Hail Football.. Let the Jabulani take its FreeKick!!

Its all Football fever catching up here in India. The four semifinalists have battled it out on the lush green ground to get a place in the top four. Both of the semifinal games are expected to be more competitive, aggressive and challenging. The Dutch face Uruguay on 6^th July while the second semifinal will see the favorite Germans take against the Spaniards on 7^th of July. Both Netherlands and Uruguay have bounced back strongly into the tournament winning against big teams to the likes of Brazil and Africans respectively whereas the Germans and the Spain have always stayed top favorites in any game.

The Netherlands came from a goal behind to the mighty Brazil to seal a victory 2-1 in their quarter finals. It was indeed a much deserved victory for the amount of football played by the Dutch. The first half was a tightly fought affair with just a goal from Brazil’s Robinho. The second half which saw an equalizer from Dutch’s favorite player Wesley Sneijder. And later in the 68^th minute, which belonged to the Netherlands, saw yet another power scoring goal from Sneijder. Double strike for the man in orange and yeah.. also a place in the top 4. Dutch did build on their lucky break! But, the sad news for the Dutch from that quarter final game will be the yellow cards picked up by Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong which mean they will miss the semi-finals. Watch out for an obvious Sneijder raring to pounce and bounce.

Uruguay’s performance in the World Cup has been exciting and their win against Ghana in the quarter final, saw the last African team being knocked out of the world cup. Ghana pulled up their sock and was in full spirits for the first half; saw a lovely strike from Sulley Muntari just before the half time to take a 1-0 lead against Uruguay. Shortly into the second half, both the teams were pressing hard and the equalizer came in the form of an absolute beauty of a freekick by Diego Forlan. 1-1 beamed the giant scoreboard. As the clock ran down, the jabulani kept whizzing around on the ground until the final whistle and then the extra time followed. No goals again. Penalty shootout came in. This saw a 4-2 win for the Uruguay. The yellow card that Jorge Fucile picked up in this game means he will also miss the semi-final. Another awesome footballer in the form of Luis Suarez proved a real Uruguay hero in the Round of 16, scoring twice to give them a 2-1 win over South Korea. Watch out for Fiery Forlan from any corner of the ground!

The second semi final between Germany and Spain is what we are expecting to be a cracker of a match. The much comfortable victory Germany had against the much fancied Maradona’s Argentina will have them on a high beyond doubts.

This German side is buzzing everywhere on the ground. This young side is beginning to look unbeatable and undisputed champions. In the quarter final game against Argentina, and when the game was just 3 minutes old, came the destruction from Thomas Müller, who headed in a freekick from the man of the game, Bastian Schweinsteiger. Müller is showcasing great football skills but still this man will miss the semifinal game as he picked a yellow card later that game. The second half of the game made things worse for the Argentina stars, as Germany went on to score three more of which two came from Miroslav Klose and one from Arne Friedrich. As a matter of fact, this is the third time Germany has scored four goals in this tournament. And Germans for sure will find it hard to replace their magic star Thomas Müller but two good players to watch out for will be Klose, Schweinsteiger.

The other semifinalist, Spain’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the quarter finals saw a lot of drama. And it was a very very tight game. The Spaniards found it tough to get the going, it was obvious from their ball possession, passing and control. The South Americans pushed themselves that extra mile to pose as strong contenders for the Spaniards. Antolin Alcarez can consider himself lucky not to have been given a red card when he fouled Spain’s David Villa in the penalty box. The jabulani hit the post 3 times so hard before going into the net giving Spain their much needed breakthrough and a win seven minutes from time. Spain started the tournament as favorites but once they succumbed to Switzerland 1-0, and their “favorite tag” went out of the window. Spain also has an impressive disciplinary record, so will be playing their best players as none of them are suspended and going out for the semifinal. All eyes will be on their lead striker David Villa to get an early breakthrough.

My Prediction goes with Netherlands from the first semifinal and Spain with the second semifinal and I foresee the underdogs Netherlands clinching the lady in gold, the WorldCup 2010. But, let’s keep our fingers crossed, and get ready for the overnight action with their jerseys and skull caps. Hail Football.. Adios Amigos!!

The New Face of Badminton, Saina Nehwal ..

The racquet sport of the 17^th century has suddenly reached its pinnacle here in India after an ace Indian shuttler made India proud becoming the first ever Indian to win a super series tournament. Indeed I’m talking about the 20-year-old India’s badminton prospect, Saina Nehwal. Gaining momentum from the three super series wins in a row, she looked confident and in high spirits. She in fact took a big leap forward realizing her dream to become the world number one player, after landing at her career best third in the world rankings recently. She also enjoys the privilege of being the first ever Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the prestigious All England super series championships.

If Saina battles it out on the badminton court against the world’s best players, it has been no less a battle for her father to let her do the same. Both Saina and her family have sacrificed a lot of pleasures and luxury to attain such a competitive and a commanding position in World Badminton. It is a very rare occasion wherein a middle class family would spend more than half of their monthly income to train an 8-year old kid on Badminton without even knowing if it would pay off in the early stages. The gamble for sure had paid-off now in a big way. But the BPCL support late in 2004 had helped her to come out of the financial crunch and ultimately, she was spotted by Mittal Sports Trust in December, 2005. Everything is favoring this 20-year-old Hyderabadi girl and success too seems to have been smitten by her!

Badminton in India has never been this great or has not drawn its due attention after its former greats and Padma Shri awardees Prakash Padkone and Pullela GopiChand left the game. GopiChand is now a very renowned coach who received the Dronacharya Award and is the main force behind the emergence of Saina Nehwal. Saina's rise follows back-to-back title triumphs at the India Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Open Super Series respectively. It took a complete changeover right from her position to her footwork once she joined the GopiChand academy of Badminton. Saina is now the face of badminton today, having taken over from where her mentor GopiChand had left it. She is clearly raising the bar, going places!

Her strategy of slicing the shuttlecock to perfection helped her earn valuable points deceiving her opponents at crucial junctures. The slicing of the shuttlecock is very difficult to react to as it follows a curved path rolling in the air and the deceleration imparted due to the slicing causes the sliced strokes to slow down suddenly and hence put the opponents on the back foot. Her spinning net shot or the tumbling net shot stayed some of the attacking weapons to her already strong arsenal.

This lady is making it big in the International arena and is striving hard to reach the number one spot. So far India’s best has been World’s best. Its true in Chess, its true in Cricket and sooner will she prove her mettle and stamp India’s name on this racquet game, Badminton!! And she has got more good news coming her way and the most recent news being that Saina Nehwal has been offered a police officer’s job by the Haryana Government. So far outstanding sportspersons at the national and international levels had been appointed in this category and that too directly to the level of Deputy Superintendent of Police. So DSP Saina Nehwal on the making ??

The Asian Champs !!

The people of India are now in a celebration mood after the Indian team clinched its Asia cup after 15 long years. It has been a good and quick climb up the ladder after the disappointing Zimbabwe tour. Team India played their heart out in every field of the sport and outclassed every other Asian team. The Asia Cup win will give the men in blue a thick edge over other teams ahead of the bigger event, the World Cup.

The win against Bangladesh in both the league games showed great team spirit and the players gained a lot of confidence. Players to the likes of Gambhir, Rohit Sharma are slowly unwinding themselves showing individual scores can bring about a good team total. The penultimate league game against Pakistan was a cliffhanger of a match, as it was expected to be. The players played with great competitive spirit and especially when India and Pakistan meet, there is bound to be some positive energy with both the players and their respective supporters as well. The final league game against SriLakans was a let down to the Indian team, but they were back with a bang providing the sucker punch in the finals.

The finals between India and SriLanka saw an awesome batting performance by Team India and their quality seam bowling under lights lit up the moment. Dinesh Karthik played a responsible innings until he succumbed to a Kandamby delivery. Raina’s quickie 29 came handy to the Indians when the run rate dropped down and Rohit Sharma yet again displayed a classic performance stitching partnerships with every man who came in. Ravindra Jadeja’s innings of 25 from 27 balls indeed helped Team India to climb to a target of 268 from their quota of 50 overs.

The high spirited bowling from the men in blue struck crucial wickets at regular intervals. The fall of Dilshan in the first over, was indeed a huge loss for the Singhalese. The next man to go, Tharanga let in a Zaheer delivery without attempting a shot, only to find his stumps rearranged and it confirmed the presence of some help for the quickies. Dhoni constantly operated his medium pace bowlers from both ends. And Once Nehra struck the wickets of Jayawardena and Matthews in his first over, the Lankans were put on their back foot. Sangakkara and Kandamby called on their brilliant cover drives to fetch some runs, but they were all short lived. The depth in the Lankan batting attack slowly began to dwindle but one man who made us all twist our heads his way was Kapugedara. The Lankan tail began to get some runs in his company. His swashbuckling batting ability began to gain some attention before the wickets of Maharoof and Kulasekara fell. It almost brought the curtains down for the SriLankans and it was all a matter of time before everything wrapped up and when Murali nicked a jadeja delivery into Dhoni’s army gloves, it signaled India’s jubilant win against the Lankans. Team India outsmarted the Lankans in every department of the game and not to forget the tidy spells bowled by spearheads Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra.

The Asia Cup win will have a huge impact on the Indian Team and will give them the much needed confidence and spirit. The boys will all be geared up to showcase their skills and prove their competitiveness in the bigger arena, the World Cup.

Now generally, the litmus test for assessing a team’s stature and dominance in world cricket will be the World Cup, which is coming up next on the charts. Dhoni’s army now has a big job up their sleeve and there is a huge expectation to fulfill the cricket-mad people back here in India. Team India will for sure be waiting to get their hands on the gold lady and go cock-a-hoop over their twin victories!

Save Our Tigers !!

Our national animal is fighting for its life.From around 40,000 at the turn of the last century, there are just 1411 tigers left in India.If we don’t act now, we could lose this part of our heritage forever.

Speak up, blog, share the concern, stay informed… Every little bit helps. Aircel has partnered with WWF-India to help save our tigers.

Explore the site to know how you can help this STRIPEY !!

--------- 8 Days in a Training Camp --------

Im just back from an 8 day residential camp in my college and it was one-of-a-kind experience for me. The only thing which I realised when the camp was announced was that, Iam into my final year and 3 full years have passed in quick succession.First things first.The training camp had aptitude sessions, communication skill classes, outdoor activities, a movie session and a campfire on the penultimate night. It has brought in me a lot of changes and it has taught me so many good lessons. The only negative aspect which I found about the camp was its very tiring schedule. We almost have to sleep by 1:00 am and have to get up at 4.50am. But I know it’s a lot of taxing work from here and life isn't a bed of roses always. Corporate trainings are going to be still tougher and stressing but still you have to give your hundred percent every time, else your performance curve drops down. This camp has also improved my responsibility and gave me individuality and it served as a great platform to express myself.

The aptitude classes were handled by Career Launcher, an education service company. It has well equipped professors from the IITs and graduates from the IIMs. They were so kind not only in imparting their knowledge but also found time to share their experiences in life with 'enlightenment sessions'. An experience from a teacher always strikes a chord in you and we were able to relate to it easily. Though solving problems drained all our energy, we were found asking for more and more as it came with a lot of fun. And what I realized was, every person needs to be strong in every method that is being used in solving a problem to snatch a smart job. Competition is much higher with now even the people from the Arts college giving the graduates from an engineering college a placement scare. Being smart needs a lot of hope and confidence within.

The communication classes gave us a chance to express ourselves and it helped us in putting our views forward with great ease and finesse. It also helped me in exploring more things about myself and in judging what kind of a person I am. I have learnt to be more confident and optimistic as the classes went on. From a very shy person, they have helped me in transforming myself into a very sociable person. I will never forget the hard work put in by my trainers, Mr.Prakash and Ms.Indra. They have thought me so much in life and they have been exceptionally good in making learning more interesting and innovative.

The outdoor activities were very well coordinated by a team called E-ZONE, who are into corporate training and consulting . This is where we thought is our chance to grab to unwind ourselves. The training team comprising of Hafiz, William, Sandy, Arul, and Ramya were so close to us and we would never ever forget them in our lives. They have thought us small things, which matter a lot in taking our life forward. Here is where I learnt what team effort and leadership is. They have been very instrumental in shaping every one of us and for me personally, it helped me in extending my network of friends by a humungous amount.

To put it in a nutshell, I have learnt to be on my own, have built in a lot of confidence and the vigour in me to perform hard. And indeed I have now started loving working under pressure too. In a way, they have made me understand what life is and what a corporate company expects from me. Now its all come down to a striking distance and I will have to deliver my goods upfront at the right time. Now, hit a bingo and go cock-a-hoop over my victory is what I will have to do from here !!!

From a Passionate Cricket Fan...

It has not been a great kickstarter of a season for the Indian Cricket team. The Men in blue are in a bad shape and the performance curve of the team is coming down at a steady pace and is about to hit the ground. Right from the start, we were not able to prove our mettle in the T-20 World Cup. It was followed by the issue of a brawl at a bar in West Indies by some of the players. Now in the ongoing triseries between India-SriLanka and Zimbabwe, we are almost being treated as minnows. What is happening ?? what really went wrong ?? Lets do a small analysis on some of the important and key aspects which really mattered and made things worse for Team India.

First things first. Our key players did not play a vital role. Our openers did not make a huge impact in any of the games of the T-20 World Cup. Our protagonist for T-20's, Virender Sehwag missed the entire tournament, which is a huge let down for the team. Neither did Gautham Gambhir had a good stint in the middle. Things went worse when capable players to the likes of Raina and Vijay found it hard to time the ball with perfection. An other problem was the short balls on a fast paced wicket, which seemed to almost threaten all our batsmen. Now, I dont understand whether the batsmen are incapable of handling a short ball or whether the pitch curators are not producing a fast paced wicket with a lot of bounce in it.

But I agree that the curators are not producing a wicket with a bounce in it. I also fail to understand why that is and what their fear is. Anyways, if we have a weakness, corrective measures should be taken as soon as possible and not wait for a long time unless every international player comes to know about that and blow your top so easily !! In a game against the West Indies, Every west Indian bowler came up with a short ball and grabbed his wicket, as simple as that. And in a game against the Australians in the super eight, it went as a one sided game and as though it was Australia vs Rohit Sharma. Very saddening, where are we going from here ?

From the line up of players for the triseries, I get the view that Team India are not taking this very seriously. Its just another tournament and either winning or losing dosent matter. How can the board neglect every experienced player and fill his eleven with many inexperienced players ? I dont get the logic behind it.. Can a Dinda or Umesh Yadav do the trick better than a Zaheer Khan or a Harbhajan ?.. Do they think that way ? Take Yuvraj Singh, after so many failures, he was in the T-20 team only for the hope that he will get to perform in any one of the games. He is again a huge let down. And I fail to understand why he was rested for the triseries. He should be playing so as to get as many games as possible and try to get that Yuvi-magic back. And now the latest news is that he has been dropped for the 15 member squad for the Asia Cup. We should have atleast had a senior bowler to partner an inexperienced bowler and a capable batsman to raise the bar.

Now to talk about some main prospects of the team. Rohit Sharma is now unwinding himself with the willow. He is doing a very fine job out there, no doubt. He knows his responsibilities and he is clear in what he is expected to do, thats what we want. Ravindra Jadeja is yet another player after Raina, who can do a good job with his bat in the middle overs. His spin bowling comes in as a good weapon to deal hard-hitting batsmen. He has evolved so well into a very matured cricketer. Ravichandran Ashwin with his off-spinning capability clearly needs a mention. A very confident bowler who can deliver the goods at any given position and against any bataman and still grab his wicket. I have seen him from his TamilNadu cricket days, he bowls with a great passion, with a fire in his eyes and most importantly will look for every chance the batsman gives and sneaks through.

There are so many negatives that needs correction in a short span of time .. Yet.. Hoping to see Team India back with a bang in the upcoming Asia Cup. My best wishes for the team ! Cheers !!

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 !!