Happy Birthday Sachin

As you turn, 36, we wish you a very happy birthday, a great cricketing calender ahead and a great life. Not that it really matters to you as you being the little master we all worship, but nevertheless we all do.

You undoubtedly have millions of fans and deservedly so. Over the past 20 years, as you have been rigorously involved in highest level of cricket, your fans have watched you with utter passion, love, awe and surprise at times. You have personally seen ups and downs in your careers despite ruling the game for most part of your career. I have been one of your fans who has watched you as much as I could and have also watched and kept an eye on your fans. This has allowed me to personally classify your fans among three broad categories.

Category -1 : Mad about Sachin: No matter what you do, how you play, how you perform, it is all about you for them. You are the boss and hence you are always right. When you are criticized, it hurts them and they think, someone is tarnishing your image and questioning your commitment. They madly defend you, sometimes to the extent of talking by the collar of the other person. They you to win all matches, score a 100 everytime and take wickers whenever you bowl and when you don't, they feel defeated and low.

Category-2: Sad about Sachin: They are exact opposite of category-1 but nonetheless they are your fans in equal measure. Afterall they follow you and they do so with the same intensity as the Category-1 fans do, only that they belong to category-2. They at times, invest more time than the category-1 fans. This category of fans, try to look for mistakes you might make which you are entitled to as a cricket player as well as a human being. When you score the first 90 runs with a strike rate of 100 and then take 18 balls for the next 10 runs, they rant about it declaring you play for your personal records, even though 100 of 108 balls overall still is a good score. They analyze you more than the category-1 fans and in fact force the category-1 fans to spend more time analyzing you, and hence they deserve attention. They also expect you to win all matches, score a 100 every time and take wickers whenever you bowl and when you don't, they get a chance to open their mouth.

Category-3: neither-mad-nor-sad about Sachin: They are more mature and probably understand the thing practical way. They know that as an individual's roles and responsibility changes over time one grows up, you also have changed and your roles and responsibility have changed over the period of time. They know that you can't play like a 16 year old kid when you are 36 and you are not supposed to. They know that you have to play like a 36 year old sachin among the younger Raina's, Sharmas and others, guiding them and helping the team achieve a balance. They are happier when you score runs, but not sad when you do not. They accept you, the way you are.

All are your fans and I know you accept them all because deep within you, you know that there has to be a balance in everything. As much as adulation is required, at times a bit of criticism also helps in keeping the feet grounded. Most interesting thing is, very few individual have been just one all the time. For example, I used to fall in category-1, then I also fell into category-2 for a while but now I certainly fall into Category-3. Most of your fans have been like that.

On your 36th birthday, Category-1 fans are sad about your future as they know you have added one more year to your life and you won't be playing out in the middle for long. They can't see cricket beyond you. Category-2 have been ranting about it ever since you crossed 30 anyways, but you proved things wrong many a times. They will do it more no matter what you do, but you have never cared for them as you know it better. I am sure you are going to continue the same way. As usual category-3 is not thinking anything, they are just enjoying your new role, your new responsibility and want to enjoy your contribution to the game as long as you play. And you are the BOSS as all of us say, so you must decide when the time comes. You only have the right because none of us, asked you to play so well over a period of 20 years.

Here is wishing you again, most success, many ODI and test centuries and victories for your loved team, India that is, and also for Mumbai Indians. A very happy birthday :-).

Why Kolkata and Bangalore deserve to see the bottom?

It is too early to predict who is going to win the IPL this season and a bit foolish too given that only 6 games have been played so far. However, I am not talking about “WILL”, but I am talking about “Should” giving the game of cricket its true value and spirit.

Many of us surely think that the table is going to change this season for good reasons. Change is necessary. However, Bangalore along with KKR MUST go to the bottom. This is my completely personal opinion. I have nothing personal against the players of either KKR or Bangalore but am simply thinking about the sanctity of the game we all love. 

Why Bangalore?: Firstly because they do not have a strongest T20 team and secondly because their owner has done little to correct the problem even after last time's dismal performance. They were tagged as the greatest test T20 team ever and despite that nothing concrete has been done. Sure he lobbied for KP ahead of Flintoff, fired Dravid as the captain despite Dravid being one of the better scorers last season and fired the first CEO of challenger, Charu Sharma out of sheer frustration only showing the true cricketing acumen that he might posses if any. Lots of money, cheerleader babes and things remotely related to cricket will not fetch wins. They have somehow managed to win a game against a lackluster Rajashthan and then lost to Chennai and Hyderabadmiserably. Once KP goes back to England after 2 weeks, it is going to be even harder for them. 

This is not a beer bajaar after all, this is entirely a different ball game and it has to be. It needs to be played differently. At the end, personal ego must be burnt by this great game of cricket and the fans must celebrate that.

And why KRR?: Almost for the same reasons. They have been the most talked about team for non-cricketing reasons. Multiple captaincy theory,sleeping-with-the-boys theory and what not have been all over the media before the IPL kicked off. A change of captaincy just before the IPL started was a non-sense move, it might have surprised McCullum more than Ganguly. They would get what they targeted, probably the attention, but win would be hard to come by. McCullum and Gayle after all can not fire every game. Gayle is already slated to go soon. It is also hard to figure out why Mendis has not been tried so far looking at the successes, Murali and Kumble have achieved. God was gracious a bit for KKR against Punjab but were completely overwhelmed by Deccan.

So much talk and so little cricketing considerations. It looks like, the coach has found a new field to experiment different theories and satisfy his personal ego while the owner doesn’t seem to differentiate between acting on big screen and playing on the field in real time. Do not deserve to win cricket games. Ego must be burnt again by this great game of cricket and the fans must celebrate that.

Many of you might disagree, but compare other teams with KKR and Bangalore based on only such matters and you might get a conclusive hint. As I keep my eyes fixed on exciting IPL, I would soon bring why two of my favorite teams, might make it to the final.

Changes from the last time makes IPL-2 more interesting

As the IPL-2 starts today in few hours time, some of the changes that I have noticed this time around with regards to IPL the event, I thought are necessary to be listed down:

1. IPL-2 has shifted to South Africa, what might have been beyond the imagination of many of us a year ago. After all this was considered to be a BCCI dominated all India events, something the Indians were supposed to be proud of because it was completely Indian in nature. However, things change so fast in this global world as nothing is impossible.
2. IPL-2 is getting more coverage in the electronic media all over the world thanks to its success in the very first edition. Cricinfo has launched IPL-2 page just to cater to that, which in my opinion is a really cool and nice place for all IPL lovers to keep the hangover even after the games are over. Surely IPL cartoonists are in demand in this time of global recession.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders is far ahead when it comes to poor public’s attention thanks to Buchanan’s theory on Multiple Captaincy roles and the triggered debates. Gavaskar Vs Shahrukh, appointment of Brendom McCullum as captain and many related things in the media, have kept the public only talk and walk about KKR. Have Mr. Khan and company missed the plot in the process of too much glamorization of Cricket? Let us wait for some time on this.
4. Shane Warne has all the reasons to go into this second edition of IPL with a big smile. After all, do we remember that Rajasthan Royals were the cheapest team in the first edition and very few of us gave even a chance to them? But they did it in an amazing manner, thanks to a marvelous captaincy by Warne which in my opinion was more about recognizing the right mix of unknown talents in a short period of time. He deserved 10/10 in my scorebook. However what is going around this time? Someone has rightly said, success brings fame in no time, so fast that we might be prone to miss the obvious. Well, I hope Warne is smarter than many and he is aware of this. The G factor in terms of Shilpa Shetty, unprecedented media coverage and pressure of being the defending champions hopefully will not change things for Royals in negative ways.
5. Teams are now stricter and more professional. Rajasthan Royals discarded Kaif and six others as too many obviously are not needed. Change of captaincy at Hyderabad and Bangalore respectively also shows that the teams are looking for future and they are ready to take tough decisions. Since there must be an added cost to operate in South Africa as compared to India, we might be seeing many more cricketers returning back during the course of IPL, in the name of “not needed, unfit etc” while the fact would simply be money and cost cutting.

At last, I wish all the best to all the cricketers participating in this second version of IPL, more to the likes of future Yousuf Pathans, Gonys and Jadejas because IPL will churn out some talents again. And most importantly, to all the IPL lovers, enjoy all the games; love all the teams, and all the players as IPL has set its foot be become a global event.

Preview: Nawabs look to topple Cavaliers

Disclaimer at the top:

This is experimentation. Take this article seriously at your own risk. The facts and figures might be true as they stand on their own, but may or may not be apt in the context. This is only a foolish attempt to copy the style of most famous website of the world, http://www.cricinfo.com

Nawabs look to topple Cavaliers

Match facts

Saturday, April 16, 2009
Start time 9.00 local (12.00 EST)

The Big Picture

Only one game to go and Kings to play Oceans on Sunday having a much higher run rate already, Cavaliers have no other ways than to win this game against Nawabs, if they have to claim the championship. Margin of error is too little for Cavaliers to relax and this is where Nawabs would look to capitalize. Having beaten Cavs once in the past, Nawabs should go into this game with a bolstered self confidence.

At times, Cavaliers have been such a good team that they have won games from nowhere. However, they have failed a few times when it mattered most and they felt the pressure. Last year, the game between Tavs and Cavs was of the same proportion for Cavs when they collapsed to 80 odd chasing 200 odd.

While Cavaliers have every reason to perform their best to reclaim the championship after 06-2007, Nawabs have all the motivation the help Kings claim the A division championship for the first time.

League form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
Kings - WWWWW
Cavaliers - LWWWW

Watch out for ...

Gopi Boinepally & Chirag Vyas: In five games for Nawabs so far, Gopi has scored a massive 410 runs with an average even Bradman would be jealous of (136.67) and a strike rate which will keep Sehwags and Afridis wondering (211.00). And mind you, we are not talking about a Twenty20 affair.

Chirag has been a revelation with the ball for KINGs with an economy of just over 3. For Nawabs and Kings combined, his figures are 72-11-241-18 and his consistency in the last 5 games probably makes him the most dangerous for Cavaliers.

Ketan Panchal & Rehan Kazmi: Having missed on the last game against Kings, the Leagues best batsmen by runs would probably take this as a challenge and would pose a big threat before Kings. Rehan Kazmi would pose threat both ways, with bat and ball as he has been consistent with both over the season.

Team news

Nawabs would give their best to win this game and the championship for their clubs, however there would be no surprise in seeing players from Kings playing for them, given the occasion and the importance of this game.

Nawabs (likely) 1 Gopi Boinepally, 2 Vinod Swarna, 3 Venkat Jayaraman, 4 Mitul Patel, 5 Hanumanth Bollineni, 6 Krishna Perna (wk & capt), 7 Karan Wittke, 8 Maheshwar Sadashivam , 9 Chirag Vyas, 10 Arun Shankar, 11 Neelkanthan.

Going by a few happenings ever since Cavaliers lost to Kings in their last game, Cavaliers is going to be most prepared for this game with their best possible XI. They might just have made a mistake by not picking Makesh in their last game against Kings. They might take Chandrakant ahead of Mitesh.

Cavaliers: 1 Ketan Panchal, 2 Dhananjay Vidwans (wk), 3 Anup Menghal (Capt), 4 Naren Samak, 5 Chandrakant Barllinge, 6 Amar Dhamdhere, 7 Sunny Desai, 8 Rehan Kazmi, 9 Anil Sankar, 10 Makesh, 11 Sharat Kanka.

Pitch & conditions

The pitch has changed considerably thanks to the flooding a week ago. The outfield has become greener with thick grass cover and the pitch has got a bit of grass patches here and there. The team winning the toss will have a dilemma in deciding what to do even though Batting first might be very hard to resist.

Stats and trivia

• Although, by season record, Cavaliers are ahead, they have slightly been falling for the last 3-4 games. 96/6 against Metros chasing 95, 164 all out against TAVs batting first, 239/8 against Oceans chasing 238 and 169 all out against Kings chasing 185. Slow decline?
• Nawabs is the only team after Kings to beat Cavs this season.
• JV played for Lagaan XI in Texas, Kings in Summers and in ISA tournament and every time his respective teams emerged as champions.

Quotes

"My bowlers would be targeting six dot balls every over."
KP indicates a simple plan for Nawabs.

"We are expecting the same team as we complained before the jokers of ACA for no rewards."
One of the Cavaliers shows frustration ahead of the game thinking what it might look like