IPL: A Quarter Up, More To Go..

We had a few good games in the T20 IPL2. Close finishes, decent crowds but the rain Gods played their part too. Expectations from the top teams of IPL 2008 had been great. And they failed to keep up. Under performers of last year, the Deccan Chargers have begun their campaign with full throttle. The Rajasthan Royals have buckled under their own high expectations. So far. They promise to deliver. Royal Challengers came out with a new unit and a lot was expected. But now they're facing the same problems as last year. Under-performance. Team Chennai and Punjab are trying to catch their old touch. Punjab seem to be on track but Chennai are still lost. MS Dhoni inspires amazing comebacks and the same is expected this time around.

Mumbai Indians have probably the best opening batsmen any team in the world can only dream of having. Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. And both of them were at their destructive best wrecking the bowling attacks of many a teams. Both look and bat like 25 year olds when they're at the crease rather than 36. The team with good hitters in their side and looking to go nowhere are the Kolkata Knight Riders. They been in the limelight this season for all the wrong reasons including the cult blog figure, 'Fake IPL Player'. Fans spend more time reading his blog than watching KKR matches. One hopes they rise soon make a mark on the tournament which is 25% over. Delhi Daredevils meanwhile continue to move from strength to strength. They have a balanced unit and look like securing a semi-final berth for sure.

The South African crowds are enthusiastic about cricket. And with their stars in most of the teams they're out to cheer in good numbers. The Indian crowds are probably the best in the world for their love of cricket. The Protean grounds do have a few empty seats and that is disappointing but something that needs to be taken in the outsourcing stride. Lalit Modi has promised to be back next year to the IPL's birthplace.

With the tournament entering into the next stage where the teams can't afford losses to secure a place in the final four, the heat is on. Let the games continue.

Super Pathan Does It For The Royals

Hollywood could had saved this for the final. What a game. The IPL carnival is truly alive and kicking. Well, on the field this time. The Knight Riders needing 151 to win collapsed after the Gayle (41) innings to 94 for 5. It required the old war horse Saurav Ganguly to step in and improvise the chase. and improvise he did. Playing like his younger self Ganguly got them 6 runs short of the target off the penultimate over. Then Kamran Khan happened.

Shane Warne is like a war general marshaling his troops around every now and then. All players including another brilliant captainin the form of Graeme Smith adhere to him. He kept the conversations going all over and made sure every man on the field was pumped up enough. He gave a pep talk to the young 18 year old Kamran Khan who grinned back and promised to deliver. He bowled a tight over and snapped Ganguly and equation left for the Knights was 2 off 2. Ishant Sharma could keep it only to a single and that meant the super over with the scores tied.

Now the Super Over rules: Each team gets one over to bat and the team which scores the most wins. If it's a tie then the team which scores the most sixes in the match wins. 3 batsmen and 1 bowler to be used in case a wicket goes down. Fielding rules are the same.

Kamran Khan once again started good and limited the first 2 balls to singles amidst a wide delivery. The next 3 balls however were dispatched all around the ground for boundaries by Chris Gayle's brute power. One delivery to go and the Knights were 15/0 and Gayle hit one on the off side where the sweeper took a sharp catch. Target: 16 to win

Yusuf Pathan walked in, cool as ice. He has the reputation of not taking other reputations seriously. Mystery bowler Ajantha Mendis bowled the first one and it was dispatched it high over long off. None of the fielders were required to move and the equation read 10 from 2. A carrom ball up next and Pathan mistimed it over the bowler's head. Brad Hodge couldn't get a finger on the ball and I'm sure he couldn't get some sleep as well later in the night. The third delivery, Pathan decided enough was enough and smashed it rows back over mid-wicket. 3 to go, 2 required. All the fielders by now were in no doubt to whom the points would be allotted.

Super Pathan on strike and everyone just knew it was over. 4th delivery of the over became a formality and Pathan decided enough of the aeriel hits and simply sweeped the ball wide of square leg for a boundary. The stadium erupted and Yusuf Pathan charged to celebrate with his team-mates. It felt like a final. KKR must have been thinking they made the wrong choice with the bowler but Mendis was the one who got Pathan earlier in the game. Full credit to Pathan and his brute force.

Election Day In Bangalore

Bangalore with the rest of India votes today. Phase 1 has begun in Bangalore and it's not only the rain gods that are merciful. A lot of companies have given their employees the day off to go out and vote. So many campaigns from the media, NGOs, blogs are all galore with messages to the public to go out and vote. The city has seem many stalwarts and celebs all giving out messages promoting the exercise to vote. It's all good.

But, the million dollar question. Who do we vote for? It's hard to find a politician with no goon connections or corruption or a criminal background! But the silver lining: Independent candidates stepping in with reliable credentials and promises of no affiliation to any of the political parties. The messages keep coming asking for votes. In Bangalore it's primarily 3 parties in the fray in the form of Congress, Janta Dal(S) and the BJP. One hopes the independents also make their mark.

The turn-out for the elections has been quite good. The voters are in large hordes waiting patiently for their turn to caste their precious vote. Civic problems, unemployment and communal harmony are a few key issues being addressed at least across the city by most of the veterans as well as the politicians from the young brigade. Till noon, no tensions or unrest has been reported and the police is on vigil nevertheless. Let's hope the whole process is peaceful and more importantly results in a change we all so desire.

Fake IPL (Indian Premier League) Player

The IPL Season 2 has begun as promised. It lacks the cricket carnival atmosphere of India but nevertheless it's okay. We eat, sleep and breathe cricket and will take in everything that comes our way. Amidst all this, an anonymous blogger has landed in the IPL circuit claiming to be a player from the Kolkata Knight Riders. Now that is quite intriguing. On his blog (fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com) he posts regularly the on goings inside the dressing room and his take as a bench warmer on the whole scenario. A loser you would say. But the entertainment quotient provided is priceless. Now with all the cricketing circles abuzz about this mystery blogger, no one seems to be able to resist his blog and posts. Yours truly couldn't either. But strictly, adult discretion advised. I would say PG 18. I know it's useless in today's age as kids would probably tell me what is right and what is not.

His posts furnish information that is strictly limited to the players and support staff. Things about Shahrukh, Ganguly, Buchanan, McCullum etc add quite a fan following. News channels, websites, newspapers etc are on the voyage to unmask him but with no success. A press release from the KKR stated that they would flush out the culprit within 24 hours and reprimand him severely. It's been 72 hours and our cheeky fellow is still chuckling to himself. The KKR have apparently banned laptops and Internet to all players but he's smart enough to find other ways. Like texting from his phone and posting his entries. The management is understandably embarrassed. Other players, targeted by this blogger-cum-cricketer's funny nicknames and descriptions have been the victims of ridicule by their own mates. "Fake IPL Player" as he calls himself, appears to be anything but fake.

NDTV ran a special on him on their sports show and I'm sure by now Aaj Tak/Star News and other hindi news channels would be doing 'Breaking News' segments on him as his posts come out. The common vibe shared among bloggers suggest this is a journalist with a mole planted inside in the form of a player carrying the bottles of the team. His posts are losing their taste and it gets more and more on offensive language lines. But everyone is still hooked!

But amidst some lacklustre matches and wash-outs of key clashes, this comes as twisted humor for the cricket buffs. Modi secretly would be thanking this guy and so would Shahrukh. The attention is on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the moment and the meat of it is off the field. As it's said, any publicity is good publicity. I would love to meet his fellow who right now must be on cloud nine thinking about the accolades being heaped on him, good or bad. Cult figure you would say. The people involved with the tournament are feeling so exposed right now with this apparent secret reporter that am sure they'll think twice before making their moves! One hopes he lasts till the end of the tournament and provides us with more anecdotes.

Long live the mystery blogger.

The Hitch-hiker

A few weeks back I was riding after 10 pm on a weekday back home. On my way, a boy aged around 10 or 12 asked for a lift. I usually refrain from stopping my bike for anyone after a bad experience couple of years back when I was almost mugged and managed to escape. But the kid was with a school bag and since it was late, I decided to give him a ride. "How come you out so late after school?" I asked him. He wanted to be dropped at the end of the ring road, a 6-7 kms ahead. "After school, I got tuitions and work before I go home.." he replied. Our conversation carried on. I learned he was in his 6th grade and paid for his own tuition fees by working as a delivery boy for a bakery on daily wages. His dad couldn't afford his tuitions so he had to work. I was silent for a while thinking how easy it is for us. Thanks to the Almighty we never have to go through what this poor kid faces everyday.

I stopped the bike where he wanted to get off. I felt like giving him some money and was rummaging through my pockets for some cash. As soon as he got down he removed a 10 rupee note and gave me. "A bus would had costed me the same. Thanks for the ride". I returned his money and gave him a 50 rupee note. He declined saying he didn't do any work for me. I told him take it as a gift and not charity or wages. He smiled and returned it. "If I take this home, my father will buy alcohol. If I keep it, my elder brother will eventually find it from me and use it for himself. Thanks but I can't take it. I have to go now". Summing up things for me, he walked away. I stood there for a little while thinking again before I rode back home..

Wake Me Up When Summer Ends..

At times the summer heat can do funny things to you. Bangalore's temperatures are at their sweltering best and we're all wondering, whatever happened to the famed Garden City and it's air conditioner type climate. And yeah, I hear it's raining cats and dogs in Riyadh and Dubai. Funny. Oh c'mon, pollute a little more. We'll have Antarctica as the favorite summer destination in the next few decades. Maybe the Sahara in Africa will have many popular skiing resorts. North Pole will have beaches around it. Sigh. Now that's what the heat is doing to me. Depleting my already low power of thinking and reasoning. I guess imagination can be included too.

Elections in India are round the corner and the hustle-bustle is too much. Everyday campaigning through phones calls (recorded messages), processions called "Show of strength", rallies in every place they can find etc these political parties can do anything to woo your precious vote. My inbox is flooded with spam asking for my vote. And the funny thing? I can't vote as I hold the Saudi Resident Permit. Elections apart, this summer also brings our new cricket heart-stopper series. The IPL. Too bad it ain't happening here in India. I was sure of attending a few matches. IPL got it's immigration for South Africa. What's next? The Republic Day parade to be held in England? Security concerns, you see..

This summer also brings an important phase in my life. Lots of new things, new avenues, boulevards, streets, roads, highways, expressways, runways etc etc I've to take. And yeah, I'm yet to have a map/GPS to go through these roads! It'll be a funny but a tiring summer. I can promise myself that for sure.

A few funny and strange things have been happening over the last few months. Some of it good and some of it well.. Not exactly happening. My head is infested with a lot of things happening very simultaneously. Sounds fun. But not in the summer, please! Life should be warm, cosy and comfortable like snuggled inside a quilt. Just like the winters.

Amidst the heat, a few good things happen too. Like I got real close to people who probably were always there but I never noticed. It's good to differentiate between the black and the white. Ah, I sound like a 60 year old talking about life who's seen it all! Well, the downside when you're in the 20s. We know everything and a little too much. What we don't know is, 30s are probably the same.. I was talking about summer. Where did age come? I told you. Heat can make you go all vague and funny..

I'm happy with the pace I've set for myself. Let's see how good of a map or GPS I'll find for myself. Btw, it's 6:11 am as I type this on a Tuesday morning. Did I get up early? No! I was awake throughout. India are battling it out there in New Zealand. Cricket is important, you know..

And finally, I think I'm a little feverish now. It's hot in here and am wearing a pull over and wrapped up in my blanket. Feels like winter. But I'm shivering a little though. Summer's first fever. Yay! Until next time, keep rolling and don't forget to wake me. Leave your comments I would like that. I get emails, messages on Facebook etc telling me how bad (or rarely, how good) I write. Feels good. Cheers!