Re-naming IPL teams!

IPL 2011

Dunno how I thought of this, but amidst a hectic day in office, I suddenly thought of having some fun with the names of the current IPL teams. And the new names, should be able to reflect on their performance or something related to them… So here goes… my version of what the teams should be called @ IPL4.

Mumbai WINdians
They have been the team with the most number of wins and that too convincing ones. And the name would look even more apt after this Sunday, as they are the odds on favourites to win the IPL3 Final. Go Mumbai!

Chennai’s Dhoni Swings
The main reason that CSK have made it till this stage is due to captain MSD. Though one might argue that Bollinger too has a huge part in that, but MSD’s captaincy and calmness under stress situations are irreplaceable according to me. And who can forget his knock in the semis! Simply awesome!

Deccan DisChargers
They performed more like a re-chargeable battery than a team. Losing almost everything at the start, then winning continuously in the second half and then again losing everything in the semis. Getting all out for some 100 odd runs chasing a a modest 147 is not champion material. Also they have lost some charge since the last edition, hence the name!

Royal Cliffhangers Bangalore
You just cant predict how this team will perform on any given day. Just like the way you just cant predict with whom will Deepika Padukone be seated with – Vijay Mallaya or Siddharth Mallya!

Kolkata Knight Sliders | Kolkata Day Dreamers
Well, this team has been really consistent in the 3 seasons on one aspect – sliding freely down the points table! As SRK has struggled to act on the screen for years, his team too continues to struggle at play decent cricket. And I so thank god they dint make it to the semis – who on earth wants to see SRK dance naked!

Rajasthan Recoils
After winning the first edition, they have just not been able to replicate the performances. This year they did miss key players like Smith and Tanvir, but they depend too much on Shane Warne to inspire them everytime! They need to re-shape their squad a bit, just like the Shilpa Shetty did to her own self! 😛

Delhi DespairDevils
I think the team players have let themselves down so much, they might be looking more like devils rather than heroes to their fans. Too much potential, but too little to show it – complete despair!

Useless Xl Punjab
Do I need to say anything to justify this name. I think its ‘preity’ obvious to everyone 😉

And now the team joining this lot next year:

Kochi Karnamas – given the huge events that have followed its inception – and may be Twitter should sign in as the official sponsor of the team – wat say?

Pune Paltan | Pune Peshwas

Do let me know your own take on any of these teams!

Cheers~~
KS

IPL: India Paisa League

Honestly, they should really change the full form of IPL to the above title, because with each passing day, it seems more and more like a business and less like a sport.

Starting with the ticket prices, a normal ODI used to only cost about a few hundreds to the common man. Now, even the lowest rung tickets of IPL start at Rs.500 and which are already sold out even before the tournament has reached half way! Then the options range from Rs.1,000 to Rs.5,000. And for the ones born with a golden spoon in their mouth, IPL even has a Rs.40000 ticket which includes – chauffeur-driven pick-up and drop, drinks, dinner, a fashion show and a late night party with IPL stars. (And not to forget, the cricket match also!) Its mind numbing to even calculate how much money they generate through tickets sales.

The Money Spinner

Second aspect is the humongous advertising that goes along with the tournament. As per an article in Livemint (Link here) – Sony expects Rs.700 crore advertising revenue from IPL 3. Now that is some figure!! Also going by the way they are crunching in ads between every possible pause in the game, it will soon feel like we are watching the match between the ads, rather than ads between the match! The day is not far away when the moment the ball touches Sachin’s bat, they will put in a 2-3 seconds AD and then next frame we shall see the ball crossing the rope! Have you noticed how there are so many lesser replays of good shots as they try to cash in! Its irritating beyond measure for me!

Thirdly, my earlier point about IPL being more of ‘entertainment+experience’ rather being just a sport. The moment I entered the stadium yesterday, rather than hearing chants by Mumbaites, my ears were greeted by super loud noise from the speakers, belting out the latest Bollywood numbers. Ten years ago, when I last watched a match, the only options we had to eat was Vada Pav and chips. Yesterday, I was treated to Dominoz Pizzas served hotter than in their outlets, Mad Over Donuts & Gelato Ice Cream! Also the cheer leaders were the second best thing in the stadium after Sachin Tendulkar. No one else in the stadium got the fans going crazy other than those two!

But to be very fair, I miss the absolute attention I used to give cricket in my previous visits. Yesterday, my efforts to fully concentrate on the match were constantly distracted by “pheriwallas”, hoards of security guards, cameras zooming past, huge screens, loud music and the cheer girls! It felt almost as if, cricket was being played in the background, as IPL took centre stage! Really SAD, for a true sport enthusiast!

Until the next time to the stadium…..

Cheers~~~
KS