RCB and I...IPL 2009

From no hopers to party poopers, the previous seasons must have been a roller coaster of sorts for all RCB fans. I am no different.More than the inaugral season, IPL 2009 was a remarkable one for me. Of course, RCB's surge to the No. 2 spot does play a major role, but apart from that I had my fair share of experiences trying to catch my favourite team in action.

Painful dental treatments, maddening college submissions, bets with Mumbai Indians fanatic friends, University exams...I've braved them all.  To begin with, the 7:30pm dental appointments for a root canal, annoyingly coincided with the days the Royal Challengers played.Little did I know that my doc was a die hard Dada fan, hence the RCB omission. Then the projects/files submissions,every engineering student dreads them, too failed act as a deterrent. Each time Jumbo and Co. won in the league stage and upped their semifinal chances, I had a great time basking in RCB glory while my MI supporter friends went green with envy.  Then the University exams which unfortunately spanned over a month while the IPL was on. With my text books in the deep and me glued to SET Max at the slips, my folks had a tough time wondering what was in store for me. Even after the presentation ceremony was over, hour long analysis as to what could have wrong or what clicked for the team, with my RCB loyalist dad and heated arguments with my MI supporter sibling (who always felt RCB matches were rigged) kept me away from books. Somewhere past 1am, with the victory/loss finally sinking in , the 'Oh i got my exams' syndrome creeping in , I used to finally make way for my books burning the midnight oil. Ah...getting all nostalgic now.

With IPL 2010 on the cards... bigger and better, thanks to RCB FFC, cant wait to don the Red and Gold jersey and watch them take
over the unfinished task, from the ravenous runners ups to coveted champs.

P.S. Would love to know your RCB experiences. Do leave them as comments.

Even the rivals are watching us

Just yesterday the fan club was buzzing with how we fanatics wear RCB'ianism on our sleeves, courtesy Ragunath's post.
And today I get a message from Mr.Anil Srivatsa, CEO, Kings XI Punjab, in reply to one of my posts. Its reads : "Hope I can convert your loyalty to KXIP and get you blog for us in our lions den"



With IPL fever catching up and activities at the RCB site at its helm, I'm not remotely surprised by Mr. Srivatsa's comment. Great going!

Playground of the Bold and the Beautiful

Third day into the India-SA test and I haven't got a whiff of the Nagpur clash. Call it withdrawal symptoms...naaa.. its the Signature Indian Derby thats kept me and few other RCB fanatics on saddles and toes, literally 

Day 1
Gung ho about the covering India's richest racing event, Community Manager Nidhi, Fanatics Mahesh, Niyati and I, were in for some incredible experience at the Mahalaxmi Race Course, Mumbai. Tribute performances to Micheal Jackson and Tina Turner, Europe's leading illusionist- Jay Witlox, The Force India Car, Luxury cars up for grabs, flea market and of course the nail biting horse races, this event had it all. The grandeur and glitz of horse races had never quite beckoned me to follow the sport but after this two day stint at the Derby I add another sport to my existing list of cricket,tennis and F1.

The four of us being first timers for a racing event, finally got the hang of what was happening by the end of the sixth race. Till then we were too amazed by the octagenarians geared up with binoculars,yelling at their betting prospects,(their zeal could put even the youth to shame  ) ,the who's who of Mumbai's elite posing for the shutterbugs. The horses and mares bearing weird names like Doi Moi, Romantic Impact, Super Kings, Rajastahn Royals, Any time Money to name a few became the hot topic of our discussion. There was entertainment galore throughout the Race Course with performances by international artists and the uber-cool and stylish hub – a state-of-the art air-conditioned hanger was abuzz with activity and a special carnival atmosphere with a tarot card reader, designer stalls- a complete flea market feel.

Day 2
Niyati and I, were joined by her brother, Nishit and Chief Fan Sidharth, on the second day at the race course. The finest thoroughbreds, country's creme de la creme flaunting their haute couture, celebs from the Bollywood brigade this day had it all. And yes..how could I forget the flamboyant owner of RCB Dr. Vijay Mallya and his son Sidhartha Mallya, accompanied by a South actress (pardon my kannada actors know how)



The 10 races saw the crowd go through the highs and lows as champions and contenders competed for the super prizes and trophies.
'Jacqueline' the record breaking filly was the crowd puller on Day 2 of the derby. The most electrifying event of the day, the Jackpot Race was scheduled at 5:15 pm and the four of us were right there in the front at the gates to capture the biggest race of the season.



The pundit’s predictions and the masses most wanted, Jacqueline, took the winners accolades in 'a come from behind' victory. The filly, owned by Mr & Mrs Vijay B. Shirke, K N Dhunjibhoy and Mr Berjis Desai and trained by Pesi Shroff, powered forward with a last minute burst that took it through the finish line. Bangalore bred Becket the closest competitor to Jacqueline gave way to a startling photo finish. Ah... reminded me of the IPL dark horses, RR,DC and RCB.

Two fun filled days at the racecourse, couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

P.S. With too many pics to upload and space constraints here's a better option to have a look at all the action the we managed to capture.

Niyati's Photo album
My photo album

Desperately seeking 'victory'

Karnataka lost the nailbiting thriller by just six runs. Overall, the great exhibition of cricket between Karnataka vs Mumbai, paved way for a unanimous comment all over "What a Match..!!! Domestic cricket at its best" .Karnataka started the day trailing by a challenging 203 runs with seven wickets in hand, but Pandey's free-flowing innings threatened to turn it into a stroll. Manish Pandey, who got out for a duck in the first innings, fought back his side with a brilliant 144 from 151 deliveries in the second. With 83 required, Iqbal Abdulla claimed Pandey, and the rest of the bowlers took turns in stunning the Mysore full house again and again. Agarkar fittingly took the last wicket, an easy return catch to send back S Aravind.
Oh..A nail biting, nerve wrecking finish! Rightly quoted or should I say Tweeted by Ayaz Memon "Except that this time Mumbai have finished winners. But in an enthralling match like this, there are no losers. Well played K'taka"

Mumbai reiterated its legacy as one of the best domestic teams in the world after lifting the coveted Ranji Trophy for a record 39th time. They are seven behind New South Wales and eight championship wins ahead of England’s Yorkshire. Commendable feat I must admit. No other side has dominated the national championship as much as Mumbai has done. This can be gauged from the simple fact that after Mumbai, Delhi is the most successful side in tournament's history with just 7 title wins. Karnataka following close with 6 wins in their kitty.
An Excellent game of Cricket...will be remembered for the efforts of the stars of the season (read: A Mithun, Vinay Kumar ,Dhawal, Manish Pandey and Ajit Agarkar)

The RCB stars who shone were-
* Manish Pandey,he has all the makings of another Sehwag, but he would please a cricket purist too with his timing and placement. It is not only wham, bam after all. And also his extraordinary catch went on to become a Youtube classic, aptly titled as 'The catch of the century' (video enclosed)
*Abhimanyu Mithun, the leading wicket taker in the series (47) and a 'hit-the-deck' bowler who relies on pace and swears by bouncers and yorkers.
*Vinay Kumar, following his team mate close with 46 wickets,skittled Mumbai on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy final.

Brimmimg with talent, hope these youngs guns make it to the national side too (theVirat Kohli way) or atleast to BCCI's list of graded players.