IPL Diaries -1

IPL 3 has begun. The long awaited IPL 3. The cash cow IPL 3. The most ‘in’ thing. It started with a bang with a opening ceremony which I missed third time in a row. If you count the closing ceremony as well, then its 5th time in a row.

First let me make my stance clear. I support RR, my friend pattrow is a diehard fan of SRK so its ‘KKR’ for him and our third roommate favours ‘balika Vadhu’ so we can easily neglect the third option for the obvious reason. In the real sense, IPL 3 started for me when I saw Ganguly diving for a runout attempt. That was the moment. You could see something in his eyes. You could feel something from his body language. That moment told me something that IPL3 final is going to be between KKR and DD. Nothing can stop that. Winning both their opening matches, KKR solidified my belief.

Now the Favorites RR! Played two… Lost two! But did it hurt? NO. Yusuf 37 ball 100 with an 11 ball stretch of 5 sixes and 6 fours gave me what I wanted. And in the Delhi match, do you really believe that anyone, leave RR, will any chance when Sehwag is having a good day? But it’s good to see that the team is not giving up so easily. The only thing which made me sad was the look in Warne’s eyes. He looked tired. He looked aged. He looked dull. The shine in his eyes, the smile on the face was missing. Even the most beautiful 4 step run up looked different. Harsha Bhogle was right when he said that it might be his last IPL. I will definitely miss him.

But Harsha was wrong about Gilchrist. There is nothing stopping him. Seeing him thrashing the Chennai bowling attack is something I will rate at the top. Even above Yusuf stint. Much hyped mongoose bat is still absent. Symonds looked rusty. But he did his duties when it came to bludgeon cricket ball straight out of stands.

But as far as I am concerned, the moment of the IPL for me till now has been the cover drive of Rahul Dravid. The shot crushes all the argument and hyped for the innovative technique. Class is forever.

About bowlers, I feel Malinga’s slow bouncer has been the most intelligent ball in the circuit. Chaminda Vaas came back and proved his metal again. Maharoof and Angela Mathews are in form. I am still surprised why Sri Lanka lost against India. I am waiting for Kumble to fire.
Beside cricket, I am missing Preety Zinta’s Hug. I am missing Mandira Bedi. Seeing her and Siddhu together would have been like a dream come true.

The mood killers have been the commentary team. B-A-N Arun Lal and hang L Sivaramakrishnan to death. Send Sri Lankan and West Indies commentators back. And what with the advertisement world in India! I have never seen such a crap in my life. And an ad between two balls is a new low.

Doubts: What with the paunch Yuvraj is exhibiting now for more than a couple of year??

Speculating: Lara making news. Is he going to return in IPL 4? If this happens it would be the greatest comeback after Terminator 2’s “I am back”.