The Illogical Appreciation (or why I love the IPL)

Less than one week to IPL 2016, conversation about it begins again; some love it, but many “cricket purists” claim to hate it.

As a cricket fan who loves a great game of test cricket, if you’d told me 10 years ago that a tournament would have 20-over-a-side games, Bollywoodization, fixing scandals, terminated franchises, player auctions and ads covering 70% of the TV screen, I may have laughed in your face.

Yet here I am, illogical as it may be, excited for April 9th, trying to figure out just why.

Everybody knows Chris Gayle is a Champion! – DJ Bravo

Champion – the anthem has summed up the West Indies journey through this World T20 and the folks from the Caribbean will be hoping that the party continues today!

Usually, there is little interest in a final where India is not taking part but that’s the thing about the West Indian team. You cannot help but love them, even if they put your team out of the tournament! Many would have thought that like New Zealand, West Indies may have peaked too early in the tournament. Any such notion was dispelled by a smashing win over India.

Virat played his heart out yet again, showcasing placement, wristwork, running and fitness in his innings of 89* (taking his average to a surreal 136.50 in this WT20). His good innings, though, was undone by two no balls which took wickets. No excuses there, but you have to feel for Virat. So near, yet so far. What a champion!

WT20, India v Bangladesh : Another miracle in Bangalore!

Got your breath back after India’s last ball win against Bangladesh? What a game! The last over reads 144WWW but it really doesn’t tell the whole story, does it?

India had to win this game to stay in control of their destiny in the WT20. After a desperate loss against New Zealand in Nagpur, we reignited our campaign in Eden Gardens by cruising home against Pakistan, courtesy another Kohli special. Coming to Bangalore, Bangladesh was another must win game for India.

WT20, India v New Zealand: Beware the Ides of March!

 

“Beware the Ides of March” – Julius Caesar Act 1, scene 2, 15–19.

India begin their campaign against New Zealand in Nagpur on 15 March, marking the “real” start of the World T20.

Without a doubt, this will be Dhoni’s last World Cup campaign, ending an amazingly successful captaincy career during which he has led India to all three big titles – WT20 in 2007, the World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013. The big man will want to go out with a big bang.

Asia Cup Final : Severed heads and war cries

This badly photo-shopped picture of Taksin Ahmed carrying M.S. Dhoni’s severed head surfaced on our Twitter feed in the last 24 hours – it has apparently gone viral in Bangladesh.

Fan photo : Taksin carrying Dhoni’s decapitated head (Source: Twitter)

While Indian fans spout some absolute rubbish on social media, this photo does leave an especially bad taste in the mouth.

World T20 Favourite Moments: Six sixes in one over

#2: Six sixes in an over (Kingsmead, Durban, England v India, 19 September 2007)

Although India qualified for the super-eights after Favourite Moment #1, our campaign was thrown into disarray after a loss in the first super eight game against New Zealand. India had to win this game to have any hope of qualifying for the semi-finals. Again, this was a crunch situation.

India got off to a great start with quickfire fifties from both Gambhir and Sehwag. Out-of-form Yuvraj Singh was slated to come in at number 4, but instead skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked in to bat at the fall of the second wicket.

Yuvraj would have to wait to bat and he was not happy about it. Visibly agitated, he paced up and down in the dug-out. When the third wicket fell with the score at 155 in 16.4 overs, Yuvraj sprinted out to the middle.

WorldT20 favourite moments: The Bowl-Out

With the World Twenty20 fast approaching, we thought it was be nice to do a short series on our favourite moments from the WorldT20s so far.

#1 The bowl-out, India v Pakistan (2007, Durban)

Kingsmead, Durban. Traditional rivals India and Pakistan go head-to-head. With Pakistan having qualified for the super-eights, India have more to lose – a big loss in this game would knock them out in the preliminary rounds of the inaugural WorldT20. After the disaster earlier in the year (in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies), India could ill-afford another early exit.

Sri Lanka in India, Ranchi T20: Super Sunday awaits!

A complete performance from India in the Ranchi T20 has levelled the series against Sri Lanka. Rumour has it that after the disaster in Pune,  a memo was sent by the BCCI to all the curators in India which said “Enough with the experimenting.We want four! We want six! We want spin!” The Sri Lankans were simply out-gunned in conditions which suited India perfectly. And now, it’s all to play for on Valentine’s Day.

Sri Lanka in India: 5 talking points from India’s defeat in the Pune T20

So, Sri Lanka have taken the lead in the three match T20 series against India. That should spice things up!

Here are five talking points from India’s defeat in the first T20 in Pune:

1. The Pitch

Grass. Bounce. Sideways movement. M.S. Dhoni said it was like playing in English conditions at the post match ceremony. The way the Indian batsman were hopping around in Pune, it looked more like they were playing in Perth! For a population that feeds on fours and sixes, the Pune crowd didn’t have much to cheer about. Have to say, though, it was a pleasant change from watching bowlers getting thumped to all corners.

Preview: Sri Lanka in India, 1st T20, Pune

Here we go again.

India against Sri Lanka .

While they have played quite a bit of test cricket against each other, the last time these two teams played a T20 was the final of the World T20 in 2014. We all know how that turned out for India and for Yuvraj in particular.