Greg Chappell: A new reality? © AFP

All the speculation surrounding Greg Chappell’s role as a coach in the IPL can perhaps now be formally ended: the former India coach has been roped in by Emerging Media, the owners of the IPL’s Jaipur franchise, to help out with the second edition of their reality show Cricket Star Twenty20.

He will be joined by Ian Frazer, the Indian team's biomechanist during Chappell's tenure, in overseeing nearly 10,000 applicants shortlisted from all over India at eight centres - cities also home to IPL teams - and select 24 to train in the Cricket Star Academy in Jaipur. The 24 chosen will be nurtured for the Twenty20 format, and the prize on offer for the winner is a contract with the Rajasthan Royals next season.

The show will be aired on the Sony network, another link with the IPL; last year, it was telecast by Zee Sports, owned by the Essel Group which runs the rival Indian Cricket League and the parting of ways was “obvious”, according to Fraser Castellino, the chief executive of Emerging Media.

More on Australian coaches - John Buchanan will be in Kolkata, where he is the franchise coach, next week, the Telegraph reports. “I'll be spending a couple of days in Calcutta (sic) ... It will be more a fact-finding mission and about making myself
familiar with what’s a new challenge."

One of players at Buchanan's disposal will be Aakash Chopra, whose scoring streak for Delhi this season continues in the Ranji Trophy one-day tournament. Chopra signed for Kolkata on Sunday, and said the Delhi Daredevils offer came a bit too late.