IPL: Cricket Personified

Greetings Cricket/IPL Lovers

Hope all my fellow batsmen and bowlers are happily leading their innings. IPL 6 just took off and i'm sure all of you are all padded and guarded to face near two months of non-stop nail biters. With every passing year IPL is becoming a bigger and fattier phenomena. Thanks to all the big money and effort being poured into the Gentlemen's Game. Everywhere I go these days, the only thing people discuss about is cricket and IPL. At the restaurant, the owner and waiters; at the office, my colleagues; at the saloon, the barber(without bothering whether he is cutting thru my hair or neck), at the market, people in the front and people at the back.....everybody is talking about IPL.

And to tell you more, our dear IPL is second to none when it comes to making judicious use of social media. You can watch live matches on Youtube IPL Channel(sponsored by Indiatimes), tweet your views on the ongoing matches and get latest news using the #IPL Twitter Handle, can log onto the IPL Facebook Fan Page for getting to know more facts about this cricketing phenomena, and even join IPL Google+ Hangout(sponsored by Google) to interact directly with cricket experts over matches. Amazingly interactive...isn't it!?

I have a confession to make...I am so in love with social media!!!

Coming back onto the discussion, I believe its the larger than life image of IPL that appeals to the 1.27 billion people out there(add another 5 to the 1.27 billion who just popped out in the 5 seconds you took to read this). Everything including media, big money, flashy life, adverts, brands, popularity, cult following, make it all the more desired by you, me and every other tom, dick and harry(and seeta and geeta too).

Brands(as always) are leveraging a lot from IPL in any and every way possible. Associating something with cricket in India, and that too with such a favored platform, you are surely going to leave an impression on the eyeballs and make a mark on the minds of the onlookers and followers. IPL as a platform can make you reach as many Indians as possible and make you visible like no one else can. Such is the power of this event!!!

Brands like DLF, Pepsi, Kingfisher, Star, Yes Bank, Matrix, Bajaj Allianz and many many more are leaving no stone unturned to associate with this mega event and become the preferred brands for a whole nation.

* Crazy Idea Begins*

So I was just sitting and rocking my head(as usual) for some ideas to seep out when a thought struck me. Why not draw an analogy between the coveted game of Cricket and our routine lives. Probably thats another reason why we can connect so well with it(just kidding, its the "fun" part thats the reason :p)

So a match is like our life, players are "we the people", runs are our dreams, dismissals are the failures, wickets are "things we value", umpires are the influencers(parents, teachers, bosses) and third umpire is none other than GOD himself!(joking about the last one...haha)

Point to be noted, much like our shortening lives, Cricket matches have also shortened with time. From the earlier times of only Test Matches to the modern day 20-20. God knows how much more they are going to cut it short.

So everybody these days is busy playing their IPL innings. They change stances depending upon the situations faced; batting or bowling when they want to achieve something and fielding when they must grab opportunities coming their way. Its always the singles that matter more in life much like working constantly towards achievement of smaller goals and missions, whereas fours and sixes act more as bigger achievements that motivate and exhilarate us. There are times when we tend to let some opportunities pass by and someone else grabs a catch of them and you fail. And then there are times when someone throws an opportunity towards you and it is either seized or dropped, depending upon how well prepared you are for it. And then there are times when you are unaware whether you have failed or succeeded; and there comes indications and signals from our parents, partners, teachers, bosses and friends, making us realize the outcomes.
That said, I take pride in proving my hypothesis...
LHS = RHS
Hence Proved! :p

* Crazy Idea Ends *

I believe IPL has given us another way of rejoicing ourselves by dancing, singing, shouting, laughing out loudly and having fun to the maximum!

Choose your team today, start shouting and enjoy it to the max. And in the end I'll say...Divided by Teams, United by the Spirit of IPL.

Let that trumpet sing aloud!!!!!(play the video below to immerse yourself in the sound of IPL)

Keep watching and keep smiling.....



Cheers!

Gagan