IPL: Comedy, Tragedy, Numbers and Ishant Sharma

I can’t fathom what’s more comic or tragic—depending on your perspective.

Saurav Ganguly fans, who keep hoping for some miracle that will enable their hero to participate  in the IPL this year.

Or the split verdict announced by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by former BCCI President A.C. Muthiah challenging the amendment of clause 6.2.4, allegedly promulgated to allow BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan to continue as an office-bearer while owning a stake in the Chennai Super Kings franchise.

At least, Dada fans' hearts are in the right place—in Ganguly's opinion.

But what can you say about a clear conflict of interest? Should N Srinivasan govern as an interested party?

I have to confess that I have not quite been following the IPL. It's been an overdose and overload of cricket for the past two to three months.

It seems, though, that I'm not the only one who feels that way.TVR Ratings have fallen significantly from last year's 5.52 to 4.30.

But it's not all bad news. The good news is the online viewership numbers. Online hits have registered an impressive 62 percent increase from last year.

Does that mean that more and more viewers are moving to the internet? Or does it simply mean that the games and club loyalty are not compelling enough for viewers to set aside everything else and plonk themselves in front of the idiot box?

Maybe, it's a combination of the two.

"Club over country" not counting as much with cricket lovers?

Excellent news for Team India this week was the return of Ishant Sharma to his penetrative best. Five for 12 off three overs against Kochi Tuskers Kerala makes it the third-best figures in the IPL.

Yuvraj Singh has spoken of Ishant's immense talent and how he can reach 450 Test wickets if he fulfills his potential. Bowling performances like this go a long way towards reinforcing that belief.

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Quote of the day:
One of the most obvious facts about grownups to a child is that they have forgotten what it is like to be a child. — Randall Jarrell