IPL Season 4 : A ring side view

I sent in my name for IPL 4 auction! In the 1960s, I had played school cricket at sub junior level, junior level and was the 12^th man twice in the senior team captained by JK Mahendra who had then toured Australia as the wicket keeper with the National school team. At that time JKM was the only player from Kerala who had represented India at any level – and he was my captain! I also attended the selection trials for the battalion cricket teams at NDA and IMA.   But of course these credentials were not adequate for an entry into that list. But when I pleaded with the IPL governing council and rattled out the full names of all captains of the Indian teams starting from the first, Colonel Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu, they agreed to send my name to Vijay Mallya of Royal Challengers, Bangalore with a recommendation for selection in the ‘local’ quota.

On the designated day and time I waited outside the board room in the UB city, Bangalore dressed in my best suit and carrying all my certificates in a paper file folder (conscious of the environment – no plastic or leather).  It was not surprising that I was the lone ‘candidate’ seeking appointment as a player in the Royal Challengers team – everybody else was sought after. But then what do you do when sidelined? If nothing else, I had some experience of playing cricket in the era of Gundappa Viswanath and the Nawab of Pataudi, junior.  Moreover, with the passing of each day, Sachin is proving that age is just a number. There it was, Vijay had no obvious reasons to turn down my application – unless of course some one was to play ‘politics’. My portly neighbour, who did not have any particular liking for me as his wife always complimented my lean frame when ever we met, knew the ward corporator, a relative of the local MP who had voted for Mallya in his quest for that RS seat. An obligation was there to be taken and if this MP desires so, Mallya has no option but to disappoint me. I crossed my fingers.

Soon I was ushered into the spacious board room. Vijay was seated in the centre with Siddharth on his right. The air was tense. It took me a while before I recognized Dipika, seated on Vijay’s left. That brightened things up a bit. At the end of the first round, it was obvious that I did not possess the required cricketing skills. As my references, I said I had met Anil Kumble in the Domino’s Pizza joint on Brigade Road, a couple of years back. The Indian and Karnataka spinner, Sunil Joshi traveled with me from Delhi to Bangalore in November 2008. And of course, I watched Ranji matches at the RSI grounds, in Bangalore on some Sundays over a glass of beer. That made Vijay sit up. His eyes brightened. Sidharth leaned forward; Dipika smiled. I saw a glimmer of hope and also leaned forward expectantly.

“Which beer” Vijay asked. “Always King Fisher” I said. And went on to name all UB and Whyte & Mackay brands of liquor. I could see Vijay was impressed and also sensed an easing of tensions. I used this opportunity to enquire from Dipika about her father Prakash Padukone. She gushed and asked me whether I played badminton.  I told her squash was my game. Amused a little, Dipika began to clarify she was not the squash Dipika. I quickly reassured her I was aware she was not Dipika Pallikal the squash player, but Dipika Padukone the ghost in OSO. That settled matters. She blushed and gushed again.

At that instance Sidharth felt we had gone far enough and intervened to enquire the actual purpose of my visit. Soon I walked away with a pass for all IPL 4 matches to be held in Bangalore. So, guys look out; I will be in the stadium though not on the field – that is, if there is no ‘pass scam’ before or during the IPL 4 season.