IPL

Two more wonderful experiences from the IPL.. last week, it was Mumbai vs Pune, an absolutely nail biter of a match, down to the last ball... even though it was a very low scoring game. Had the pleasure of watching Dada, the great Sachin in full flow, Ashok Dinda, Harbhajan, Munaf. This week, it was Pune against Bangalore. And what an experience watching Gayle smash those six effortless, huge sixes, four of them coming from a single Bhuvaneshwar over. Add to that the experience of Zaheer castling his opponents and Kohli doing his warm ups on the field, and the magician Murali spinning his web... aah, worth every shower of heavy rain we soaked under while the covers stayed on to protect the wickets.

While on the topic of IPL, another minor point... on Cheerleaders. Bucking the trend of firangi girls in their sexy costumes and pom poms, Pune put up navvari clad desi girls doing bharatnatyam, bhangra and a variety of Indian folk and classical dances. Great idea, but hey, when 40,000 wild fans are screaming their heads off, does a Bharatnatyam really fit in? Also, as I am sure most observed, the Pune cheergirls were rarely performing, while the firangs clambered on stage and performed at every chance they got. It probably took too long to get the costumes ready for the Puneites, making those quick sorties between two deliveries impossible!

Here are some pics... can never replicate the stadium experience, but will definitely stoke my memories :)