Why I love the IPL

IPL stands for the Indian Premier League cricket tournament. The yearly tournament featuring teams from eight cities namely Delhi, Calcutta, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and my personal favorite Mumbai.

IPL wouldn’t have been started if it weren’t for the ICL, at least that’s what I think. Kapil Dev and his cronies came up of this idea to start a tournament similar to the English Premier league which is held in England every year which has a massive fan following all over the globe. But since this tournament wasn’t going to earn our “beloved” BCCI any money, the tournament was banned.

Then the “brilliant” Mr. Lalit Modi comes up with his idea of the IPL basically to counter the ICL. Unfortunatley for the ICL, the IPL has turned into a major blockbuster, atleast in India. And now due to elections in India, the IPL season – 2 is being played in South Africa. Call it providence or fate or whatever, this present and ideal opportunity for the game to be marketed in that country.

Any way I am not here to debate anything for nor against the IPL. I just want to analyze how I feel about the IPL.

Since I can remember, I have always been a sports fanatic, any sports for that matter. I always loved sports competitions, playing as well as watching. Sports are in my blood!

The best thing about the IPL is to watch the combinations within each team. Since each team has 4 foreign players, you get to watch a combination of Indians and the rest of the world within each team. Without the IPL you wouldn’t see Adam Glchrist and Herscelle Gibbs open the batting together, not Chris Gayle and Brendon Mccullum, and my dream opening pair… Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath jayasuriya. How about Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga opening the bowling together?

How about the incredible Shane Warne, an Australian, supporting and showing confidence in an unknown left arm 18 year old Indian bowler kamran Khan and making his the main strike bowler of his team. How about MS Dhne captaining Chennai team which includes the incredible Mathew Hayden and FLintoff.

The combinations and permutations of every team makes you watch with intense anticipation.

How about countrymen who stand shoulder to shoulder for their countries having to face each other? Irfan Pathan slamming his brother for a six, and Yusuf replying in kind with two boundaries off Irfan. Flintoff bowling to Kevin Peterson, Muralitharan bowling to Jayasuriya, Kumble bowling to Sachin. All awesomely anticipated encounters.

To top it all off the games just last for about 3 and a half hours. As good as watching along Hindi movie.

Fantastic isn’t it.?

Actually folks I was planning to put down something else here, some sad thoughts , but strangely mind mind just refused to be drawn towards the sadness in my life. My mind wants just to think about the IPL. Seriously since the IPL began I haven’t had the time to think of all my life’s problems. The only things my brain focuses on right now is how will Mumbai fare against Kolkata, or when will jayasuriya and Sachin both fire together. My mind doesn’t want to go into my sadnees, my black hole at all.

Nice isn’t it.. That’s why I love the IPL….. Sadness banished….. happiness revisited. SO folks , as long as the IPL is on, depression is gone…….. IPL RULEZZZZZZZZ

(((I know I know, another disconnected blog entry ----- its my brain u see…. :D ))))