BCCI Grounds

Our political leaders are busy taking credit and expect their efforts to be lauded as they ferried a train from Mumbai to Latur, which is suffering from severe drought conditions with people searching even for drinking water. It is not an achievement on the part of the Govt. to provide water by train. I’d say it is rather the shoddy planning whether Congress or BJP that the State has to spend money for ferrying trains and it could not plan or act accordingly so that such condition may not happen.

Looking at the plight of the poor people of Maharashtra, an NGO filed a petition in Bombay HC to shift the IPL matches out from Maharashtra especially now since IPL has two teams from Maharashtra (teams have nothing to do with States but more so with their home ground).

Mukesh Ambani’s wife, Nita Ambani was traveling around Europe and witnessed how the club football created enthusiasm and united people across boundaries and she got her idea to float Indian Super League and now it has already run for three seasons. Perhaps Reliance knows and understand how to look at virgin markets and build them from ground up.

IPL Management has decided to look for an alternative venue for next season outside India. I mean there is one corporate who is trying to revive the culture of football in India. On the other hand, we are trying to deconstruct the culture of cricket in India. First time perhaps in sports that India took a giant leap and gave a new format, new version and style to play the game and more so, that the epicenter of cricket has moved from England to India.

The Court did make a vlid point. How can you (cricket associations and BCCI) waste water like this. People are more important or your IPL matches? How can you be so careless? Who wastes water like this? This is criminal wastage. You know what the condition is in Maharashtra,” a division bench headed by Justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik said, while hearing a PIL filed by the Loksatta Movement NGO. “Ideally, you should shift the IPL matches to some other state where water is in abundance,” the court observed.

BCCI submitted different plans and proposals for the Court to consider but Court wouldn't budge. BCCI gave an excellent idea to use sewerage treated water to water the grounds and the facility for the same has been established by the existing prestigious club in India to water its golf course. The Court questioned BCCI to compensate State for the water used during all the past IPL matches. Which should not be a hard thing for the BCCI to undertake given the fact that they are the richest body in India barring few temples?

The big question remains, why and how the situation has come to such a pass? Not State Government’s, we know them, they engage in damage control and quick fix last minute measures. But the BCCI could have acted at an appropriate time. State could have opted to spend all the taxes and the money received from IPL in setting up and controlling the water situation in the State of Maharashtra. Why the Court asked the BCCI to compensate State for the water and suggested the State otherwise?

Not to mention, IPL shifting out of India will be India’s loss on the cricketing arena and not to mention the fans and revenues accrued from the same and taxes paid to the Govt. to host such events. 

There are close to 50 international cricket grounds/stadiums in the country. The eight stadiums which are made the home grounds of the teams along with their names are normally hosting the cricket matches during other tournaments as well with few sundry or other matches are scheduled at few other locations. Why the process to engage other cricket stadiums has still not been included in IPL? Wherein the home ground is divided amongst two grounds in the State so that the chance to develop the game of cricket and upgradation of infrastructure is spread across the country but what is happening is instead the more money is pumped into the iconic cricket stadiums of the country. 

The High Court order of shifting all matches out of Maharashtra is a blessing in disguise for the BCCI to work on an alternate plan and agenda to spread the virus of IPL across the country. Take the Chandigarh, it helped Dharamshala stadium and the town just by shifting two - three matches in past few IPL seasons. Amritsar can be developed as another alternative ground for Chandigarh, which gives considerable boost to the economy and the culture of the city. 

Mumbai already is in severe grip of cricket fever, why not host few in matches in Nagpur or Goa. Similar should be the case that the matches are spread which will benefit the franchises in increasing the fan base and building different entertainment and lifestyle on the basis of their team’s theme.

But just in case, BCCI decides to move IPL out of India, there should be another petition in the Supreme Court with the Court to keep the tournament in India. VIVO is the chief sponsor of IPL, the forex earnings of the country is going up. Plus the expenditure that the foreign players and visitors spend in India. BCCI perhaps can host few matches outside India in every season again to increase the fan base and the loyalty but logistically implementing the same will be a challenge. 

But in the meantime, IPL should stay in India and the idea of alternate grounds to home for every team should also be developed. The Govt. should work with BCCI to provide sewerage treated water to water grounds at every ground in the country.

Dhoni and the World of Cricket T20

I stopped watching the Final of Cricket World Cup T20 between England and West Indies after 12 over of second innings by Windies as they had just scored 66 in 12 overs and required 90 from 48 balls. A mobile beep at 11 in the night tells me West Indies won after hitting four sixes of last over with two balls to spare. Now Darren Sammy tells the world about the delirious conditions with which their Board treats them, hence they are bigger heroes than just winning the World Cup. Probably England is the best team to hit sixes against, Yuvraj hit six sixes in one over against them.

My mind races back to the India-Bangladesh match and what a match it was, no match  of any sport in any country in the world can make as many people their heartbeats than a thriller by an Indian cricket team. A friend of mine quoted on Facebook, “Dhoni does not believe in Winning, Winning believes in Dhoni”. We had won three straight games against Bangladesh prior to the series and won all the matches in Asia Cup in Dhaka. In this match as well, we were expected to take leap in terms of average in case India, Pakistan and Australia get stuck at 2 won matches each. Only the luck (luck is an important factor in T20 cricket) saved the match. But as the team with Number 1 ranking, we are never up to the mark.

Radio, television channels, music, entertainment channels everybody was playing the last over of the match by Hardik Pandya for the next 24 hours. In the past few months, their is a movement amongst the cricket intellectuals and greats to elevate the position of Dhoni from cricketer and skipper to the Cricket Hall of Fame. Certainly people were reminded of the last over bowled by Joinder Sharma in the first ever T20 cricket wherein Dhoni was made Captain and sent with the team of rookies (underdogs) as the heavy weights refused to play T20 cricket. 

Dhoni certainly deserves a place. We won a match against Pakistan and also Australia to which Kohli guided us to a comfortable win. If Sachin is God of Cricket, then Dhoni is certainly the mentor of T20 cricket. He is a mentor not only to players or the team but the whole concept of T20.

Like his coach said that he was recommending to some senior retired players in the cricket arena and they asked, what type of batsmen he is and what is his batting style? His coach said, he plays excellent shots and he has his own style and not anybody he can think of. Dhoni's style of picking good length, low pitched deliveries from the ground and swinging it past boundary on the long on/off is called Helicopter Shot. 

For the semi-final, we booked a table at an upmarket pub in South Delhi. Somehow watching the matches in a crowded place adds to the fun, much better than an experience in stadium. Plus they are playing all the heart pumping patriotic music during commercial breaks or whenever India hits a six or takes a wicket, free shots (tequila) are provided. 

We lost the match to the Windies and our chances of winning the World Cup were grounded. In the upmarket bar which was crowded was suddenly empty and dull after we lost and one group of Indian fans lashed out at other group for they were still laughing and argued India lost and you are smiling. Not to mention, glasses and plates few across and broken and littered at the place, so much so, that the bar authorities had to call the security and Police was also on the way, during which we also decided to  gulp our beer and head towards exit.

Apparently there were few reports in the media as well of violence on the streets as India lost. Such is the passion and enthusiasm of cricket. T20 is not about technique or the patience or the sense of character, it is all about entertainment. With the increasing mix of Bollywood and the corporate world and the models and cheer leaders, it is as glamorous as a fashion week but with much high drama and emotions at play.

Dhoni’s style of shots are perfectly attuned to this style of cricket. In more than 6 out of 10 matches, he is playing the winning shot. In the T20 matches, India’s matches were the ones which provided with the maximum thrill and entertainment for any cricket fan as all matches were close and could swing to any side, any moment. 

It’s true he and the team that he is built has given immense range of emotions to the cricket fans and more percolate on the thrilling and happy side and less of sadness and moreover Indian side put their everything in T20 match, even if they have lost, they play a competitive game with no easy chances for their opponent.

Dhoni is an entertainer as T20 is all about entertainment. Let’s take a look at the press conference after they lost to West Indies in the Semi Final on 31st March, 2016. 

The question asked by Samuel Ferris of cricket.com.au was about whether after the Indian team's exit from the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals, Dhoni, at 34, was keen to play on. At first Dhoni responded by asking Ferris to repeat the question, and when he did, the following played out. 

“Come here, let's have some fun”, said Dhoni, beckoning to Ferris to join him. Ferris blinked and looked taken aback. Dhoni pushed aside one of the chairs next to him and said: “I am serious, come here”.

The Australian sat down and Dhoni put an arm around him. “Do you want me to retire?”

“Not that I want. That's what I want to ask you,” replied Ferris.

“I was hoping it was an Indian media guy because I can't really ask you if you have a son or a brother who is a wicketkeeper. Do you think I am unfit, looking at my running?” asked Dhoni as giggles rippled around the room.

“No. You're very fast.”

“Do you think I can survive till the 2019 World Cup?”

“You should, yes, sure.”

“Then you have answered the question.” With that, Dhoni patted Ferris' back and the Australian got up and walked back to his seat.

Dhoni wasn't finished, though.

“I wish it was an Indian media person,” he added, clearly in reference to the number of times his place has been questioned after a defeat and the times journalists have asked him questions about his future. “Then I would have asked if he has a son who is a wicketkeeper and ready to play. He would have said no, then I would have said maybe a brother who is a wicketkeeper and who is ready to play. You fired the right ammunition at the wrong time.”

Test Cricket will not die a Martyr

While watching IPL, I wondered or feared for the life and career of a bowler. Especially IPL taking almost three months of a year from the best international cricket players, their mindset will be structured around 20-20 and they would cease to play the traditional game of test cricket. Paresh Rawal makes a point in the movie, Cheeni Kum, cricket ko rang-birangi dress mein circus bana diya hai (Playing cricket in coloured uniform is like performing in a circus)….. Real Cricket is Test Cricket, Five grueling days to test the perseverance and talent. Or in other words, cricket will never be able to find out another of Rahul Dravid’s class in future.

In T20, the bowlers’ performance appears as Overs-Dot Balls-Runs-Wickets. Dot balls and sixes are the most important element of T20 cricket. Bowler emphasizes on the fact that he does not get hit big and not on the line, length or the swing, the surreal art of cricket is dying a slow death. T20 needless to say has made most millionaires in any industry in our country.

Test cricket matches are wrapped up in three days, so we may be moving towards shorter version of five day matches. Is it time, to take a call on the same as well? Maybe we may make the fourth version of the game popular as well. Rahul Dravid said, Test Cricket is different ball game, you have to take 20 wickets to be declared as winner. While in ODIs, you just have to restrict the other side.

Getting back to the current India – South Africa test series, Indians fans were fretting over the fact that Indian team offered a meager chase of 217 for fourth innings at first Test in Mohali to the mighty South Africans who have never lost test match series outside of their home in last 9 years. Just when Indian fans would have started screaming at Virat Kohli due to poor performance with bat and shopping with his Bollywood actress girlfriend, Anushka Sharma, Indian team bundled out the South Africans for 109. An Indian fan was very surprised at the Indian team’s bowling feat but in India, with spin bowling, Indians are able to perform.

Its only in match analysis, we got to know that the heroes were not our bowlers but the pitch for whom it was curated to perfection. So much so, that what happens to match on 3^rd or 4^th day starting happening on the first day. Our pacers who are always chewing their nails especially after T20 were left flabbergasted once again as the spinners raked in the moolah and they didn’t even get a chance to apply saliva on the ball.

To South Africa’ luck, second test was washed off and then came the third test. 12 wickets fell on first day, 20 on second, remaining 8 on third day for India to clinch the series. Virat Kohli’s magic is happening along with our able Director who strategizes well enough to beat the mighty South Africans.

Clearly again the pitch was the winner and Test Cricket was the loser. I mean, why is the CRICKET losing in this proposition? Similar happened to India in Johannesburg, 2 decades back and I guess it was experimental but this time it seems it may become the norm, a T20 match produces more runs that the third test match between Indian and SA. Ashwin, the magician with carom ball lashes out, if they can do it, what’s wrong with us doing it?

If pitch will perform for the players and then what are players doing on the field? India should have home advantage but that not is all the advantage and leverage and talent in the match. I mean, we want to see classy shots from Murali Vijay or few sixes from Dhawan or fiery batting of AB, some classics of Amla.

Cricket is about competition, about challenges on the field, improvisation according to the situation. But in this case, Ashwin has to demolish the opposition and batsmen have no chance to sweat on the field. Indian team is like a spoilt son of rich man. BCCI does not believe in the talent of its team, hence they have taken the task unto themselves to help them win.

During Mohali, we were still anxious as to what would happen but Nagpur, everybody was certain Ashwin will bowl them out, Jadeja and Mishra will be his sidekicks, it’s just a matter of time. There was a twist when Rahul Dravid’s spirit was hovering over Amla and du Plessis but Dravid pulled some classy strokes in between, while these two were just trying to hold onto the wicket and not win the match, because there was no chance.

I am glad at small element, in the era of T20 when fours and sixes rein and bowlers are merely present to bowl, no technique, no logic, just aim for dot balls, bowlers still have a life. Test Cricket gives them their due importance but like this, when the spinner has to bowl as they fall like a tower of cards but offers nothing for the batsman, only for the bowler. If other nations start emulating India’s strategy, Test Cricket will not even die a martyr but will be murdered by pitch curators and Cricket Board.

I urge Dravid and the likes to work with BCCI and other cricket associations to produce better pitches to allow the competitive game to be witnessed in every format. If Test Cricket has to die, it should die as a HERO and forbearer and the spirit of cricket but not a terrorist.

Is it about NEWS or SMARTPHONES?

In today’s Digital Age, I have stopped reading newspaper but do not forget to track the news via Internet or regular updates on my Smartphone. But that hasn’t stopped us from ordering newspaper especially when the bill only goes to $ 2 – 4 a month. The front page of the newspaper tells us the pulse of the nation, what thrills the people or what are the issues the nation is grappling with or what are the achievement of the country.

Even on the run hooked on to Internet via laptops, tablets, phones still front page of the newspaper catches our fancy.

What do we see on front page everyday in India? A move, a movement, a philosophy, an ideology that every Indian must possess a smartphone in a country where 40% of the population cannot read the newspaper, where 60% of the population cannot afford the newspaper, where 65% is living with the minimum living standard of $ 2 – 4 everyday.

I really miss the scam stories or aura surrounding around or the deep mystery which is ready to be unfolded by the same person who has created and designed mysterious paths of scams. Like latest IPL scam or crime or whatever is missing on front page of newspapers. The interesting or buffoon remarks by our genius politicians, whether its BJP, Modi, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Lalu Yadav everything has vanished from the front page.

Instead what we see is four global goliaths fighting to outdo themselves not each other. Samsung, Nokia, iPhone and now Blackberry has also joined the race. Another piece on their strategy will be coming up later.

But my point of contention here is why are newspapers acting as advertising agents. Advertising is one thing because of which we are able to receive our newspapers at Rs. 2, 3, 4 and not like Pakistan where newspapers don’t have liberty and still cost Rs. 10 – 25.

Newspapers freedom to write defines the Rights granted by a country to it people. Newspapers help in shaping the thought process of the public at large. It makes and takes us to unusual places, unusual people, unusual stories. Instead what they are feeding us is an open war amongst four leading phone giants or trying to be giants.

Can they help us get to our good old days of real news and real masala especially on front page.

Brief on LIFE

I love Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), the King Khan of Bollywood, there cannot be an entertainer like him. When I am referring to his entertainment credentials, it’s off screen and not on screen. Here I am not referring to the latest hype created around his Wankhede row. SRK, truly is a man who is democratic, who can charm his way to people’s hearts. A man who made it on his own, this big in life and in an industry where decade is considered to be a career and a lifetime. But SRK is and continues to remain strong for last 25 years. He is best performer, entertainer, media grabbing of his team, Kolkata Knight Riders and the most profitable as well. In a country where Cricket is Religion and Sachin is God, there the owner of the team is the HERO.

 

The most amazing part about his personality is his charm and his sense of humour. Whatever he says is a QUOTE, it’s a CLICHÉ. “SRK said it”. The way he can make fun of himself, always. Couple of years back, Pakistan’s cricket team was visiting India after a long hiatus and SRK is hosting the show for welcoming both the teams. What better man to represent both India and Pakistan. He says, I don’t feel anything whether India wins or Pakistan wins. My mother came from Pakistan and father from India. So if Pakistan wins, I say Ammi jeet gyi and if India wins, I say walid sahib jeet gaye.

 

Anyway this post has nothing to do with SRK, Cricket or Bollywood. A couple of quotes/words have come out of SRK’s stable after his team won the IPL-5 title that actually touch your soul and the way he has put it, we all feel something like this, not many times in our life. It is not fun from the funny man. Rather when funny people talk serious, it showers rains. Like Charlie Chaplin said, “I enjoy walking in rain coz nobody can see my crying”.

 

Follow the news story as it appeared:

Shah Rukh Khan is not elated, thrilled or vindicated by his team's victory over Chennai at IPL 5 this year. He even penned a quiet soliloquy to himself at 5 am the next day, after the post-match party on May 28.

He reveals his pre-match frame of mind, saying, "I have never been in a zone where I have prayed so much. I pray a lot, but on that day I was praying a lot more. I had to make this happen in my head and heart. I write whenever I am alone, and don't know what else to do..."

But post the victory, it was a different feeling for Shah Rukh. "I didn't feel anything after the win, so I tried to put across what I was feeling on paper. I was feeling empty inside. Any of the things I thought I would feel after winning the IPL were missing. I've realised I have never been able to learn cold-blooded objectivity. I'm extremely subjective — good, bad, selfish, self-centered. I don't behave how people think I should — a role model."

He says he's also realised that people exist in very small boxes of judgement and limitation. And they hurt him. "For years they have hurt me, though they have no power over me. Whenever I see those people, I react because I am honest and they symbolise my hurt. Why? I am a middle-class guy and I have wanted nothing more than to be accepted and seen as a good actor. I have always wanted to be universally loved. That's an issue. I have always given and they have always taken. Then they have asked for more and again I have given... When they asked as an entitlement, I gave them again. In the last six months, a few people close to me have hurt and betrayed me by their actions... I am not scared of anyone, but I have given because I have felt that I will be liked by them all the time. And yet they don't see it because I remind them of the things that they didn't have the capacity to do themselves. And now my anger has passed..."

After the win, he was going to jump off the balcony of the VIP section and he genuinely felt he could fly! "People will think I am narcissistic to talk like this, but it's not that. I am one of the few people in the world who has been made to believe that I can do this!"

He goes on to add that while he has the influence to make people happy, he is anything but a role model. "I don't tell my children to be what I am. A role model is someone who can take on the onslaught of being in the public eye and still stand for correctness. He plays a role. Sachin Tendulkar is what a role model should be,.. He's the perfect human being and I am not. I don't want to be. I will never be a God of reality... I only sell dreams. I will do a cartwheel or tear off my clothes when I am happy if I feel like it."

Everyday, when some news comes out about him (like the Wankhede stadium fracas), he has to make a joke out of it. "My kids need to know that it's not serious. I have to reassure Suhana and it's very difficult. I get angry and disturbed then... but why do I feel empty now? Winning the IPL is perhaps the greatest thing, it is my victory but this is not the happiness I worked for. I don't feel vindicated, or like a champion or winner!"

Man, do read it over and over again.

(One of the rare photographs when SRK looks down and out, always smiling and smoking)

MS Dhoni is on the verge of losing his status in his job. Being part of Indian cricket team and leading the Indian cricket team are the most sought after and toughest jobs to hold in India. Everybody thought its difficult for Dhoni to lost the job considering his stature and the maturity he possessed and depicted on and off the field. In india, its more important to control things off the field than managing the game on the field. This is where Dhoni faltered. Dhoni should have given a better reason for losing the game. Its not bad to lose, but the way Indian team does not even fight or make the other team struggle to win. To top it all, we have our media, it deviates us from the whole issue. It was over the dismal Indian team performance. But the stretched the Dhoni remark on IPL parties. I seriously doubt if IPL is good for cricket.

Getting back to the IPL parties, Mehr Jesia, wife of Arjun Rampal, who is good friend (offering all the services) of Shah Rukh Khan, franchise owner of IPL, a strong ally of Lalit Modi. Mehr Jesia organized IPL post match parties. She defends the IPL parties by saying, nobody forced them to attend the parties. Anybody put in the cricketer shoes, cannot say NO to such party. Such party not because of free booze, smokes, butt shaking, breast ogling babes and last of all the music.

Lets say its just a normal office party, your boss invites you for it, who does one say for it. Just a normal business networking session over a couple of drinks, what do you tell your boss? I’ll be there, even if you hate drinks and socializing, you try to be part of the party wholesome to score some brownie points with your boss and develop some contacts for your job, business or perhaps be offered a new job. On top of it, your colleagues tell you that the most beautiful and sexy Cindrella is gorging on you, that party may be the place to hit the SIX. No matter how screwed you are during the day.

I am sure, the glamour and the itsy-bitsy cheerleaders, so called glam dolls hanging as a trophy in the arms of the cricketer, who would say NO to such a party. Just in case, you don’t show any interest to Cindrella, you are questioned about your sexuality (in the legalized homosexual world) or whatever.

Now comes, the most silly or stupid reason from Ms. Jesia. She could have consulted Shah Rukh Khan for his maturity and wittiness. These parties help cricketers get close to their fans. If she means fans are the glam dolls and they want to sleep with their favorite cricketer and that too of dozen different nationalities. I’d surely say, yes, fans really got close to their stars. But otherwise, how many of the fans were invited or allowed to mingle with the cricketers from the stands ticket costing Rs. 100 or Rs. 500 or even Rs. 1000. Cricket is not Bollywood, where you spend a night with your director/producer and you can take a day off or get hold off your day. A sportsperson mind and body requires a certain level of discipline. They don’t have second or ‘n’ number of chances like actors.

Anybody, who is not related to cricket, has the right to say anything he or she wishes to say about cricket, except the playing team. Its even worse than America talking terrorism. But if Dhoni or Tendulkar, wishes to say something, it’s a crime.

Cricket is no longer a sport but a tamasha run by buffoons. Its not your on field performance that matters, whether you hit a SIX or bold out on DUCK. Just watch your tongue and that too, off the field.

And Dhoni did teach us a lesson, no matter how good or bad you are, whether you are performing or not. Never/ever question the antics/methodologies of your boss/organization.

Bhajji ... dum hai

Only a Sardar can do it. Hugging the richest man's woman of India.

Bhajji U rock...........

Its certainly not about Cricket

Lalit Modi has proved that he is the best player in the cricketing world post the success of IPL-2 in South Africa. But the IPL-3 made us realize is that it is the most dangerous sports/business to be in and how shady the character of Lalit Modi is. Comparisons are being drawn between Lalit Modi and Shashi Tharoor. There cannot be any comparisons between the two. Shashi Tharoor has been clean bowled or perhaps retired hurt by Lalit Modi, when he was just supporting a spectator. Lalit Modi was also not found on the field. So you know Lalu Parekh (Lalit Modi’s name in the book, The GameChangers by Fake IBL Player) decides even who can support which team.

Personally I am in awe of Lalit Modi, he can hit sixes at any ball or clean bowl any batsman as and when he wants. Last year, he was in virtual fist fight with our Hon’ble Home Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaran. Jaipur ground could not host its fair share of matches as Modi was not appointed on Rajasthan cricket board. One of the friends wrote on his facebook status, “Conveniently, Low intensity blasts outside Bangalore cricket grounds to shift the venue to Mumbai”, inspite of Lalubhai claiming water tight security measures for the tourney. Now he has clean-bowled Shashi Tharoor. It’s difficult to manage bollywood stars, cricketers (the most spoilt breed of humans in India), not only from India but across the nations and last but not the least, the politicians (of course, Mr. Pawar would have helped him in taking care of this aspect).

Everybody is talking about money Modi’s is making. I believe he is getting peanuts for his job and the money which changes hands during the tourney. A rough palpable figure may be close to a $ 1 billion every year without taking into account the money involved in match fixing and betting. In India, you are never paid for your job. You have to make your own ways to make money. I know, it sounds illegal.

Most of the sports/casino (gambling related) businesses are run through Cayman Islands, Bahamas. In India, Mauritius is famous as majority of the times Mauritius is the first place for cash outflows and last place for cash inflows and from there on, it travels to other tax havens. Nobody can get the identity of the persons owning the businesses in these tax havens.

Lalit Modi is a very illustrious and powerful person. He has a very healthy, wealthy and colourful lifestyle. I ask, why it shouldn’t be? He belongs to the Modi family, one of the most influential business families in post independent era of India. He had his share of college masti and was arrested for possession of cocaine and assaulting charges. The difference between criminal and non-criminal is a criminal is caught with his wrong doings. Modi seems to be suffering from his old college days. He has again been caught. Proving the theories will be little difficult. Personally, we shoudn’t, that’s his personal choice. Allegedly he has married his mum’s friend. He (age 47) is already a grandfather. I don’t know whether you should call it step or not. His wife’s child from first marriage has a daughter. His issues with Mr. Tharoor started due to Gabreilla. Gabreilla is seen at IPL parties. Lalubhai was soon to be immortalized by the cricket fraternity.

Mr. Shashi Tharoor was once contesting for the top post of Secretary General, UN. He is widely acclaimed for his works and thoughts across the world. For years, he had been representing India at the UN. He was the voice and the image of India. His recent designation was an understatement of his accolades and achievements. With all his knowledge and wisdom, how he got involved is a mystery? The New Age Politician, the unofficial ambassador of Twitter or to some extent of the digital medium is spending less time digitizing and more time for apologizing for his love for the digital world. Had he or not, perhaps or maybe he may now get closer to Sunanda Pushkar.

Mr. Tharoor has lost his job. Lalit Modi is pipped to lose his job.
What is the whole issue about?
Who is responsible for how much?
Had Rendezvous given sweat equity to Salman Khan instead of Sunanda Pushkar, would have been better?
Is it relationship of Shashi Tharoor with Sunanda Pushkar?
Is it about betting?
Is it about money laundering?
Is it about Lalit Modi having stake in three different IPL teams?
Is it some other power strife among our Hon’ble Congress men?
Is it about cricket?

I believed sports are a peace and good will maker. But this IPL is nothing about cricket/sports. It is not even about the game. It’s all about the controversies. Who grabs the maximum headlines or photo-ops? We are witnessing a test match in T20 format.

BCCI is mum over the whole issue. They want to take over ICC and be the authority of cricket globally. It’s like Americans bombing Iraq for no reason or plan.
So many questions, yet there are no answers. Except for the fact, it is certainly not about CRICKET.

Future of IPL

Just a forward - too hilarious

As Napoleon Nayudu prepared to face another ball, several thoughts raced through his mind. After being bought by the Gummidipoondi Gumboils for an astronomical $5 million in the 2015 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, he knew he had a reputation to keep up. Should he try a straightforward Toyota Front Foot Drive this time, or should he aim for a Bombay Dyeing Cover Drive ? Or perhaps an ITC Square Cut (Statutory warning: Smoking is Injurious to Health) would be a better idea? He realised he needed to hit an IBM boundary soon. Ever since IBM had announced they would pay Rs 1 lakh per boundary and Rs 5 lakh for a six, he had been trying to run less and hit more. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been doing either in this match, because the Begusarai Bandits had some very good bowlers. The next ball, he played a Pepsi Inside Edge onto his Maggi middle stump and trudged wearily off the field to the accompaniment of boos from the Vodafone Zoozoo stand at the Kellogg’s Special K-Cereal stadium in Gummidipoondi.

Relaxing in the Parle Glucose commentary box, Saurav Ganguly ruminated on the momentous changes in the game that had occurred since the IPL came into being. In 2010, he remembered, the game started to really grow, with huge sums of money being paid for the Pune and Kochi teams. Teams soon started springing up like frogs in the monsoon. And when the Gorakhpur Gorillas won the IPL in 2012, every district town in the country wanted its own side.

The IPL season was extended to six months in the year, then to 12 months and soon, once the villages started having their own sides, you had matches on all 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Industrialists sold off their old companies and bought IPL teams. Twenty five of the 30 Sensex stocks were of cricketing companies. Advertisers fought with each other to sponsor matches, stadiums, sixes, fours, shots, balls, wickets and what not. Every patch of the players’ clothing, his arm guard, helmet, and pads was covered in advertisements. Tendulkar Itch Guard Crotch Guards started a new trend in merchandising, selling like hot cakes.

As the money flowed in, players’ salaries zoomed. Everybody wanted to be a cricketer. Engineering and medical colleges were deserted and Indian Institutes of Management converted themselves into institutes of cricketing management. C.K. Prahalad lectured on the pot of gold at the bottom of the leg stump.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Lalit Modi mooted a radical proposal in the Lok Sabha for nationalising the Board of Control for Cricket in India , pointing out that its profits would wipe out the government’s fiscal deficit. Food production had suffered, he said, as villagers refused to till their fields and spent their time playing cricket instead. A law prohibiting the transformation of arable land into cricket pitches was swiftly passed. A resolution to install a statue of Lalit Modi in Parliament was also adopted unanimously.

Back in the commentary box, Ganguly did a rapid mental calculation and told his listeners that Napoleon was now being paid the equivalent of Rs 10 lakh per run. A twinge of regret passed through him — during the IPL season in 2010, he recalled, he had been paid only about Rs 1.8 lakh per run. He needed to make more money, he thought. Maybe he would join Navjot Sidhu in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and be paid lakhs for laughing. For the rest of the match, he practised laughing hysterically at each ball.

Royalty still has chance

To be successful in Indian television broadcasting market and make oodles of money, design or copy a reality show. But the Manoranjan ka baap or Enterntainment ki saas, IPL beats everything when it is compared to any other show on television. Ekta Kapoor made us believe that we are a bunch of sadists, schadenfreudes who just love tears. Inspite of all the drama, brouhaha and the bullshit enveloping IPL, there are no tears in IPL. We don’t need a bag of tissue box, just a beer and some munchies.

Lalit Modi blames, Shah Rukh will dance naked, Shilpa will kiss, Preity will hug, cheers will glow, it is undisputed mother of all reality shows. External Affairs Minister is on the verge of losing his job. Agriculture Minister was briefing for Ms. Pushkar, some model, owner, who danced, ramp walked, marketed, owned, God knows what; during the harvesting season (Baisakhi). The only difference between IPL and all other reality shows is the choice of winner is not demanded (shown, fabricated – without getting into the specifics) by an SMS.

Is IPL also a scripted story like reality shows to add more drama and action for the viewers to watch? Well I know I am staring at the Yorkers and batting without the Gaurd. To say a little about T-20 format, its just the matter of how many sixes you can hit or wickets you can pluck in 15th to 18th over for any team who wishes to win, especially when playing second innings. This year, it seems the matches results have been designed keeping in mind the egos or the deep pockets of the team owners.

But then after 50 odd matches (yeah 49 to be precise) and only seven games left for the Semi-Finals, we are still working out the probabilities about who may stand a chance to enter the SEMIs. Only Mumbai Indians will certainly play in SEMIs and Kings XI is playing only for deriving the valuation figures for its owners and for the semis, they can dream about IPL-4.

The other six teams are still hanging whether they will or will not qualify for the SEMIs. I’d say the same even for Bangalore, although they are on No. 2 in the points tally, with only one game left and if Deepika and Katrina don’t come to cheer and clap for the team together, they might be shaking their heads at No. 6 position. Bangalore has better chances for SEMIs, compared to other probabilities. RCB will be facing MI for its final league match. Still five teams end up hoarding up for 2nd, 3rd and 4th position.

Rajasthan Royals, I am pretty bored of Royalty people around me. They have bored me to death, analysis, permutations, combinations, cheers, facebook, twitter, everywhere everything revolves around Royalty. As if Shilpa will dance for each one of them, if they win. Still I’d suggest them not to lose hopes, if Royalty pays off in their last match and other teams lose and win in the right manner (averages matter), they may see Yusuf Pathan (after hitting two sixes) getting out once more. They will be praying for better performance from Kings XI.

Delhi Daredevils has both matches against teams who are also vouching for a position in the SEMIs, so those will be nail biting matches.

Shah Rukh Khan has accepted his team’s failure, which means the team has been instructed not to play well for the upcoming matches. But if they wish to reach SEMIs and win both the matches, SRK may have to dance naked.

CSK and Deccan have both, two matches against Delhi and Kings XI. Lets see how much charge devils can dare to or super kings swipe the devils who dare or Kings XI continues with its Pawn XI strategy.

Hope rajasthan proves their royalty sums. Knight Riders truly shows that they know how to ride like Knights even when royalty is deducted and Indians don’t cheer. Until then just watch how royal is the challenge to the Indians.

Whether the permutations/combinations work or don’t will be sorted out in a week’s time, until then the Creative Producer/Writer/Director (Lalit Modi) is the only person enjoying his time on the show.

F1 - do watch - IPL

“Manoranjan Ka Baap” is back in town! The carnival of cricket begins today. So get ready to drench in streams of fours and sixes for next 44 days. Such grand openings are generally observed for World Cup’s (any sport) but not on annual events. Akon, UB 40, Lionel Richie, Deepika Padukone will be performing for the event. No event ever (be it any other sport, politics, green earth, rape, murder, Bollywood, even other forms of cricket – ODI, Test Cricket) in India has been showered with such publicity or broadcasted across such wide range of medium.

Everybody knows that cricket’s most popular event is as much about entertainment and marketing as the sport itself, if not more. The eight IPL team captains will take an oath to respect their opponents, their teams and their umpires and sign a globe made of recyclable material to demonstrate their commitment to reduce the tournament's carbon footprint as a part of IPL’s association with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). UN will also cover IPL. And there will be brands, more than a hundred, fighting for consumer’s attention through different media, from television to the Internet to even live streaming in multiplexes.

Official IPL broadcaster SET Max is expected to take away more than 30% of the total TV ad spends in March and April when advertisers are estimated to spend around Rs 1,600 crore. SET Max will be laughing its way to the bank with all their costs and expenditure for the entire year will be recovered in 44 days, beginning March 12^th till April 25^th 2010.

“The kind of innovation in branding and sponsorship deals that have taken place this season has almost doubled the brand equity of IPL,” says Indranil Das Blah, former vice-president, Globosport India. The Google deal for live streaming of matches on YouTube, Indiagames as IPL gaming partner, Karbonn Mobiles' association as official mobile phone & title sponsor for parties post matches, ‘IPL Nights’ on MTV, special IPL shows on Colors and merchandising deal with Swiss watchmaker Bandelier are a few examples of the new branding initiatives.

In addition all the franchises are jumping in with their merchandise, t-shirts, caps, bandanas, head bands, bracelets, cricket merchandise, logos, broaches, chains, lockets and what not. The clubs are being built and soon there will be restaurant’s and pubs from franchise owners. In Europe, the organizers ran the promotional campaign. Don’t buy things manufactured during the season. They are all faulty as everybody is busy watching football. The same level of phenomena, will perhaps be witnessed. Bollywood celebrities are generally without work in IPL season and will be seen waving flags for different franchises. There are hardly any movie releases during the season. I guess, there’ll be more Bollywood celebrities than players on the venue. This time, even multiplexes will be showcasing matches, who would presume a movie.

Yes, it’s a bonanza for cricket lovers. Vijay Mallya is the happiest, the consumption of beer shoots during the IPL season. All said and done, I’d say skip the IPL match on Sunday and do watch the Bahrain GP, one of the challenging races in F1 circuit since past 15 years. Perhaps till next year or may be a year after that, F1 remains one of the costliest sports on this planet.

There have been rare or none occasions in the past when there were four teams neck to neck fighting for the title. With each posing the equal risk to the other. Closing 90’s and opening 2000’s, all the walls were painted with red colour by one name, “Michael Schumacher”. Even if somebody did succeed in posing some challenge to Schumi (as Michael is dotingly referred to), there would be a race between two.

Now after renouncing his world, Michael Schumacher is back after three year long hiatus on racing circuit under Mercedes with silver dress shedding his trademark red colour of Ferrari. Ferrari is pitching Massa and Alonso (thought to be best F1 driver these days), who had posed some serious challenge to Schumacher in his recent races. Hamilton is the man to watch from McLaren and the dashing duo of Red Bulls will be vouching for the title.

To add to the excitement, the change in rules forbid the fuel refilling for pole position holders. To add to the persistence, patience, technique, knowledge, understanding, cool head, the restraint of resources has been brought in this race. The diversity of their experience, of their age groups adds to the adrenaline rush. Alonso and Hamilton have worked as teamed together in their earlier races. But now the roles, the sides, the conditions have changed. Lets see who holds the forte on 14^th of March 2010. Do hold your seatbelts and drop your bats?