MUMBAI March 12th, 2010 - Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Deccan Chargers by 11 runs in the opening Twenty20 match of the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the D.Y. Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai here Friday.
Chasing a target of 162, Deccan Chargers made 150 for seven in 20 overs after skipper Adam Gilchrist scored 54. Angelo Matthews scored an unbeaten 65 and Owais Shah made 58 not out as the Knight Riders made 161 for four in 20 overs.
_________________________________________________________________________________
KOLKATA March 14th, 2010 - Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Bangalore Royal Challengers by 7 wickets in the Indian Premier League match at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
Chasing 136 runs for victory, Knight Riders were given a flying start by their openers Brad Hodge and Manoj Tiwary, both scoring 50 runs. Roelof van der Merwe took two wickets for 27 for Royal Challengers.
Showing posts with label Kolkata Knight Riders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kolkata Knight Riders. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Lux Cozi Ad
I understand about everyone else keeping it on.. but Shah Rukh doesn't have to.. right?
The purple is looking rad! Love it better than the black. Thank God they changed the colour.
The purple is looking rad! Love it better than the black. Thank God they changed the colour.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Bla bla bla about cricket
For all my blogging last year about KKR, I'm a novice in cricket. Okay, honestly? I took an interest in cricket after Shah Rukh acquired a team for T20. I have absolutely zilch knowledge in the game. I tried to watch a cricket match when I managed to catch a tournament on cable in a hotel this one time last year, and I spent quite long minutes staring blankly at the screen, and in the end mumbled... what the heck is so exciting about this sport?? (forgive my ignorance, all cricket fans out there.. *sweat*)
And yet I continue to take an interest in it coz Shah Rukh still remains in T20. Hey, some love affairs begin like that. I fell in love with tennis after watching Sampras and his near-robotic sure-win play in Wimbledon. Even tried to play it, albeit goofily, with a friend. Also, my current univ seems to have a good cricket team and our VC takes quite an interest in it..posting about tournament updates every once in awhile in facebook. I'm still hoping I'll understand the game one day..soon. Esp now that Lalit Modi has promised us a free watch on youtube.
What gets on my nerves while I was watching cricket is.. there seems to be this "endless waiting for something that I don't know what" time. It's like watching baseball but with more players loitering around doing nothing. I'm more used to football-type sports where, even if you have nothing to do, you'll run around to make it seem to your fans/sponsors/teammates/coaches/team owners as if you're doing a worthwhile activity even though the ball rarely comes at you. I'm always cheering.. screaming.. mumbling.. jolted into silent vigorous hand-movement actions when the unexpected happens like every 2 minutes. With cricket, I keep staring and staring.. and staring some more. And then suddenly there's a cheer from the crowd and I'm like.. what? what? what just happened??
Anyway, I'm happy that there's no frivolous antics from my favourite cricket owner this year. No video. No crazy last minute announcement (although this can still happen, knowing Shah Rukh). No reality TV show. No incessant team promotion via numerous ads. Just some simple updates about how the team is doing. And I was like.. yes, that's the way to do it! please don't say anything explosive this year! just let the team do the talking during the championship. THEN!! ...
That auction fiasco had to happen. And Shah Rukh of course had to say something about it. When I clicked open that NDTV Q&A show and saw the video title.. I groaned aloud.. Nooooooo! Then I read that PZ and SS did a joint press conference to 'clarify' the issue. Arrrrgh! When will these celebs learn that nothing..absolutely nothing..they say will appease anybody or everybody. By trying to 'clarify'.. they'll just dig a deeper hole for themselves to be buried in later. Have you read any press statement on the issue by India Cements? Or Deccan Chronicle? Mmm.. you don't know who they are? Here.
There's no use trying to clarify an issue that can't be clarified. But I like the way Shah Rukh answered the query without answering it. He's brilliant at this PR stuff. Every time I watch him asks, "Am I gonna get into trouble for saying this?" ..I tell my computer monitor, "Yes Shah Rukh, you will. So please don't say it~" ..but of course he ignores me and says it anyway. To those who think he should "do something about it".. I suggest you grow up a little. It's too easy to see why a guy who's invested around 80 crores a year on a team out of his own pocket would be cautious in his financial endeavor. KKR faced this kind of problem before when, in 2009, Pakistani players were unavailable..resulting in Umar Gul's contract being suspended. Face it people.. this is not a knee-jerk reaction. It's a reaction based on a previous experience, so the owners are not to be entirely blamed.
Instead, why don't you blame the guys (it's always guys, isn't it?) who burned Lalit Modi's effigy? Or those who burned Mr. B's effigy.. and even Shah Rukh's posters in 2009? Or the gunmen who shot Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore (also in 2009)? With fire-happy/trigger-happy guys like you running amok and uncheck by any authority.. who would dare to bring Pakistani players to India or vice versa? Lalit Modi made IPL happen in South Africa last year despite the risk of heavy losses, mainly because of security issues. And now people are nonchalantly suggesting that the security of the players and the tournament should not be made into an issue. Delusional much?
Some people are asking, "why didn't the IPL committee tell the Pakistani players that they're not gonna be bought in the auction anyway, so there's no use in participating?" I'm speechless reading this. Do people think first before giving suggestions like this or they just like to pull crap outta their asses in the hope of provoking some suckers out there into responding so they can get into a net brawl coz they're too bored with their mundane life and need some virtual action? Can't you fathom the kind of uproar that kind of announcement will set off? Can't you fathom a world beyond your own nose?
In my opinion, Shah Rukh doesn't need to say anything. But I also think he has no way of escaping from being made to say something. I guess I'll just continue to be the somewhat silent reader/watcher of the whole drama that IPL never ceases to be year by year. This is, after all, the country that gives us Bollywood. Hopefully the team I support will not be affected by anything the team owner adamantly gets himself embroiled into (I can hope, can't I?) and give us a roaring game this year. If Deccan could do it, why can't KKR? (that's my constant mantra for the 2010 championship coz I'm an eternal optimist).
It's nearly 4am, and I have work to do and a persistent father to attend to tomorrow. Have a good week!
And yet I continue to take an interest in it coz Shah Rukh still remains in T20. Hey, some love affairs begin like that. I fell in love with tennis after watching Sampras and his near-robotic sure-win play in Wimbledon. Even tried to play it, albeit goofily, with a friend. Also, my current univ seems to have a good cricket team and our VC takes quite an interest in it..posting about tournament updates every once in awhile in facebook. I'm still hoping I'll understand the game one day..soon. Esp now that Lalit Modi has promised us a free watch on youtube.
What gets on my nerves while I was watching cricket is.. there seems to be this "endless waiting for something that I don't know what" time. It's like watching baseball but with more players loitering around doing nothing. I'm more used to football-type sports where, even if you have nothing to do, you'll run around to make it seem to your fans/sponsors/teammates/coaches/team owners as if you're doing a worthwhile activity even though the ball rarely comes at you. I'm always cheering.. screaming.. mumbling.. jolted into silent vigorous hand-movement actions when the unexpected happens like every 2 minutes. With cricket, I keep staring and staring.. and staring some more. And then suddenly there's a cheer from the crowd and I'm like.. what? what? what just happened??
Anyway, I'm happy that there's no frivolous antics from my favourite cricket owner this year. No video. No crazy last minute announcement (although this can still happen, knowing Shah Rukh). No reality TV show. No incessant team promotion via numerous ads. Just some simple updates about how the team is doing. And I was like.. yes, that's the way to do it! please don't say anything explosive this year! just let the team do the talking during the championship. THEN!! ...
That auction fiasco had to happen. And Shah Rukh of course had to say something about it. When I clicked open that NDTV Q&A show and saw the video title.. I groaned aloud.. Nooooooo! Then I read that PZ and SS did a joint press conference to 'clarify' the issue. Arrrrgh! When will these celebs learn that nothing..absolutely nothing..they say will appease anybody or everybody. By trying to 'clarify'.. they'll just dig a deeper hole for themselves to be buried in later. Have you read any press statement on the issue by India Cements? Or Deccan Chronicle? Mmm.. you don't know who they are? Here.
There's no use trying to clarify an issue that can't be clarified. But I like the way Shah Rukh answered the query without answering it. He's brilliant at this PR stuff. Every time I watch him asks, "Am I gonna get into trouble for saying this?" ..I tell my computer monitor, "Yes Shah Rukh, you will. So please don't say it~" ..but of course he ignores me and says it anyway. To those who think he should "do something about it".. I suggest you grow up a little. It's too easy to see why a guy who's invested around 80 crores a year on a team out of his own pocket would be cautious in his financial endeavor. KKR faced this kind of problem before when, in 2009, Pakistani players were unavailable..resulting in Umar Gul's contract being suspended. Face it people.. this is not a knee-jerk reaction. It's a reaction based on a previous experience, so the owners are not to be entirely blamed.
Instead, why don't you blame the guys (it's always guys, isn't it?) who burned Lalit Modi's effigy? Or those who burned Mr. B's effigy.. and even Shah Rukh's posters in 2009? Or the gunmen who shot Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore (also in 2009)? With fire-happy/trigger-happy guys like you running amok and uncheck by any authority.. who would dare to bring Pakistani players to India or vice versa? Lalit Modi made IPL happen in South Africa last year despite the risk of heavy losses, mainly because of security issues. And now people are nonchalantly suggesting that the security of the players and the tournament should not be made into an issue. Delusional much?
Some people are asking, "why didn't the IPL committee tell the Pakistani players that they're not gonna be bought in the auction anyway, so there's no use in participating?" I'm speechless reading this. Do people think first before giving suggestions like this or they just like to pull crap outta their asses in the hope of provoking some suckers out there into responding so they can get into a net brawl coz they're too bored with their mundane life and need some virtual action? Can't you fathom the kind of uproar that kind of announcement will set off? Can't you fathom a world beyond your own nose?
In my opinion, Shah Rukh doesn't need to say anything. But I also think he has no way of escaping from being made to say something. I guess I'll just continue to be the somewhat silent reader/watcher of the whole drama that IPL never ceases to be year by year. This is, after all, the country that gives us Bollywood. Hopefully the team I support will not be affected by anything the team owner adamantly gets himself embroiled into (I can hope, can't I?) and give us a roaring game this year. If Deccan could do it, why can't KKR? (that's my constant mantra for the 2010 championship coz I'm an eternal optimist).
It's nearly 4am, and I have work to do and a persistent father to attend to tomorrow. Have a good week!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo!
..and of course the interview zooms in to the most important question (at least to Kolkata fans, I guess) with the new coach. Reading the interview, I kinda get an idea about the kind of criteria the management are searching for in Mr. B's successor. And it's the right attitude too: "Team First!" (something Mr. B didn't seem to be clued in until the end. I mean, who cares about YOUR long-term plans if the team you're coaching was shot to hell on the field 2 years in a row.. geh).
Neeways, I can already smell the IPL excitement in the air.. and although I can't follow it avidly this time (by surfing hours and hours for news on the net since I don't own cable and my net is too slowass to stream the games) due to my deadlines catching up on me, I pray for a series of victory in 2010 for the team I support.. KKR, of course! :P
Long Live the King's Men!!!
I guarantee harmony: Dav
Captain Sourav Ganguly’s record, so to say, with Australian coaches hasn’t been good... Greg Chappell, John Buchanan... Is that at the back of your mind?
Look, an easy answer would be that it’s a thing of the past... I know about it, but I’m looking forward to a strong relationship with him... Sourav, I know, feels the same way.
But would there be enough space in the KKR dressing room for two rather strong-minded individuals?
Strong-minded... You’re saying that...I guarantee that there will be harmony within the group. Unless there’s harmony, no team can be successful.
Your impressions of Sourav as captain?
He’s India’s most successful (in Tests) and figures don’t lie... He’s definitely shrewd and has a lot to offer... Sourav’s got the experience and that, coupled with his desire that the franchise do well, is a potent combination... Indeed, he’s central to the scheme of things.
Neeways, I can already smell the IPL excitement in the air.. and although I can't follow it avidly this time (by surfing hours and hours for news on the net since I don't own cable and my net is too slowass to stream the games) due to my deadlines catching up on me, I pray for a series of victory in 2010 for the team I support.. KKR, of course! :P
Long Live the King's Men!!!
I guarantee harmony: Dav
Captain Sourav Ganguly’s record, so to say, with Australian coaches hasn’t been good... Greg Chappell, John Buchanan... Is that at the back of your mind?
Look, an easy answer would be that it’s a thing of the past... I know about it, but I’m looking forward to a strong relationship with him... Sourav, I know, feels the same way.
But would there be enough space in the KKR dressing room for two rather strong-minded individuals?
Strong-minded... You’re saying that...I guarantee that there will be harmony within the group. Unless there’s harmony, no team can be successful.
Your impressions of Sourav as captain?
He’s India’s most successful (in Tests) and figures don’t lie... He’s definitely shrewd and has a lot to offer... Sourav’s got the experience and that, coupled with his desire that the franchise do well, is a potent combination... Indeed, he’s central to the scheme of things.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
I dunno what to title my posts anymore...
... because I suck at naming and titling things.
Anyway, I wanted to write a post earlier on the sacking of Mr B, yeah.. kinda late huh? But I was away from the country for a fortnight and the hotel only has wifi at the lobby, plus the hotel TV has 59 channels to flip through, so my blogging activity was a bit stunted.
Needless to say, the news made me go.. YES! *fist in the air* ..when I read it at the office computer in the workplace I was placed at. No one was around, I checked (hehe). I bet the only guy who's wondering where he had gone wrong was Mr B himself. The rest of the population, esp the cricket savvy ones, can probably point out 1001 stuff that has gone completely wrong during the games he coached.
Gayle was saying some good things about him, but all I can say is... if you compare it to studying for an exam... learning all the good points and actually going into the exam hall, answering those questions & scoring 100% are two completely different things most times.
His 'vision' led to two consecutive losses for the team. As fans, that's all we can care about, really. I dunno about anyone else, but when it comes to competitions or tournaments, winning is everything to me. Which is probably why I seldom enter them coz I get stressed out easily and then my body will go under and I get sick (like right now, actually, although it's just about work and nothing to do with a competition of any kind). But I'm hankering to study some stuff soon that will make me go through exams to graduate. All this exam-less studying is beginning to make my boredometer go off the chart.
Now they're looking out for new coaches. I hope they won't be overpopulating the franchise with non-performing staff this time.
EDIT:
I also found this on Shohaib (SHAH RUKH TAKES ON SHOAIB’S THREATS). Wow, I haven't read anything about this before. No wonder it's so silent on the Akhtar front. I thought it's all because of that ban he's under from the Pakistan government.
Anyway, I wanted to write a post earlier on the sacking of Mr B, yeah.. kinda late huh? But I was away from the country for a fortnight and the hotel only has wifi at the lobby, plus the hotel TV has 59 channels to flip through, so my blogging activity was a bit stunted.
Needless to say, the news made me go.. YES! *fist in the air* ..when I read it at the office computer in the workplace I was placed at. No one was around, I checked (hehe). I bet the only guy who's wondering where he had gone wrong was Mr B himself. The rest of the population, esp the cricket savvy ones, can probably point out 1001 stuff that has gone completely wrong during the games he coached.
Gayle was saying some good things about him, but all I can say is... if you compare it to studying for an exam... learning all the good points and actually going into the exam hall, answering those questions & scoring 100% are two completely different things most times.
His 'vision' led to two consecutive losses for the team. As fans, that's all we can care about, really. I dunno about anyone else, but when it comes to competitions or tournaments, winning is everything to me. Which is probably why I seldom enter them coz I get stressed out easily and then my body will go under and I get sick (like right now, actually, although it's just about work and nothing to do with a competition of any kind). But I'm hankering to study some stuff soon that will make me go through exams to graduate. All this exam-less studying is beginning to make my boredometer go off the chart.
Now they're looking out for new coaches. I hope they won't be overpopulating the franchise with non-performing staff this time.
EDIT:
I also found this on Shohaib (SHAH RUKH TAKES ON SHOAIB’S THREATS). Wow, I haven't read anything about this before. No wonder it's so silent on the Akhtar front. I thought it's all because of that ban he's under from the Pakistan government.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Does this mean we won't get to watch it on ESPN next year?? T__T
IPL Season 2 - Everyone Happy with Its Share of Pie
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
The month long twenty-20 extravaganza has come to end and it is now clear that the shifting of venue could not affect IPL Season 2. Starting from the franchisers to the broadcasters and every single stake holder, IPL Season 2 ended in a happy note. Everybody including the champs and the finalist and also those who could not quite make it to the top layer - all of them seemed to manage higher revenues, thanks to a re-worked deal between BCCI and Multi Screen Media (MSM) that owns Sony channels.
Since the very beginning it was marred in controversies. Finally the tournament had to be relocated for security concerns. Those who predicted that Indian Premier League outside India will die like fish outside water are now left with eggs on their faces. For not only every stake holder has made a profit this year, they also managed to increase their revenues despite the increased logistic costs.
And not only the Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers that have made profits on the merit of their performance - every single team has been reported to have made a profit out of this year’s tournament.
Knight Riders, the team that finished off at the bottom of the league table, has managed to make the third-highest profit of Rs 25.8 crore in IPL Season 2. The highest profit maker of the season however, is Team Jaipur which has made a cool profit of Rs 35.1 crore at the second season of Indian Premier League.
The prize money for the winner is Rs 4.8 crore, Rs 2.4 crore for the runners-up and 1.2 crore each for the losing semifinalists; Rs 80 lakh for the team that finished fifth (Kings XI Punjab), Rs 70 lakh for the sixth placed (Jaipur), Rs 50 lakh for the seventh (Mumbai Indians) and Rs 40 lakh for the lowest one.
However, what has really helped the franchises accumulate such huge revenues is the sharing of the common pool of the broadcasting rights. According to the renegotiated contract with WSG, BCCI got about Rs 335 crore, which is straight 90% jump from the figure in the original contract that was signed for ten years.
BCCI’ s profit from last year’s IPL was Rs 350 crore, while Sony’s profits from ad-sales alone stood at Rs 270-280 crore for the last season. But this year, both the entities decline to divulge the exact figures. “We are yet to calculate the profits,” said a BCCI official from South Africa.
This year Sony has doubled its air-time rates to sell the 10 second spots for anything between Rs 3.75 lakh and Rs 4 lakh. While the MSM officials confirm the rise in the revenues, they too refuse to disclose the actual figure. “We have increased our revenues significantly over the last year, but can’t disclose figures,” MSM president (network sales) Rohit Gupta said.
However, it was the unlikely rise of the Royal Challengers to the prominence that sent the punters on tenterhook, while leaving the bookies all smiling. One bookie described the tournament as worse than race betting with no pre-tournament favorites having made it to the finals.
In all, over Rs 5,000 crore were exchanged during the championship, informs a bookie on condition of anonymity. With hardly any pre-tournament tips working in their favor, punters could make little money, while it was really the day for the bookies when Deccan Chargers beat the Royal Challengers in the final.
In a nutshell, it was Deccan Chargers that won the title, but each team tasted success-that is on the cash side.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
The month long twenty-20 extravaganza has come to end and it is now clear that the shifting of venue could not affect IPL Season 2. Starting from the franchisers to the broadcasters and every single stake holder, IPL Season 2 ended in a happy note. Everybody including the champs and the finalist and also those who could not quite make it to the top layer - all of them seemed to manage higher revenues, thanks to a re-worked deal between BCCI and Multi Screen Media (MSM) that owns Sony channels.
Since the very beginning it was marred in controversies. Finally the tournament had to be relocated for security concerns. Those who predicted that Indian Premier League outside India will die like fish outside water are now left with eggs on their faces. For not only every stake holder has made a profit this year, they also managed to increase their revenues despite the increased logistic costs.
And not only the Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers that have made profits on the merit of their performance - every single team has been reported to have made a profit out of this year’s tournament.
Knight Riders, the team that finished off at the bottom of the league table, has managed to make the third-highest profit of Rs 25.8 crore in IPL Season 2. The highest profit maker of the season however, is Team Jaipur which has made a cool profit of Rs 35.1 crore at the second season of Indian Premier League.
The prize money for the winner is Rs 4.8 crore, Rs 2.4 crore for the runners-up and 1.2 crore each for the losing semifinalists; Rs 80 lakh for the team that finished fifth (Kings XI Punjab), Rs 70 lakh for the sixth placed (Jaipur), Rs 50 lakh for the seventh (Mumbai Indians) and Rs 40 lakh for the lowest one.
However, what has really helped the franchises accumulate such huge revenues is the sharing of the common pool of the broadcasting rights. According to the renegotiated contract with WSG, BCCI got about Rs 335 crore, which is straight 90% jump from the figure in the original contract that was signed for ten years.
BCCI’ s profit from last year’s IPL was Rs 350 crore, while Sony’s profits from ad-sales alone stood at Rs 270-280 crore for the last season. But this year, both the entities decline to divulge the exact figures. “We are yet to calculate the profits,” said a BCCI official from South Africa.
This year Sony has doubled its air-time rates to sell the 10 second spots for anything between Rs 3.75 lakh and Rs 4 lakh. While the MSM officials confirm the rise in the revenues, they too refuse to disclose the actual figure. “We have increased our revenues significantly over the last year, but can’t disclose figures,” MSM president (network sales) Rohit Gupta said.
However, it was the unlikely rise of the Royal Challengers to the prominence that sent the punters on tenterhook, while leaving the bookies all smiling. One bookie described the tournament as worse than race betting with no pre-tournament favorites having made it to the finals.
In all, over Rs 5,000 crore were exchanged during the championship, informs a bookie on condition of anonymity. With hardly any pre-tournament tips working in their favor, punters could make little money, while it was really the day for the bookies when Deccan Chargers beat the Royal Challengers in the final.
In a nutshell, it was Deccan Chargers that won the title, but each team tasted success-that is on the cash side.
On KR's dismal performance at IPL 2
Source
“The blame should completely rest on my shoulders. It’s my duty to overcome this year’s performance… how, when, who… too many details for an interview... I don’t like being a loser and I’ll pragmatically and passionately turn this around. Inshallah.”
“The blame should completely rest on my shoulders. It’s my duty to overcome this year’s performance… how, when, who… too many details for an interview... I don’t like being a loser and I’ll pragmatically and passionately turn this around. Inshallah.”
KKR offload plan on table
Source
Tuesday , May 26 , 2009
by: SAMYABRATA RAY GOSWAMI
Mumbai, May 25: The “Manchester United” of the Indian Premier League may have pitched itself a notch too high.
The Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL team owned by superstar Shah Rukh Khan and friends, is looking to offload 10 to 20 per cent of its shares, possibly by June.
The Calcutta franchise, which finished at the bottom of the heap this season, retains the highest brand value because of its star and glamour quotient. Shah Rukh reportedly had ambitions of turning the team into one of the top five franchises in the sporting world such as ManU and basketball giant Los Angeles Lakers.
For example, in spite of not making it to the semi-finals, KKR, Kings XI Punjab and the Mumbai Indians top the charts in online merchandise sales among international cricket fans, according to data released by online shopping company eBay.
But, sources in the hard-nosed world of finance said, the owners would have to rework the value of the team if they want to get a buyer.
“KKR needs to get real — they do not weigh as much as they used to last year. A mere association with Brand Shah Rukh is not enough to hike KKR’s valuation. In fact, his own brand appeal is not exactly at a peak right now. Investors look at the hard-core business appeal, not star value, when taking such decisions. SRK’s expectations are a bit unrealistic, so we have backed out,” said a source in TPG Capital, formerly Texas Pacific Group, which negotiated with the owners for a share of the Knight Riders pie.
Shah Rukh could not be reached for comment and no one was willing to reveal the value the owners had worked out for the franchise.
The actor, through his Red Chillies Entertainment, and friends Jay Mehta and actress Juhi Chawla, bought the Calcutta franchise for $75 million in January 2008. International valuation agencies have pegged KKR’s current value between $42.1 million and $22 million — a 45 to 70 per cent erosion.
However, compared to international norms, brand valuation is still a relatively subjective matter in India, say experts.
“A brand valuation exercise in India is typically a more subjective exercise compared to a business valuation exercise. This is primarily due to the limited availability of data required to apply the usual methods of brand valuation,” said a source in KPMG Corporate Finance, which was searching for buyers for Deccan Chargers, owned by Deccan Chronicle, in October 2008.
Eventually, the Chargers did not sell as there were no buyers ready to meet their “sky-high expectations”, said the source.
Shah Rukh, who has assigned Mumbai investment bank Ambit as his negotiator for stake divestment in KKR, is not ready to accept the steady devaluation of the team, said a source in Ambit.
“SRK feels KKR deserves higher value. Investors on their part are looking for a good deal in a recessionary market. But we are sure there will be a middle path and a deal will be closed by June,” said the source in Ambit. The source declined to elaborate further.
At present, private equity investors such as New Silk Route, Actis and Standard Chartered Private Equity are among those negotiating for a piece of the Knight Riders. British billionaire Mike Ashley — who owns among other businesses Newcastle United football club, which was relegated from the English Premier League yesterday — is also said to be a prospective buyer.
“Shah Rukh knows that the USP of the KKR brand lies in its perceived potential. He is keen to sell before it slips further,” said a source in the Knight Riders.
KKR, which spent about Rs 65-75 crore in outgoings this season, claimed to have posted a Rs 13-crore profit last season.
“Our outgoings are the highest among all IPL teams largely because of our massive support staff. KKR co-owner Jay Mehta is due to prepare a report on who among the support staff should be retained. A more compact team will reduce our spending and ease a bit of the financial pressure,” said the KKR source.
The KKR core group is expected to take a final call on the future of cricket director John Buchanan and his friends and family, who constitute the majority of support staff members, in July.
Tuesday , May 26 , 2009
by: SAMYABRATA RAY GOSWAMI
Mumbai, May 25: The “Manchester United” of the Indian Premier League may have pitched itself a notch too high.
The Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL team owned by superstar Shah Rukh Khan and friends, is looking to offload 10 to 20 per cent of its shares, possibly by June.
The Calcutta franchise, which finished at the bottom of the heap this season, retains the highest brand value because of its star and glamour quotient. Shah Rukh reportedly had ambitions of turning the team into one of the top five franchises in the sporting world such as ManU and basketball giant Los Angeles Lakers.
For example, in spite of not making it to the semi-finals, KKR, Kings XI Punjab and the Mumbai Indians top the charts in online merchandise sales among international cricket fans, according to data released by online shopping company eBay.
But, sources in the hard-nosed world of finance said, the owners would have to rework the value of the team if they want to get a buyer.
“KKR needs to get real — they do not weigh as much as they used to last year. A mere association with Brand Shah Rukh is not enough to hike KKR’s valuation. In fact, his own brand appeal is not exactly at a peak right now. Investors look at the hard-core business appeal, not star value, when taking such decisions. SRK’s expectations are a bit unrealistic, so we have backed out,” said a source in TPG Capital, formerly Texas Pacific Group, which negotiated with the owners for a share of the Knight Riders pie.
Shah Rukh could not be reached for comment and no one was willing to reveal the value the owners had worked out for the franchise.
The actor, through his Red Chillies Entertainment, and friends Jay Mehta and actress Juhi Chawla, bought the Calcutta franchise for $75 million in January 2008. International valuation agencies have pegged KKR’s current value between $42.1 million and $22 million — a 45 to 70 per cent erosion.
However, compared to international norms, brand valuation is still a relatively subjective matter in India, say experts.
“A brand valuation exercise in India is typically a more subjective exercise compared to a business valuation exercise. This is primarily due to the limited availability of data required to apply the usual methods of brand valuation,” said a source in KPMG Corporate Finance, which was searching for buyers for Deccan Chargers, owned by Deccan Chronicle, in October 2008.
Eventually, the Chargers did not sell as there were no buyers ready to meet their “sky-high expectations”, said the source.
Shah Rukh, who has assigned Mumbai investment bank Ambit as his negotiator for stake divestment in KKR, is not ready to accept the steady devaluation of the team, said a source in Ambit.
“SRK feels KKR deserves higher value. Investors on their part are looking for a good deal in a recessionary market. But we are sure there will be a middle path and a deal will be closed by June,” said the source in Ambit. The source declined to elaborate further.
At present, private equity investors such as New Silk Route, Actis and Standard Chartered Private Equity are among those negotiating for a piece of the Knight Riders. British billionaire Mike Ashley — who owns among other businesses Newcastle United football club, which was relegated from the English Premier League yesterday — is also said to be a prospective buyer.
“Shah Rukh knows that the USP of the KKR brand lies in its perceived potential. He is keen to sell before it slips further,” said a source in the Knight Riders.
KKR, which spent about Rs 65-75 crore in outgoings this season, claimed to have posted a Rs 13-crore profit last season.
“Our outgoings are the highest among all IPL teams largely because of our massive support staff. KKR co-owner Jay Mehta is due to prepare a report on who among the support staff should be retained. A more compact team will reduce our spending and ease a bit of the financial pressure,” said the KKR source.
The KKR core group is expected to take a final call on the future of cricket director John Buchanan and his friends and family, who constitute the majority of support staff members, in July.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Knight Riders' last match
Scorecard
THEY WON AGAIN!!!
Why now? Why not last week?? Heck, why not after the 6th match? That would have been the perfect timing for a straight win like this. I know I should just be thankful to God for the win, but what can I do? My heart is not logical.
It's a mixed feeling. I'm ecstatic. I've been screaming the house down in happiness. But at the same time I feel cheated. I feel like kicking the wall or smashing some crockery on someone's head... preferably Mr B's, with some target practice on a number of his useless butt kissers (read: assistants), but they're thousands of miles away from me right now.
Next time, if a coach or a captain were to raise a hare brain idea like multiple captaincy or changing captain at the last minute, I'd like to see the owners shredding that worthless proposal to smithereens or at the very least, no comment from Shah Rukh in support of the issue ...or I'd smash some crockery on HIS head. Errrr... I'm sorry Datuk, no disrespect intended. It's a 'heat of the moment' thing.
It feels weird to want to smash some crockery on Shah Rukh's head, when mostly it's for making himself the target of so much frustration and hatred by so many unreasonable people. If I read one more comment on how he's responsible for KR's dismal show now that the game is over for them, I think I'd punch my monitor XD.
To me and thousands (millions?) of other fans, what Mr B did has disturbed the balance of the team. This is what could have been had it not been for his untimely interruption ...maybe, I dunno. I'm happy, but I'm angry as well. If a team can still make you feel like this after losing so many games, then by God... it's a good team.
You guys had better get to the semis next year, or else...!!!
I'm also feeling sad because there's no more match to follow after this. I think I can safely say also that this blog will be a bit neglected from now on (to be updated weekly, most probably) coz:
THEY WON AGAIN!!!
Why now? Why not last week?? Heck, why not after the 6th match? That would have been the perfect timing for a straight win like this. I know I should just be thankful to God for the win, but what can I do? My heart is not logical.
It's a mixed feeling. I'm ecstatic. I've been screaming the house down in happiness. But at the same time I feel cheated. I feel like kicking the wall or smashing some crockery on someone's head... preferably Mr B's, with some target practice on a number of his useless butt kissers (read: assistants), but they're thousands of miles away from me right now.
Next time, if a coach or a captain were to raise a hare brain idea like multiple captaincy or changing captain at the last minute, I'd like to see the owners shredding that worthless proposal to smithereens or at the very least, no comment from Shah Rukh in support of the issue ...or I'd smash some crockery on HIS head. Errrr... I'm sorry Datuk, no disrespect intended. It's a 'heat of the moment' thing.
It feels weird to want to smash some crockery on Shah Rukh's head, when mostly it's for making himself the target of so much frustration and hatred by so many unreasonable people. If I read one more comment on how he's responsible for KR's dismal show now that the game is over for them, I think I'd punch my monitor XD.
To me and thousands (millions?) of other fans, what Mr B did has disturbed the balance of the team. This is what could have been had it not been for his untimely interruption ...maybe, I dunno. I'm happy, but I'm angry as well. If a team can still make you feel like this after losing so many games, then by God... it's a good team.
You guys had better get to the semis next year, or else...!!!
I'm also feeling sad because there's no more match to follow after this. I think I can safely say also that this blog will be a bit neglected from now on (to be updated weekly, most probably) coz:
- Tonight is the last match for KR
- Shah Rukh is MIA due to his many shooting schedules (don't disturb him, you gossip-mongering journalists! I want his films to be released on time so I don't mind not having his mug plastered on the front pages every 2 days)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Man, you gotta upload that video at the KR website! LOL
Source: KKR players get stuck in lift after CSK win
Centurion, May 19 (PTI) As skipper Brendon McCullum put it once, something or the other keeps going haywire for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Savouring their first win in nine Indian Premier League matches, some of the team's members, including former skipper Sourav Ganguly, were stuck in a lift for more than 15 minutes.
A technical snag left a few members of the side inside the hotel lift even as their coach John Buchanan mischievously captured their anxious moments on a handy cam.
The tournament-laggards, owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, have nothing but pride to play for in the remainder of the Twenty20 event.
They had earlier earned the dubious distinction of losing eight matches on the trot. PTI
Centurion, May 19 (PTI) As skipper Brendon McCullum put it once, something or the other keeps going haywire for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Savouring their first win in nine Indian Premier League matches, some of the team's members, including former skipper Sourav Ganguly, were stuck in a lift for more than 15 minutes.
A technical snag left a few members of the side inside the hotel lift even as their coach John Buchanan mischievously captured their anxious moments on a handy cam.
The tournament-laggards, owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, have nothing but pride to play for in the remainder of the Twenty20 event.
They had earlier earned the dubious distinction of losing eight matches on the trot. PTI
Monday, May 18, 2009
What the hell.. they won!
I am speechless...
THEY WON! THEY WON! THEY WON!
Okay, it's a good thing that I'm in my laboratory garb right now and surrounded by dangerous chemicals or I would have danced around the place like a maniac.
I was just feeling blegh yesterday, thinking.. this blog is going to be abandoned for quite sometime now coz with KR not doing so good at IPL 2 and Shah Rukh going AWOL, I just didn't have the mood to blog. And then this happened.
This is taking awhile to sink in. Excuse me while I go roam about the net and see what else I can dig out.
EDIT:
I see a lot of people are quite vocal about their support for the Aussie captain over at KR website now. Where were they when the team was suffering?
Anyway, some are despairing over fans criticizing Sourav. I say... all's fair in war and sports. You guys should have followed baseball in America. It's really a circus compared to cricket in India. Relax. The supply of idiots in this world is never-ending, accept that and move on.
Now that KR has 'officially' won its first match, I can understand the joy of supporting a team in a tournament. I abandoned caution and jumped about in front of the fume hood just now (no one was around... I checked).
Happy, happy... I'm happy. Even though I'm happy, I'm still wary of being optimistic for the next and last match. I just want them to go and play to win, that's all. I'll leave the result to God.
Friday, May 15, 2009
SRK is to be blamed for everything?
Source
P.Chakraborty,Ludhiana,says:What rubbish is going on? Mr. Khan now its your time to do something.[12 May, 2009 1302 hrs IST]
paul,bangalore,says:SRK, we do not care if your team wins or loses. But we care for the Indian players who are getting abused by the Aussie gang. Your popularity is already melting; and it will be good idea that you take some action now. [12 May, 2009 1220 hrs IST]
Gautam Gualti,adipur,says:Shame on SRK for letting this happen. He should immediately sack all foreign coaches.[12 May, 2009 1219 hrs IST]
Mohd Munaf,Pune,says:Here, I give a great console to SRK and his team. I am a huge fan of SRK so do not want to see him upset. His team should have perfomed as a topper in this tournament. Because there is a very smart person, Sourav Ganguly, who has not been given the chance to lead the team. Because of the waste coach John Buchanan. I do not understand why SRK is giving so much importance to Buchanan.[12 May, 2009 1120 hrs IST]
rabindranath bhattacharya,chennai ,says:Buchanan's multi captain theory was useless as pointed out by Gavaskar and he is to be sacked if KRK is to survive .We still have the mentality of slaves when we face a white person and Saurav proved it otherwise and there lies his fault. What about SRK? He being the owner does not seem to have guts to take action. [12 May, 2009 1109 hrs IST]
Sneha,Delhi,says:This is utter disgusting and racist. Aussies are know for their haughty and racist attitude especially towards Asians. This must stop. SRK cannot lay low now and ignore these irritations. He has been acting spineless till now bringing shame not only to him but India as a whole besides KKR. The KKR foreign management staff must be sacked with immediate effect- no diplomacy required.[12 May, 2009 1109 hrs IST]
Santosh,Mysore,says:SRK should take responsibility for all the things that have taken place.[12 May, 2009 1102 hrs IST]
Next they'll be blaming him for famine, flood and bad weather. I've read of movie stars being treated like Gods in India and temples erected to perform pooja for SRK (despite the fact that he's a muslim ^^;) so probably in a way, it's quite a compliment ..him being blamed for everything wrong with KR in IPL as if he were some magnanimous God who could allow miracles to happen. But this is starting to look ridiculous, to an outsider at least.
Lemme tell ya, KR is not only owned by SRK. It's co-owned. And it resides under the banner of Red Chillies Entertainment so any decisions must be discussed with everyone who's involved. There're also many sponsors who have signed agreements under terms we don't know, which affect any decision the owners take. What's wrong with being calm-headed and waiting until the tournament is over to take stock of everything instead of going on a rampage and suspending/sacking everyone who was allegedly responsible for the catastrophe now? Please enlighten me as to how the latter will impact the team brand in a more positive way.
I've read so many comments from so many quarters now that I'm convinced these people suffer from acute schizophrenia. They want SRK to take charge ...they don't want SRK to take charge. They want SRK to be there in SA until the end of the tournament ...they want SRK to go back to India and not to show his face anymore in the stadium. They want SRK to sack Mr B + the coaching staff and get Sourav back to captaincy ...they don't want SRK to get involved in deciding anything regarding team composition. They say he knows nothing about cricket ...they blame him for all the cricketing decisions taken by the team. They're angry when he appears on TV/newspapers to talk about KR and IPL ...they're angry that he's laying low and not commenting on everything pertaining to the issue of why KR has not been performing in IPL. They say he's clueless about anything that happens in the team ...and now they're blaming him for 'allowing' his Aussie staff to be racists even while he's sulking back home with no access to their dressing room.
Come on guys, I read Fake IPL Player's blog too. I know where this 'fact' comes from, despite former India player Ajay Jadeja vehemently insisting that he had the information from players themselves (why do these legendary and esteemed cricket ex-players always target KR as their platform to speak about IPL when there're seven other teams available too?). Is Mr Jadeja a closet follower of FIP?
You believe everything you read on the net even though it's written by an anonymous blogger? If I say I'm a 40 year old businessman who actually has a small stake in one of the teams making up IPL, which is why I've been blogging continuously about the tournament (by the way, I usually dictate to my SRK-obsessed secretary what to write in this blog coz I don't have time to do the posts myself) ...you'd also swallow it whole? You don't believe people so easily off the net, why are you so gullible online? If he'd interfered with the team, you'd liken him to Vijay Mallya and accuse him of caring only about money and nothing about cricket, etc etc. ad nauseam. Your logic is warped and you want the people at Red Chillies Ent to accept your 'brilliant' advices and make decisions based on them? You guys are funny.
Have a bash wasting your time with the blame game. We'll 'see' each other again on the internet for IPL 3 next year. Ja!
P.Chakraborty,Ludhiana,says:What rubbish is going on? Mr. Khan now its your time to do something.[12 May, 2009 1302 hrs IST]
paul,bangalore,says:SRK, we do not care if your team wins or loses. But we care for the Indian players who are getting abused by the Aussie gang. Your popularity is already melting; and it will be good idea that you take some action now. [12 May, 2009 1220 hrs IST]
Gautam Gualti,adipur,says:Shame on SRK for letting this happen. He should immediately sack all foreign coaches.[12 May, 2009 1219 hrs IST]
Mohd Munaf,Pune,says:Here, I give a great console to SRK and his team. I am a huge fan of SRK so do not want to see him upset. His team should have perfomed as a topper in this tournament. Because there is a very smart person, Sourav Ganguly, who has not been given the chance to lead the team. Because of the waste coach John Buchanan. I do not understand why SRK is giving so much importance to Buchanan.[12 May, 2009 1120 hrs IST]
rabindranath bhattacharya,chennai ,says:Buchanan's multi captain theory was useless as pointed out by Gavaskar and he is to be sacked if KRK is to survive .We still have the mentality of slaves when we face a white person and Saurav proved it otherwise and there lies his fault. What about SRK? He being the owner does not seem to have guts to take action. [12 May, 2009 1109 hrs IST]
Sneha,Delhi,says:This is utter disgusting and racist. Aussies are know for their haughty and racist attitude especially towards Asians. This must stop. SRK cannot lay low now and ignore these irritations. He has been acting spineless till now bringing shame not only to him but India as a whole besides KKR. The KKR foreign management staff must be sacked with immediate effect- no diplomacy required.[12 May, 2009 1109 hrs IST]
Santosh,Mysore,says:SRK should take responsibility for all the things that have taken place.[12 May, 2009 1102 hrs IST]
Next they'll be blaming him for famine, flood and bad weather. I've read of movie stars being treated like Gods in India and temples erected to perform pooja for SRK (despite the fact that he's a muslim ^^;) so probably in a way, it's quite a compliment ..him being blamed for everything wrong with KR in IPL as if he were some magnanimous God who could allow miracles to happen. But this is starting to look ridiculous, to an outsider at least.
Lemme tell ya, KR is not only owned by SRK. It's co-owned. And it resides under the banner of Red Chillies Entertainment so any decisions must be discussed with everyone who's involved. There're also many sponsors who have signed agreements under terms we don't know, which affect any decision the owners take. What's wrong with being calm-headed and waiting until the tournament is over to take stock of everything instead of going on a rampage and suspending/sacking everyone who was allegedly responsible for the catastrophe now? Please enlighten me as to how the latter will impact the team brand in a more positive way.
I've read so many comments from so many quarters now that I'm convinced these people suffer from acute schizophrenia. They want SRK to take charge ...they don't want SRK to take charge. They want SRK to be there in SA until the end of the tournament ...they want SRK to go back to India and not to show his face anymore in the stadium. They want SRK to sack Mr B + the coaching staff and get Sourav back to captaincy ...they don't want SRK to get involved in deciding anything regarding team composition. They say he knows nothing about cricket ...they blame him for all the cricketing decisions taken by the team. They're angry when he appears on TV/newspapers to talk about KR and IPL ...they're angry that he's laying low and not commenting on everything pertaining to the issue of why KR has not been performing in IPL. They say he's clueless about anything that happens in the team ...and now they're blaming him for 'allowing' his Aussie staff to be racists even while he's sulking back home with no access to their dressing room.
Come on guys, I read Fake IPL Player's blog too. I know where this 'fact' comes from, despite former India player Ajay Jadeja vehemently insisting that he had the information from players themselves (why do these legendary and esteemed cricket ex-players always target KR as their platform to speak about IPL when there're seven other teams available too?). Is Mr Jadeja a closet follower of FIP?
You believe everything you read on the net even though it's written by an anonymous blogger? If I say I'm a 40 year old businessman who actually has a small stake in one of the teams making up IPL, which is why I've been blogging continuously about the tournament (by the way, I usually dictate to my SRK-obsessed secretary what to write in this blog coz I don't have time to do the posts myself) ...you'd also swallow it whole? You don't believe people so easily off the net, why are you so gullible online? If he'd interfered with the team, you'd liken him to Vijay Mallya and accuse him of caring only about money and nothing about cricket, etc etc. ad nauseam. Your logic is warped and you want the people at Red Chillies Ent to accept your 'brilliant' advices and make decisions based on them? You guys are funny.
Have a bash wasting your time with the blame game. We'll 'see' each other again on the internet for IPL 3 next year. Ja!
Oh?
I did wonder why Steve Waugh was suddenly so chatty about KR. But that's not the main point of this post.
I just want to say... bloody hell, there're too many yappers in KR, that's for sure. They yap worse than my aunts. Who are all these frigging sources anyway? Don't we have enough 'sources' from the FIP already? If there's anything official, dudes... I suggest you wait until the management issues the statements in a press conference. Or, don't use the anonymous 'sources closely related to the Knight Riders' tag. Why bother giving all these juicy bits if you can't get your 15 minutes of fame? Idiots.
Which is what I want to suggest to the FIP as well. Why expose yourself in your 'FAKE' blog? Why not call up a press conference and create a whole new drama? God knows the desperate journos covering the IPL can't get enough of it.
I bet he can get a book deal. Maybe I should go to his blog later and suggest it. His two-day posting schedule is today. I wonder if he'd read my comment. I suggested something to him earlier but the suggestion wasn't taken up. I was so disappointed coz I thought he'd mention my name in his next post. Shucks, there goes my chance to be famous on the internet. Oh, and I voted in the poll too. Not that new longishly freaky one adorning the page now, the first one. I ticked the last option.
I intensely dislike incompetent people who talk too much. I feel like telling the noisy team members to shut the frell up and leave SA so the lot of them unenthusiastic players and staff can be axed and done with. Meh.
On another turf, someone has gone and done a study on the relationship between the celebrity status of the owner of an IPL team and its performance. Wow. Maybe Amitabh Bacchan was right on the money about wanting to be a journalist. If this is journalism, then anyone can do it, even a movie star. I too have a lot of relationship theories pertaining to anything and everything. Maybe I can also get paid if I write articles about them and send them to the paper.
PS: Something is not quite right with the comment display in his blog. I'll try again later lah. The deadline is 18th, right?
I just want to say... bloody hell, there're too many yappers in KR, that's for sure. They yap worse than my aunts. Who are all these frigging sources anyway? Don't we have enough 'sources' from the FIP already? If there's anything official, dudes... I suggest you wait until the management issues the statements in a press conference. Or, don't use the anonymous 'sources closely related to the Knight Riders' tag. Why bother giving all these juicy bits if you can't get your 15 minutes of fame? Idiots.
Which is what I want to suggest to the FIP as well. Why expose yourself in your 'FAKE' blog? Why not call up a press conference and create a whole new drama? God knows the desperate journos covering the IPL can't get enough of it.
I bet he can get a book deal. Maybe I should go to his blog later and suggest it. His two-day posting schedule is today. I wonder if he'd read my comment. I suggested something to him earlier but the suggestion wasn't taken up. I was so disappointed coz I thought he'd mention my name in his next post. Shucks, there goes my chance to be famous on the internet. Oh, and I voted in the poll too. Not that new longishly freaky one adorning the page now, the first one. I ticked the last option.
I intensely dislike incompetent people who talk too much. I feel like telling the noisy team members to shut the frell up and leave SA so the lot of them unenthusiastic players and staff can be axed and done with. Meh.
On another turf, someone has gone and done a study on the relationship between the celebrity status of the owner of an IPL team and its performance. Wow. Maybe Amitabh Bacchan was right on the money about wanting to be a journalist. If this is journalism, then anyone can do it, even a movie star. I too have a lot of relationship theories pertaining to anything and everything. Maybe I can also get paid if I write articles about them and send them to the paper.
PS: Something is not quite right with the comment display in his blog. I'll try again later lah. The deadline is 18th, right?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
I'm depressed...
I've been reading Fake IPL Player (or FIP)'s blog regularly ever since I read it the first time last week. He always writes every 2 days so I know when to look up for new posts.
I don't mind what he writes. In fact, sometimes his posts give me hope on the future of the team when I thought all hopes are lost. Yeah, I find silver linings everywhere.. hmm. I'm such a positive person.
What depresses me are the comments. Most are anonymous, obviously. I wonder why they don't sign their comments with their Google IDs. There're more than 6000 FIP followers and you're telling me none of the anonymous comments was made by any of them? I wonder if they'd write what they wrote if they'd signed it with their ID. Bloody cowards.
I don't think of FIP as a coward XD. I think of him as a spy. Would a spy reveal his identity before his mission is completed? Of course not. That he's avoided detection for this long and continued to deliver his post after every match... how to say this without earning my fellow SRK-fans' wrath... mmm, it's like admiring an Inland Taipan. You know it's deadly, but oh... look at that lovely colour! You can't help being mesmerized.
I dunno what to believe, or who to believe. But in my humble opinion, if Shah Rukh wants his team to succeed next year, he doesn't just have to change the whole facets of KR, but he also has to change the face of KR. As long as it's Shah Rukh's face that's plastered on any KR-related items, promo, God-knows-what-else ...the ugly memory of IPL 2 will rear its head again in the mind of all cricket fans and followers. Not to mention, this weird almost-destructive frenzy that always grips the Indian media when they're in Shah Rukh's presence (when they interviewed him during the election, they trampled each other to get to him), whether it be virtual or physical.
I love Shah Rukh and I'm his fan, but hey... sports is sports, and if I want to invest this much and more energy in supporting the Knight Riders next year, there's no frigging way I'm going to jump into this much muck with my eyes open. RC Ent had better clean up everything right away if they want to have a chance in hell to make a difference with the team for next year.
Why do I still want to root for KR after this year's debacle? Well, I like what Shah Rukh is trying to achieve with the team (I'm one of those people who bothered to dig out his KR-related interviews) even though he failed spectacularly this year. I want to see whether the things he wants to accomplish are really doable or not.
Anyway, the other choices are those corporate types (...eeek!) and Bollywood babes. As much as I love beautiful women, I don't swing that way coz it's not allowed in my religion... nothing to do with discriminating females in cricket at all, no no. After all, I'm a female too.
Plus, Shah Rukh is a Datuk in my country, a title conferred by my birth state. Supporting a team he co-owns makes perfect patriotic sense. It's almost as if I were cheering for my own state team in the Indian Premiere League. Cool, huh? Now if only the team would start winning, then all will be alright with my world.
Other than that, the only reason why I support underdogs is because when they finally win, I want to be able to say that I've been with them from the beginning... ha!
I don't mind what he writes. In fact, sometimes his posts give me hope on the future of the team when I thought all hopes are lost. Yeah, I find silver linings everywhere.. hmm. I'm such a positive person.
What depresses me are the comments. Most are anonymous, obviously. I wonder why they don't sign their comments with their Google IDs. There're more than 6000 FIP followers and you're telling me none of the anonymous comments was made by any of them? I wonder if they'd write what they wrote if they'd signed it with their ID. Bloody cowards.
I don't think of FIP as a coward XD. I think of him as a spy. Would a spy reveal his identity before his mission is completed? Of course not. That he's avoided detection for this long and continued to deliver his post after every match... how to say this without earning my fellow SRK-fans' wrath... mmm, it's like admiring an Inland Taipan. You know it's deadly, but oh... look at that lovely colour! You can't help being mesmerized.
I dunno what to believe, or who to believe. But in my humble opinion, if Shah Rukh wants his team to succeed next year, he doesn't just have to change the whole facets of KR, but he also has to change the face of KR. As long as it's Shah Rukh's face that's plastered on any KR-related items, promo, God-knows-what-else ...the ugly memory of IPL 2 will rear its head again in the mind of all cricket fans and followers. Not to mention, this weird almost-destructive frenzy that always grips the Indian media when they're in Shah Rukh's presence (when they interviewed him during the election, they trampled each other to get to him), whether it be virtual or physical.
I love Shah Rukh and I'm his fan, but hey... sports is sports, and if I want to invest this much and more energy in supporting the Knight Riders next year, there's no frigging way I'm going to jump into this much muck with my eyes open. RC Ent had better clean up everything right away if they want to have a chance in hell to make a difference with the team for next year.
Why do I still want to root for KR after this year's debacle? Well, I like what Shah Rukh is trying to achieve with the team (I'm one of those people who bothered to dig out his KR-related interviews) even though he failed spectacularly this year. I want to see whether the things he wants to accomplish are really doable or not.
Anyway, the other choices are those corporate types (...eeek!) and Bollywood babes. As much as I love beautiful women, I don't swing that way coz it's not allowed in my religion... nothing to do with discriminating females in cricket at all, no no. After all, I'm a female too.
Plus, Shah Rukh is a Datuk in my country, a title conferred by my birth state. Supporting a team he co-owns makes perfect patriotic sense. It's almost as if I were cheering for my own state team in the Indian Premiere League. Cool, huh? Now if only the team would start winning, then all will be alright with my world.
Other than that, the only reason why I support underdogs is because when they finally win, I want to be able to say that I've been with them from the beginning... ha!
My comment to Mr. Vivek
(link)
O God. What more do you guys want? The team is already down so what's the point with dragging it into further controversies? Do you hate SRK so much that you want to tear his team apart like this? You're just inflaming the Indian fans against the Knight Riders and I think what you're doing is evil. I don't get why you're doing this but please stop.
Before this I thought I was just being paranoid, but now I seriously think that the Indian media is trying to tear apart this team and they're not gonna stop until Shah Rukh sells it off. And even if Shah Rukh were to sell it, I doubt they're gonna let the matter rest. They're like some savage hungry dogs who've got their jaws and paws on a juicy bone.
I'm not worried about Shah Rukh, he's faced worst things than this in the course of his 2-decades career. But I think it's really unfair on the guys in the team who're just trying their best to play their game. Are these journalists trying to tell us that no matter how bad or good the guys are on the XI, their effort will just be ignored in favour of this sort of controversies because one of their team owners is Shah Rukh Khan?
This is the first time I've come across such perversion in the media first hand. I've always heard it before but I've never had the 'priveleige' of witnessing it as it's unfolding. These evil people scare me. I'm so glad I've never wanted to be a journalist (unlike some people).
O God. What more do you guys want? The team is already down so what's the point with dragging it into further controversies? Do you hate SRK so much that you want to tear his team apart like this? You're just inflaming the Indian fans against the Knight Riders and I think what you're doing is evil. I don't get why you're doing this but please stop.
Before this I thought I was just being paranoid, but now I seriously think that the Indian media is trying to tear apart this team and they're not gonna stop until Shah Rukh sells it off. And even if Shah Rukh were to sell it, I doubt they're gonna let the matter rest. They're like some savage hungry dogs who've got their jaws and paws on a juicy bone.
I'm not worried about Shah Rukh, he's faced worst things than this in the course of his 2-decades career. But I think it's really unfair on the guys in the team who're just trying their best to play their game. Are these journalists trying to tell us that no matter how bad or good the guys are on the XI, their effort will just be ignored in favour of this sort of controversies because one of their team owners is Shah Rukh Khan?
This is the first time I've come across such perversion in the media first hand. I've always heard it before but I've never had the 'priveleige' of witnessing it as it's unfolding. These evil people scare me. I'm so glad I've never wanted to be a journalist (unlike some people).
Who are we supposed to believe? The media, the esteemed outsiders, the senior KR players or the Fake IPL blogger?
Source
KKR racial slur never happened
KKR racial slur never happened
espnstar.com has come to know that the alleged racist comment between a coach and a player in the KKR camp never happened.
By Shikha Sachdeva
According to sources in the camp it was just a heated exchange which has been misreported in certain sections of the media.
At least two senior players of the Shah Rukh Khan owned franchisee told espnstar.com that the allegations are "not true".
"I was there when the incident took place. It didn't involve John Buchanan but someone else from the support staff and a senior India cricketer," said one of the players on condition of anonymity.
espnstar.com has learnt that the incident took place on March 23rd when Kolkata Knight Riders were playing an IPL game against the defending champions Rajasthan Royals in Cape Town.
The flare up happened between a senior Indian player and one of the assistant coaches of KKR and there was nothing racist about it.
"I was there when the incident took place near the super over stage of the game. The coach told the player to whatever he is told to do and there was no mention of ‘you Indian' etc," said a member of the KKR who incidentally is of Indian origin.
The whole incident was highlighted when former India captain Ajay Jadeja told a news channel that more than one member of the KKR team has told him that they are being racially abused by the support staff of the team which largely comprises Australians.
The former Test cricketer made a sensational claim by hinting that a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders' foreign coaching staff had racial overtones to his language used for an Indian player during the tournament.
Jadeja said in a TV programme that Indian players were being ill-treated in their own domestic IPL, which has not seen the Kolkata team winning barring in one match where they triumphed via Duckworth-Lewis method.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
I'm at a loss for words...
Predictably, KR lost again by 6 wickets to Bangalore (source). Why predictably? Because I could sense that the only team KR felt as if they had a fighting chance with, and could probably win against, in IPL 2 is Punjab. And that chance was loooooong gone.
Looking back at my previous posts, I think I have the makings of a bookie. Even without watching the game and knowing how the game works, I managed to predict that Chennai and Delhi are going to be the top two teams even while Deccan was having a good run on the playing XI at the time. It's a good thing that gambling is not allowed in my religion or I could have raked in some dirty money by now XD.
The one I didn't predict was Rajasthan, although I did think it's gonna be one of the contenders for the top four positions. But I still think it'll be Chennai and Delhi in the final. Hmmm, we'll see what happens at the semis.
Looking back at my previous posts, I think I have the makings of a bookie. Even without watching the game and knowing how the game works, I managed to predict that Chennai and Delhi are going to be the top two teams even while Deccan was having a good run on the playing XI at the time. It's a good thing that gambling is not allowed in my religion or I could have raked in some dirty money by now XD.
The one I didn't predict was Rajasthan, although I did think it's gonna be one of the contenders for the top four positions. But I still think it'll be Chennai and Delhi in the final. Hmmm, we'll see what happens at the semis.
Monday, May 11, 2009
I like this article...
Source
Saturday May 02, 2009
There are matches every team loses. And there are games every team wins. But when you start losing every match that you were close to winning, then you are in deep, deep trouble. Which is why Kolkata Knight Riders, after having played 50 per cent of their matches in IPL2, are languishing at the bottom.
Several reasons are being offered for the inept display. None more than this: a lot of good KKR players are missing in action: Umar Gul, Shoiab Akhtar, David Hussey, Ricky Ponting and Salman Butt.
But KKR's isn't the only team missing out on key recruits. So far, Rajasthan Royals don't have Shane Watson and Sohail Tanveer, two of the most successful players in IPL1.
Kings XI Punjab doesn't have Shaun Marsh, Brett Lee, James Hopes, who were integral to their success last season. Yet they are not doing half as badly as KKR. Like a bad workman, one can always go on endlessly quarelling with the tools or try to make the best of a bad situation. That's exactly what Rajasthan and Punjab are doing.
Compare the phoren resources of these teams and you'll see that KKR is second to neither. On paper, Gayle, McCullum, Hodge, Mendis are as good as anything that Punjab Kings or Rajasthan Royal can offer.
Before IPL2, had anybody even heard of RJ Quiney who has now been regularly playing as a foreigner pro in the RR top order?
The scenario is similar with domestic players. Agreed that senior pros like Ganguly, Ishant and Kartik need to do much more. But it is also true that lesser lights like Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Ashok Dinda, Wriddhiman Saha have not been handled properly. They seem to be filling in the blanks, rather than being given a definite role.
Young cricketers often exceed expectations with the right kind of backing. And one is not just talking about Warne and his boys. Look how Karan Goel has played for Kings Punjab XI this season. He may not have got big runs, but on every occasion Goel has shown he belongs. It is a question of spotting talent and keeping faith.
In comparison, coach John Boka-known oops Buchanan's handling of fringe players has been below par. Players like Anureet Singh, A Ghosh, Yashpal Singh have walked in and out of the team like it were a thoroughfare. And there's simply no point in discussing the plight of Bangar and Chopra.
Tactically Buchanan has followed a policy of lining up all his best senior pros in the top slots. Once they are gone, often leaving a higher asking rate than what they started out with, lesser mortals are left to handle the worst.
Wouldn't it have been better to hold at least one top pro back and let players like Shukla or Saha intersperse in the top order? The only game when such an experiment was carried out (against Rajasthan Royals), KKR played its best game. And how about using Agarkar as a pinch hitter as Mumbai Indians have done with Harbhajan?
With all the aides at his disposal (17 according to one newspaper report), Buchanan doesn't seem to have a Plan B. Or is it that he has too many plans - from Plan A to Plan Z - and doesn't know which one to choose.
Solve this mystery for me. In the game against Bangalore, KKR had three wicket-keepers in the playing XI. One of them, Van Wyk, has been relatively successful with the bat. But why was he played in the first place remains a mystery.
Surely, the team did not need a 'pro' wicket-keeper batsman taking up the precious fourth foreigner slot in the team when they already have a competent desi keeper (Saha, also a World Cup probable) and a phoren player (captain McCullum) capable of playing the same role.
What KKR really lacks is depth in bowling. The team badly needs a strike bowler capable of taking two-three wickets. Which is why playing Van Wyk was not a great idea. For playing him means keeping out Ajantha Mendis, the only genuine strike bowler in the team, apart from Ishant. In any case, Buchanan seems to be a rare coach who doesn't see the virtues of playing the best spinner in the team in such favourable conditions.
Mendis shouldn't have been reduced to being a fringe player but seen as an integral part of KKR's scheme of things. That's perhaps Buchanan's biggest strategic mistake. True, Yusuf Pathan, Sachin and Jayasuriya hit him but remember these players can hit anybody on their day. Don't forget Mendis got Pathan the first time and was unlucky not to have got Pathan in the second ball of the super over. For a majority of batsmen, Mendis still will be hard to get away.
Now, the real question is: Can KKR haul itself out of the abyss? If that is translated as whether it can enter the semi-final, the answer is a flat no. There's no way captain McCullum and his boys, including Fake IPl player, can claw their way to the top four. With or without Buchanan.
But I guess that's not what the KKR fan is expecting anymore. What the average fan really wants is a performance with heart. Even in the first edition, KKR never looked like a champion team. But there was an electricity, a frisson that every fan felt running through his spine watching most of the games.
Remember McCullum's 13 sixes in his 73 ball 158 against Royal Challengers, simply the best knock played in IPL today.
Remember Ganguly's 3-0-7-1 spell where he clean bowled Rahul Dravid, every dot ball cheered like a six by a passionate Eden Gardens crowd on a muggy night. Those 18 deliveries, along with a modest 20, got him the man of the match award in that rain-curtailed game.
Remember Shoiab Akhtar, playing his first game, bowling an unplayable 3-0-11-4 spell where he toyed with Gambhir, Sehwag, de Villiers and Manoj Tiwary. Nobody has bowled a more fiery and memorable spell in IPL before or since. That night KKR defended 133 with ease.
And remember Ganguly smoting Irfan Pathan for sixes to win the last game for KKR. It was an unbeaten 86 off 53 balls with six sixes. But that didn't get him the man of the match award because Umar Gul went one better. He had smashed 24 off 11 balls with three sixes and scalped four for 23.
Each of these performances came straight from the heart. That's what made KKR stand out from the rest. Watching them play wasn't just witnessing a game. It was also witnessing human drama. And that's what everybody is waiting for.
And that's what Buchanan, McCullum and company have also failed to produce.
Saturday May 02, 2009
There are matches every team loses. And there are games every team wins. But when you start losing every match that you were close to winning, then you are in deep, deep trouble. Which is why Kolkata Knight Riders, after having played 50 per cent of their matches in IPL2, are languishing at the bottom.
Several reasons are being offered for the inept display. None more than this: a lot of good KKR players are missing in action: Umar Gul, Shoiab Akhtar, David Hussey, Ricky Ponting and Salman Butt.
But KKR's isn't the only team missing out on key recruits. So far, Rajasthan Royals don't have Shane Watson and Sohail Tanveer, two of the most successful players in IPL1.
Kings XI Punjab doesn't have Shaun Marsh, Brett Lee, James Hopes, who were integral to their success last season. Yet they are not doing half as badly as KKR. Like a bad workman, one can always go on endlessly quarelling with the tools or try to make the best of a bad situation. That's exactly what Rajasthan and Punjab are doing.
Compare the phoren resources of these teams and you'll see that KKR is second to neither. On paper, Gayle, McCullum, Hodge, Mendis are as good as anything that Punjab Kings or Rajasthan Royal can offer.
Before IPL2, had anybody even heard of RJ Quiney who has now been regularly playing as a foreigner pro in the RR top order?
The scenario is similar with domestic players. Agreed that senior pros like Ganguly, Ishant and Kartik need to do much more. But it is also true that lesser lights like Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Ashok Dinda, Wriddhiman Saha have not been handled properly. They seem to be filling in the blanks, rather than being given a definite role.
Young cricketers often exceed expectations with the right kind of backing. And one is not just talking about Warne and his boys. Look how Karan Goel has played for Kings Punjab XI this season. He may not have got big runs, but on every occasion Goel has shown he belongs. It is a question of spotting talent and keeping faith.
In comparison, coach John Boka-known oops Buchanan's handling of fringe players has been below par. Players like Anureet Singh, A Ghosh, Yashpal Singh have walked in and out of the team like it were a thoroughfare. And there's simply no point in discussing the plight of Bangar and Chopra.
Tactically Buchanan has followed a policy of lining up all his best senior pros in the top slots. Once they are gone, often leaving a higher asking rate than what they started out with, lesser mortals are left to handle the worst.
Wouldn't it have been better to hold at least one top pro back and let players like Shukla or Saha intersperse in the top order? The only game when such an experiment was carried out (against Rajasthan Royals), KKR played its best game. And how about using Agarkar as a pinch hitter as Mumbai Indians have done with Harbhajan?
With all the aides at his disposal (17 according to one newspaper report), Buchanan doesn't seem to have a Plan B. Or is it that he has too many plans - from Plan A to Plan Z - and doesn't know which one to choose.
Solve this mystery for me. In the game against Bangalore, KKR had three wicket-keepers in the playing XI. One of them, Van Wyk, has been relatively successful with the bat. But why was he played in the first place remains a mystery.
Surely, the team did not need a 'pro' wicket-keeper batsman taking up the precious fourth foreigner slot in the team when they already have a competent desi keeper (Saha, also a World Cup probable) and a phoren player (captain McCullum) capable of playing the same role.
What KKR really lacks is depth in bowling. The team badly needs a strike bowler capable of taking two-three wickets. Which is why playing Van Wyk was not a great idea. For playing him means keeping out Ajantha Mendis, the only genuine strike bowler in the team, apart from Ishant. In any case, Buchanan seems to be a rare coach who doesn't see the virtues of playing the best spinner in the team in such favourable conditions.
Mendis shouldn't have been reduced to being a fringe player but seen as an integral part of KKR's scheme of things. That's perhaps Buchanan's biggest strategic mistake. True, Yusuf Pathan, Sachin and Jayasuriya hit him but remember these players can hit anybody on their day. Don't forget Mendis got Pathan the first time and was unlucky not to have got Pathan in the second ball of the super over. For a majority of batsmen, Mendis still will be hard to get away.
Now, the real question is: Can KKR haul itself out of the abyss? If that is translated as whether it can enter the semi-final, the answer is a flat no. There's no way captain McCullum and his boys, including Fake IPl player, can claw their way to the top four. With or without Buchanan.
But I guess that's not what the KKR fan is expecting anymore. What the average fan really wants is a performance with heart. Even in the first edition, KKR never looked like a champion team. But there was an electricity, a frisson that every fan felt running through his spine watching most of the games.
Remember McCullum's 13 sixes in his 73 ball 158 against Royal Challengers, simply the best knock played in IPL today.
Remember Ganguly's 3-0-7-1 spell where he clean bowled Rahul Dravid, every dot ball cheered like a six by a passionate Eden Gardens crowd on a muggy night. Those 18 deliveries, along with a modest 20, got him the man of the match award in that rain-curtailed game.
Remember Shoiab Akhtar, playing his first game, bowling an unplayable 3-0-11-4 spell where he toyed with Gambhir, Sehwag, de Villiers and Manoj Tiwary. Nobody has bowled a more fiery and memorable spell in IPL before or since. That night KKR defended 133 with ease.
And remember Ganguly smoting Irfan Pathan for sixes to win the last game for KKR. It was an unbeaten 86 off 53 balls with six sixes. But that didn't get him the man of the match award because Umar Gul went one better. He had smashed 24 off 11 balls with three sixes and scalped four for 23.
Each of these performances came straight from the heart. That's what made KKR stand out from the rest. Watching them play wasn't just witnessing a game. It was also witnessing human drama. And that's what everybody is waiting for.
And that's what Buchanan, McCullum and company have also failed to produce.
Revival of the Art of Sledging By IPL Players
I'm not sorry for having a sense of humour... ha! XD
Well, I find this article quite funny. I didn't know this kind of thing happens regularly on the field. I know about the slapping incident that barred Harbhajan for 11 matches in last year's edition of IPL but I didn't know it's an accepted and even an expected thing in cricket.
I hate the fact that KR is becoming the butt of everyone's joke now, but hey... supporting a team that has consistently been losing every match except 2 (and even those wins were said to be due to divine intervention) and being vocal about your support for it to people who're ridiculing it right and left requires you to have a sense of humour. When they lose, we say "tough luck, try harder next time" and when they win, we say "that's it, now do it like that again for the next one". Although, we didn't get to say the latter as often as we want to this year.
I got into it because of Shah Rukh of course, but no way am I going to defend the losses by spouting about his goodness, hotness, and whatness. He's not one of the players on the field and he's not involved in the cricketing decisions (except when Mr B tries to get some veto power in support of his brilliant suggestions, I guess).
I don't find any point in bringing to the table Shah Rukh's achievements in promoting the team as a valid argument against KR's detractors for the same reason I think there's no point in getting him chopped off body part by body part with a guillotine blade for KR's poor performance. Losers are always getting kicked around anyway, at a school playground or a widely broadcasted IPL playing field. And even when you're a winner in almost all your previous ventures, if you find yourself currently saddled with a losing team... you just have to accept the brunt and move on.
In this last week though, I feel as if us KR supporters are cheering for a game that's separate from everyone else's. While their eyes are trained on the finish line, ours are trained firmly on one direction... the faltering horse at the back (hey, I like that Derby analogy, okay). You can do it, kiddo! Just a coupla feet more! Yes, I'm inwardly slapping myself. Happy?
Source
If you have thought sledging is a lost art reserved for special applications during the test matches, you seem to be in dire need of revamping your cricket knowledge. The international cricket stars playing in the IPL are not only resorting to sledging in a big way, they have actually elevated it to the level of an art form. From Shane Warne to senior Indian cricketers, all are brushing up on their sledging prowess, while a few formidable veterans stay immune from the sledging. Read this cricket funny news to learn about which IPL player is up to what kinds of banters.
Sledging has always been a part of international cricket. This is what adds spice to the game. Though employed with the prime objective of diverting opponent’s focus from the game, sledging is basically funny and at some points of time it even becomes hilarious. After the Harbhajan-Symonds incident during India’s tour to Australia, the ICC called for banning sledging in cricket. While the malicious remarks are rarely reported, the funny ones still making their rounds in the cricket pitches and it is the Indian Premier League, which is reviving this lost art in a big way.
How do you feel when your worth is questioned after you fare poorly for the organizations/ teams that have been paying you! Well, it plain hurts us to the hilt and that is the purpose of the sledger who asks you bluntly “So, how much did you cost your owners? Man, look at him, he’s our million dollar wicket, no?”
No matter whether you have made your owner poorer by millions or gave a pocket pinch of few thousand dollars - you will be attacked by a volley of queries by your opponents about your pay package in the ongoing tournament. Yes! This is the latest IPL trick that every team has been employing in vogue to disarm his opponents.
Even the senior cricketer like Shane Warne can’t help bantering about the price tags when it comes to pulling the leg of his opponents! Every time a batsman on the other end of the crease makes a six or four, he makes matter of fact queries as to how much he is billing his team for each four or six! A leading Indian batsman, unable to bear the brunt of the spinners’ unending queries anymore, retorted back, “You still don’t seem to be earning much anyway. You were the cheapest team last year and the cheapest this time again.”
Shah Rukh’s Knights are however the ones to suffer the worst kinds of sledging. Every time a Knight Rider batsman is packed off to pavilion, the inevitable comment that hurls upon him is: “He’s decided to put you all on sale? Is it true? But who’s going to buy you?” The sledgers seemingly picked up their cues from the rumors about Shah Rukh’s possible sale off of the team, as well as his practice of sacking the under performing cricketers!
For Kings XI Punjab players, it is even more unsettling. As a batsman starts taking a few big shots, the players from the opposite camp start yelling at each other hinting at the player’s attempt to impress the beautiful owner of the team, who would positively reward her players with a hug if they manage to cut a good show at the crease. “Well, look who wants to be the Man of the Match today! He’s really excited,” a comment such as this is sure to get the target where it is meant to and that after all is the goal of the opposite side.
It is mainly the younger players who are making the good target of sledging tactics of the opponents. Young Parthiv Patel for instance has been advised a number of times to give up his hope of doing it for Indian cricket team as he is making a fortune out of IPL. For Dirk Nannes it is even worse; every time he tries to concentrate, he is reminded by the opponents that he is actually playing at the cost of Glenn McGrath.
However, for Indian Premier League, there is a tacit code of sledging; no sledging for the senior and well respected cricketers. And as such, the likes of Tendulkar or McGrath or Jayasuriya remain largely deprived of such disconcerting experiences that go by the name of sledging.
Of course not all the senior cricket personalities are immune from sledging. As KKR keeper Brendon McCullum started walking toward pavilion after being dismissed, a senior wicketkeeper yelled from behind the stump, “Hey, send the laptop in next!” It is too obvious, to whom the slur was actually directed (Mr. Buchanan, the genius coach of the team, in case you are too bad at guessing).
Well, I find this article quite funny. I didn't know this kind of thing happens regularly on the field. I know about the slapping incident that barred Harbhajan for 11 matches in last year's edition of IPL but I didn't know it's an accepted and even an expected thing in cricket.
I hate the fact that KR is becoming the butt of everyone's joke now, but hey... supporting a team that has consistently been losing every match except 2 (and even those wins were said to be due to divine intervention) and being vocal about your support for it to people who're ridiculing it right and left requires you to have a sense of humour. When they lose, we say "tough luck, try harder next time" and when they win, we say "that's it, now do it like that again for the next one". Although, we didn't get to say the latter as often as we want to this year.
I got into it because of Shah Rukh of course, but no way am I going to defend the losses by spouting about his goodness, hotness, and whatness. He's not one of the players on the field and he's not involved in the cricketing decisions (except when Mr B tries to get some veto power in support of his brilliant suggestions, I guess).
I don't find any point in bringing to the table Shah Rukh's achievements in promoting the team as a valid argument against KR's detractors for the same reason I think there's no point in getting him chopped off body part by body part with a guillotine blade for KR's poor performance. Losers are always getting kicked around anyway, at a school playground or a widely broadcasted IPL playing field. And even when you're a winner in almost all your previous ventures, if you find yourself currently saddled with a losing team... you just have to accept the brunt and move on.
In this last week though, I feel as if us KR supporters are cheering for a game that's separate from everyone else's. While their eyes are trained on the finish line, ours are trained firmly on one direction... the faltering horse at the back (hey, I like that Derby analogy, okay). You can do it, kiddo! Just a coupla feet more! Yes, I'm inwardly slapping myself. Happy?
Source
If you have thought sledging is a lost art reserved for special applications during the test matches, you seem to be in dire need of revamping your cricket knowledge. The international cricket stars playing in the IPL are not only resorting to sledging in a big way, they have actually elevated it to the level of an art form. From Shane Warne to senior Indian cricketers, all are brushing up on their sledging prowess, while a few formidable veterans stay immune from the sledging. Read this cricket funny news to learn about which IPL player is up to what kinds of banters.
Sledging has always been a part of international cricket. This is what adds spice to the game. Though employed with the prime objective of diverting opponent’s focus from the game, sledging is basically funny and at some points of time it even becomes hilarious. After the Harbhajan-Symonds incident during India’s tour to Australia, the ICC called for banning sledging in cricket. While the malicious remarks are rarely reported, the funny ones still making their rounds in the cricket pitches and it is the Indian Premier League, which is reviving this lost art in a big way.
How do you feel when your worth is questioned after you fare poorly for the organizations/ teams that have been paying you! Well, it plain hurts us to the hilt and that is the purpose of the sledger who asks you bluntly “So, how much did you cost your owners? Man, look at him, he’s our million dollar wicket, no?”
No matter whether you have made your owner poorer by millions or gave a pocket pinch of few thousand dollars - you will be attacked by a volley of queries by your opponents about your pay package in the ongoing tournament. Yes! This is the latest IPL trick that every team has been employing in vogue to disarm his opponents.
Even the senior cricketer like Shane Warne can’t help bantering about the price tags when it comes to pulling the leg of his opponents! Every time a batsman on the other end of the crease makes a six or four, he makes matter of fact queries as to how much he is billing his team for each four or six! A leading Indian batsman, unable to bear the brunt of the spinners’ unending queries anymore, retorted back, “You still don’t seem to be earning much anyway. You were the cheapest team last year and the cheapest this time again.”
Shah Rukh’s Knights are however the ones to suffer the worst kinds of sledging. Every time a Knight Rider batsman is packed off to pavilion, the inevitable comment that hurls upon him is: “He’s decided to put you all on sale? Is it true? But who’s going to buy you?” The sledgers seemingly picked up their cues from the rumors about Shah Rukh’s possible sale off of the team, as well as his practice of sacking the under performing cricketers!
For Kings XI Punjab players, it is even more unsettling. As a batsman starts taking a few big shots, the players from the opposite camp start yelling at each other hinting at the player’s attempt to impress the beautiful owner of the team, who would positively reward her players with a hug if they manage to cut a good show at the crease. “Well, look who wants to be the Man of the Match today! He’s really excited,” a comment such as this is sure to get the target where it is meant to and that after all is the goal of the opposite side.
It is mainly the younger players who are making the good target of sledging tactics of the opponents. Young Parthiv Patel for instance has been advised a number of times to give up his hope of doing it for Indian cricket team as he is making a fortune out of IPL. For Dirk Nannes it is even worse; every time he tries to concentrate, he is reminded by the opponents that he is actually playing at the cost of Glenn McGrath.
However, for Indian Premier League, there is a tacit code of sledging; no sledging for the senior and well respected cricketers. And as such, the likes of Tendulkar or McGrath or Jayasuriya remain largely deprived of such disconcerting experiences that go by the name of sledging.
Of course not all the senior cricket personalities are immune from sledging. As KKR keeper Brendon McCullum started walking toward pavilion after being dismissed, a senior wicketkeeper yelled from behind the stump, “Hey, send the laptop in next!” It is too obvious, to whom the slur was actually directed (Mr. Buchanan, the genius coach of the team, in case you are too bad at guessing).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)