KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR = Gayle + Ganguly + bunch of dodos:
By now based on the current form it is easy to guess the semifinalists of this tournament. Yes Of course I could be wrong but in all probability I could be right. The Mumbai Indians, the Deccan chargers and the Delhi Daredevils are pretty much sure to be present in the Semifinals. The fourth position is up for grabs for the remaining teams. But, of all the other teams the only team that looks worthy of a semifinal position is the Chennai Superkings. Yes they are lower in the rankings but they sure know how to win and will definitely be there in the top 4.

When the tournament started I was cheering for the Kolkata Knight Riders. They seemed to have a pretty good team with Gayle playing and the remaining players that showed lot of hope in last years tournament. They seemed to have set the balance right. But to my surprise none of the good local players of last year were present. Saha who was a very good batsman and scored some handy runs last year is nowhere to be seen. Now we see players like Sanjay Bangar and Akash Chopra. How in gods name can these players be picked for a T20 game. They will not be able to secure a place in the T20 team of 5 year olds. This is what happens when a NewZealander and an Australian are present in the selection committe of a Bengal team. First they managed to strip Ganguly of his captaincy; they might very well wish to remove him from the team. Next they make McCullum the captain of the team. That would be the dumbest move ever. Compare the batting stats of him and Ganguly.

 McCullum:
Mat  Runs  HS   BatAv 100  50   W    BB  BowlAv 5w  Ct St
153  2987 166   28.44   1     15    -     -       -           -   165 13

Ganguly:
Mat  Runs  HS   BatAv 100  50   W    BB  BowlAv 5w  Ct St
 311 11363 183   41.02  22  72 100  5/16   38.49   2   100  0

They are not even remotely comparable. Anyways how can one justify removing the best captain of team India with a player who is a replacement captain for his own team. The only time that McCullum ever showed his talent was the one match against Royal Challengers in the previous edition of IPL T20 and never after that. This achievement has made him God in the eyes of Shahrukh Khan and himself.

After watching the match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders I felt a deep sense of betrayal, a feeling of agony and distrust. The team that showed so much promise with its stars did not stand up to its promise. The most well marketed team of the DLF IPL T20 looked more like a team that wants to make money rather than win matches. The KKR team looks more like a marketing gimmick rather than a team that takes its cricket seriously. So for now I have decided not to watch any of its remaining matches in IPL. They have to prove themselves worthy of my time. They have to atleast come close to the promise that they made with its fans.

IPL T20 - II

The long awaited moment is here. IPL 2, with all its colors and drama is ready once again to take the world of cricket by storm. It has got the glitter, the stars, the controversies and most importantly the fascination of all the people across India. The IPL tournament gives another chance for all of us to see our favourite players (both retired and playing) in action fighting it out in the middle. T20 has always been a trilling experience, with matches that change course in a matter of 1/2 overs, the big sixes, the great catches and being draw to the wire almost all the time. This year it is all set to be bigger, better and more electrifying.

Whats new(s)?

Last year the costliest player was Dhoni. Now this crown is held by two new big guns Kevin Peiterson and Andrew Flintoff. Both of them great hitters, just what the game needs.

One recent trend noticed was that most Indian captains are being replaced by foreign players. Dravid, Ganguly and Laxman are the once that have been replaced. The obvious reason cited for Dravid and Laxman would be the lack of skill. But, Ganguly had no such problems. He just has a knack of getting into trouble with Australian coaches. 

Obviously the new venue South Africa.

Move to South Africa.
The IPL Management has taken a bold step in organizing the tournament outside India. It was something none of the Indian cricket fans had anticipated. With security of cricket players being a top priority, this move has not been highly criticized. It has been a forced move. Since elections are being held in India and the window of time where most cricketing teams are free is less, this move sure helped the cause of cricket. But it is not all good. The first question that comes to mind is that how can delhi and chennai fight it out in a alien place. The very essence of having home matches in IPL is lost. Yes there will be considerable people in the stands in South Africa but it will not be the same. A Chennai match should be played in front of the chennai crowd not in front of a generic indian crowd and lot of foreigners. Also it has been bad for the organizers and the franchises themselves. With lesser crowd the amount of money also goes down. Yes, the no of people watching it on television will not change, but even the crowds amount for some money.

Whats in store?
You already know what to expect, don't you? Bigger sixes, higher scores, newer strategies and hopefully a new winner.

Watch out for the Sehwag-Gambhir pair of Delhi Daredevils, McCullum of Kolkata Knight Riders, Kevin Peiterson and Andrew Flintoff.

Don't miss the action!