Indian Premier League - My View

(This article was written when the league was in it's half-way stage)

The Indian Premier League was kicked off in April with great fanfare. Starting off with eight teams, the IPL consisted of a series of T20 (twenty-twenty) cricket matches to be played by each side. The top four sides at the end of two rounds would reach the semi-finals. It was touted to be the cricketing world's own multi-billion dollar baby, it's own Premier League, baseball and football style.

It had its fair share of criticism, but I have to admit, it turned out to be a success.
After all, where else could entertainment-hungry cricket fans (which includes me!) find McGrath, one of cricket's all-time greats, bowling to Gilchrist, another iconic player in world cricket? Where else could they see Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasurya - two of the world's most experienced and talented batsmen - opening the batting for a team together? Where else could Rahul Dravid be captaining a side to fight against a side led by Saurav Ganguly? Where else would the Under-19s and the local players get a chance to play alongside cricketers they only ever dreamed of meeting, leave alone playing with. Where else could the viewers see sixes and fours being hit in every over, leaving the bowlers red-faced?

TRPs soared, with the initial matches garnering as much viewership as the FINAL of the T20 World Cup. Newspapers and media channels wasted no time in praising the BCCI for coming up with such a concept. The players were happy, the fans were happy.

The League was supposed to invoke interest of the Western audiences, especially the people of America, as it was thought that the T20 format, being exciting and short, could rival even baseball and football matches in popularity.
But my basic hesitation in welcoming this concept with open arms lies in the name of the league itself. Indian Premier League. INDIAN. Hey I'm a very patriotic person.
But I'm only saying, couldn't the organisers have made a couple of other teams, say the Sydney Dynamos or the England Giants or the African Fighters, with some teams going for a certain period of time to Sydney, London and South Africa and playing a few matches there, and then those teams coming and playing in India? Wouldn't that have made the event truly global? Instead, what we've is a bunch of teams, each team consisting of a handful of international players, the rest being local players.

Secondly, many of the players, like those in the playing XI of the Australian and the New Zealand Teams, had to leave even before the Championship reached the half-way stage, which was a big dampener. Couldn't the organisers have coordinated the timing and positioning of the League such that maximum number of international players would be available for the maximum amount of time?

Thirdly, I myself fancy ESPN Star's stylish and very smooth coverage of cricket matches. Compare their footage to that of other sports channels, and you can clearly see the difference in the quality of the camera angles and the telecast. But that is something purely commercial and we, as viewers, cannot have any say in it.

But all things said and done, the League has been a big success (at least till now), drawing thousands of people to the stadia and attracting millions others to their television sets all across the globe. Some aspects about it could have been better planned, but I would only like to say - Great Concept, Great Going.

P.S. May the Delhi Daredevils or the Kings XI Punjab win. Best of Luck guys!

My Favorite Fantasy Book - Eragon

I have read numerous books in the fantasy genre, written by various authors – J.K.Rowling, Jonathan Stroud, K.A.Applegate and Christopher Paolini to name a few.

However, my favourite book, particularly in the fantasy genre, will have to be ‘Eragon’, by Christopher Paolini, the environment and settings for which are perceived to be slightly more believable by me ('slightly'), then the others.
Eragon is the first book in the ‘Inheritance Trilogy’, and was started by Christopher at the tender age of just fifteen years.

Set in the backdrop of a fictitious land of Alagaesia, ‘Eragon’ tells us about the seven ‘Dragon Riders’, how one among them betrayed the others and rose to power as the dictator known as ‘King Galbatorix’. The story begins with an account of how Durza, a shade (evil sorcerer) ambushes a party of elves moving through the forest, carrying a dragon egg stolen from the King. In the ambush, the lead elf called Arya, transfers the egg to a place nearby with the help of magic, thereby preventing it from being seized.
At the same moment, a young farm boy called ‘Eragon’ discovers the egg while hunting in the forest. And his life changes. Forever.

Then begins an arduous journey for him, a journey he hadn’t expected in the wildest of dreams. His father had been killed, his brother’s life was in danger, he himself was now a legendary Rider of a deceivingly beautiful dragon called Saphira, and was having to trust a complete stranger called ‘Brom’, to help him flee his hometown and reach the Elves or the ‘Warden’, who were rebels and had resisted the King’s autocratic might.

The author takes us on a roller coaster ride. The descriptions of the surroundings were so vivid I couldn’t believe I wasn’t actually there. Every time the confused, young, but determined Eragon faced an obstacle, one couldn’t help but urge him on, wanting to be there to assist him in fighting the ‘Urgals’ (soldiers). The author tells us of his visions of the captured elf and how she was rescued, and also of the rapidly strengthening bond between Eragon and Saphira.

I liked this book because of the fact that Eragon didn’t crumble but accepted responsibility on knowing himself to be a rider. He was accepting of change and determined to work hard.
The Book inspires us in the sense that it tells us that as long as one has good intentions, is determined to work hard to reach the destination, is willing to take guidance from the people one trusts, no mountain is insurmountable, no river is un-crossable, and no goal is un-attainable, in the daily gamble we play in this game of life.

At the end of the book, there’s an epic battle between the Urgals on one side and the Warden and Eragon on the other, where the Warden eventually win when Eragon somehow manages to slay Durza, the shade.
I was, however, a little disappointed with the movie rendition of the book, where at least 70% of the story was left out or changed.

In all, I would say that Christopher captivated me in this enchanting world of Dragon Riders and Demons, of faith and hope, of undying love and the power of trust, and ultimately, of the victory of good over evil, which makes it one of my all-time favourite fantasy books.

What Makes People Change?

It has been rightly said,"The only thing constant in this world, is Change".
In today's competitive world, the ability to change and adapt is of major significance. Different people perceive various situations differently. but what everyone has realized today is the need for changing with the times, and changing in time.

One of the major factors which motivates people to change is the sheer fact that if they don't, they'll be left behind! That if they don't, the situation might go out of control!People have come to realize that whenever they face a difficult situation, they must not only fight valiantly, but in the process, also change to face the different facets of the problem.

A case in point would be India's Great struggle for independence. For decades, Indians had been living under oppression. But one man, one man realized the need to change the outlook of the people, to change their attitude. One man changed their perception of freedom, and subsequently, changed the country.

People who have been through many ecperiences of love and hate, passion and crime, justice and injustice, success and failure, realize that change is very important to survive through life. People change because they know that changing with the situation can only help them face challenges and difficulties in a better manner. People change because they know that lock of change can have disastrous consequences.

We've not been able to find an effective vaccine for the HIV virus. Why? Change. Adaptability. Apparently the virus adapts itself to the conditions in which it is present, rendering the vaccines and medication useless.

Everyone knows that to be able to move forward in life, change is inevitable. Change is necessary. And change for the good, is one key to success!

Procrastination

“If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done.”

PROCRASTINATION is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grow.

Edwin Markum said and I quote,
“When opportunity comes a-knocking at your gate, Welcome him in; for if you make him wait,
He’ll depart only to come once more,
And bring seven other duties to your door.”

Sir Josiah Stamp said, “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities!”

What you put off until tomorrow, you’ll probably put off tomorrow too. Success comes to the person who does today what others were thinking of doing tomorrow. Lazy people who brag about what they’re going to do tomorrow probably did the same thing yesterday. The lazier a person is, the more he or she is going to do the ‘next day’. Hard work is usually an accumulation of easy things that should have been done last week.

William Halsey said, “All problems become smaller if you don’t dodge them, but confront them. Touch a thistle timidly, and it pricks you; grasp it boldly; and its spines crumble.”

“Someday” is not a day of the week. When you won’t start, your difficulties won’t stop. Tackle any difficulty now. Procrastinators never have small problems because they always wait until their problems grow up!

The first step to overcoming procrastination is to eliminate all excuses for not taking action. The second step is not to be so busy! Everyone is always on the move. People are moving forward, backward, and sometimes nowhere at all, as though they were on a treadmill. The mistake most people make is in thinking that the main goal of life is to stay busy. This is a trap. What is important is not whether you’re busy but whether you’re progressing.

Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried. Two things rob people of their peace of mind: Work unfinished, and work not yet begun. Remember, killing time is not murder, it’s suicide.

E.R.Collcord said

“A man with nothing to do does far more strenuous labor than any other form of work. But my greatest pity is for the man who dodges a job he knows he should do. He is a shirker, and boy! What punishment he takes...from himself!

So do the job when you get it. Do it NOW!

In the End, I’d like to quote Pink Floyd,

“One day you find, 10 years have got behind you. No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.”

-- Some parts adapted from "The Impossible is Possible" by John Mason.

Alternate System of Education for India - or NOT?

The edifice of education we have built in India may be compared to a giant tree with thick log-like universities and promising school cum college offshoots branching out of its bole. The fruits of this tree, when it ripens, are juicy and bright …for everyone to see today! What our students get are the endless openings that our degrees and certificates provide. For the elite students of India... the World has become an open play-field.

Today, our students not only compete among the world’s best but also, bag the top positions in Management, Engineering, Medicine, Administration … you name it and they’ve achieved it.

What do you think has made this possible? Those of you who think that our education system is a failure or becoming obsolete, think again! It is this very education system of ours which has made present-day India the super-power in terms of education and qualified manpower, thus threatening to takeover the world in terms of intelligentsia and brain-power. So much so that the amount of outsourcing business which India has cornered has made even the mighty United States and other European countries feel insecure about their future global economic status.

Ever since the British left us totally hollow and helpless in 1947, one single factor that has helped made India the power to reckon with today is its education system. The education system provided an opportunity for millions of students from across a wide range of societies, classes and castes to forget about the wide gap between the urban and rural areas, get to know the world, and to enter into the functioning of the nation’s machinery.

The progress we have made today in industrialization, food-grain production, international-trade, technology and in infra-structural development within our country has been made possible through the trained and educated manpower only. Social evils like the caste system, sati, child-marriage, untouchability, dowry system have been to a great extent eradicated through education and awareness. The overall improvement in the health status of Indians especially the rural poor have been made possible through the education process of India.

No doubt every system has its strengths and weaknesses. We must change with time and keep our system flexible to incorporate newer ideas and methodology. To a great extent our system too has welcome the necessary reforms from time to time, but has retained the basic structure.

Yes, developing skills in the fields of sports and talent is important, but I believe that it simply cannot take the place of the current system of education, which, even though it may seem a little hard and sometimes irrational, leads to the proper development of the thinking skills of a person.

Reservations - My View

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime. “

1/300, 1/250, 1/175…. These are the current chances of selection of a candidate from the general category. On implementation of 50 percent reservation, these figures would drop to 1/600 for IIT, 1/500 for Post Graduation in Medicine, 1/350 for MBA Entrance…and so on…

The result? More number of deserving candidates will be left out, leading to greater frustration among the hardworking youth, higher suicide rates among the aspiring students from middle class families. Isn’t that unjust, and rather unfair? Those who can afford it may opt for greener pastures abroad. Then what we get is “BRAIN DRAIN”. Wonderful, so India wants to invite its own downfall?! Unbelievable!

Are we really going to fall for such a scam orchestrated by a few ministers with vested political interests? The same ministers who pledge to ensure ‘social equality’ while taking office? How ironic! Are we actually playing into their policy of Divide and Rule? Today, even the youth can recognize this hypocrisy, which is evident by the protest marches, candle light vigils, hunger strikes, and the nationwide agitation carried out by medical students.

I am sure supporters of the theory argue that reservation would provide opportunity to the socially backward. Two former directors of IITs reported that 50 per cent of seats reserved for SC and ST candidates remained vacant as the applicants failed to secure even the much lower entry marks required. Of those admitted, 25 per cent were forced to quit, as they could not complete a four-year course even in six years. I could go on and on…

I strongly believe that at the level of higher education, MERIT MUST RULE! If the government sincerely wants to uplift the backward classes, it should put in similar efforts at the grass-root level. It must ensure greater enrolment rates of children from the backward classes at the school level; establish a stable infrastructure to impart good training to them, to fund the education of the poor. A competitive environment must be set up, with grants and scholarships for the deserving students so they can compete fearlessly at the post-graduate level.

We have innumerable examples where students from the backward classes have made their mark appearing from the general category and are providing cut-throat competition to all and sundry in their respective fields.

May good sense prevail and deserving Indians be rewarded. In this age of globalization and integration let us all make a concerted effort to prevent Our Nation from falling into the dungeons of reservation.

IMDB Movie Review

Check this out - A movie review on IMDB which i wrote myself - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0845448/usercomments?start=10

M.S.D. – The Sweet Plunderer

He came. He saw. He conquered. These words, more or less, apply as much to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as to Alexander the Great.

M.S.Dhoni made his debut against Bangladesh on 23rd December, 2004.

In the next few weeks, this lad from Ranchi, Jharkhand made it clear, that there was much more to him than just that shy smile or those flowing golden locks (Now dyed black, much to the dismay of his huge female fan following!). Then there was no looking back. Over the past year, seeing Dhoni walk on to the pitch to bat has been a demoralizing sight for bowlers. It is indeed, unsettling for bowlers to see even the best of their deliveries being whipped over their heads for boundaries. His indomitable spirit and the awesome muscle power which he puts behind his shots has made him an instant hit and a favourite among commentators, cricket experts, and cricket buffs, young or old. He has even invented a few shots of his own, including one which was named the ‘Dhoni sweep’ by the excited commentators. He has not let his fans down.

It is a treat to watch Dhoni hitting those power-packed fours which reach the boundary before the fielders can actually focus their eyes onto the ball. And his lofted sixes are a treat to watch. He is a batsman whom I, and I am sure quite a few other students would happily sacrifice an hour on even the eve of an exam, to watch. Sachin, Yuvraj and Rahul Dravid? Only if there are a couple of days left.

There’s no arguing the fact that Dhoni is a good pinch-hitter. But apart from that he has also displayed his solid defense play in recent matches and played some patient and well-planned innings, guiding the Indian team out of a few tight spots too. This shows that a lot of hard work, mental as well as physical, actually goes into his innings which we don’t get to know about. Drinking 3 – 4 litres of milk everyday (as he claims), flavoured or not, sure isn’t child’s play.

Even though Dhoni is partly susceptible to swinging deliveries and occasionally reaches out for unwanted and dangerous shots, his batting ability and excellent wicket-keeping capability has proved to be an asset for the Indian Cricket Team. It seems that the long wait for a wicketkeeper who could do as well with the bat as a specialist is finally over for the BCCI and cricket fans throughout the country.

M.S.Dhoni is one of the emerging young talents in the Indian cricket team, along with other young players like Suresh Raina, Munaf Patel, VRV Singh, S.Shreesanth, and Irfan Pathan, all of whom make the game more competitive and exciting to watch.
But it remains to be seen whether M.S.Dhoni would actually, in the long run prove to be an invaluable part of the Indian Cricket Team. With his growing experience at the international level, Dhoni would surely be able to improve his batting temperament and hone his wicket-keeping skills. And the added resposibilty of captaining the team will prove to be a true test of his mettle.
Until then, no one’s complaining.

No one, except obviously, the opponents.

Hope

This was written by me a long long time ago so it may seem a bit kiddish, but i post it here nevertheless!

HOPE

It never lets us give up,
It never lets us down,
It gives us the strength,
To withstand many a frown.

When we are batting on ninety – nine,
It pushes us for that run,
And when we get the coveted ton,
It doesn’t forget to join in the fun.

It consoles the patients in a hospital,
Makes them all smile,
Makes them all believe,
That they can go that extra mile.

When we are happy or excited,
Or even down in the dumps,
It is always there for us,
Like the oxygen in our lungs.

It makes us wonder,
It makes us sigh,
It gives us courage,
And always pushes us to try.

When in the exam,
We forget the all important sum,
It is till there for us,
Waiting for the answer to come.

It is HOPE only which makes us do this all,
Hope only which makes us pray,
Hope only which makes us do our work,
And Hope only which prevents us from going astray.

So remember,
When storms come and dim the lights
And rains come and flood the towns,
Or droughts come and dry them up,
There is only one thing which helps us cope,
A simple yet complicated thing named HOPE.

My BLOG!

I heard about it, i saw it and then i finally thought i would create my own. What am i talking about? A blog. So go ahead and tell me what you think about some of the incidents which happen in your life and mine, and they can change our life!