Cricket's billion dollar baby is a week old. And defying predictions of an early demise by the purists (more a wishful thinking than based on any realistic assessment of the ground realities), it is chugging along at a fair, if not frenetic, pace.
In Hyderabad, the response might have been a tad tepid, and on the first day in Mohali there were a few empty seats. But elsewhere -- at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, in Mumbai and Bangalore, Jaipur and Chennai -- the stands have been packed.
As fours and sixes have rained, leggy blonde cheerleaders, from countries which have had little or no truck with cricket, have balle-balle'ed to Daler Mahendi in Chandigarh and to Shivamani in Chennai, the crowds have enjoyed the action both on and off the ground.
As fours and sixes have rained, leggy blonde cheerleaders, from countries which have had little or no truck with cricket, have balle-balle'ed to Daler Mahendi in Chandigarh and to Shivamani in Chennai, the crowds have enjoyed the action both on and off the ground.
These are early days yet. But after one week and nine matches, few of them riveting, others one-sided, the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League appears to be a phenomenal success.
It is the subject of lunchtime conversations in office and come eight in the evening, at least for past one week, pubs with giant size TV screens have been seriously populated with cricket lovers.
A large part of the success is because of the stupendous viewership ratings the live coverage of the IPL matches have garnered. In modern day sports, television is king, and IPL is no exception. As viewership ratings have soared and corporate houses queued up to get their ads aired, the smile on IPL czar Lalit Modi's face has been almost beatific. It remains to be seen though if spectator interest and viewership ratings last through the length of 59 matches.
It is the subject of lunchtime conversations in office and come eight in the evening, at least for past one week, pubs with giant size TV screens have been seriously populated with cricket lovers.
A large part of the success is because of the stupendous viewership ratings the live coverage of the IPL matches have garnered. In modern day sports, television is king, and IPL is no exception. As viewership ratings have soared and corporate houses queued up to get their ads aired, the smile on IPL czar Lalit Modi's face has been almost beatific. It remains to be seen though if spectator interest and viewership ratings last through the length of 59 matches.
The League could not have asked for a more explosive or more entertaining start than the first match between Kolkata Knight Riders and the Bangalore Tigers. Kiwi wicket keeper Brandon McCullam, opening the innings for the Knight Readers played an innings of astonishing savagery, scoring 154 runs off just 85 deliveries. Even by T20 standards, it was an awesome display.
To no one's surprise, and to the spectators' delight, the bat held sway over the ball in most matches. McCullam's hundred was followed by an equally hardhitting knock by Aussie southpaw Michael Hussey. Already a name to reckon with in Tests and one-dayers, Hussey showed good cricketing skills are as essential for success in the game's shortest version too.
And despite the run glut, bowlers did enough to suggest during the first week of the tournament that they were not there merely as cannon fodder for batsmen. Glen McGrath still made the ball jump just short of good length on that off stump corridor and his erstwhile compatriot Shane Warne managed to get wicked turn from the pitch.
There are still 50 more matches to be played before the inaugural edition of the IPL draws to a close. One thing is pretty much certain -- by the time the last ball is bowled and the final run is scored, the grammar of cricket, as we have known it over the years, is likely to be significantly re-written.
Shots that would find place in no coaching manual would have become passe. Already the scoop over the shoulder, played fine and over the keeper, is being perfected to an art form by enterprising batsmen the world over. Frugal bowlers are proving to worth their weight in gold as economy rates have become as important as wickets.
As for me, I have told the wifey, till June 1, no dinner engagements please with anyone who is not into cricket. Every evening I join my parents in front of the television set and watch the match till the last ball.
I decided fairly early on I was a Kolkata Knight Riders fan, my Dad's not so sure -- he can't make up his mind between Delhi Daredevils or Kolkata Knight Riders.
My Ma has no such loyalty issues. Her loyalties remain unwaveringly with Sourav -- she would happily support Belize, if Dada were to captain that country's national side.
To no one's surprise, and to the spectators' delight, the bat held sway over the ball in most matches. McCullam's hundred was followed by an equally hardhitting knock by Aussie southpaw Michael Hussey. Already a name to reckon with in Tests and one-dayers, Hussey showed good cricketing skills are as essential for success in the game's shortest version too.
And despite the run glut, bowlers did enough to suggest during the first week of the tournament that they were not there merely as cannon fodder for batsmen. Glen McGrath still made the ball jump just short of good length on that off stump corridor and his erstwhile compatriot Shane Warne managed to get wicked turn from the pitch.
There are still 50 more matches to be played before the inaugural edition of the IPL draws to a close. One thing is pretty much certain -- by the time the last ball is bowled and the final run is scored, the grammar of cricket, as we have known it over the years, is likely to be significantly re-written.
Shots that would find place in no coaching manual would have become passe. Already the scoop over the shoulder, played fine and over the keeper, is being perfected to an art form by enterprising batsmen the world over. Frugal bowlers are proving to worth their weight in gold as economy rates have become as important as wickets.
As for me, I have told the wifey, till June 1, no dinner engagements please with anyone who is not into cricket. Every evening I join my parents in front of the television set and watch the match till the last ball.
I decided fairly early on I was a Kolkata Knight Riders fan, my Dad's not so sure -- he can't make up his mind between Delhi Daredevils or Kolkata Knight Riders.
My Ma has no such loyalty issues. Her loyalties remain unwaveringly with Sourav -- she would happily support Belize, if Dada were to captain that country's national side.
1 comment:
Good to see you are back to blogging. Hope all's well at your end. I've been traveling way too much the past few months, so just want to put my feet up and rest. But that's not likely to happen anytime soon. Lets catch up one of these days. I think it has been a few light years since we met.
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