Too much innovation will kill the game

The first season of IPL held in India was a runaway success. TV ratings were promising, stadiums were packed, advertisers loved it and it was hot property with marketers. IPL-2 showed that the crowds would come, whether a match between Mumbai and Rajasthan  was held in Mumbai or Cape Town.

Advertisers would follow wherever the IPL bandwagon went. “IPL has entertainment value, as it is unpredictable, fast-paced and riveting,” says Shailendra Singh, MD, Percept India Limited. On paper, the IPL looks a winner.

But scratch the surface and you can see the cracks. In a subtle criticism of IPL, former India captain Rahul Dravid recently said that youngsters today lack passion for Test cricket.

A sweetly timed straight drive on a fast bouncy pitches of Australia is feast to watch. Isn’t it ? Sound of a bat when blazing fast ball is knocked off  to the four. Close miss of ball from stumps and how about amazing swings and reverse swings? Batting in the breezy cold air where bowler seems like a daemon and fielding seems world’s most difficult job. These lines are soon to become a part of Utopian society. (more…)

Boom Boom Bang Bang

I desired to invent a few words and put in the title. But I was sure that no matter what I do, I won’t be able to do any justice to the inning played by the Pathan from Rajasthan Royals camp. And just then some sidhuisms struck me. Where else we could use those hyperboles aptly? So putting forward some of the quotes of the great quote master Navjot Singh Sidhu:-

This was a Herculean effort by him. I have been to adidas showroom many times and read the sign “Impossible is Nothing”. This is the first time I believed that.

The ball whizzes past like a bumblebee and the Mumbai Indians are in the Sea

He is playing like a flowing river, simply unstoppable (more…)

Entertaining show by Indian bolwers

Ok, I am not talking about Olympic gold medal, neither I am talking about Oscars. I am talking about 1st ODI between India & South Africa. It was the over 48.0, MS Dhoni handed ball to Ashish Nehra. Styne pulled his bat like a sword and bang! Six! Last over, Praveen Kumar did a great job by getting rid of Styne and last man on the crese now. 7 runs to win in 2 balls. Master blaster showing youngsters how you should field and show a natural committment towards the game that you love. 3 runs in last ball and god! we actually won it by 1 run! Although I shouted and screemed like a 5 year old child but I could not believe  that we almost had snatched loss from easy looking win. (more…)

Gully cricket- My rules, My cricket

Cricket, what is it? They say, “Cricket is a bat-and-ball team sport, and played within rules set by ICC and MCC, so called “Laws of cricket”. But we have many variations of it. Every by lane of India have its own definition of cricket.  We can play it with any solid stick and round shape item. I remember in schools we used to play cricket with writing pads and paper balls. We didn’t need any cricketing ground, a pitch or cricketing gadgets, but we had a set of rules. I think apart from regular cricket i.e. cricket as defined by cricketing laws, over the years I have seen many variations of it. Let me share some of these variations with you.

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Living Your Passion

You played cricket very passionately, then you grew older, resposibilities popped up on oyur shoulders & finally you stopped playing it. You stopped what you loved the most and you stopped being yourself. You transformed yourself into altogether different human being leaving behind your passion.  And suddenly you get a chance to live your passion one more time.

Yes,  I am talk about myself. I nominated myself for my organization cricket team. Following as the reply.

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We cannot compare Sachin with Sehwag

Sachin, the prodigy of Indian Cricket, is till date ruling the hearts crickets fans all over world.
On the other hand, Sehwag, a raw talent, audacity personified and very much resembling Sachin in stature, for whom Sachin is
the idol.
Looking at sehwag today, one remember how devastating Sachin was in his early 20’s. (more…)