What is IPL???

Have you even been asked this question? If so what was the answer... I sometimes wonder what answer I will have to this question.

Lets check it out. So, if someone was to ask me - What is IPL? My answer(s) would be:

• Its a political endeavour where money is made to flow from all possible corners.
• There are loads of sponsors to hog up the limelight. This makes the commentator go - 'this is a DLF maximum', 'citi moment of success'....
• Every 20-25 seconds there is a contest announcement that can be participated via IPL's website or via sending an SMS.
• Every day is also a beauty pageant nomination and the grand finale shall be on the Finals.
• Vodafone is cashing on its services/feature with the help of Zoozoos... This is my favourite part.
• Every now and then the camera is focused on the bollywood team owner who thinks the stadium is a theatre where he/she can perform their not-so-cool acting skills (I am glad SRK returned back home, it was impossible to tolerate him).
• The commercials are so important that they hog up action replay.
• 20-20 match format is stretched way beyond with the likes of Strategic Timeouts.
• It is extremely difficult to figure what I am view is a match telecast or a commercial, since cricketers have maximum advertisement sponsors and appear in most commercials and bollywood stars snatch the limelight during the match. May be a caption would help - "MATCH TELECAST" or "COMMERCIAL" :)

And in the middle of all this, players find time to PLAY CRICKET!

Lewis Hamilton 09

For Lewis Hamilton this season so far has not been the way any defending champion would imagine.

Not the best car around, controversies, penalties/suspensions and close to being disqualified. What a start to 2009. It looks like McLaren has a tendency of enticing controversies :).

Hamilton showcased the worst set of his driving skills in the Chinese GP. He is suppose to be the wet condition master. But spinning on the same corner thrice is worst that what Felipe Massa did in British GP 08 :) . This was a shocker! Vettle proved his worth on wet tyres, but Hamilton had an excuse - 'I was pushing a little too much'.

This must be the first time in Hamilton's career that he hasn't got a good car. Since the start of his karting days, he has been nurtured by his McLaren relationship. And now he goes all out in media complaining about how difficult it is for him to drive his McLaren. I guess these are the circumstances that will prove his test of patience. He has to lead the team here and set an example. The best comparison here can be Fernando Alonso. After his exit for the McLaren camp in 07, he did not have the best car for 08. But still he won races and showed the world what a double champion is made of