My IPL XI

Twice in a row that we have seen the IPL title being crowned upon the under-dogs. But this time, in 2009, the team is considered so only because of their performance last year. With Gilchrist, Gibbs, Symonds, Afridi, Rohit Sharma each of whom are renowned for their skills in this format, in their ranks, they ended up as the only side that could not win a match in their home-ground last year. One weak-link then was the lethargic Laxman with the bat and his captaincy. This time Gilly has led from the front, his performances lifted the spirit of the team and so has it come in handy to be able to demand performances from his side. Rohit Sharma was exceptional when it came to handling pressure situations. T Suman was a revelation. He bowled decent off-spinners and is a strong player of spin.

KKR, on the other side, missed the great captain in Ganguly who can be inspirational despite being the least performing player. Mc Cullum could not hide his emotions on his non-performing days which had had a severe impact on the confidence of the team that has the weakest domestic players. Ganguly tried to over-perform, that i say when i saw him dive on the boundary which is so not like Ganguly. Agarkar finding his place in the XI for most of the tournament is a marvel of a captaincy decision!! He did not give a chance to Langeveldt on his home pitches until the last match!!!

Mumbai Indians is a very strong team on paper, just that none has performed when its most needed. they crumbled under pressure so many times now that they could have easily been in the semifinals both times in the tournament had they held their nerve. Their biggest disappointment being Sanath Jayasuriya, I feel Duminy has his part in the team's journey to the bottom half. He made runs alright, but the rate at which he got them was a concern and on some days it proved seriously costly.Malinga seemed all geared up at the start of the tournament to only lose his sting in the latter part of the tournament. At times Sachin Tendulkar seemed to be very defensive considering the days when he has sent rookie domestic players to the crease in the first six overs when every other team look to make the most of the power-plays.

Rajasthan royals, I should say, they have done well to be where they are considering the non-availability of two of their biggest stars last year: Shane Watson and Tanvir. They have it in them to give nerveless performances in crunch games, the game against KKR that went in to the super over and then the game against the Mumbai Indians. Had Graeme Smith performed to half his potential they would have ended up at least a place higher on the table.

Kings XI punjab is as confused a side as its fortune. Domestic players not performing has become too big a pressure on the shoulders of Sangakkara and Yuvraj who himself was not in his elements. They missed Shaun Marsh dearly as it turned out their batting is the ruining factor most of the times. Jayawardene was injured when he was just about regaining his touch. Sreesanth's performance in his captain's words(Courtesy:FIP) :"Attitude toh poora masala dosa ka deta hai, aur bowling Appam jaisa karta hai". Hardly any positives from their performance.

Chennai on its day has the fire-power to chase down a target of over 200 with ease. But we have seen the same side posting 120s and being unable to chase down targets of less than 150. Hayden has fired through out the tournament and others performance was sporadic. Albie Morkel and Jacob Oram have never been their usual-selves when it came to batting. I feel Jacob Oram is a good T20 bowler and he was never quite used to his full potential. Suresh Raina was good with the ball using his delayed action wisely.

Bangalore's run this tournament is no short of a fairy tale. They started on a high note, then gave it away with the 1.55 million dollar purchase being the chief culprit. Only later when he gave way to the champion bowler Anil Kumble to lead the side that their fortunes changed. Using the word fortune is undermining their performance because kumble set them an ideal example and showed them what they can do. Kallis, Taylor who were largely ineffective until then proved their worth. The way kumble raised his hand to bring their side on track by bringing himself on to bowl against biggies is exceptional. Even in the final he opened the bowling only to get Gilly out and brought himself back to remove Symonds. It's unfortunate that his performance in the final was so brutally let down by their batsmen in the final.

Delhi has been surprisingly successful even without their top-guns Sehwag and Gambhir firing. It is wonderful the way everyone else in the team gave in and performed. AB DeVilliers , Dilshan were rock-solid in the middle order and Dinesh Kartik has played some crucial knocks in the death overs. They were never really tested in pressure situations to say whether or not they succumb to pressure. But to not be under pressure is as significant an achievement. Nehra was great throughout the tourny, Sangwan bowled some terrific spells when others are finding it difficult to get one dot ball. It is unfortunate for them to receive the high intensity flak that they received from Gilly's gun.

Finally My IPL XI would be:(4 Foreigners and 7 Indians)

Matthew Hayden.
AC Gilchrist(wk)
SK Raina
AB de Villiers
RG Sharma
MS Dhoni
Yusuf Pathan
Ashish Nehra
Lasith Malinga
Anil Kumble(c)
PP Ojha

QT cricket

heccharika: It is purely intentional if any of the/or all characters bear resemblances with any BITSian..

wing nirmanushyanga undi.. bodyJ gadu chinna pilladu lollypop kosam edustunnattu kallu nalumukuntu room bayataki vachadu.. ventane vadu eskodaniki oka prani dorikadu.. andy gadu snanam chesostunnadu..

bodyJ: areyyyy Andyy.. too much body kada ra needi.. anduke na andaru HP andy anedi?

veedi hype gurinchi telsina andy gadu..
andy: aunu ra babu.. adentoo andaru bakka ga unnanu antaru enduko.. nakkuda ardam kavatle..

bodyJ: hype cheyyakura.. em chestunnav room lo..

andy: edo bore kotti oka post rastunna...

candy gadu bayatakochadu.. veedi hype vini vachadankunna..

bodyJ: candula.. taalam vestunnav ekkadki MB na..?

candy: ledu ra tanaki exam undi repu.. shark daggaraki..

bodyJ: ohh.. boy friend daggarakaaa... sarle tvaraga vachey andy gadu post rastunnadata status petti hype cheyyali..

candy gadu oka picha smile ichi poyadu..

ekkado dooranga taalam chevi sounds vinipistunnaii.. atu ga chuste striram gadu short veskuni chetilo keys tippukuntu vastunnadu.. vastu vastu..

striram: arey andy digital TV ad lo Gambhir gadni chusava..? vadu vadi action rendu tokka la unnai..

andy: haha.. cocacola ad ithe paapam mari.... team emo cricket adutunte veedu janalni testunnadu.. adento..

striram: kadaaaaa!! nenu ade anukunna chusi.. pada cricket aadadam?

andy: sare batting aa bowling aa?

inthalo ganga raj mirapakaya rangu kallatho brush pattukuni bogs lo ki veltunnadu.. idi vini.. striram gadu reply ichelope..

ganga raj: adenti ra edo okate ela kudurtundi?

andy:!! hmm kullinattunnav?
ganga raj: nee bonda.. nee gadi logics ilane untai.. neeku telidam kosam..

striram gadu oka chiru-manda-haasam ichi..

striram:... obb batting..

andy: hmm sare..pada.. evarnanna piluddama inka? lepali padkunnaru andaru..

striram: inka time kaledu ga li8 le.. vastaru kasepayyyaka..

striram gadu andy room lo ki velli bat teeskuni.. sachin tendulkar range lo tega pose lu ichestu kurchi vaipu(ade wicket vaipu) veltunadu..

andy gadi chetta bowling veedu gen aadestadani.. chucking chesi mari anni rakala spin lu chestunnadu.. striram gadu prati ball tarvata
ball tagilite: nee wrist position batti chusa itu tirugutundani,
tagalakpote: variety ga try chesa ra ee shot...

ganga raj gadu brushing avvagotti keeper place ki vastunnadu.. andy gadu idi chusi ekkada striram gadu bat vadilite ganga raj gadu pattukuntado ani.. inka naa valla kadu ra babu annattu face pettadu.. striram gadu appudena annattu chiragga ichi ball lakkunnadu.. bat chetiki andhadam tho andy gadilo nutana utsaham puttindi.. bodyJ gadu Rooney jersey veskuni eskodaniki evaru dorakka eduti wing lo chom gadni pilichi start chesadu hype..

andy: bodyJ aadachu ga cricket.. shaun pollock range lo vestav bowling..

bodyJ gadi reaction chuste vadni shiv g lo swimming cheyyadaniki pilichina range lo tala ooputunnadu gangireddu laa.

bodyJ body ooputhuuu: asalu opika ledu ra ani chinna pilladi laga face pettadu..

striram: arey ganga raj keeping enduku ra venaka goda undi ga... assssalleeee andy gadi batting..
ani vekkiristu annadu..

ganga raj: andy ga gattiga kottaku ra.. striram ga li8 le fielder avsaram ledu gattiga kottaddani cheppesa..

striram: keeper ga enduku mari.. kollu(chicken) pattanavasaram ledana?

ganga raj: nuvvu maatram fielder enduku adgutunnav nuvvu ball ni world cup pattukunnattu pattukuntavane ga..

striram: run up ki veltuu.. nee kanna kadu le...
ani vnakki chudakunda annadu..

striram gadu run up lo start ayyadu.. picha fast ga vastunnadu.. kaadu kaadu kaallu matrame fast ga kottukuntunnai shoaib akhtar range lo.. vadu vache lopu andy gadu front foot ki ravadam modalu pettadu.. striram gadu aagipoyi..

striram: endku ra appude munduki vastunnav..

andy: boundary dooram taggiddani..

striram: ala ithe runner daga batting cheyyachu ga..

andy: wicket ki dooram aipotha ga..

QT lo ghattu mida phone matladam oka second aapi trunkuMar gadu andy gadi vaipu oka look ichaduu.. andy gaadi face edo sadhinchinattu veligipotundi...

bodyJ: andy gadu oka kullu logic cheppi aa smile chudu..

andy: arey.. match aadudam inka janalni pilu..

enno prayatnala tarvata majnu, edi, churi lecharu..

andy: entra churi appude musalodivi aipoyav?

churi: musalodna adenti?

andy: meesalu chudu tellaga..

striram: avi meesallu kavu ra.. ollu marchipoyi nidrapoyina aanavallu.. ante sollu..

churi gaadu as usual rakkuta annattu serious look ichi brush pattukunnadu..
paina "via reddy" kuda lechadu maa kekalaki.. bayatakochi kinda unna prekshakulaki nenu lecha annattu abhivadam chesadu..
inthalo suzuki samurai vachadu ade mana sreeshant.. lab nunchi vachinattunnadu papam.. ravadame ball pattukunnadu.. vadi run up chusi oka "pedda lorry vachi scooter ni guddindanko" anna bujjigadu dialogue gurtochindi andy gadiki.. wide vesadu.. hammaya anukunnadu..

venakala nunchi evado chinna pilladu andy ni andooo ani pilustunnadu.. chuste yera gadu.. venakale milano gadu..

andy: ikkada rights lenidi naa peruki kaadu ra mee andari perlaki... kooni cheyyaku naa peru ni..

inka start cheddam anukuntunnam.. appude mod gadu nidra lo naduchukuntu vastunnadu..

mod: entra andy pilavaledu..

andy: inka start cheyyaledu ra..

inka start aindi evaru captains undali ani.. evaru undaru antaru.. chivariki bujjaginchi batimiladi churi and via reddy captains ani decide ayyaru..

idantha ayye lopu striram gadu edo shot ela kottalo trunkumar gadiki chupistu.. ball ni building paiki kottadu.. malli start another discussion.. evaru ekkali ani..chivariki inko ball teeddam ani decide ayyaru..

candy ani pilicharu andaru.. kaani ledu ga boy friend daggaraki velladu..

striram: asalu veeedu mana bhavan ki sport sec aa leka MB kaa..

inthalo bodyJ gadu time chuskuni futbol gang ni dimpadu.. vallu kurchi ni kaasta kurchilu chesaru..
wicket ni kaasta goal post chesesaru..

match abandoned due to non-availability of sports-sec...

Pune-6

It doesn't sound so sweet as the "Chandi chowk" of Delhi for me, but it is for u to decide how it sounds: the "Yerawada" of Pune, my PS station is here. Pune is a small city. unlike Delhi's "bas ishq mohabbat pyaar", i should say Pune stands out for "bus dikkat taar". forget the ishq! gone for the day's celebrations.

we are used to making fun of the A.P's red buses, here you should make double the fun of the buses, as they are smeared red from the inside as well( an achievement only possible because of the round-the-clock-hard-chewing-people using the bus). their efforts wont stop there! unfortunately for them, the roads are too wide and too many to be made red and incidentally that's the "taar" that I mentioned as one of Pune's stand-out features. The local gov. body(Ma-Na-Pa as they call it) seems to spend all its resources on the roads. Looking for some reasons, first that struck is the massive revenue they earn through the pay and park, as almost every road comes with a small portion for the Ma-Na-Pa pay and park and it seems to have encouraged the usage of cars. And now the roads have come in handy as they provide good space for the cars/motor cycles on stand-by waiting for their turn in the petrol-bunks.

An extremely expensive city to say! For a few moments after I came here my view of the city was that it is inexpensive as we saw the meter of the auto seems to show an increment of a meager 10p for every 100mts, only to find later that the "meter measures metres"(100m) rather than paise and after a small ride of 8kms we ended up giving just a few over 150bucks! Then we came to know that the very concept applies wherever it's scope permits and there seems to be scope everywhere. Fearing the zero-bank-balance we had to resort to the cheapest restaurant of all-guess what? It's the Mc.D.. anywhere else u r sure to be ridden of at least 150 bucks. if we were to go for a movie we got to go for a multiplex.No compromise! That I say by experience.that day we were desperate to see the sequel of Raaz on the very first day, we have taken the tickets for the show in Gunjan Talkies(Pune-6) and for us the show ended five minutes after we entered the hall. All for the immovable steel chairs, moving bugs on them and hard chewing sidees who every so often spits...horrified by the happenings around we headed for another theatre far away. And at the Ad-labs or Inox u pay them around 150 base price and films of languages other than marathi attract an additional entertainment tax.
(to be contnued..)