Top 10 Wrong Pele Predictions !!

The Brazilian is infamous for his numerous wrong predictions over the years. Romario once declared that "Pele is a poet when he keeps his mouth shut", while coach Luiz Felipe Scolari delivered the legendary line, "I believe Pele knows nothing about football. His analysis always turns out to be wrong. If you want to win a title, you have to listen to Pele and then do the opposite."

In light-hearted celebration of 'The King', Goal.com have put together the Top 10 Wrong Pele Predictions.

10) China 2002

Pele Prediction: China will qualify for the next round from their 2002 World Cup group.

Outcome: China finish bottom of Group C with no wins, no draws, no points, no goals, as well as -9 in their goal-difference column.

9) Spain 1998

Pele Prediction: Spain are favourites for the 1998 World Cup in France.

Outcome: Spain humiliatingly dumped out in the first round after losing to Nigeria, and drawing with Paraguay.

8) Colombia To Live American Dream

Pele Prediction: Colombia will win the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

Outcome: Colombia exit the competition in the first round, finishing bottom of their group. Their defender Andres Escobar is also tragically shot dead by an angry fan after Colombia return home.

7) Argentina, France & World Cup 2002

Pele Prediction: Argentina & France will both reach the final.

Outcome: Both countries eliminated in the first round, France without even scoring a goal.

6) Escape To Victory

Pele Prediction: During the famous film starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine, Allies star Pele is brutally fouled in the first half by the Nazi opponents. The injured Brazilian claims there is no way he can continue and is carried off. The Allies are 4-0 down, and a recovery is deemed impossible.

Outcome: Pele returns in the second half and inspires his team to an improbable comeback, even scoring a stunning bicycle kick. Even in fiction, Pele's predictions go wrong.

5) Ronaldo Is Finished

Pele Prediction: Ronaldo will never play football again, and his career is over, following a serious injury for Milan in February 2008.

Outcome: Ronaldo returns in March 2009 for Corinthians, scoring 10 goals in his first 14 games to win the Campeonato Paulista.

4) Nii Lamptey – ‘The New Pele’

Pele Prediction: After starring in the 1991 Under-17 World Cup, which also featured Alessandro Del Piero, Pele proclaims Ghana youngster Lamptey as his successor, ‘The New Pele’.

Outcome: What happens next goes down in football infamy. Lamptey spectacularly fails to fulfil his talent, believing himself that he was cursed by dark forces. The midfielder shifts around clubs such as PSV, Aston Villa, Coventry, Venezia and Ankaragucu, without success, and endures tragedy in his personal life, as two of his children die.

3) Nicky Barmby - Up There With Zidane, Maldini & Ronaldo

Pele Prediction: Nicky Barmby will become a world class star.

Outcome: Nicky Barmby becomes nothing more than an average player, winning 23 England caps, and never even appearing in a World Cup.

2) Africa Will Rule

Pele Prediction: An African nation will win the World Cup before the year 2000.

Outcome: It is now 2010, and an African country has still yet to get past the quarter-final.

1) Brazil & World Cup 2002

Pele Prediction: Brazil won’t even get past the group stages.

Outcome: Brazil win the World Cup.

Ahead of the Mother’s Day Celebrations, Lets plan to Pamper and Surprise Our Mother’s ….

With Mother’s Day right on the corner, lets surprise our mother with unexpected gifts, shower our love upon her and embrace her with lots of kisses- hugs and let’s spend the whole day with the angel who created us! Pamper her a little on this special day of hers just as she pampers you all the year round. It is also the perfect time for all of us to let this special woman of your life know how much you care.

I have always wondered, how a mother can work 24x7, teach her kids, cook food for the family, take care of her old in-laws, support her husband in his deeds, and she can think, negotiate and reason and the chores are abundant to do and that too in a single day !! I have seen her doing it, she is doing it now and she will and only she can. It is unimaginable and unthinkable that all the 200 parts in her body work without a break and still she is not a plastic or a robot!! It surprises me..!!

I was just waiting for an opportunity to heap praises on my mother who strives for my well being and slogs my luxury... and here it is.. just perfect for the occasion!!

Some of my personal experiences will certainly justify my stand as of why I consider my mom certainly a high lady in my life…

To start it all.. My mother is a very good problem solver. Be it relationships or friendship, she has been on my side giving me strength and has always been my backseat driver. She stays conscious taking the role of my advisor, placing her words very carefully in the sentence and directs it well against me. And when I’m in a jam without an option and when the situation seemed like a can of worms to me, she gives me various alternatives and solutions which make me turn my head her way and think “ She certainly is a brain box !!”

Back in school, I wasn’t those few people who thought “mathematics was interesting”. I unfortunately was in the other half, struggling to get my equation right. There were days where I did feel the pressure and pressed the panic button sitting with all the math books available in the market. I was to bank on my mother to fair reasonably well in the boards,

Who fortunately is a degree holder in Maths. And I should say she pulled it so well and all her shortcuts and tricky methodologies powered me to a 80 plus score. I consider this as one of the best phases in my life, which made me understand motherly care and Mathematics as well.

Believe me.. She is not the person who brings the house down in her high pitched voice. She has been very polite, caring and understanding throughout. Here .. I’m just tempted to speak on the way she stops me, when I go overboard. As a teenager, you don’t expect yourself to be proved wrong. But she does it… and in style too. I love it when she comes and speaks to me so frank and in a softer tone. And the best part is, she does that when nobody is around. Now that’s what you expect..it never ever comes out in the harsh way. Its been 18 years, and not even once have I seen her scowling or quarrelling against me.

I have always thought, mother is the sweetest lady in this world. She works tirelessly and she protects her kids like a tigress. Her hug can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart. She gives herself for her family to thrive and she is one person who stays with you and lends her tears when you are victorious and defeated. If at all there is one woman who can give you everything she has, she would be the first person ready to make the sacrifice..Im sure!

And even now as I say this, I can assure you that my mom will certainly be a proud woman today, not because this article is about her, but for the reason “her son wrote it”.. Its tough being a mother and I dedicate this article to my mother, who has stood by me in all my highs and lows and who has taught me what life is!! She indeed is the best Mum.. I love you mom!

Surprise the dear woman in your life with a typical Mother’s Day Hug… and spice it up with lot of Love and Care!! Let this Mother’s Day Celebration be etched in her heart for ever!!

Let Us Bring Into Light the Women of Our Country !

This time when I sat down to write an article, my instincts pressed on me to emphasis on Women- their success, problems and their interest in venturing new avenues. The political arena has drawn women’s participation in the political decision making, which plays a very crucial role in the process of enhancing their public life. The 73^rd and 74^th amendments of the Indian Constitution have served as a major breakthrough in favoring the equality of women and the 33.33% reservation of seats in the parliament gives them an opportunity to present their view point on various issues.

We again rub eyeballs with a lot of women in the workplace, which again is a good sign of their prosperity. Also the big gap between the salaries of the men and women are in the verge of extinction. And a lot of women entrepreneurs are booming in life and many women investors are tasting success in their respective businesses staying diligent and their perseverance to achieve shows. For instance, look at Indra Nooyi who is the CEO of PepsiCo or at Carol Bartz who presently is the CEO of one of the biggest search engines, Yahoo. Surveys point out that, women are now starting new companies at twice the rate of men, which is awe inspiring information.

Sexual abuse creeps up as one of the main problems they encounter. This must be strictly taken into consideration with a judicial punishment as it hinders the freedom of women and their progress towards a good contribution to the economic and financial status of the country. Let us all spread awareness on this serious issue giving the women of our country a new lease of life.

Let this brief article serve as an eye-opener for those women who are still under the wraps. Let us capitalize on this International Women’s Day which falls on the 8^th of this month to give our female counterparts the freedom to live high on hog and to fulfill their desires and dreams!!

Indian Premier League '10 - An Overview !

The Third Edition of the Indian Premier League has certainly lived up to its hype and expectations. Some of the additions to the second edition were the initiation of the two and half minute strategic timeouts for the teams, which had a very good effect in the game and also with the live broadcast of all the games on the popular video sharing website You Tube, the Indian Premier League enjoys a privilege of being the first sporting event to do so. From the start of this season, all teams scurried to collect valuable points. However, the teams which qualified for the semifinals were Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The Sachin Tendulkar led Mumbai Indians had a very strong start winning their first two games against Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils. After losing a game against Royal Challengers, Tendulkar played a blazing knock of 71, getting the Mumbai Indians back to winning ways. They were truly unstoppable from there and went on again to extend their winning streak getting 5 victories in a row to finish with 20 points at the end of the league stage and they became the first side to book a semifinal berth. Excellent batting efforts from Tendulkar, Tiwary and occasional lusty blows from Pollard and Rayudu saw their team build a good total on the board while Malinga and Zaheer were the pick of the bowlers.

The Champions of the 2009 season of the Indian Premier League, Deccan Chargers led by Adam Gilchrist started off with a loss against Kolkata Knight Riders. However they were quick enough to bounce back with 3 wins against Chennai, Punjab and Delhi. But, they lost their momentum losing 2 games to Rajasthan and again to Mumbai and Kolkata.

When nobody thought that Deccan would make it, we saw some stunning consistent performances from Suman, Symonds and Rohit Sharma in spite of a let down by their out-of-form skipper upfront. Winning 5 games in a row and making 16 points at the end of the league stage, Deccan Chargers made its way into the semifinals. Outstanding bowling efforts from Harris and Vaas, while the player who surprised everybody was Harmeet, who did a wonderful job varying the pace every time he came to bowl, leaving us confused of what his real pace is (!!).

The consistent team in any edition of the IPL so far, has been the men in yellow, the Chennai Super Kings. The Super Kings led by Captain Courageous Dhoni were on and off in the league stages. The loss against Punjab XI in the super over hurt them hard, especially after scores were level, they couldn’t take it, their fans felt it hard to digest. It was then a big leap by the Chennai Super Kings where the local players, Badrinath and Vijay have won crucial games for their side almost single handedly. And it was then their Champion player Suresh Raina, who took over and amassed runs on the board in no time. He has had an outstanding IPL this season and he has regained his form perfectly at the right time ahead of the T20 World Cup. In the bowling department, Albie and Bollinger’s ability to hit the deck hard and also swing the ball away from the batsman has been outstanding. The find of the season, Ashwin has clearly delivered his goods upfront for the Super Kings. His bowling in the initial overs is very crucial and he is getting the wickets too. Full marks to Dhoni for his excellent captaincy and his valuable knock against Kings XI Punjab in a do or die game, which fetched them a berth in the semifinals. Chennai with that emotional win booked a semifinal berth with 14 points.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru led by the old fox Anil Kumble was very impressive in the initial stages of the tournament getting 4 wins in a row. And then as the season progressed, they began to face the bitter part of cricket losing some games in the middle. But, Kallis slowly began to unfold scoring runs at a brisk rate. Robbie has displayed some outstanding firecracker in the due course in the tournament and it definitely needed a special mention. And the win against Rajasthan Royals, where Pietersen quick-fired 62 of just 29 balls gave them a much needed victory and put them into the semifinals. While skipper Kumble and Vinay Kumar swung it for them in the bowling department very consistently. So, with wins here and there they managed to sneak into the top 4 .But with the start they made, they should have certainly landed just after Mumbai and they certainly are a well deserved lot. So, Kumble’s men take spot 4 in the points table with 14 points.

The semifinal 1 saw the clash of Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The Mumbai Indians initially rode on the good knocks of Tiwary and Rayudu. Tiwary was certainly at his best and played his shots to near perfection and Rayudu showed us glimpses of some hard hitting. Later, Pollard came down firing on all cylinders scoring 33 of just 13 balls. The Royal Challengers after an initial setback saw a good partnership between Uthappa and Ross Taylor, however Pollard came back scalping 3 wickets while Harbhajan and Malinga grabbed 2 wickets each to give Mumbai a win over Royal Challengers by 35 odd runs. The semifinal 2 at the low bounce wicket in D Y Patil stadium between Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers was however a low scoring game. The Super Kings batting first scored 142 in their 20 overs which saw a patient innings from Badrinath and Dhoni. While a good effort by Aniruddha in the end did give the Super Kings some runs on the board for them to defend. The Deccan Chargers batting second lost wickets at regular intervals while only Symonds managed to get some runs, the other players disappointed. Doughy Bollinger was the man who made all the damage getting 4 wickets giving away just 13 runs from his 4 overs. This saw a win by the Super Kings by 38 runs.

The Closing Ceremony kick started with an awesome performance from the Oscar man A R Rahman while dance performances by Bipasha Basu and Shahid Kapur did add some glitz and glamour to the ceremony ahead of the final.

The finals of the third edition of the Indian Premier League between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings witnessed an outstanding game and saw both the teams putting up a tough fight for the trophy. Super Kings winning the toss, started off slowly but steadily, getting some runs from Vijay and Raina on the other end provided with the much needed fire works scoring runs at a rapid pace. Dhoni too chipped in with a timely knock and the Super Kings finished with 168 in their 20 overs. The Mumbai Indians too started slowly with Tendulkar playing an anchor innings and Dhoni rotated his spinners too well, which saw the dismissals of the Mumbai Indians batsman notwithstanding pressure. At one stage, it looked as though Pollard will take them home, but again Dhoni’s non-theoretic field placements did the trick. The Mumbai Indians finally fell short of 22 runs for a win.

The Chennai Super Kings have been very consistent with their performance in the first and second editions of the Indian Premier League but missed the title going very close. But this time, they have done it beating the Mumbai Indians in the finals of the 3^rd edition by 22 runs lifting the trophy for the first time. After the big win by the home team, the Chennai Super Kings, its all party time here in Chennai, and we are very much waiting for the trophy to come home!!! In the local language and to all the Chennaites out there” Namba Chennai Super Kings ku PeriyaWhistla Podu”..!!

The Third Edition of the Indian Premier League has been a huge success and with the advent of 2 other teams in the IPL 4, we are looking forward for a bigger event next year. As Lalit Modi said, there have been some off field mishaps- but the respect for the game and the excitement never fades out. It would have been better without them, but the intensity and entertainment never went down !!

Chennai Super Kings crowned Champions of IPL 3

The 25^th of April may have belonged to the people taking a dig at the IPL’s Chief and issues pertaining to the IPL.. But it certainly belonged to the men in yellow, The Chennai Super Kings, who have been jubilant and clear winners of the third edition of the Indian Premier League. The Chennai Super Kings have been very consistent with their performance in the first and second editions of the Indian Premier League as well but missed the title after going into the semifinals both the times. But this time, they have done it beating the Mumbai Indians in the finals of the 3^rd edition by 22 runs lifting the trophy for the first time. They have, for sure done their hard-work to stay where they are today. The team effort and outstanding spirit of the players have always been on a high. Full marks to Dhoni for his excellent captaincy and his valuable knock against Kings XI Punjab in a do or die game, which fetched them a berth in the semifinals.

We however shouldn’t forget the timely innings from Subramaniam Badrinath and Murali Vijay. The local players have won games for the Chennai Super Kings almost single handedly in the crucial games against Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals respectively. In the semifinal game against Deccan, Badrinath adapted so well and quick to the low bounce and slower wicket after having played a lot of games in the Chennai wicket, which has a good bounce. He played a waiting innings, which was much needed and expected. Vijay has particularly been spectacular, be his batting or fielding. His quick-fire hundred against Rajasthan Royals was a treat to watch and that showed his ability as a T20 batsman keeping low his test-batsman image.

The Champion player for the Chennai Super Kings was indeed Suresh Raina. He has been exceptional getting all the runs on the board to put his team in a comfortable position. Though there had been some ups and lows in his career, he is back and with a bang. His consistent list of scores game by game showcases his never say die spirit and professionalism. And what a fielder he has been, completely top class. He now is also chipping in as a spinner which gives Dhoni an option to rotate his bowlers. To sum it up, Suresh Raina has had an outstanding IPL this season and he has regained his form perfectly at the right time ahead of the T20 World Cup.

The find of the season, Ashwin has clearly delivered his goods upfront for the Super Kings. His bowling in the initial overs is very crucial and he is getting the wickets too. He is a good thinker of the game and he gets the ball in the right areas, giving the much needed breakthroughs. Dhoni completely trusted Ashwin, making him bowl the crucial overs and Ashwin proved every time. So, one more Chennai boy ready to wear the Indian jersey?

The Aussies, Matthew Hayden and Dough Bollinger have played their part well. Bollinger, though joined the team halfway down the tournament, now is a sensation back here in Chennai. His ability to hit the deck hard and also swing the ball away from the batsman has been outstanding. Who can forget Doughy’s catch in the boundary line to get rid of Yusuf Pathan… an absolute blinder and it shows his exceptional presence of mind. Haydos’s form was however on and off. But it isn’t fair saying he dint score throughout the tournament and labeling him as a failure. He has been a psychological advantage for the Super Kings and every game we expect to see an attacking Hayden. Tough Luck Haydos. Looking forward seeing you go over the bowling attack in the next edition of the IPL.

Albie Morkel has been a thorough professional throughout this season’s IPL. He clearly knows what is expected of him and he delivers them. He has been a very successful T20 bowler of the tournament and he is also one of the finest all-rounders I have ever seen. Not to forget Albie’s contribution with the bat. He gives you that big blow or an odd boundary to ease the pressure and in fact he is used to playing in a pressure situation many a times and he had swung the game our way too!!

One of our prime spinners of the ball, Muralidharan has had a good time with the ball. His quota of 4 overs has been very important to the Super Kings. Sometimes he goes for runs and there are games where he has been top class as well. The best part about Murali is that, he uses his weapons, be it the dhoosra or a top spin or the normal off-break very wisely and carefully well directed against the batsman. Whatever it is Murali- You are indeed a top class rare breed spinner!!

Being in Chennai, Cheering them up when they play a game at any part of India with tons and tons of friends, brothers and sisters over the last 5 weeks has been an excellent experience and feeling. Be it a win or a lose – we look at the way Cricket is played, the entertainment relished and the support this big League has achieved in such a short span of time. As Lalit Modi said, there have been some off field mishaps- but the respect for the game and the excitement never fades out. It would have been better without them, but the intensity and entertainment never went down.. believe me. After the big win by the home team, the Chennai Super Kings, its all party time here in Chennai, and we are very much waiting for the trophy to come home!!! In the local language and to all the Chennaites out there” Namba Chennai Super Kings ku PeriyaWhistla Podu”..!!

Bravo Job By .. Dhhhooonnnniiii !! Csk In .. Punjab Out !

There was for sure a tense moment at the Daramshala Cricket Stadium which witnessed one cliffhanger of a match between the Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. When a game goes as close as this, where the Chennai Super Kings required 14 runs of the final over and they were in a pity state where it’s a must win game for them to keep their semi-final chances alive and kicking, you can always expect the match to go in anybody’s way. After Captain Courageous, Mahendra Singh Dhoni Sky-rocketed an Irfan Pathan delivery out of the park, there was a good sense of relief both in the player’s dug-out and with the millions of fans supporting their home team, back in Chennai. And when he followed it up with another humungous one, which almost went over the mountains, it was all outbursts of emotions and pressure in the stadium, especially Dhoni who found it hard to hide his grit and sense of satisfaction. The players were seen in a pool of emotions and embraced each other with great excitement. As Badrinath said, it’s a team effort to the helm, right from Sudeep Tyagi’s outstanding catch to dismiss Mahela Jayawardena to the bamboozled innings from Suresh Raina and anchor innings from both Badrinath and Dhoni.

When a finisher to the likes of Dhoni, who has an outstanding temperament, stays there till the end playing a responsible innings, one can expect a complete reversal of the game. Though, his progress of scoring starts slowly, he manages to convert the singles into two’s and get the asking rate down. And once he starts to get the ball in the middle of his thick wood willow, he goes blazing guns and I should mention his flick shot which he plays with ease, where he picks the ball from outside off stump to quick-fire it over the mid-wicket boundary, with an amazing bat speed. The Super Kings especially after the dismissal of the man-in-form Raina were in a pressure situation and were forced to press the panic button. Dhoni, their savior, along with Badri displayed some outstanding batting skills with magnificent perfection and professionalism to get a win and to sail into the semifinals with 14 points. In any case, one shouldn’t forget the quick runs by southpaw Raina, who showcased class and an excellent batting effort. Though Badrinath’s scores in the previous games doesn’t look great, he played a match-winning innings alongside skipper Dhoni, which was a much needed knock and it came in the right time too.

The Chennai Super Kings have evolved well and are jelling as a team quite well. Ashwin has been absolutely phenomenal with his spin bowling up front supporting his lefty fast bowler Bollinger, who can hit the deck really hard. Morkel has been reasonably good and he should try more of bowling into the batsman rather than bowling away from him. Also useful contributions from Raina and Jakati in the middle overs are proving effective. Though we seem to have a good combination, we still have a great scope to hone some swinging action and we really have to restrict the opponents to a mere 120-140 odd total. However, with the depth we have in our batting, we really can chase down any total and we shouldn’t forget that our batting have helped us over the games so far. So, with some effort from our bowlers, we can get the act together and make it simple rather than making it a daunting task. Chennai Super Kings now march into the semi-finals with their Skipper leading his team from the front. Beware people; the lion’s den is getting really hot and spicy. So will the Chennai Super Kings go from strength to strength gaining momentum from this fantastic victory?? Anyways… to all you people out in Chennai, lets wear the yellow jerseys and support Dhoni’s Army and Come On People .. ”Idu Namma Chennai Chennai Super Kings !! “

Happy Bithday Nxg !!

I first take this opportunity to congratulate the people behind the publication of the NxG. If not for them, it wouldn’t have been a sensational hit. The Nxg are one of the few publishers who give a great platform for youngsters to get their articles published. The Nxg been popular amongst the youths for promoting writing talents and helping their views reach the masses. It’s a dream for every person that their articles reach thousands of people and especially see their names and identity getting stamped on one of the columns of this esteemed daily. Nxg has stayed the reason for my passion towards writing and Iam really proud to have been closely associated with such a powerful newspaper, The Hindu. I hope I’ll always find a space here for expressing myself. Good Luck and Cheers !!

Let’s celebrate cricket!

With a lot of expectations, the third edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to take centre stage. The arrangements for the inaugural ceremony are in full swing and with the event taking place in India; IPL fans can afford a wide smile. The main news is that four new venues — Nagpur, Vishakapatnam, Ahmedabad, and Dharmasala - have been added apart from the eight home venues. Now let’s take a peek into the teams and its champion players.

The Mumbai Indians

Led by the great man Sachin Tendulkar, are expected to bounce back this time after two successive tough editions. The Caribbean flavours of Pollard and Bravo add spice to the side. They are two good players who can prove their mettle in the shortest version of the game. Abhishek Nayar should show some temperament this time and the surprise entry Shikar Dhawan is expected to be handy with the bat. All eyes will be on the man in form, Sachin Tendulkar and he will have the Sri Lankan Jayasuriya to help him open Mumbai’s account.

The Delhi Daredevils

The squad looks pretty impressive with an explosive line-up of the likes of Sehwag, De Villiers, Dilshan, Warner … the list just goes on. It’s a comeback tournament for their new skipper Gautam Gambhir and he will certainly be trying to prove a point. Expect useful contributions from Karthik and Henriques while Maharoof can get that odd boundary to ease the pressure. Nannes, Nehra and Sangwan will be the bowlers to watch and Mishra can mix it up well in the death overs. So Delhi looks a strong side with a lot of big hitters waiting to provide you the entertainment.

Chennai Super Kings

The team has a good blend of raw talents and experienced players. Everything is falling in place for this strong side, with the latest being the availability of Matt Hayden. Australia’s batting tour de force Hayden along with skipper Dhoni will be looking to strike gold. Experienced players like Hussy, Raina and Badri support them in the middle overs and crackers are always expected from South African Albie Morkel and Gony. The fast bowling department is led by Balaji and Gony while much will be expected from wily spin wizard Muralidharan and his lefty partner Jakati, who worked wonders in IPL2.

Royal Challengers

The finalists of IPL2, Royal Challengers from Bengaluru showed team spirit and outstanding talent. Dravid’s dream run fetched them a second spot last time. With Kallis and the long-time-no-see Ross Taylor to bank upon, the Royal Challengers will fight it out in the middle. Youngsters like Uthappa and Manish Pandey can use this opportunity to get into the already strong International side. New man Peter Siddle will hopefully have a look in. And with old fox Kumble’s valuable experience, they will try to land in a good spot.

Kolkata Knight Riders

With the multiple-captain approach drawing flak , the Knight Riders now come under the prince of Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly. Jamaican southpaw, Chris Gayle is expected to fire on all cylinders, with his explosive and disdainful batting style. Agarkar and Ishant Sharma look dangerous in their initial spells and Ganguly will double up as a part-time bowler to get a crucial breakthrough. However, KKR fans will be watching Shane Bond wearing the black jersey. Harpreet Singh. Shukla can chip in with some useful contributions with the bat while the hard hitting Mccullum will certainly go for the swing. The KKR will look for some good luck charm this time!

Kings XI Punjab

Preity Zinta’s Kings XI Punjab will look to make its presence felt this time. They have new skipper Sangakkara to lead, while the flamboyant Yuvraj plays as a batsman. Hopes and the ever-patient Jayawardene can anchor their middle order. Irfan’s fans get to see the handsome man back in action, but Brett Lee and Abdullah will be the men to watch in the bowling department. The young Chawla will be a useful option.

Deccan Chargers

The champions of IPL2, Deccan Chargers used failure as their stepping stone to success. The Chargers scripted an incredible turnaround in the last season clinching the trophy. All credit to its wicketkeeper-skipper Adam Gilchrist. His Australian teammate Symonds will have to deliver the goods this time and the expectations from left arm spinner Ojha will be high. Dwayne Smith has been a success with both bat and the ball last season and is expected to strike again and lefty seamer RP Singh is expected to be one of the lead runners for the purple cap.

Rajasthan Royals

Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals is a young side with fresh talents making up the 30-player squad. Big names include Graeme Smith, Mascarenhas and our own Yusuf Pathan, who can dominate a good bowling attack. Goa player Asnodkar still occupies the opening slot, Naman Ojha can prove a good competitor. The bowling looks bright with the raw pace of Shaun Tait and Munaf. Warne’s initial spells will be crucial while Yusuf can chip in as well. The young Royals side will look up to their spin legend skipper to deliver the goods.

Tune your channels to the biggest cricketing event from March 12 as Deccan Chargers take on Mumbai Indians in Mumbai at 8.pm.

Another feather to Tendulkar’s cap !!

India’s most celebrated cricketer once again occupies the centre stage, this time for a scintillating world record for being the first man in the ODI history to get a double hundred. Indeed I’m talking about the little master and India’s favorite boy wonder.. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Tendulkar achieved this rare feat in just 147 balls as he toyed with the South African bowlers with great finesse. Sachin now holds the record for the highest run getter in the 50 over format of the game. The Batting Wizard almost went on a rampaging attack after his 150, deciding where to hit the ball even before it was bowled. Tendulkar showed great temperament and brought on his experience staying there rock solid putting the ball away to the boundary with great ease and certainly every run was a master stroke. Now reeling back 22 years from now, Tendulkar was in Mumbai stitching a 400 run partnership with his best buddy Vinod Kambli in a local game in Mumbai. People close to Tendulkar did predict he will make it to the Indian team, but Sachin took it game by game performing every time he comes out to bat and unquestionably Tendulkar shot up to an iconic status in no time and in fact his is now a household name. But Tendulkar certainly deserves to be where he is today.. his hardwork and dedication to the game are absolutely phenomenal.

After so much hard played cricket, we still feel he has a lot of cricket left in him and his best is yet to come. He is probably the only cricketer whose arrival in the middle would put millions of lips into silent prayer. The fact which fascinates me is that, still at the age of 36, he runs like a leopard and he has the eye of a tiger and most importantly he still has the hungry to score tons and tons of runs. If at all Tendulkar feels its time to quit, I think the record books can close!! As hardcore Sachin Tendulkar fans, we would love to congratulate the god of cricket for the 200 run achievement and as a matter of fact, if at all there is one batting record Tendulkar dint go over, its Brian Lara’s 400 runs in an innings.. It isn’t far away, Lara beware!! In Toto, its tough being the man !

Disclaimer: Please do not try to imitate Tendulkar or try going behind his records, it may prove fatal!!

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Thrilling Win to Retain the NO.1 Slot !

There is a lot to take and cheer about if you are a hardcore Indian cricket fan as Team India claimed a thrilling win in the dying minutes of the second test to retain their top spot in the world test cricket ranking.

After the visitors almost managed prolonging the day avoiding a defeat under the lone battle waged by Hashim Amla, named man of the match and series, the Indians were not so quick to grab the final wickets which almost saw the end of the final session of the day. Amla however fought it out in the middle, despite the fact of losing able batsmen in the other end and tried hard to push his team towards a draw. Regular rains and bad climatic conditions came to the rescue of the South Africans, which made the match progress towards a draw, if not for the turbanator who claimed 5 wickets in the innings clinching a win for the men in blue.

The final overs from the Indian spinners, especially the offie who gave the much needed breakthrough and it wouldn’t have been possible without the high spirited bowling from the young Indian seamer, Ishanth Sharma who claimed two successive wickets pushing the South African tail on the back foot. Though Morkel hung on very patiently, he finally succumbed to a Harbhajan delivery that had a good bounce and which zipped through Morkel’s pads erupting the huge crowd at Eden Gardens into celebrations.

The Indian players embraced their fellow mates and showed great sportsmanship congratulating the man who stood batting throughout the day, the man in form for the South Africans who aggregated 490 runs from 3 innings, Hashim Amla.

Team India are still on a high and stay in an unassailable position after a victorious test match series against their South African counterparts and pushing the into the no.2 slot. As an Indian it feels great calling Team India, the World Champions in Test!!

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Team India Looking for Consistency !

The recently concluded Idea Cup has made Team India’s frontline bowlers accurate in pitching the balls on right areas and they seem to make the odd ball move away from the batsman, which speaks volumes about the attack. Zaheer Khan is without doubt making his presence felt as a senior bowler giving valuable inputs to the younger grade of internationally inexperienced bowlers while Ashish Nehra is trying to get the ball zip through the track. Ravindra Jadeja is proving to be a dependable option and Dhoni can always bank on Yuvraj Singh to get a crucial breakthrough. The turbanator has lived up to the expectations of the team doing quite a job.

The improvement in the fielding department is now beginning to show how much effort has gone into it and the quick reflexes in Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh has been an awesome sight to any Indian supporter.

Batting have always remained Team India’s good strength with Gautham Gambhir ,Virender Sehwag and now even with Kohli and Raina chipping with valuable contributions to amass a huge total on board. Dhoni has been very flexible in the batting order, getting a wonderful act together and certainly making a mark as a successful skipper after Sourav Ganguly.

Now consistency is the word, they will have to look for, which always gives a miss to Dhoni and his men. However the men in blue have made a phenomenal progress in the recent past, they are working hard on their technique and its pretty evident. Youngsters like Kohli and Jadeja are doing their bit and have shown that they can deal pressure situations with ease. With a few good knocks from Gambhir and Virender Sehwag carrying his present form forward into the next series, one can expect a fiery start from the openers and look to carry it forward with Kohli, Yuvraj or Raina. When hard work is married to consistency, the world champions in tests will certainly be eyeing for the top spot in the one-days too!!

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Team India Walking on Air

Team India are now proving their mettle as a top class team. The cup is now full and Dhoni is capably leading his team upfront. His responsible innings and the way he prepares himself as a floater in the batting order shows the flexibility in the batting. The batsmen are doing their job quite well on the top shifting gears to post a huge total on the board every game and either of Gambhir, Sehwag, Tendulkar striking it really hard and with Raina, Yuvraj and Dhoni setting up a good strength to the middle order.

Fielding is still a department to watch out for and even with the fielding coach in place, the sloppy fielding continues - maybe Michael Young still needs to spend more time with the players but dropping straight catches mean, giveaway of a game. Its quite evident that the gentleman's game is turning to be a team game. The players are now getting into a game as a team sharing ideas and it feels great to see them in their comfort zones. Its team effort all the way and at its best, i would say.

The Bowling department so far has been absolutely brilliant. Dhoni is managing a good show juggling his bowlers and mixing it up so well. Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh have brought in their vast experience and bowling at death overs has been top class. Ashish Nehra now joining the party makes the block still stronger. Newcomers, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja and Murali Vijay have contributed in good proportions and it will be prodigious to see their fortitude shining in the cricketing arena winning more games for Team India.

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Team India crowned No.1 in Tests !

Team India became the number one test team on sunday after defeating SriLanka comprehensively by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final cricket test in mumbai to clinch the series 2-0. The SriLankans were completely bowled over and looked very weak in a bad shape after a big loss.

The itch for the top spot has been in the rounds for quite a time and finally the coveted top spot has come India's way for the first time in the history of the game. This is actually the official announcement of domination upon all the teams who hold a test status, I would say. It all speaks great volumes of the effort that has gone into getting all the players together rubbing shoulders and the support staff along with the selection committee has been instrumental.

Dhoni now becomes the second captain in the 132 year old history of test cricket not to have lost a test match in his first ten games. Dhoni now holds 7 on 10 under his belt. How is that for a record ? Dhoni has been clearly pussyfooted in leading the Team India getting all the expertise possible from the senior players and support staff and even in choosing his bowlers for the game along with the field they ask for. And it has completely paid off to a big measure fetching a top rank for the Indian Team in Tests.

Two innings defeat in a row against the SriLankans showcase the strength of the Indian Team with all the players coming in and playing their parts to near perfection. The batting department was exceptional and the bowlers upped the tempo pressurizing the Lankans every time they came to bat. Sehwag amassed a total of 491 runs in the series fetching a record for India against SriLanka in a Test rubber. And Dhoni stepped up for a brilliant ton even when he was playing alongside tail-enders to the likes of Ojha and Sreesanth. And the bowlers were too good scalping the Lankan batsmen on the odd foot pressing them hard under and Zaheer, Harbhajan were the pick of the Indian bowlers and the comeback Kerala fast bowler Sreesanth proved to be in a fine nick grabbing a 5 for in the first test in Ahmadabad. Its certainly team work at its best for Team India !!

Team India have unquestionably proved to be a powerhouse and they have established their place in the top and Dhoni's men now are marching towards an unassailable and they deserve to be there where they are !! .. Many congratulations to Team India and the management for fetching the rare feat !!

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Melody King - Unnikrishnan

Singing takes a preference over the gentleman's game to this man from Kerala. Reaching great heights in classical music as well as film singing speaks great volumes of his colossal singing. Indeed Iam talking about the national award singer Unnikrishnan. Playing cricket and singing is a kind of a tough balancing act. And i should say he did quite a job when he opted to go with singing. Still when you talk about cricket to him, he relishes the exciting moments in a cricketting arena.

He is one of the finest singers we have seen who is doing rounds in the industry. The feel with which he delivers the song is out of the world. His first rendition in film singing kick-started with the romantic melody "ennavale" from the film Kaadalan. The film demanded the voice and A.R.Rahman from nowhere casted a magic spell and ofcourse who would forget the honey soaked singing of Unni, One of the best ways to give a launchpad to a singer from a classical music background. The transformation from classical singing to film music was awe-inspiring and Rahman guided Unni so well making him very comfortable managing a good show definitely.

Unnikrishnan's successive songs fetched him a dream run in film singing with the latest one being a melody "vaarayo vaarayo" from the film Aadhavan. He flattered us all with his blockbuster hits with his smooth and sweet rendition. It truly swept us all, off our feet !!

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Modern day legend

ACHIEVEMENT Even after 20 years of power play, Sachin is a force to reckon with. Aint He ???

A.R.Rahman for Music, Michael Jackson for Dance, Amitabh Bachchan for acting , and when it comes to Cricket you have to give it to Sachin Tendulkar. The cricketing genius surpasses every other cricketer, even Bradman and Lara stand only next to Tendulkar.

Twenty years of International cricket,436 One Day Internationals, 159 tests, his tally stands a whopping 87 hundreds and the longevity of the batting legend continues to amaze the cricketing world.His dedication and passion for the game,his honesty and humbleness make you admire him.This soft-spoken cricketer can go behind any bowler whacking, be it warne-murali or Akram-Mcgrath. When Sachin is on song - he stands there rock-solid and slays the bowlers. You can never ever set a good field to a thinking batsman of his stature and commitment.You'll look haunted with his presence in the middle, thats for sure - I have seen it in Akram to Waugh and Sangakkara to Ponting.

He is called The Batting genius,A Legend ,Little Master ,Boy Wonder ,perfectionalist, and what not... I call him the Craftsman of Cricket !! .. aint he ?? .. He is the reason for what Cricket is proud of itself. He is truly a once-in-a-century player. I still remember the crowd waiting on the edge of their seats to applaud Tendulkar when he was one short of 17000 runs, when his signature leg glance fetched him the rare feat of being the highest run getter in International Cricket with 17,178 runs. I was waiting to see him react to such a record with tears in my eyes, and as always he remained calm and cool headed. It was such an exciting and emotional moment for all of us, who wait to see Sachin bang every bowler. And man .. he delivers the goods every time he comes out to bat and continues to acknowledge this cricket mad nation. This Nation is proud to have him here who is such a stalwart of the game and a great human being by heart. !!