The Indian Premier League was always an international league with many foreign cricketers being a part of it. The charm of the tournament was the concept of home and away matches, inter-city rivalry and the large crowds that turned out just to support their team (I went to see Delhi Daredevils twice and screamed my lungs out!).
This year around, IPL 2 has been moved out to South Africa due to the elections clashing with the matches in the states and the ministry of home affairs being incompetent of providing paramilitary forces for the protection of the players, specially after what the Srilankan cricketers faced in Pakistan. The league and Mr. Lalit Modi had just 2 options – either to scrap the league or move it out of the country. Scrapping the league was out of the question and thus came the big question: where would the league be held? The choices came down to England and South Africa as the two probable venues. England, which is the host of the ICC T20 World Cup this year, would have been a great venue and would have also offered the valuable match practice in ideal conditions. But the IPL would have clashed with the County Twenty20 which is scheduled to start on April 1. Also, the G20 summit, which is being held in England. required the presence of the London Police and this would have made life difficult in providing the ideal security cover for the cricketers. The weather conditions were also unfavourable with chances of 70% of the matches to be washed out. This led to South Africa being chosen as this year’s IPL venue.
South Africa, having hosted the T20 World Cup last year, know what is required to host such an event. Also, the conditions are just fine for a game of cricket. Keeping the logistics in mind, the cost for travelling would be greatly reduced however there would be a problem in the availability of hotels. The CSA board has readily agreed to host the IPL and Nicholls Steyn group will be providing the security cover. All matches will be held like last year at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. IST.
The selected cities to host the IPL this year are Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontain, Durban and Prot Elizabeth. Each stadium is supposed to get equal matches. The edition has also been truncated from 4 weeks to 3 weeks. That means that the IPL starts on 18 April and ends on 24 May with all the 59 matches being played. There will be no home or away game system this year. The league has certainly gone international!
Franchisees also have to now face a tough time sorting the money matters since they have lost on the dues they would have got had the league been held in India. They cannot afford to carry extra players who may sit out through the tournament.
Well then, the IPL is finally happening! Hope to see Delhi Daredevils crowned as champions this year around.
Category: IPL
2008 hasn’t really been one of my best years. I’ve tried lots of things this year, gone for many competitions, won some and lost many. Still, as the memories fade away and I witness the last night of 2008 in another couple of days, just want to write about some the defining moments of this year before I crack up studying for the preboards:
1. Bad Quizzing
One of the worst quizzing seasons I’ve had. Its been a downhill ride since April when we won the quiz at Gyan Bharati (Anveshan). Since then the only good moments have been the Columban quarters and the CBSE Heritage quiz zonals – which we lost again. The japan quiz, LBR, TCS etc etc…the list could go on and on….Still, let history not repeat itself…2009, I’m waiting for you!
2. Visits to some computer symposiums
This year was my fist experience at Computer symposiums at DPS VK, RKP, MR. I loved the way the event functions – students running around all over the school, the whole school buzzing with activity and 4 guys from Amity Saket running from event to event in the pursuit of getting “Something” for our school. We did get some stuff in DJing, Gaming and made it to some quiz finals. Atleast I got some experience!
3. Bad exams
I have successfully messed up 3 sets of examinations, trying to resurface after each attempt. July test, 1st term, December test…..SSc has become my nemesis. And with the preboards on my head…SSc is the last thing I want to do. But the catch is that it is the first preboard.
Other subjects have been fine. English is going good and there has been improvement to a 94 in german. Am just about to touch perfect score in maths. Science is OK….apart from some silly errors here and there.
4. The FutureSchools FutureQuest ’08
This is one ‘big’ event we won – big because it was a national event. We got both the 1st and the special awards in this computer event. It consisted of a quiz in the first round and a makeshift powerpoint presentation in the second round since the quiz couldn’t take place. We didn’t go to collect the prizes in Chennai since that would mean missing out 8 days of studies and a band competition.
5. The school band
Speaking of the band, we’ve made a start. Now, we are playing DreamTheater stuff although our inclination is more towards punk. We also got Rs. 3000 for qualifying at a RockFest organised by Ansal Plaza….we were the only school band, the others were college bands and professionals.
6. Missed classes
Among all the quizzes, IT comps, band etc etc saw me missing from fast paced action in class sometimes. The teachers took this as a chance to speed up studies – The course was wrapped up in November! I thought of putting up a notice on my usual, changing empty seat in class with my photo and the words ‘Missing, presumed fed’ written below it.
7. The Jack Kilby Quiz
Something I will surely miss from next year. This quiz has BIG prizes and a HUGE no. of teams. Shreyans and me finished 4th out of 500 odd teams by 5 points – heartbreaking.
8. IPL matches
We went, we sat and watched in awe… These matches were too good to be true. Thanks to Abheek and Akash for getting me tickets to these matches. Abheek’s leaving school and I’ll truly miss him – my best friend.
9. Grade 8!
Starting April, I’ll be doing Grade 8 for western classical piano from Trinity College, London. This is the final level and after this I’ll only have to do the diplomas.
I’ve slept through the year and now is the time for the New Year Resolutions:
1. More of study – Status: URGENT
Why? Because I’ve missed so many classes that it is impossible to count the number of classes missed on both your fingers and toes.
2. Less of Sleep. Status: URGENT
See (1) for further explanations. Less Sleep -> more study
3. More winning. Status: Moderate
Come on. I’ve lost count of the no. of events I lost through this year!
4. Frequent updates on the blog. Status: Moderate
I’ll write more often than not on this online journal. I lose track of what to write and what not to….
Well that’s it, I guess. This may well be the last post for 2008.
Wishing you all a prosperous new year!!
Yes… Though I didn’t bother watching the match yesterday, Chennai won and Deccan issurely finishing this inaugural season of the IPL at the bottom of the table. Take heart kids, you’ve won yourself the ‘Wooden Spoon!’
Mumbai has been surely kicked out and today’s matches are Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians vs RC Bangalore. If Bangalore wins this one, Mumbai finishes 6th and Kolkata will move to 5th position. I always said. Mumbai Indians -> MI — Mission Impossible. The name is so strange and the meaning is even stranger. Suits us fine…;)
Thanks to a thriller yesterday, Jaipur won the decisive match to push the Daredevils into the semi-finals!!! Niraj Patel and Ravindra Jadeja played a gem of an innings to get Jaipur to the target, but only off the last ball.
The match started with Warne putting the Indians into bat. Sachin gleefully accepted the challenge and walked into the park with Jayasuriya. I had heard stuff that Ambani had fixed the match and all the main players like Warne, Pathan, Asnodkar, Watson had been bought for crores to let Mumbai win. It seemed so as well. Mumbai started slowly managing around 30ish of their powerplays. But towards the end, in the 20th over, Watson went for 25 runs to give the Royals a target of 146 to win. Seemed that Watson was actually bought right?
The chase began. No, I’m not talking about Don in past tense but about the run chase. Asnodkar and Akmal were at the crease. Akmal hit a few boundaries before he ran himself out stupidly. He was bloody trying to ‘protect himself’ from the ball and plopped his bat in the crease. Bloody tell him that even small kids are taught to ‘drag the bat in’ and not plop it. And he was wearing ‘protective gear’! Why was he scared. Ambani must have sent his family a crore or two. Asnodkar gave chances to the Indians, please send me to the pavillion, I want to count my cash! He lobbed one to Fernando on 8. Luckily, he was dropped! But still, he managed to give an edge to the ‘keeper after some deliberate attempts. Pathan too came, saw and went quickly by lobbing a ball into the hands of Nehra off Fernando, which Nehra ‘almost’ spilled. Watson and Kaif were at the crease. Watson tried showing that yeah, they haven’t bought me and later had Kaif run out in the most amusing way, it seemed delibrate. kaif took a start which wasn’t required and Watson did the same and ran back to his end and Kaif was out for a dozen. And later still, Watson sent up a skyer which was brilliantly caught by Sachin Tendulkar. So, Watson maybe WAS sold in the end….Out came Jadeja and Patel. I think that Ambani didn’t think it was worth paying the youngsters and so he was proven wrong. 49 needed off the last 4 and 15 off the last over, I thought these guys would buckle under pressure but wait, 3 needed off the last ball and Mr. Fernando throws a wide. Sachin later covered up for him by saying that luck didn’t favour him. I say that your skills ditched your team. Royals won in the most unlikely fashion. A mis-field by Fernando and a run out missed by Jayasuriya and it was game over. Royals won their last game on home turf and put Delhi in the semis. Delhi is the 3rd team to reach the semis.
In the presentation ceremony, Sachin blamed most of his losses on the luck factor and said that Warne should have gone easy on the Indians to make them reach the semis. Wow, I say Sachin is the biggest fixer. Now, we all wait for the Chennai — Deccan clash today. If Mumbai has to qualify, Chennai must lose and Mumbai must win against RC Bangalore. But I seriously don’t care do I? After all, DELHI DAREDEVILS are IN !!!!
Yup. I got the opportunity to go to the matches of the Delhi Daredevils against the Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians and to be honest, the match against Mumbai was worth it.
Match 1: 22nd May, Thursday, 5 pm
It was raining. After my Piano class at 4.30, I went to Apollo Hosp to meet my friends who were waiting over there. Then, we left for the stadium. We had the tickets for the East Stand. We reached Kotla at around 6.15 but the traffic was such that we walked about a km. Then, we faced the huge queue to the entrance. Luckily the policeman allowed us to sneak past the queue to the main gates! We were to report at gates 7,8 and 9. We went through gate 9 after a series of security checks and headed for the stands! We got a seat in the 3rd row from the boundaries, but no point, it was raining! There were a series of showers and at 10pm they called off the match! I didn’t understand why they were using only one super sopper when they had three. It seemed that they were wasting time! Still, the Delhi team took a round of the stadium to please us along with the Bhangra troop. It was a bad day, but still I hoped for a match on the 24th.
Match 2: 24th May, Saturday, 5.30 pm
Hopeful that there would be no rain, I went to Akash’s house and with him went the Kotla. This time we had the tickets for the West stand which is nearer to the player rooms and the dug outs. I bought some snacks and waited for the match to begin. Meanwhile, I took some pictures of Sehwag exercising and practicing, with each shot he played, the crowd roared! After some time, Sehwag and Tendulkar strolled to the pitch for the toss. Clive Lloyd was the match referee. Sehwag won the toss and chose to field. Surprisingly, I couldn’t hear a word of what they spoke on the pitch! Maybe it was only for the TV viewers… The match begun with Mumbai Indians batting first. Sachin and Sanath blasted the Daredevils away in the powerplay overs with some special batting that had me stunned. Finally, YoMi got the breakthrough after having Sachin castled. That was some sigh of relief! After some time, the runrate reduced and Sanath was also caught on the boundary but not before he hit some effortless sixes and entertained us! After some overs, it was Uthappa time! He hit some nice shots and the one I wanted to see, the PADDLE SWEEP! He does it very quickly and 9/10 times its a four because most men patrol the boundaries and the fine leg in up near the circle. Finally, the Mumbaikars scored 176 off their 20 overs which meant that the Daredevils had some task to do.
In the break between the innings, the Mumbai players, Pollock and others came to practice! They knew they had some work on the field which would be quite difficult and it was so at the end.
Out came the openers Viru and Gauti. It seemed that Sehwag would hit the camera guy after all the arm swings he was soing before coming on the pitch. Over 1: Pollock was the bowler. Gauti starts off with a single to give apna Viru the strike. After a defensive shot, he was back. He scored 14 runs off the 1st over including a huge effortless six! Between the break of the overs, Pollock and Viru had an argument and Gauti was quick to stop it along with Billy Bowden. Over 2: Nehra to Sehwag. BOWLED! Off goes the leg stump for a walk as Viru tried to flick the ball over his pads. After few overs, Mr. Loser Karthik came to bat. He has the knack of making any team lose any match at any given time. Surprisingly, he batted and won Delhi the match with a glorious 50! He also hit a variety of shots along with a paddle sweep which could even make Uthappa feel jealous… But still, Delhi won the match by 5 wickets and a ball to spare which took them to 3rd place in the table after Chennai lost to Jaipur by 10 runs. Mumbai needs to lose just one match and its game over for them as they are on 12, Delhi is on 15 and Chennai is on 14.
Hope Mumbai loses to Jaipur OR Chennai loses to Deccan( an unlikely outcome of the match). Bangalore and Deccan have a role to play now since they can now be the party spoilers for the teams battling for the semi-final spots.
