Indian Party League

The Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals After party and Fashion Show was a big hit. After sweating it out on the field the players turned up in full force for the post match bash at the Trident, Nariman Point. Here’s a ring side account of the whole off the pitch action..

The Shantanu-Nikhil Fashion show had the likes of Alicia Raut, Shamita Singha, Sucheta Sharma draped in the city’s funky taxi inspired line.  As the model walked the ramp in hues of Black and Yellow,  the flambouyant Ashish Raheja hooted with pleasure.  The bright yellow and black checkered tights, tops, purses and bags complemented the red set up of the ramp quite well.

Shamita Singha, Candice Pinto, Sucheta Sharma, Alicia Raut

The Cheerleaders from Ukraine just added to the glam quotient of the event. Happy to be posing for a few shutterbugs.

The cheergirls- A pretty picture

Warne-o-Mania

The Royals were having a great time at the bar. The likes of  Shane Warne, South African  Skipper Graeme Smith, Morne Morkel, Shaun Tait had a gala time. Share Warne who  is known for his off field antics as much as his on field ones,  was having an intense chat with the co-owner of the team.  Smith had his girl for company, Damien Martyn, Mascaranhes, Asnodkar, Sidharth Trivedi were engaged in conversations about the match amidst the drinks, at the bar.  Managed a few clicks with the spin legend Warne and batting sensation Yusuf Pathan.

Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel

Abhishek J, Damien Martyn, Dimitri Mascarenhas from the Royals

With the Mumbai Indians joining the party a bit late, after celebrating their success with their team owners, everyone waited with bated breath for the victorious team comprising our very own Little Master, Zaheer Khan, JP Duminy, Jayasurya among others to arrive. And they did make a beeline with a bang.  The ‘oh-so camera shy’ Zak did oblige for a candid picture (a cordial request from me did work)

Zak makes it possible

Had a gala time at the after party with the who’s who of Mumbai’s elite and the best from the cricketing world. wished all the players luck for their forthcoming ties and left feeling a lot awestruck, after meeting the most revered players I ever imagined.  13th March will be one of the very few days etched in the memory of a cricket fanatic like me!

Vignettes from the MI-RCB After party

Having witnessed the action live at Brabourne with a few of my RCB fan club friends, I just couldn’t wait to capture the moods of the players after the game.  RCB,MI after party and Rocky S fashion show at the Trident  was quite a hit. Rocky S creation Rocky S with Candice Pinto The whole of Mumbai’s creme de la had come to root for Rocky S. Also spotted were the legendary Vivian Richards daughter Masaba and designer Nshka Lulla, cheering their designer friend. The player brigade started joining in the fun soon after. Meeting  and congratulating Coach Jennings as soon as I entered the hotel lobby, was a high of sorts for me. Proud of his boys as a mentor and basking in my team’s glory as a fan, the two of us just couldn’t stop gushing about the win. While the Mumbai Inidans (except Shikhar Dhawan, Duminy, Fernando) gave the party a miss. The Challengers were in a mood to celebrate. Kumble and Dravid made a quick exit, the rest of the team stayed at the bar for a long time. Merwe and Steyn 'Caught him' Jonty Rhodes with Mark Boucher A 'Signature' hit amongst the players While the MTV crew, VJ Bani J inclusive got the stylish Coorgi Robin Uthappa for some sound bytes, RCB Community manager Nidhi had Manish Pandey to share a few words about the victory. Pandey certainly was the show stopper off the ramp, with quite a few girls swooning over him. Bani J with Robie Manish Pandey with RCB community manager, Nidhi Getting a ring side view of the off field action was a great experience for me. Joined by the four RCB Chiefs and our community manager Nidhi, I almost felt like home, a stark contrast from the other IPL after parties I’d attended.

Having witnessed the action live at Brabourne with a few of my RCB fan club friends, I just couldn’t wait to capture the moods of the players after the game.  RCB,MI after party and Rocky S fashion show at the Trident  was quite a hit.

A Tale of two FFC's- Fanatics Fans Challenge & Frantic Family Capers

Last night while I was commenting on blog post on the Royal Challengers Bangalore site and having a quick look at my vote count at the Fanatic Fans Challenge (FFC), I wasn't slightly amused by what followed next.

Enter Dad- A RCB Loyalist
(anxious) "Hey weren't your FFC results supposed to be out today? Are you shortlisted?"

Enter Mom- A cricket hater
(fuming) "Both father-daughter duo aren't bothered about her BE results. When was the last time you checked the Mumbai University result page??"

Enter Sis (I'm doomed)- A Mumbai Indians supporter and killjoy for me
(sly grin) "Tell your RCB friends to have all the fun now, after the IPL I'm sure they'll hibernate."
 (I hate her for this)

P.S.
Dad- Love you,dad. We'll definitely have a great time rooting for our team, just like we've been doing since the past two years. :P
Mom- Love you too. But please do bear with our madness. Its the IPL season,Ma. My results wont be affected. :)
Sis- Ah! Arrrgh! Its deja vu for us. Back to the days of 'not talking to each other' everytime RCB or MI wins. Its time for your Sachin vs my Jumbo-Jammy.

The Game Plays Us

This post is loosely based on the glorious uncertainties of cricket set against the backdrop of how we Indians 'are played' by the game...literally.

Cricket is a funny game. When a player is in, he is actually out on the green facing the bowler. When he is out, he's is in the pavilion. There is a third man, but hey who are the first and second?? And there is nothing so silly about silly point. Paradoxes and unexplained quirks are two of the defining aspects of the game of cricket. In no other sport does one have to take into account so many variables to win a match. In football if the field is muddy the players changes their spikes. In cricket, if its rained the previous day, the entire team composition changes.

India's love for the gentleman's game is not mere coincidence. We connect to it in a deeper way. Its our culture, religion, our destiny. And I can vouch for my statement, being a witness to, two instances of 'cricketing' stampede. Once when the Indian team was leaving for West Indies, WC 2007, pandemodium ruled as people from across the city thronged the Mumbai airport, way past midnight, for a glimpse of their heroes or demi gods rather. And the second time when we won the inaugural T20 WC, which was the cue for open topped bus ride through Mumbai. No other sport in our country, unfortunately, enjoys such a fanfare.


The pace of cricket suits us perfectly. The bowler's leisurely walk back to the start of the run up, the lunch and tea breaks, the game unfolding over five days like a raga. Though with the advent of the slam bang version of the game, the raga has been looked upon as a saga. Cricket purists would anyday prefer the men in white under natural light over the men in coloured uniform under floodlights.
Each time the team steps out to play, a few lucky ones make it to the stadium raucously cheering for their heroes, few others hooked to the TV or huddled around the radio sets, employees and bosses alike hunched in front of the PC's following....err Cricinfo , but everyone makes it a point to 'feel the game'. Debates, discussions, predictions and numbers just adding to their mirth. No other sport produces so many numbers, numbers that can be crunched in so many different ways and things. Cricket is layer upon layer of statistics stretching to infinity. And we Indians can argue about their meaning till half past the end of time.
Everytime a Bhajji or a Dhoni strides out onto the field, ten thousand youngsters know that their dreams can come true.

And the recent IPL bid fiasco also proved that, today cricket is often politics and politics is often cricket, within the game, within regions across the globe. This mesh being pulled tighter overs the years. the sport is now too important politically to be left to cricketers alone.

I still wonder if cricket was really the British's find. No, it couldn't have been.