June 2 , 2008

IPL – round up

Overall IPL is a huge success in many aspects. It is a mammoth accomplishment for the Organizers to come up with this format, making it so big and executing it. Of course there are some hiccups and they will be fixed. The real winner is the “Indian cricket”. We made a strong mark on the international arena like never before. We stunned many critics and stalwarts by the magnanimity of this franchise. The money involved, the crowd turnout and the talent in the sub continent made many jaws drop. No body will look at Indian cricket as they used to do before. The dynamics have changed!!!

The biggest beneficiaries are second level and upcoming cricketers in India. These guys got golden passes to the cricketing arena with a lot of name, fame and of course money. They got the priceless experience of working with cricket giants. This is more than they can ever dream off. They got polished under red hot fire during the course of this cricketing extravaganza.

Captaincy proved so critical in this version of the game. Kudos to Shane Warne and MS Dhoni for their valor.

Shane Warne took the least preferred team in the league to the finals and won the championship. His decision to bat second in a final shows the confidence he had in his team. It takes a lot of guts. It is very unusual that the top team in the league level keeps up the same tempo in the semifinals and finals and especially with same players performing. It takes a lot of focus and grit. He played the triple role of coach, captain and psychiatrist to the team. He made his intentions clear right from the selection process where he was so persistent to get Shane Watson and proved he is correct in his judgment. No surprise Share Warne is already rumored to be mooted as coach for 2011 world cup Indian team. I am sure his off field pranks would be ignored in this process

MS Dhoni – what else can you ask of him? Rock solid cool, zero emotions, tough, hard working, inspiring and the list goes on. He is god send for the Indian Cricket. The way he called for a team cuddle after the defeat in the finals says a lot of him and his attitude!! I am sure he might have said to his team “you did not let anyone down”!!!

The final ball finish of the final is the perfect scripted finish for the action packed IPL. In one way the IPL symbolized the current Indian spirit where we are defying the odds in all facets, developing the killer instinct with a “so what” attitude, setting higher standards, learning quickly, showing composure and cool, getting international recognition.…go India go.

Special mentions:

Yousuf Pathan – the roaring lion of the IPL. He proved that he is not just a pinch hitter through his fascinating innings in the finals.

Rohit the classic – I think he needs a special mention. Guys like these prove again and again how beautiful the game of cricket is. Everything in his batting is copasetic. His technique is so impeccable. He is an eye feast to watch. He is just 20 and a lot of game in him.

Single liners

Greats are always great – McGrath, Sanath jayasurya, Shaun Pollock.
Sreesanth and Bhajji – just take it easy and have a decaf

Funny (fictitious) quotes from IPL
Vijay Mallya to himself- definitely cricket is not as fun as binge drinking and hanging out with chicks
Lakshman to himself - I should have believed that astrologer who said “20” is not my lucky number
Washington Redskin cheerleaders to them selves: Shame on us to believe Paris Hilton when she said “India is HOT”.
SRK to his manager – do you still have the phone number of the producer for “Fouji” TV serial?

- Uppaji Kothapalli

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