The wait is finally over… The next edition of IPL is here again in India to bring the whole nation to a standstill…It is time for new heroes to be born, new shots to be innovated, new underdogs to emerge champions, time to see the legends of the game play on a cricket field for one last time! IPL starts a strange season of cricket when even a Sachin’s shot may be booed at the Eden Gardens, season when commentators scream “That’s a DLF Maximum” instead of the oft-heard“That’s a huge Six”, season when an Aussie champion Shane Warne will lead a bunch of young Indian guys on to the field, season when 8PM prime time serials will lose their supremacy to the IPL, theatres telecasting matches instead of star studded movies, a season where even an “Hutch” pug will be replaced by a zoozoo! IPL also gives chance for friends a hot topic to talk over a cup of coffee, an overambitious attempt for guys to impress his manager by supporting the same team he is gonna support (*wink*) ,yet another reason for lovers to fight,depending on the franchise they have chosen to support, chance for the puritans to keep criticizing the game ,another chance for perverts to ogle Mandhira and the cheer gals, and ofcourse a chance for the world to envy our nation! Yipee…IPL is here again, to divide the nation and ultimately unite it in the name of Cricket! Cheers !

Here is a sneak peak into every team and what to expect from them this season !

Deccan chargers:

An encore??? The wooden spoon winners in the inaugural edition and the champions in the next, Deccan Chargers start as a solid bunch to defend the crown! Ironically, the best thing that could have happened to Deccan chargers is that they are not playing any match in their home ground, for the home teams have never won a match in this ground. Deccan boast of big names on paper, but Gilchrist and Symonds have not played quality cricket in the recent past and Gibbs has lost his magic touch. This leaves DC to depend very heavily on the Indian trio of Rohit, Laxman and T Suman. Deccan’s bowling was a revelation last year with RP Singh winning the purple cap and Edwards in splendid form. But home conditions have never suited RP’s style of bowling and Edwards is out of action this year.Ryan Harris inclusion in the Oz test squad must have shattered Gilly’s dream of posing a decent bowling line up! Ojha will be Gilly’s trump yet again! On the whole, given a strong top order, the bowling link has to be bridged very early in the tournament for the Deccans’ to make an impact in this tournament!

Expect the unexpected (in both the sense) from this charged up Deccan

Royal Challengers-Bangalore:

The so-called test team and the team which rose from the ashes the last IPL, under a spirited captaincy of Anil Kumble IS the team you can put your money on, this season. A team with a blend of experienced foreign players and a young bunch of Indian cricketers, who are eager to make it big in the international arena, makes Royal challengers easily the best team in the tournament. Vijay Mallya made the best bid in this year’s auction when he pocketed Eion Morgan. From cricketing point, it was a brilliant decision for Morgan will be available for the whole season and is in prime form. Mallya can continue to smile seeing Cameroon White taming the bowlers down under. The Indian likes of Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, Mithun and Praveen will battle it out to find themselves in the flight to West Indies for the T20 WC. When everything falls apart, there is always a WALL to bank on and a JUMBO hearted captain who will fight till the end. With Taylor and Pietersen scheduled to join the team later, RC can only grow from strength to strength.

The hope of an Indian captain laying his hand on the beautiful IPL trophy seems brighter now!

Delhi Daredevils:

Sehwag, Gambir, Warner, AB de Villiers, Dilshan…. When you have a batting line up like this and not end up with the championship two times, then you need to blame something which is out of human control! Yeah the “chokers” of IPL were really unlucky in the past two editions, but can they end up in the podium this time??? Given a strong top order, they have a contrasting, fragile looking bowling line up. Vettori will be missed for the major part of the tournament. Nehra is mercurial, so is Mishra. The way Dirk Nannes and Wayne Parnell adapt to the Indian conditions will be huge factor for Delhi’s fortune. A legend like Glen McGrath will be sorely missed! Dinesh Karthik is in fine good form infront and behind the stumps and he must be the “X” factor for the Daredevils! On a final note, if Delhi batting riches can compensate their bowling weakness, Delhi can very well lose their “chokers” tag this season

Watch out this team for the envious batting line up!

Chennai Super Kings:

At the outset let me confess, I’m a big time Dhoni fan and no wonder I’m supporting Chennai ! May be for the first time, Chennai on paper are not as strong compared to their rivals. Plauged by injury concerns and out of form players, Chennai doesn’t start as the favourites! But when you have a captain with a Midas touch, you must think twice before you say such a statement! “We” have the likes of Hayden, Murali, Morkel who can change matches single handedly. Raina has been consistent. Badri and Vijay, with their conventional way of playing, bring the classic touch to the line up. The new acquisition Justin Kemp and Badani can be handy ! We also have a strong bowling line up with the likes of Balaji,Tyagi,Gony and Jakati who can blow up any opposition ( U see I’m a CSK fan and such exaggerations are accepted ;-) )

Afterall we have a magician named MS DHONI..Mind It !!!

Rajasthan Royals:

When someone says, ”Cricket is a team game”, just think again for this team proves it wrong time and again. Yeah they have Yusuf Pathan! He bats, bowls and takes his team to victory! I know I’m so harsh on other players in the team, but it is the reality. Even Shane Warne will accept to this in a closed room conversation! They might have been used to this tittle “Underdogs” by now and yet again they start like that! The ignominious ban on Ravindra Jadeja has given Warne lots to ponder upon. Rajasthan Royals will be sweating it out for Smith’s return from injury. Shaun Tait, Morne Morkel,Shane Warne, Munaf ,Botha gives its bowling a formidable look. Oops I still wonder how Damien Martyn can help RR??? Had Watson been available for the entire tournament, Rajasthan could have relished their dream of a semi final berth!

Can Shane Warne cast his spell, yet again, on this “Underdogs” ?

Mumbai Indians:

The only stain in the glorious cricketing career of the Little Master must be his captaincy! This IPL will seal this fact! It looks a balanced team on paper, but has never translated its talents into success. MI can boast of the best opening batting and bowling pair. Sachin and Jayasuriya at the top can put even the best bowler on earth nervous! Zaheer and Malinga form a formidable bowling pair! The new million dollar baby of the IPL-Kieron Pollard will be the cynosure of the Indian crowd for we know how entertaining he can be,courtesy the Champions league matches! Harbhajan Singh’s spin will be very handy in the middle overs! It will be interesting to see how the ICL stars Sathish and Rayadu are utilized! The presence of potential allrounders in Nayar,Bravo,Duminy gives Mumbai Indians a real chance this time around. It is time Mumbai realize its real potential and justify why they are the costliest team!

Can Sachin add another feather to his already beautiful cap!

Punjab Kings XI :

Sangakkara ascent to captaincy must have been a tough decision to make, but it makes real cricketing sense. Yuvraj has never impressed as a captain and he has been given a chance to concentrate on his batting. Kings XI is blessed with a slew of exceptional foreign players, but equally saddened with injury concerns. Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh are fighting to be fit before they start their campaign, so will be Yuvi and Irfan Pathan. James Hopes, Jayawardene and Ravi Bopara will fight for a place in the squad! It will be redemption time for Md.Kaif to prove his skills,after being flown back to India last year and did not have a good stake at the auctions also. The bowling to be led by Brett Lee will have Sreesanth and Yusuf Abdulla to compliment his efforts! The Indian spin duo of Ramesh Powar and Piyush Chawla will have their work cut out in the batsman friendly Indian wickets.

Can the kings broaden the smile on the face of the queen “Pretty” Zinta

Kolkatta Knight Riders:

The only team which I wish play the finals of this year’s IPL with Chennai Super Kings will be Kolkatta Knight Riders.. And you guys very well know the reason ;-) On a bird’s eye view Kolkatta seems to be a settled squad this time with a full time captain and a new coach in Dav Whatmore. Sourav Ganguly will be back in action as a captain and it cannot get bigger than this for Kolkatta fans! Another best thing that could have happened to KKR is that Gayle and Shane Bond will miss just the first match of the tournament. The likes of Brad Hodge and Owasis Shah will be very useful in Indian conditions. C Pujara and Manoj Tiwary,the most celebrated domestic players will finally get a chance to prove their mettle in this IPL, after missing the last one due to injury.The bowling has lot more sting this time with Shane Bond and Langeveldt in prime form. Agarkar and Ishant can be able supporters. The aging Murali Karthik and Mendis must settle KKR’s quest for spinning options!

Can SRK and his Knights script another Bollywood climax?

Now it is time to say “Let the games begin and All the best..Cheers !”

….Really unrealistic!!!

This story has not happened in my life, has not happened in anyone’s life,will never happen in anyone’s life also.But I’m sure at the end of the story everyone will wish why not this happen in our life ;-) So Let’s get started! And yeah.. if u possess a very brilliant,realistic or a skeptical mind please keep it aside for sometime and then start reading!

When was the last time you saw a girl and wondered, “Hey I have seen her somewhere..who is she?” and crushed your brain cells. It happened to me the last week when I was waiting to board the train at Bangalore station on my journey back to Chennai.It was 10:35PM and the awesome chill weather of Bangalore was having its say on her dressing.She was wearing a white sweater with a striking black jean and was shivering,waiting for the train.Holding her ipod on one hand,shuffling the songs,her ears were plugged with the headsets.She was holding a woman’s magazine in the other hand,though she never bothered to even open that,till then! She occasionally kissed her fist and that mannerism again reminded me of someone.I gave it a hard thought,but I wasn’t able to recognize her.She had all the features that kept me warm in that cold night ;-) I checked my watch and I was assured there was 20 minutes left for the train to arrive and I continued to ogle.At one moment she caught my eyes and I felt damn embarrased and I took an about turn,as if I was searching for someone else ! I moved away from the place for a few minutes just to avoid her.By the time I finished a cup of tea,I saw my train enter the platform.

When I returned to the place I saw her,to my surprise,she wasn’t there.My eyes kept searching for her,as I entered the coach and got settled in the seat reserved for me. I was not able to find her and I was convinced yet another cloud has passed! But suddenly through the window,I saw her..saw her in the waiting room being laid and a few people crowded around her.Shocked,I got out of the train and went near the room,where she was nursed.By the time I went there,she had recovered.She got up and was gazing at everyone.Somewhere inside the heart I felt relieved!!! I got back to my seat and the train was about to start.To my nightmare she came and sat in the seat opposite to me! Oh My God! I felt very guilty and crashed into the upper berth and tried to sleep. I pondered,atleast I must have asked how she was feeling now,out of courtesy! :-( But I wasn’t able to! I tried to sleep but only her face kept running through my mind ! I looked down at her through my half-dozed eyes.She was still sitting,contemplating ! May be about what happened to her in the station! It was half past 12 and I was fast asleep by then!

I slept so badly that I did not even realise that the train had reached Chennai Central.I was woken up by someone and then did I realise I had to get down! Very fast I did my silent prayer,took my baggage and got down the train.Chennai was as usual bright and it was 2 months since I came home and I was excited to be here again! As soon as I got down,there was a surprise.She was standing there,smiling at me!Only now I recognised the face which woke me up in the train.I went near her and said “Thanks”. “It’s ok.You must have been tired” she replied as her voice again sounded like someone’s whom I know very well.Without thinking much I asked,”So how are you feeling now?What happened yesterday?” .She continued to walk along with me,keeping her smile intact and replied “I fainted seeing you”.Knowing that she was kidding I sardonically said “My friends say I have killer looks,but this is too much!” She started to laugh that drew the attention of a couple of children sitting there.They winked at me and I reciprocated! I partially understood why the wink was from those cute children. Yeah..The girl walking with me was so graceful and smart that even those children understood she is too much for me! ;-) But poor children! They din’t know she was just my co-passenger and still a stranger!

Hmm..by now,she finished laughing and said,”No.I’m serious Rahul” . ”Rahul??”…”Who is that?” I interrogated. “You” she said as we kept walking to catch our connecting train to reach our destination! “No yaar. I’m Benny” I clarified.She shook her head in disapproval and quizzed me,”Do you believe in rebirths?” The next moment,without much thought I said “No..no…I don’t ” She looked straight into my eyes and said “I too did not believe in rebirths before I saw your face yesterday night”. She sounded serious now and a sense of shock crept within me as I feared if I,really,was the reason for her fainting yesterday night.I trembled and asked ,”What did you see in my face”?

We did not speak for few minutes as we got the connecting train to reach our respective places.It was early morning in Chennai and the train was unusually calm and sparsely crowded.We sat facing each other near the window! I suddenly noticed a mole beneath her nose..no no above her lips ;-) It has always been a turn-on factor for me when I see a girl! As I was admiring her,she started revealing, “Hey...I saw my boyfriend’s face in you..the same face and the same guy whom I loved in my previous birth!” I was shocked but din’t want to show it as I replied,” So are you ok??? You sound senseless now”? She acknowledged,”Ya.I know.But u must believe this” as she showed a scar in her left hand.Getting excited seeing that I quipped,”Same pinch..even I have one” and showed my scar in the left hand.She quizzed, ”Shut up You!..Do you know the history behind this?” “….Hmmm.I always ask my mother about this.But she says it is there from my birth and she can’t help it!” I mumbled.

She cleared her throat and started ”Oh..How come she know our past?”. I was excited as she sounded as if she really knew my past and said ”Past…So do u know mine?” She nodded and said “Your past was with me.How come I don’t know that?” and continued “ I seriously remember a few moments I spend with you in my last birth.You were my close friend during my college time.We spend most of our times together at college,walking with hands locked,helping me out at everything,fighting with me..even for the silliest thing…Hmmm we showcased to the world what true friendship is.I just get a blurred vision of what happened next.It is like… you proposed to me one day and I started crying and after so many days I accepted you as my boyfriend. And I’m not sure what happened inbetween.Just remember we engraved our names in our hands,which are these scars in this birth and we ended our life”..”Now do u remember anything?” she politely asked.”Hmm..Yeah I can remember!This is the same story of the latest tamil flick I watched” I joked trying to bring down the over running emotion from her side!

She hit my head and said,”Rubbish..trust me Rahul”… I got serious hearing Rahul ”Please call me Benny.I don’t know Rahul or the stories you are telling.Hey how come you,alone, remember all the things that happened in your previous birth” I asked in a irritated voice…She seeing me serious,quipped,”I have read in one of Plato’s work that after our death in our previous birth,our soul passes through a hot desert and then it drinks water from the lake nearby.By drinking that water,we forget what happened in our previous birth.May be I cheated the Gods’ and din’t drink that water”.” You cheat!” I teased her.Laughing for that she started,”Hey the moment I saw you in the station yesterday I fainted as my memories took me to my previous birth.I saw a life with you in those few moments! That is what I told you now.After I woke up,I searched for you in the station,but you were’nt there.I was more shocked than you when I saw you in my coach! When you climbed to the upper berth I saw the scar in your hand which confirmed you are my Rahul”!

She was almost in tears by this time and it was time I start trusting her memories as even I had the same thought when I saw her,when I heard her voice..as if I had a relation with her! She kissed her fist involuntarily(you see it is her mannerism that attracts her to me) and was contemplating.After being numb for sometime she asked,”Did you notice the mole beneath my nose?” “ Do u feel something seeing me kiss my fist?” These words jolted me and all of a sudden I started fearing the worst.I asked,”Are you a mind reader?” She was delirious,”So these things still excites you?..Haa??” I trembled again in my words,” what do you mean by ‘still excites me’?” In a pure girlish tone,she replied “ Rahul…these excites you in your previous birth too..” My inner voice said “Ayoo Benny you have not yet changed man!” and I blushed!!!

It was hard to actually believe in rebirths and at the same time it was hard not to believe after all this! She was silent for some time,which gave me time to think what was happening all this while? I was puzzled at her making so many attempts to make me realise that I was her boyfriend the last birth.What was she going to achieve in this birth through that? I just felt I must understand her feelings and give her some time to get back to reality. If she is very clear in her thoughts,well then I have a beautiful girlfriend waiting,or else it is just another passing cloud! A typical boyish decision!!

“So where must you get down?” she enquired atlast.I revealed that we passed the station,where I had to get down and that I’m coming along with her to drop her at her house.”So you thought I have gone mad na” she bantered!!! Her smile has always been her forte and I have already started to fall in love with her. So it is time to start flirting as I replied “No..I’m just wondering how I ended up with you in this birth also” “Oieee..” she said in an excited tone and started laughing! Atlast I asked “Hey you..whats your name?” She continued to smile and winked as she quipped,”So now…you want my previous birth name or this births? “ ;-) We smiled and the smiles lasted for eternity as in her words the life,which we ended abruptly in our previous birth continued here on earth!

.... My IPL experience!!!

U know u have loved something, only when you start missing it.And within 24 hours of the closing ceremony of the grand IPL 2,I’m already missing it very badly! Missing playing those fantasy leagues,missing reading umpteen articles on IPL buzz,missing Cyrus Broacha Cricket-ainment, AJ analysis, missing those nail-biting close matches,huge sixes,cheer gals,and of course Mandira ;-) I’m sure superlatives are going to be redundant describing the huge success of IPL at South Africa and just the thought which sparked in Lalit Modi’s mind of conducting IPL twice a year,one in India and the other ,outside the subcontinent, sums up the huge success of an Indian domestic tournament at South Africa. Sure India is going to feel the heat when it starts organizing for the next IPL season,to atleast match the success of IPL-2! The beauty of IPL is that it attracts not only cricket following fanatics into it,but also other people who just want to “time pass” as it has all the ingredients of a Bollywood blockbuster.. the cricketing heroes, IPL ”Bollywood” Queens, commentating vilans(I know I’m harsh on them:-) ) umpteen twists and turns, songs and of course cheer gals dancing.How about this bollywood blockbuster for an Oscar nomination as it has slumdog millionaires too ;-)

As a television viewer,I was glued to almost all the matches watching those unscripted scripts enacted,which even brought the Bollywood stars down to tears,those DLF maximum,those sibling rivalries,those zoozoos entertaining during the “strategy break” and the fairy tale story of underdogs!!! It was a “wow” viewing experience.The best part of this IPL was that there was an equal tussle between bat and ball,unlike India where bowlers have nightmares bowling in batsmen friendly Indian wickets.As always, IPL has helped unearth new Indian talents. This edition was also no exception. There was Manish Pandey, Shadab Jakati, Kamran Khan and lotsa other foreign cricketers who came from obscurity to being famous. This IPL also showcased that age is just a number and no way that has a part in one’s performance.The inspiring Kumble’s leadership, Rohit’s last over assault, Sachin-Sanath mauling Knight riders, Jakati’s comedy of errors in making a run out, Gilchrist’s podium finish with a bunch of pre-tournament no-hopers are etched in my memories which time cannot so easily erase. Being a Super King fan, I had reasons to be heart broken, but the very fact that we were outplayed by a far determined team, stopped my outburst! Still, my biggest regret would be the inability of an Indian captain to have his hand on the beautiful IPL trophy!

IPL has been embraced by the whole global cricketing fraternity and that the threat to test matches are imminent, courtesy Gayle’s comment! But we are not complaining as all we want is entertainment..fun..fun …lotsa fun in 3 hours and what else would be a better option than to sit with friends and watch a duel between Sachin-Warne fighting for Mumbai and Rajasthan respectively! At the outset of the tournament Lalit Modi commented that his brain child IPL would be an example and a template for the world organizers such as FIFA.I thought he must be kidding, but now I’m convinced he actually meant it! Hats Off to him to have actually sparked off a hi-octane tournament in such a brief period!!! Certainly we are on a revolutionary period,seeing the revolution of cricket in the hands of Modi! Don’t be surprised if cricket is MODI-fied still !!! Cheers man!!! Thanks for the fun!

Strictly for Kollywood lovers!!

Of late joining the bandwagon of eminent directors turning heroes is Sasikumar, director of Subramaniyapuram for a film titled “Nadoodi”. This has become a trend these days with people like Cheran, Sundar.C, S.J.Suryah, Thankar Bachan wishing to act infront of the camera rather than their familiar acts behind the screen! It may sound extraordinary wondering about the versatility and talent of these people. But what aches the normal audience is the lack of genuinely decent films like Autograph, Vaali, AnbeSivam which the above mentioned directors have created and made an everlasting impact on the minds of we people! The eagerness to watch another full stretch hilarious Ulathai Allitha rather than a Perumal or a Thee has grown vividly amidst the normal theatre-goers!

These new heroes may find acting as an easy way to mint money or find acting more easier than the responsibilities and pressure a director has! Whatever may be the case the ultimate loser is the urban audience who have come off ages and are really matured. They look up to their heroes not only for their acting skills but also the style, charisma, energy, looks and of course 6 packs ;-) I doubt if these so called heroes fulfill any of these criterions :- ( I may be harsh on Cheran who has given super hits Autograph and Thavamai Thavamirundhu, being a hero in those films. But ya..He was also the director of those two films. No complaints if he can direct and act in the same movie. We know what the end product would be..So Cheran..are u listening??We accept you as a hero when you can direct and act in the same movie. NO Raman thediya Seethai or a Pirivom Sandhipom again plz!

The biggest disappointment for me is the oblivion of S.J.Suryah as a director.After a hat trick of success with Vaali, Kushi, New this maverick director has turned into a hero who is on the verge of redefining Newton’s 3rd law now!! Whenever I see him on the screen I wonder with what qualification he convinced himself to be the hero..his voice,his hairdo or his body?? The most envying thing is that he gets a new heroine for every film. Spare Sundar.C for that. He is satisfied with Namitha ;-)

Well now I may sound like I m poking my nose into their business!But unless these directors start doing their proper business(directing),I can’t mind my own business just because we love films, love the art of making films and we are proud of your directions Sir! We love to watch a film like Autograph again, an Arunachalam again, a Subramaniyapuram again..Please direct again rather than acting. We are there to act when u direct ;-) After all the whole world is a stage and we are the actors na!

It was one of the Hollywood films this season, which I was very eager to watch! And at the end, I got a chance to watch “Marley & me” this week. The film is about a family, which owns a Labrador and it depicts the pleasure of bringing it up in a beautiful way. It is that rare kind of films which activates your lachrymal glands without your knowledge and at the end of the film makes you realize that, now you need a handkerchief to wipe of those tears!!! It was easy for me to relate with the protagonist in the film as,even I have my very own experience with my Labrador-My very own Tinku!

I still remember the day when he was b(r)ought home, some 5 years back as a small, cute puppy licking my legs when I came home after my school farewell day! I came late after the celebrations at school (My schoolmates will know what this celebration means ;-)). By then my parents have already baptized him Tinku in memory of my previous dog with the same name. So there is a Tinku again-my cute small brother! Those initial days with him were really difficult, in the sense, at night he never dares to sleep alone and so he used to sleep with me, disturbing most of my sleep. But as a puppy it was wonderful hugging and sleeping with him. Oops! I never knew that would become a habit later on. These days with his gigantic size, I hardly get space in MY bed to sleep. I m getting used to sleep on the ground safeguarding my dog! Good job indeed :-D

Ha..Just kidding! He lives upto the reputation of a guardian to our family! I must say this now. Some days before, late in the night, we were woken up to a loud and continuous barking of Tinku. When we got up to check what the matter is, we saw a man being caught by Tinku. He had entered our house parking area. We are still not sure if he was a robber or a drunkard who came inside our house, thinking if it was his! Pity him anyways. Tinku was really ferocious and wanted to have a go at him! The man went nervous and was pleading to my dad to come and save him. My dad was reluctant initially, then feeling sorry for that man, went and brought Tinku in! The man disappeared the next second. I felt he could give Usain Bolt a run for his money! Haha! He ran away so fast!

It is always a pleasure to have someone like Tinku, who hears to whatever you blabber and barks at you when u go overboard ;-) He smiles so generously at you always waving his tail. He eats a lot and sleeps a lot. Hmmm he is lazy. But I doubt if he was really lazy before or has just turned lazy these days seeing his elder brother ;-) Ha ha..He barks a lot and he intimidates whoever comes to my house. But no complaints, coz that is what he is assigned to do!

Now, let me stop singing praises about him, coz I never intended to write a testimonial for Tinku here, rather I wanted to tell my fellow readers the pleasure of having a faithful and a loyal animal like a dog in your family! Dogs…never want a big home, designer clothes, fancy cars…doesn’t care if you are rich or poor…clever or dull, smart or dumb. They love you a lot no matter what…Give ‘em your heart and he’ll give you his. How many people can make you feel special, pure and rare! How many people can make you feel…extraordinary??

You still not convinced about owning a dog…sorry.. Adopting a child, then you must watch Marley & me now…right now..

Treasure the treasures..Love u dogs!!