Did I just hear someone tell me that IPL4 has already started??? Oh my, how could I miss it??? Well, relax guys, I'm kidding. I know that IPL has started in 2011 and as I write, Sachin is on his way to another T20 50. Well, the zest of this man to score runs and score them plenty amazes me always!!! He is indeed the Greatest Batsman to have walked on the cricket pitch in the modern era.
The IPL brings no excitement this year. Is it just me or you guys are also going through the same feeling? IPL this year is a lame duck affair when compared to the high velocity drama of last year - both on field and off it. Then we had the charismatic Lalit Modi who brought the IPL up as his own baby, BCCI who got behind him for spoiling the baby. And then who can forget Shashi Tharoor and his lady love Sunanda Pushkar who became the biggest stars of IPL3. Oh did I forget the actors on field? Forgive me if I failed to mention Dhoni, Kallis, Sachin & Pollard who were the stars on field.
Dhoni, to me, is the blue eyed boy of Indian Cricket. If Tendulkar is the God of Indian Cricket, then Dhoni is the King. World T20, Asia Cup, IPL, Champions League and now the best of the best World Cup!!! Not to forget that India regained No. 1 Ranking in test cricket under him. He's the one with Midas Touch.
Did you watch the WC Final on Apr 2? Stupid question. Ofcourse you did. How many of you seriously thought that India will pull it off once SL had scored 270+, or when Sehwag and Sachin left for pavilion with very little on board? I would confess that I lost hope. It was the same old show for me. Sachin failing on a big stage, India capitulating under pressure. Me and Arpita in fact switched channels and started watching a movie. But the cricket was too big to ignore that evening. Every few minutes, we would switch channels just to check the scores. I, for one, was quite surprised when I saw Gambhir and Virat put up a gusty partnership under extreme pressures. Then enter MS Dhoni. The stage was set. He had to play the innings of his life, perhaps the most important innings of all time for India in an ODI. And sure he did!!! No Gambhir, no Virat, no Yuvi could have saved the day. It had to be Ice Cool Dhoni. This was not a 147 against Pakistan, this was not a 183 against SL where he mauled Muralitharan into pieces, this was a different calculated innings, cautious at most times but explosive when it demanded. An innings which can be played just once in a life time – at the biggest of stages, on the biggest of occasions. The way he soaked up all the pressures and back pains to sail through reminded me of Sachin's 136 against Pakistan. Only difference was that, Sachin did not finish the job and India ultimately went on to lose the test match. But here, Dhoni made sure that he was there to finish it off. And what a finish it was - a six to win WC!!!
I can easily say that I had not felt this proud to be an Indian for a long long time. Team India and Dhoni gave us the joy of our life time. Thanks guys! The emotions post match brought tears to my eyes. And I'm sure that I was not the only one crying during those moments, millions were sharing the feelings!!! Including the 14 on the field at that time. This was the first time I had seen men like Sachin, Bhajji and Yuvi cry like children!!! Truly incredible!!! I wish my Baba was alive to see this moment. He was a bigger cricket fanatic than me! He sure must be partying big time in Nirvana reliving the moments of 1983 in 2011!!!
Indeed guys, bleeding green, pink, orange, yellow, black at IPL does not inspire at all this year, especially when we bled blue just a few days ago!!! That was the ultimate! Special thanks to Nike for giving India the ‘Bleed Blue’ campaign. It is such a big hit!!!
Bleed Blue for the next 4 years guys!!! All the best!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment