled out of Champions League Twenty20, which Mumbai Indians won under stand-in-skipper Harbhajan Singh. The IPL starts in Chennai, where the Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians, last year's runners-up, take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings, led by India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Ross Taylor remains hopeful of taking some part in this year's IPL despite breaking his arm in the third Test against South Africa. Surgery Taylor underwent surgery on Tuesday to have a pin and plate inserted in his right arm, fractured when he was hit by a bouncer from his Delhi Daredevils teammate, South Africa paceman Morne Morkel. The 28-year-old batsman said Wednesday he hasn't given up hope of taking up his contract with Delhi, thought to be worth about $1.1 million (Dh4.04 million). He was originally signed by the Rajasthan Royals for $1 million but was later traded to Delhi.