The Indian Premier League (IPL)

So the Rajasthan Royals beat the Deccan Chargers in a close match today in Hyderabad, India.

Y'know, I will be the first to admit that I was pining for Shane Warne's side to win...and they did!! Warnie himself brought the match to a sensational close. Although as the Captain of the Rajasthan Royals -- he is the only non-Indian skipper in the newly formed Indian Premier League (IPL) -- I had expected him to come in to bat earlier. Afridi claimed 3 important wickets for the Deccan Chargers. That was a bit ironic since it was Afridi who had earlier complained that American cheerleaders out on the boundary were being a distraction. I guess the girls weren't distracting him that time. Still his team, the Chargers, lost.

Too bad for the magnanimous Laxman's side: the Deccan Chargers. Today's loss is their 3rd consecutive one in the IPL's debut season. Wait a minute! Being from Madurai, should I be supporting the Chennai Super Kings who have so far won both the matches they have played?! Well, the Super Kings are gonna be playing Kolkata on Saturday. But I likely will be down in the Cape...

Speaking of cheerleaders, the Washington Redskins cheerleaders who are currently in India to train Indian women on the sport of cheerleading will be returning home next week. Yay! I miss them already. I can't predict the future of cheerleading in India but it will likely remain in a much more conservative version rather than the "bare, heaving, alabaster buxoms" version evident so far.

Any which way you look, it looks like non-Indians are the ones making the biggest impact in the actual games, primarily the Australian players (no wonder there)...and Brendon McCullum. I will tell you: that McCullum kid is something. But then, for only six weeks of play, these guys are being paid big money by the IPL, the likes of which have only been seen in Football and Rugby so far. No wonder McCullum's national teammates, now recently arrived in England for a clash with the Brits and the Scots, are being rueful about not being in India.

I am not sure of the long-term outlook for the IPL. I will tell you this: India certainly has surpassed herself in introducing such a league to professional Cricket!