Published in www.cricketnext.com on 13th April 2011
Having conquered the world and also the hearts of millions of Indian fans by lifting the ICC World Cup at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on April 2, the Indian cricketers soon got down to the frenzied business of playing the IPL without much ado.
The celebratory mood that enveloped the nation after skipper MS Dhoni scored the winning runs in the Cup final with a mighty six has still not abated, but the teams contesting the IPL are already into the thick of things.
Battle lines have been drawn and strategies are already being modified on the basis of the early skirmishes that have taken place between the ten contesting sides. The World Cup heroes have had mixed results in the opening encounters of IPL 4.
Dhoni continued his Midas touch by leading Chennai Super Kings to a pulsating 2 run win over a combative Kolkata Knight Riders team in the first match of the tournament. Yuvraj led his new Pune Warriors team to victory in their first match. Sachin Tendulkar shepherded the Mumbai Indians to an easy win over Virender Sehwag’s scrappy looking Delhi Daredevils. The Mumbai based team looked classy on the field with Tendulkar himself and the talented Rohit Sharma batting beautifully after Lasith Malinga had scalped 5 Daredevils wickets for a paltry 15 runs.
Sehwag has problems galore to handle for the Daredevils look weak this season and depend heavily on the captain. Venugopal Rao and Dave Warner need to perform consistently for them if they are to succeed in their campaign. Irfan Pathan too needs to regain his touch both with ball and bat for his new team.
Apart from the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Superkings, the Rajasthan Royals have appeared the most exciting side on display. Shane Warne has been magical with the ball all over again and does not seem to have lost any of his touch, four years after he retired. The master leg spinner has also been inspirational as skipper again and with the likes of Rahul Dravid, Johan Botha and Ross Taylor in the ranks, Warne’s team could go all the way. The not-so-small matter of Shane Watson’s availability (once he has finished slaughtering the Bangladesh team) would make the Royals even more formidable.
Jacques Kallis has been prolific with the bat in all editions of the IPL and started off with a bang this time too, scoring fifties in each of the first two matches to bag the Orange Cap. Other veterans like Adam Gilchrist and VVS Laxman have had mixed results till now. While Laxman played a few silken shots in his first knock, Gilchrist failed to get going.
The Sri Lankan duo of Kumar Sangakarra and Mahela Jayawardene suffered defeats in their first outings as skippers of the Hyderabad and Kochi teams, and thus failed to shrug off their World Cup final blues.
The new format of the IPL is such that only four teams will remain in the fray after the league matches are over and they will compete in an elimination round instead of a semi-final format.
Several talented young Indian players are on display once more and Indian cricket is bound to get even stronger over the years thanks to the IPL. Watch out, rest of the world!
My Guru
"Everything can wait but your search for God cannot wait" - Paramahansa Yogananda (www.yssofindia.org)
FILM REVIEW- I hate luv storys ***1/2
Directed by Punit Malhotra; Produced by Karan Johar; Starring Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor
For those who like feel-good films and lovey-dovey stuff, ‘I hate luv storys’ is surely worth a watch. This Rom-Com from the house of Karan Johar is an unabashed love story without any frills, in the traditional mode but with a modern setting and with still-fresh faces. There’s the tried and tested triangle and there are heartbreaks and setbacks before the predictable happy ending.
So what’s appealing about the film? Imran Khan is an actor in Uncle Amir Khan’s mould but is even better looking and is effervescent. His spontaneity is delightful at times and his expressions are refreshingly different. He carries a story that has nothing new to offer with ease and panache.
His pairing with Sonam Kapoor is like a breath of fresh air too, and both characters appear convincing in their love for each other. They quarrel and shout; they ooh and ahh; they look and long- like young lovers from decades gone by- and that is what endears them to us.
Imran especially is an actor with immense potential. His performance in ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ had shown us glimpses of his impromptu style and here he goes one better. Sonam looks svelte and is graceful and charming. She’s improving as an actor too but has a long way to go before she reaches dad Anil Kapoor’s levels.
The music is pleasant without being outstanding and the support cast is adequate with veteran Anju Mahendru impressing in a brief role. The hero’s sidekick, played by Aamir Ali, is quite funny and Ali has potential. Imran’s director-boss and Sonam’s fiancé are less convincing. Perhaps a more formidable rival for Imran would have led to more drama, but then that would not have gelled with the tenor of the film.
The last quarter is a bit contrived and a drag at times. Bruna Abdullah’s scenes are amateurish and even kiddish.
All in all, a candy-floss sort of film with a goody-goody feel. For those who like to be shaken up by cinema, this is not for them.
Personally speaking, I don’t hate love stories. (Please note the correct spellings).
Previous Film Reviews
Never A Dull Moment !
No comments:
Post a Comment