IPL and BPL

Am back to one of my more interested domains in this blog -- International Sport.

To begin with, the latest new's breaker in all channels, apart from the general elections in India is the Indian Premier League. As all of us now know that it has been decided that the IPL is moving to South Africa for its second edition, I would like to place my view points and raise a few questions about the politics and money behind this sport in India.

My initial view is that the league must continue for the design, the fans and the sport as a whole. But is it right for us to have it outside India, when the inaugural edition was created on the hype that the format itself is based on city loyalty and the franchisee mode which is replicated from the Barclay's Premier League -- BPL -- The English football league (Am gonna write about the title race after this). Who can forget Dhoni doing the Rajnikanth tricks for the franchisee advertisement -- Enna Rascala or SRK singing in Bengali. Where is it all disappeared.

Is the IPL getting politicised because of the money involved in it or because Sharad Pawar the Head of BCCI is not in tune with the other congress led states like AP and Maharashtra. The schedule of the IPL was listed much earlier than the dates of the election and isn't the government aware of the same, not taking anything away that the general elections is of paramount importance than a sport or any event in India. But is cricket just a sport?, when we, a billion Indians, feel it to be a religion -- one of the few factors, for which the country unites and comes to a standstill. To be really honest, i have not seen scores of janta standing in front of a electronic's retailer selling TV's watching the results of the elections dealt immaculately by Prannoy Roy or any other channel than that of a Sehwag or a Sachin sizzling away. Its cricket all the way my dear readers.

Whats the reason that the IPL has been dealt so shabbily by the home ministry or is it the end of Lalit Modi's dominance on cricket ???

Now moving onto the BPL.

Its been a fantastic fortnight for the Mersey side, Liverpool, first a drubbing of Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, than a rout of the Red Devils, Manchester United at Old Trafford -- not many teams have done that in the past and will do in the future (Am a hardcore, Man U fan) and to close all, a killer against Aston Villa with a 5 Nil score line. 13 Goals in 3 games -- is this the beginning of their peak form this season or is it the end of the gun powder they possess.

Its a one point lead for Man U now with a game in hand and only Man U can lose the title this year. A fantastic finish to the best football league in the world awaits all of us.

Adios for now, Keep Watching this space.