Fake IPL player more popular than IPL

The Fake IPL player takes 2nd position in the google trends (india) whereas the ipl live score takes 5th position.

 

Just check out the google trends results. There are more people searching for the fake ipl player than the ipl itself. Check out the posts by the fake ipl player @ www.fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com. This guy has got wits. This mysterious blogger claims to be a player from KKR. Some ppl believe this is a publicity stunt from PR of KKR while others believe its someone with a decent knowledge of cricket faking himself as IPL player. But whoever it is, his posts are real fun.

 

We love mystery.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen !

  

    “Harbhajan slaps Sreesanth”, these were the lines I happened to watch on a news channel on Saturday morning. I was taken aback. “Did Harbhajan really slap Sreesanth?”. I wondered in disbelief. I browsed through different news channels and had to believe it. According to media reports, after Friday’s defeat of Mumbai Indians in the hands of Kings XI, Sreesanth (who plays for Kings XI, Punjab ) walked to Harbhajan (Captain, Mumbai Indians) for a shake hand and said “Hard Luck”. The slap was the reply from Harbhajan.

 

    Just when the IPL fever was catching up, this incident has become a dark spot to its legacy. How can Harbhajan slap his fellow player? The captain of the costliest franchise would definitely be under pressure after losing 3 matches in a row. But that doesn’t mean showing aggression on his fellow teammates. The action of Harbhajan is in no way commendable.

 

    IPL has partially led to rivalry between players of different teams. Hope it doesn’t get big. IPL ads shown on TV are also on similar lines. In one ad a dentist doesn’t seem to hesitate to pluck more teeth from his patient just because he supports a different franchise. In another ad, a teenager who is about to sacrifice his seat in bus to an elderly person, refrains from doing so after coming to know that he supports a different franchise.

 

    Harbhajan’s actions on Friday were least expected from a senior player like him. Few months back when Hayden commented on Harbhajan calling him ‘obnoxious little weed’, the entire nation stood by Harbhajan. But Bhajji, this time you let us down. Please remember that cricket is a gentlemen’s game. Be disciplined on the field and don’t go on and become another Shoaib.

Indian Premier League – A Hit or a Miss?

The first thing which comes into my mind when I think about IPL is the money invested in it. IPL is a county cricket, a game played between teams of different regions at domestic level. Each team is owned by a franchise. Take a look at the amount invested by different franchises for their players. The figures are staggering.

Bangalore Royal Challengers   – Rs. 19.8 Crores

Chennai Super Kings                – Rs. 23.7 Crores

Delhi DareDevils                        – Rs. 22.5 Crores

Hyderabad Deccan Chargers  – Rs. 23.5 Crores

Rajasthan Royals                       – Rs. 12.8 Crores

Kolkata Knight Riders               – Rs. 24 Crores

IPL Mohali                                   – Rs. 22.9 Crores

Mumbai Indians                         – Rs. 20.5 Crores 

When India exited from the World Cup in the first round in 2007, imagine how the sentiment of public was. Everyone was running away from cricket. The Twenty 20 world cup victory changed the entire dynamics in less than six months. Some of the big names in Indian business such as Dr. Vijay Mallya, Mukesh Ambani, and movie stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Priety Zinta, Juhi Chawla are already associated with IPL. That makes IPL a blend of commerce, entertainment and sport in that order.

With players of different countries playing for a team together, no doubt, it will be an entirely different experience. India’s traditional rivals, players from Pakistan and off late rivals, Aussies will be in the same team. That’s something people will seldom get to watch.

But the Ultimate question remains “will the IPL be accepted by the public with open arms?” Will it create a spark in the country? I am skeptical. Take the previous Tri Series for example. When India was playing against Australia, millions of Indian fans from across the country were supporting the team. But this wont be the case in domestic cricket. A Kolkata fan won’t be so much interested in the tournament once his team is out. People like to stand for the “country” as a whole than for regions. Indian Cricket League (ICL) which is going on currently didn’t generate much public interest. So whether IPL will be a success or not, only future can tell.