Mahendra Singh Dhoni is perhaps the bravest man Indian sport will have had the privilege of knowing. He might be the reason why cricket is still called the gentleman’s game.
In the last few months, battling with the pandemic had made life dull, bleak, and monotonous – a version of same shit different day. And then one spot of light returned to warm our cold, weary hearts. Sport entered our lives once again, injecting a dose of familiarity in an “uncertain” world. Our pre-Covid schedule may have become haywire, but we know for sure that the IPL match for the day begins at 7.30 pm.
Shahid Afridi is famous for two things – faking retirement and always doing the unexpected. For uniting past and present players of Team India on Twitter, he is a natural choice for Person of the Week.
In the era of physical isolation, does a sporting event that brings people together need to mentally isolate itself from the devastation caused by the pandemic? As the country gasps for breath, it is too much to expect our cricketing heroes to amplify an SOS tweet or do something that shows they care – anything that’ll tone down the tone-deafness of the tournament.
If you are still part of the Whistle Podu Parishad, you are a loyalist who doesn’t switch allegiances even when your Captain’s hair turns grey, while a true Kings XI fan is just here for a good time, not for a long time.
We are not a nation that encourages sport. How many times have you relatives tell you, “Padhoge likhoge toh hoge nawaab. Kheloge koodoge toh hoge kharaab”?
We need a new breed of cricketer for the new, callous version of the gentleman’s game. Ball tampering is only the start. Steve Smiths of the future will resort to all-out sabotage, even leaving chilly powder in their opponents’ crotch guards before the game.
The 2020 IPL kicks off tonight with CSK taking on MI. If you are still part of the Whistle Podu Parishad, you are a loyalist who doesn’t switch allegiances no matter what. And you are a true Royal Challenger, if you believe in the power of Anushka Sharma’s birthday.
No matter how offensive his action might seem to aesthetes, Lasith Malinga’s success has paved the way for fresh innovation in the art of bowling. Today as he plays his last ODI, he will be remembered for redefining what a fast bowler could be in an era where cricket itself is undergoing tectonic changes.