| 8 teams in the Indian Premier League: Mumbai Indians | | | | around Sachin Tendulkar's master-class in that Mumbai |
| (MI), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Deccan | | | | Indians outfit. |
| Chargers (DC), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kolkata Knight | | | | KKR hasn't enjoyed the same success story. The |
| Riders (KKR), Delhi Daredevils (DD), Chennai Super | | | | services of the likes of Ajit Agarkar, Laxmi Ratan |
| Kings (CSK), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). Which is the odd | | | | Shukla, Ishant Sharma, Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman |
| one out? It's a million dollar question. After all, the | | | | Saha just haven't proved enough at the end of the |
| game here is all about splashing millions and more | | | | day. Murali Kartik and Ashoke Dinda have been good |
| millions and more. So then, any guesses? | | | | throughout, with a few ups and downs, but that is |
| Unfortunately for the one, and fortunately for the | | | | acceptable. After all, the former has been the most |
| seven others, it is the King Khan's army of beaten | | | | economical bowler in this year's IPL. And totally |
| knights, the Kolkata Knight Riders. | | | | contrasting has been the dismal performance of |
| You must be thinking what made me say so. It's | | | | Ishant Sharma, at one time, considered being the |
| simple; KKR is the only one among 8 franchises to | | | | best buy. The likes of Rohan Gavaskar, an ICL |
| have not made it to the semi-finals of the IPL, in any | | | | drop-out and a few others have only fit the |
| of its three editions. Rajasthan Royals did it in the | | | | category of bench-warmers. |
| inaugural edition as they went on to win the | | | | But then again, you can't just be blunt on the face |
| competition along with KXIP, CSK and Delhi | | | | that the KKR team management was wrong its |
| Daredevils, both of the last two went on to repeat | | | | player selection policy. After all, how many of us |
| the feat in the second year as well, as Deccan | | | | were aware of, say, Manish Pandey's batting ability |
| Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore joined | | | | until he donned the red & gold jersey for Bangalore, |
| them. Finally, Mumbai too joined the happy club in this | | | | or let's take an even bigger and more significant |
| third controversial edition. For all the korbo, lorbo, | | | | extract from the pages of "IPL Success Stories"- |
| jeetbo re hummers, it is a sad statistic, but true. | | | | Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra, both earning their test |
| The question that strikes hard is what went wrong | | | | caps after having tasted success in T20 cricket's |
| and what is going on? Why hasn't this team been | | | | extravaganza. But of course, how can I forget Mr. |
| able to deliver the goods in spite of the presence of | | | | Slam-bang, also known as Yusuf Pathan. On his day, |
| the towering Gayle, hard hitting McCulluam, T20 | | | | he can be deadlier than a terminator; unluckily the |
| specialist Brad Hodge, ace paceman Shane Bond along | | | | terminator seems to be out of battery when playing |
| with the likes of Angelo Mathews, Owais Shah, | | | | for his country. If you take a close look, you will find |
| Ajantha Mendis and of course, Ricky Ponting (mostly | | | | such success stories in all the other seven teams. So, |
| unavailable). As a matter of fact, if you notice this | | | | yes, this is a very serious issue. |
| line carefully, this itself may be the main cause of | | | | Shah Rukh Khan has stopped dancing and started |
| KKR's poor show. SRK needs some quality ghar ka | | | | biting nails, rather. I feel for you, SRK, and especially |
| daal, chawal to turn around his topsy-turvy fortunes, | | | | after the franchise documents are also found missing. |
| perhaps. | | | | A man whose tweets have become the only hits for |
| The Knight Riders think tank has got this part of | | | | his somewhat dismantled team can take a lesson or |
| their team strategy completely wrong. They seem to | | | | two from his friend and competitor, Preity Zinta, who |
| have not paid much attention to the fact that a | | | | keeps waving her franchise flag swifter than the |
| team is allowed only 4 foreign players and 7 Indian | | | | cheerleaders, in spite of all the losses. |
| players in the starting 11 for a match during selecting | | | | The team owners and all Koklkatans must be having |
| the 15-member squad. KKR's lack of quality home | | | | all their fingers crossed for the remainder of the |
| production has hurt it really bad especially if you put it | | | | season and mostly for next year that their beloved |
| on the same platter as Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan | | | | team can finally play like a winning XI. The destination |
| Royals. Warne's injection of raw young Indian blood | | | | seems to be beyond the paltry vision of poor |
| into the victorious Royals' team of 2008 has been | | | | sportsmanship, so far displayed by Dada and his |
| one of the significant movements in the short, but | | | | tamed tigers. The never say die attitude of the |
| rich IPL history. Young guns like Saurabh Tiwary, | | | | stubborn (in a positive manner) Kolkatans still makes |
| Ambati Rayadu and Abhishek Nayar have done an | | | | them sing korbo lorbo jeetbe re in... future indefinite |
| exceedingly good job shouldering the responsibility | | | | tense. |