Move over cricket, the IPL is here!

At the opening match of IPL,
I suddenly heard somebody yell:
"Oh King Khan, your team,
Is playing like a dream-
They're giving the Challengers hell!"

And in the end, what do we find?
The Challengers peeled off like rind.
The dashing Knight Riders,
Just squashed them like spiders-
It's a league that is one of its kind!

The Hindu, 19/04/08: Kolkata Knight Riders humble Bangalore Royal Challengers. Get the story here

Congratulations Sehwag!

Sehwag played some of his best
Strokes with the bat in this test.
A sizzling triple-ton,
In the hot Chennai sun -
Now surely his critics will rest?

Mid-Day 29/03/08: Sehwag has managed to silence his critics after his herculean innings yesterday.

(Photo credit: ABC.net.au)

Congratulations to the boys in blue

Our boys in blue vanquished the might
Of the Aussies, in the tri-series fight;
They clearly stole thunder,
From the Oz team down under -
What a memorable 'summer of spite'!

The Statesman 06/03/08: Bitter summer ends in triumph.

On sledging

Ricky Ponting awoke with a start.
"What a nightmare," said his racing heart.
"They are planning to master
Our sledge trick - disaster!
Or else why would they call it an art?"

The Telegraph Calcutta 27/02/08: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, fresh from leading India into the tri-series finals, on Tuesday said sledging is an art and the Australians have perfected it but it won’t take long for his boys to learn the tricks of the trade. Get the story here

The mother of all abuse

In a match, when two players got irate,
The referee said, “Boys, get this straight.
You may well hurl abuse
At your moms, if you choose,
But you can’t call each other primate!”

Daily Telegraph 29/01/08: Indian defence for Harbhajan Singh. Get the story here. Cricinfo 30/01/08: Insufficient evidence against Harbhajan - Hansen. Get the story here

In the new age of sportsmanship, it appears that monkeying around with moms is considered the lesser evil!

The spirit of sport

A test series being played down under
Was sullied by umpiring blunder.
To add to frustration,
Came 'racist' allegation -
The spirit of a sport torn asunder!

Read: Wrongs and rights in India - Australia cricket.

Said the BCCI, sans affection,
"A selectors sole task is selection.
So we have misgiving
In your choice of a living."
So he stopped writing in the sports section.

Then said BCCI, "this is cricket,
And as selector you're on sticky wicket.
You may nurse a peeve
But we can't let you leave."
So he stayed on and prayed for meal ticket.

But the Board again waved a red flag,
With the 7point guidelines and a gag.
And this got his goat,
So he wrote them a note,
"I am quitting, this job is a drag!"

NDTV.Com 02/12/07: Chief cricket selector Dilip Vengsarkar wants to step down following his stand off with the BCCI which has banned him from writing newspaper columns, but has been told not to do so in view of the upcoming team selection for the important tour of Australia and the third Test against Pakistan. Get the story here

By the color of your skin

A frustrated fan blew his fuse
And smacked Chappell, made headline news.
An impulsive blow?
Well, Greg reveals, "No,
It sure shot was racial abuse!"


Rediff News 14/11/07: Chappell alleges racial abuse in India. Get the story here

What do you feel about this allegation?

Off with his hair!

(Photo: PTI)

A young Dhoni fan winced in pain.
No, he hadn't been hit by a train.
But indeed was shook,
By his hero's new look,
"My goodness, he's shorn off his mane!"

The Hindu: 'New look' Dhoni arrives home. Get the story here

Reader Entry: On India's Twenty20 win

Inkspot is still lost in Sri Lanka's magnificient cultural triangle but in the meantime India has lifted the Twenty20 cup. Reader Sundara Venkatesan (who is also the winner of the Newsmericks award in the recently run Inditickles Contest) sends in this entry:

Talking of Mahendra Singh Dhoni
As a player and leader, one must own he
Has proved just the ticket
To revive Indian cricket
Whose path had till lately seemed stony.

Enjoy!

Chak de India!

Our hockey team finally wowed
The Country and made us real proud,
The Asia cup's won,
Let's all stand as one
And say, "Chak de India" aloud!


AFP 10/09/07: India gave a fine display of attacking field hockey to retain the Asia Cup with a crushing 7-2 victory over South Korea in an incident-filled final in Chennai. Get the story here

BCCI woes

Cried the BCCI with a yell,
"There are more signing up? What the hell?
Let's ban every sonny
Who's lured by the money
Of that rogue rebel league, ICL!"

The Telegraph 17/08/07: The rebel Indian Cricket League has struck the game’s official body a “bolt from the blue”, luring away seven Hyderabad Ranji Trophy players with annual salaries they cannot hope to earn in an entire career playing domestic cricket. Get the story here

Wanted: Coach for Indian cricket team

"It's awfully nice that the Board
Has chosen me," said Graham Ford.
"Regretfully though,
I'll have to say 'no',
For I don't think I can get on board!"


HT 11/06/07: South African Graham Ford announced on Monday that he was turning down the offer to be India’s cricket coach. Get the story here

Coach tales

Well, Whatmore is being ignored,
By the Indian Cricketing Board.
"We have better claims
To the post - their names?
John Emburey and Garaham Ford!"

Hindustan Times 05/06/07: The BCCI has invited Graham Ford and John Emburey to come to Chennai and make a presentation to the Special Committee on June 9 after which a final decision on the next coach of the Indian team will be made. Get the story here

On coveting Whatmore

Rued Kapil, "What more can I say?
Our cricketers have all gone astray.
'Thou never shalt poach,
Thy dear neighbor's coach',
Is a dictate they've failed to obey!"

TOI 04/06/07: A strong advocate of having an Indian coach for the national team, former captain Kapil Dev has lambasted senior cricketers for reportedly lobbying for Australian Dav Whatmore, after he opted against an extension of his contract with the Bangladesh team after the World Cup. Get the story here

Mandy musings

The cricket fans sat there agape,
At the sight of her unusual drape.
For seen on the pleat,
Very close to her feet,
Was the tri-color, printed on crepe!

IBN Live 28/04/07: Actress and cricket anchor Mandira Bedi's clothes flagged off a fresh controversy on Saturday after she was spotted wearing the Indian colours in a disrespectful manner on a satellite television channel. Read about it here.

{photo from IBNlive.com}

One kiss too many - II

Well the football game's referee was pissed,
So he whipped out a yellow card, hissed,
"If you think, that up here,
You can act like that Gere,
You are wrong - and I hate getting kissed!"

Yahoo news 23/04/07: A Brazilian defender was booked for kissing the referee during a weekend match. Read on...

Sachin Tendulkar - a fading star?

Ian Chappel, Greg Chappel's bro,
Has declared that Sachin should go.
It seems he lacks fire
And thus should retire.
Do you agree with Ian - yes or no?

BBC Sport 20/03/07: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell, brother of current India coach Greg, says legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar should retire. Read about it here

Related read: Sachin doesn't need retirement advice

Howzzat!

Their losses had left critics hoarse,
Coach bashing was expected of course;
But this gruesome killing,
Is indeed spine-chilling,
It has cut short a life in midcourse.

For suddenly Bob Woolmer was gone.
To foul play he succumbed as a pawn.
The murder has rocked
Cricket - left it shocked,
But they say that the show must go on!

After to rest he was laid,
Came pouring in heaps, accolade.
The same sticks and stones
That tried breaking bones,
Are hailing him - what a masquerade!


Related reads:
Should the World Cup be cancelled?
Should we play on? No
ICC: World Cup will go on
Highest civilian award for former coach.

Cricket fever:Temperatures rise in India

A cricket fan asked, looking cross,
"How could they suffer such a loss?"
"Cut them some slack,"
Another quipped back -
"For remember, they did win the toss!"

Well, India lost to Bangladesh leaving analysts and advertisers chewing their hats. Fans are of course on a rampage. Amidst all the hullabaloo everyone has forgotten that cricket is after all just a game! Can we please stop making it a war and just enjoy it for a change? And...may the best team win!