Thursday, May 22, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Bangalore are out of IPL!
It was extremely disappointing, almost annoying to see how Bangalore were committing hara-kiri yesterday.
A target of 130 in 16 overs was not very stiff by any stretch of imagination but they way they grafted and grafted, before letting loose when it was too late, finally confirmed one’s doubt that they never belonged to this format. Luckily for Charu, he was not there to take the blame this time round!
As of now, Dravid’s vanquished warriors will probably need to win all of their remaining six matches to have any hope of reaching the semis. But that will also mean setting some sort of tournament record as no team so far has managed to win that many in a row, though King’s eleven Punjab need one more today to accomplish this feat.
To be realistic, Bangalore look completely out of sorts and at the moment, the battle for semifinal looks to have been restricted to seven teams. Mallya can relax and concentrate on Formula one. IPL title is out of reach.
My First IPL Match
Meanwhile, watched my first match as ‘spectator from the stands’, and not as a journo covering a battle. It was between Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings at Ferozshah Kotla yesterday.What a match and what an ambience! One refreshing change from the past tests and ODIs at Kotla is that the families are coming in such big numbers to watch the 40-over carnival. It has well and truly become a family outing with one seeing some many groups of ‘girls only’, cheering and clapping after every ball.
Reasons:
-- Kotla is much cleaner now with functional toilets
-- No boring moments mean people have that much less time to pass comments and harass the fellow spectators
-- The format reduces the waste of time, allowing executives to pack up their office bags in time for the match. Female executives, so much concerned about their office work, can now do both the jobs on a given day.
-- Last but not the least, the music and the cheerleaders, including Bhangra troupes and bands, usher in the festivities never seen before on India’s cricket grounds. Families just love the feel and the colour splashed all around.
The arrangements for the match were impeccable and ladies were feeling much secure coming to these encounters. These are great times for cricket indeed
A target of 130 in 16 overs was not very stiff by any stretch of imagination but they way they grafted and grafted, before letting loose when it was too late, finally confirmed one’s doubt that they never belonged to this format. Luckily for Charu, he was not there to take the blame this time round!
As of now, Dravid’s vanquished warriors will probably need to win all of their remaining six matches to have any hope of reaching the semis. But that will also mean setting some sort of tournament record as no team so far has managed to win that many in a row, though King’s eleven Punjab need one more today to accomplish this feat.
To be realistic, Bangalore look completely out of sorts and at the moment, the battle for semifinal looks to have been restricted to seven teams. Mallya can relax and concentrate on Formula one. IPL title is out of reach.
My First IPL Match
Meanwhile, watched my first match as ‘spectator from the stands’, and not as a journo covering a battle. It was between Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings at Ferozshah Kotla yesterday.What a match and what an ambience! One refreshing change from the past tests and ODIs at Kotla is that the families are coming in such big numbers to watch the 40-over carnival. It has well and truly become a family outing with one seeing some many groups of ‘girls only’, cheering and clapping after every ball.
Reasons:
-- Kotla is much cleaner now with functional toilets
-- No boring moments mean people have that much less time to pass comments and harass the fellow spectators
-- The format reduces the waste of time, allowing executives to pack up their office bags in time for the match. Female executives, so much concerned about their office work, can now do both the jobs on a given day.
-- Last but not the least, the music and the cheerleaders, including Bhangra troupes and bands, usher in the festivities never seen before on India’s cricket grounds. Families just love the feel and the colour splashed all around.
The arrangements for the match were impeccable and ladies were feeling much secure coming to these encounters. These are great times for cricket indeed
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
As Charu Packs his bags....
It is not surprising that the sack came. The more surprising thing is that it took nearly three weeks for the first KO blow to come!
Poor Charu. only if he had watched the telecast of few Bangalore matches, he would have seen the ‘clinched teeth smile (!)’ of owner Vijay Mallya with his team perennially occupying seventh or eighth place.
But he is not likely to be alone. Prasad is already in the line and the way this Premier League is shaping up, expect few more dismissals (from some other franchisees too) by the time the winners jump atop the podium.
From purely business point of view, the main reason for the success of top shots like Mallya and Mukesh Ambani is that they are much more concerned with the overall policy making and efficient delegation. They select top pros and expect them to deliver. Take as much resources as you want, but deliver: That is their mantra, time-tested and sureshot roadmap to success.
Charu (along with Dravid) failed to deliver a team which could succeed. It looked more suited to 120-120 format, than 20-20! That diluted the Brand Royal Challenge beyond permissible limit, which could never be acceptable to Mallya. Even the replacement choice, Brijesh Patel, shows the vengeance of a seething Mallya, than some well thought out plan. After all what can Brijesh Patel do as CEO, which Charu could not have done! If Royal Challengers start winning after this shocking change of guard, it will more be incidental!
Mumbai are in a smiliar state of dismay and despair. Now, if one of pre-tournament favourites lose few more, one can expect some similar turmoil among their ranks. After all, did not a big Reliance functionary on cricket controversies programme on NDTV, say that their target was at least reaching the final. As of now, even a semifinal spot looks woefully out of reach. The richest Indian in India will certainly not like it.
In fact, one can expect more and more bad blood between the owners and the players/management as tournament gets into the business end. As Shahrukh famously said a few days back ‘’failure is not an option for me, or my team.’’
Though the evergreen hero might still take it sportingly if Nightriders fail to deliver, same can not be said of many other franchises who have too much pride, or money at stake.
Poor Charu. only if he had watched the telecast of few Bangalore matches, he would have seen the ‘clinched teeth smile (!)’ of owner Vijay Mallya with his team perennially occupying seventh or eighth place.
But he is not likely to be alone. Prasad is already in the line and the way this Premier League is shaping up, expect few more dismissals (from some other franchisees too) by the time the winners jump atop the podium.
From purely business point of view, the main reason for the success of top shots like Mallya and Mukesh Ambani is that they are much more concerned with the overall policy making and efficient delegation. They select top pros and expect them to deliver. Take as much resources as you want, but deliver: That is their mantra, time-tested and sureshot roadmap to success.
Charu (along with Dravid) failed to deliver a team which could succeed. It looked more suited to 120-120 format, than 20-20! That diluted the Brand Royal Challenge beyond permissible limit, which could never be acceptable to Mallya. Even the replacement choice, Brijesh Patel, shows the vengeance of a seething Mallya, than some well thought out plan. After all what can Brijesh Patel do as CEO, which Charu could not have done! If Royal Challengers start winning after this shocking change of guard, it will more be incidental!
Mumbai are in a smiliar state of dismay and despair. Now, if one of pre-tournament favourites lose few more, one can expect some similar turmoil among their ranks. After all, did not a big Reliance functionary on cricket controversies programme on NDTV, say that their target was at least reaching the final. As of now, even a semifinal spot looks woefully out of reach. The richest Indian in India will certainly not like it.
In fact, one can expect more and more bad blood between the owners and the players/management as tournament gets into the business end. As Shahrukh famously said a few days back ‘’failure is not an option for me, or my team.’’
Though the evergreen hero might still take it sportingly if Nightriders fail to deliver, same can not be said of many other franchises who have too much pride, or money at stake.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Hum Chloremint kyon Khate hain!
What is life without some humour. And a spectator did manage to find it in an encounter involving Mohali and Knight Riders few days ago.
The reason for the slap Sreesanth received (as shown in a banner held by him) was not related to cricket in anyway (Well, that is news!).
Actually, Sreesanth received the slap because, during the handshake, he had the audacity to ask Harbhajan ‘’Bhajji Bhai, hum chloremint kyon khatein hain (Dear Bhajji, why do we have chloremint).
Coming to that match, it also showed why Twenty20 will continue to capture the imagination of the nation for years to come. After losing their top-five for 50, KKR’s never looked part of the match up. Still, it could not be decided in favour of Kings Eleven Mohali until just two balls remained! That is the thrill of this instant cricket. So far, 24 matches have taken place (six involving each team) and there has been just one encounter where a team looked finished even before the second innings started. And that was the 24th match involving the Mohali outfit and Super King’s Chennai, where Tanvir’s brilliant spell on a batsman friendly track decided the match in the first innings itself. In all other encounters, things could have gone either way until the last few overs.
Even two-weeks into this format, boredom has not set in. Every thing is boisterous. Right from the first ball to the last strike. Batsmen chancing their arm at every opportunity, Cheering spectators, and cheer leaders – all have combined to make it a thrilling spectacle.
Meanwhile, the performance of Indians (as skipper) is along the predictable lines in this format. While Dhoni, Yuvraj and Sehwag are on top with some remarkable leadership and imaginative display, teams lead by Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly have been struggling. It clearly shows where our future should be headed!
The reason for the slap Sreesanth received (as shown in a banner held by him) was not related to cricket in anyway (Well, that is news!).
Actually, Sreesanth received the slap because, during the handshake, he had the audacity to ask Harbhajan ‘’Bhajji Bhai, hum chloremint kyon khatein hain (Dear Bhajji, why do we have chloremint).
Coming to that match, it also showed why Twenty20 will continue to capture the imagination of the nation for years to come. After losing their top-five for 50, KKR’s never looked part of the match up. Still, it could not be decided in favour of Kings Eleven Mohali until just two balls remained! That is the thrill of this instant cricket. So far, 24 matches have taken place (six involving each team) and there has been just one encounter where a team looked finished even before the second innings started. And that was the 24th match involving the Mohali outfit and Super King’s Chennai, where Tanvir’s brilliant spell on a batsman friendly track decided the match in the first innings itself. In all other encounters, things could have gone either way until the last few overs.
Even two-weeks into this format, boredom has not set in. Every thing is boisterous. Right from the first ball to the last strike. Batsmen chancing their arm at every opportunity, Cheering spectators, and cheer leaders – all have combined to make it a thrilling spectacle.
Meanwhile, the performance of Indians (as skipper) is along the predictable lines in this format. While Dhoni, Yuvraj and Sehwag are on top with some remarkable leadership and imaginative display, teams lead by Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly have been struggling. It clearly shows where our future should be headed!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
God Bless Twenty20!
Despite the tremendous success of Twenty20 cricket – highlighted by the September World Cup, confirmed by the ICL, and then reconfirmed as a smashing hit by IPL, there are still people believing, and trying to force others into believing, that this version trivializes cricket!
They cry hoarse about the decline of their beloved cricket, played in traditional way. Suddenly, even ODI cricket has become a traditional fare, whose ’’imminent demise’’ has to be bemoaned in every possible way.
They decry that the like of Vijay Mallya and Mukesh Ambani, and their big corporations, are out to enslave this beautiful game.
Take a break mate. And use some common sense. Even before IPL came, big corporations were controlling cricketing stakes the World over. Wills, Sahara, Pepsi, Coke – these are not your neighbourhood kirana stores after all!
And when was cricket without its share of glamour Sir. Who were the subcontinent girls dying for in cricket heydays of 70s and 80s – Mudassar Nazar or Imran Khan, Bhagwat Chandrashekhar or Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi!
As Mandira Bedi said in one of the programmes, stars were always present in such big number at places like Sharjah to watch the ODIs, then called pyjama cricket. Only that they are paid much more now to be brand ambassadors, with few even mustering up the courage to buy teams.
Those who have witnessed their cricket from close quarters, understand that in course of time all forms will survive. Test Cricket did not die because of ODIs, and Tests and ODIs will not die because of Twenty20.Rather, Twenty20 will help batsmen discover and master few more strokes, which will enable increase in scoring rate in all the versions.
Besides, this version has created so much more employment opportunities for some promising cricketers. Gony is no longer a badly spelled Dhoni and God Bless twenty20 cricket for that!
They cry hoarse about the decline of their beloved cricket, played in traditional way. Suddenly, even ODI cricket has become a traditional fare, whose ’’imminent demise’’ has to be bemoaned in every possible way.
They decry that the like of Vijay Mallya and Mukesh Ambani, and their big corporations, are out to enslave this beautiful game.
Take a break mate. And use some common sense. Even before IPL came, big corporations were controlling cricketing stakes the World over. Wills, Sahara, Pepsi, Coke – these are not your neighbourhood kirana stores after all!
And when was cricket without its share of glamour Sir. Who were the subcontinent girls dying for in cricket heydays of 70s and 80s – Mudassar Nazar or Imran Khan, Bhagwat Chandrashekhar or Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi!
As Mandira Bedi said in one of the programmes, stars were always present in such big number at places like Sharjah to watch the ODIs, then called pyjama cricket. Only that they are paid much more now to be brand ambassadors, with few even mustering up the courage to buy teams.
Those who have witnessed their cricket from close quarters, understand that in course of time all forms will survive. Test Cricket did not die because of ODIs, and Tests and ODIs will not die because of Twenty20.Rather, Twenty20 will help batsmen discover and master few more strokes, which will enable increase in scoring rate in all the versions.
Besides, this version has created so much more employment opportunities for some promising cricketers. Gony is no longer a badly spelled Dhoni and God Bless twenty20 cricket for that!
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