There couldn't be a better topic to discuss this days in India than Indian Premier League (IPL). But than so much has already been spoken and written about this game than I am left with hardly any subject to touch upon. So, what do I write on this league.
Firstly, let me congratulate the entire team right from the BCCI strategy group to the players and to the franchise. The show is a huge success and the upcoming days would testify its dividends. Also, it is pretty nice to witness the IPL is celebrated by the entire Indian household. So, good for the game.
So, I thought since everyone spoke and wrote so much about the game I would touch own the Regional factor. The other day during the post-match interview Shaun Pollock, captain of the Mumbai Indians mentioned we thank the Wankhede crowd for their local support. Let's change the picture to a Virendar Sehwag swashbuckling 100 and the stupefied silence of the Rajiv Gandhi stadium, Hyderabad. Sehwag rose his bat to the crowd and waved to say "hey, I am an Indian".
I looked back and analyzed and said this is strange isn't it. We are Indians and when our local teams plays why do we chose to become so emotional or Sreesanthal (an synonym for emotional). No wonder the local team support the game and they came large numbers to watch and support their teams. Good for the game, but in what modern context.
I am a bengali- yes, I love payasam, khicuri, aloo seedho, mach etc...I am a bongali babu. Yes, I idolized Sourav, Kishore da..I would go and scream for kolkata knight riders, but than if Sachin plays a glorious stropke i'ld applaud that also. Could you say now Sachin is from Mumbai and so a Bengali shouldn't applaud. Now way!
Just take Chennai Super Kings for the case. Chennai has a history of anti-hindism. They have had people who don't seem to come out of their mother tongue bar (though things have started changing a lot now), they have a Bihari captain MS Dhoni. In the TV ad Dhoni could be seen dressing up in lungi and saying 'Mind it'. Here, is to the game.
A game is supposed to unite everyone and IPL franchise cannot withstand that. The objective of every product sponsoring the game is to see that their products are used by every Indian. Will it than say- no since we are representing Royal Challengers Bangalore, only the people of Karnataka can claim to use it? No right!
My point is support your region but dont forget to applaud the other teams. In the end it's our country-India that we are supporting. Let us showcase the world that we are not only a superpower nation in terms of our IT Services and Energy but also in Cricket.
By the way to end the note in a jocular tone--which of the cheerleaders are you dancing with? You got MY point, didn't you?
Watch out this space for my '5 minutes with a cheerleader'
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