A load of crap from an idle brain

A fascinating look by the Forbes magazine into the rise and eventual fall of Lalit Modi.  Will Modi take the fall lightly or fight back is a million dollar question and needs to be seen.  A good read.

The story goes like this. Before the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) third season took off, Lalit Modi, former commissioner of the league, made a close friend of his an offer, Modi thought was irresistible.

For Rs. 5 crore, Modi’s friend could buy the rights to have his company’s name plastered on a blimp that would float over stadiums where league matches are played. The mileage it could possibly attract, Modi argued, was worth a lot more than the Rs. 5 crore he was asking for.

His friend, the scion of a prominent tyre manufacturing company in the country thought it too expensive a deal and declined. Modi then took the proposal to MRF, his friend’s arch rival, who saw value in the offer and bought into Modi’s pitch. Estimates vary on how much Modi sold the rights to MRF for. But consensus is, it was anywhere between Rs. 12 crore and Rs. 18 crore.

As the season started to roll, Modi’s friend figured he’d lost out on a sweet deal. And so the next time he met Modi at a league match in New Delhi, he admitted he’d made the wrong call; and that Modi ought to figure a way out to get his brand into the IPL. Modi pointed to the 30 yard circle in the stadium and offered his friend, a buddy from his days at school, an opportunity to re-brand the circle with his company’s name for Rs. 30 crore. “30 friggin’ crores!” the friend yelled and baulked. Modi didn’t blink. “You didn’t take it when I offered you a sweet deal. This is the best I can do now,” he said. A few moments of awkward silence followed.

Apparently, Modi had gone to the home minister’s office to seek clearances for the league matches. But in an appalling breach of protocol, he refused to wait for his turn to meet Chidambaram and instead attempted to barge into the minister’s office. Now, Chidambaram is the kind of man who doesn’t suffer either fools or arrogance and promptly asked Modi to leave. A miffed Modi said some daft things, stormed out of the room and eventually created an altogether avoidable controversy that snowballed into Season 2 being shifted to South Africa.

Read the full article here

+++

A commendable performance by Force India & Bangalore Royal Challengers and now this milestone of United Spirits clocking a sales volume of 100 million cases for the year.  Vijay Mallya and his companies are on a roll.  The only bleeding part being the airlines business.

United Spirits’ brands include

Dalmore
Jura
Whyte & Mackay
Black Dog
Antiquity
Signature
Royal Challenge
McDowell’s No.1
Celebration Rum
Bouvet Ladubay
Pinky
Romanov
White Mischief
Kingfisher

United Spirits Limited (USL), the flagship company of The UB Group, today announced that it has crossed the milestone of clocking a sales volume of 100 million cases for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. This achievement makes United Spirits the world’s second-largest spirits company by volumes, dislodging Paris-headquartered Pernod Ricard.

Key Highlights:

• The retail sales value of the spirits portfolio sales of United Spirits for the 100 million cases sold is Rs. 30,000 Crores

• USL’s 100 million cases contributed Government revenue of Rs. 18,000 Crores through excise and other levies

• USL has dominant market share and the fastest growing brands in most key segments

• USL has outperformed global competitors with USL brands growing 14% while the world’s top 100 spirits brands collectively grew only 1% and this when 18 of the top 25 global premium brands lost ground

• In the last 25 years, USL has sold a total of 740 million cases

• United Spirits launched Black Dog 18 YO in the super premium Bottled — In-India (BII) scotch category to further ramp up its market share

• The company upped the ante in the premium IMFL segment with the introduction of 100% pure grain-based McDowell’s Platinum whisky.

Full article here

+++

There are two religions in India.  Cricket and Bollywood.  The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a marriage of the two.  The best players in the world playing for teams owned by some of the biggest actors, businessmen and playing in front of packed stadiums in the mecca of cricket, India.

An explosive start to the tournament is expected starting today when the defending champions, Deccan Chargers take on Kolkatta Knight Riders at Mumbai.

IPL3 is even bigger as not only is it back in India, almost all the world players will be there (sooner or later).  And most importantly, there is no Pakistani players (thank God for small mercies).  Hope it stays that way for years to come.

For the first time ever, IPL will not only be streamed lived on youtube, but also will be telecast live in multiplexes around the country.  Imagine watching 3 hours of cricket on a mega 70mm screen with stereo sound and hunderds of screaming fans in a dark hall.

Am sure, i don’t need to spell out my favourites.  Once a Hyderabadi, always a Hyderabadi.

Go Deccan Chargers Go !

Full schedule of IPL3 can be obtained here

All pictures source: Ibnlive, Rediff & Telugupeople

+++

Miffed at the Indian Premier League’s snub of Pakistan players, Javed Miandad says the cash-rich Twenty20 competition is turning out to be ‘a big mafia’.

“The Indian Premier League is becoming a big mafia that wants to control world cricket; it is not only endangering the existence of the International Cricket Council, but also the rest of the cricketing nations.

“It is my message to all cricket boards around the world that the IPL is the biggest danger for their future; if it is not controlled timely it will engulf all boards.

“India is trying to control the world of cricket through the IPL and wants to become a super power; India is trying it and India is doing it,” the Pakistan cricket icon told rediff.com in an exclusive interview, shortly after the players’ auction for the third edition of the IPL in Mumbai on Tuesday.

His reasoning is that “a number of players have refused to play for their own countries because they can earn more money overnight than they could throughout their careers”.

Saying the players are receiving money more than they are worth, he urged the ICC to form rules to curb the League’s expansion.

Mafia? err…ummm… Isnt your son married to the biggest mafia leader’s daughter Mr Miandad?

Full article here

+++

Stayed up till 2:30 in the morning to watch the match as Deccan Chargers, the winners of the wooden spoon in the competition last year scored a thrilling 6 run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore to emerge the champions of Indian Premier League – 2009.

What an awesome month this has been.  The chaddi gang routed in the elections.  Deccan Chargers coming out of nowhere to win this year’s IPL.  Twenty-20 world cup coming up in another 10 odd days. Yay.

Missing the sleep was worth it.  Tonight, i will have a contented sleep

It was a double whammy for Vijay Mallya yesterday.  His Formula 1 team, Force India just missed out on the points table and his cricket team, Bangalore Royal Challengers just missed out in the finals.

Pictures courtesy: IBNLive & Rediff

+++

Adam Gilchrist put the Delhi Daredevil’s bowling to the sword as Deccan Chargers beat the Daredevils by 6 wickets.  Batting first Delhi put up a modest 153 in the stipulated 20 overs.  But a hurricane knock by Gilchrist who hit 85 in 35 balls with 10 fours and 5 sixes, knocked the winds out of the Delhi sails.

Deccan Chargers will now meet the winners of the Chennai Super Kings and Bangalore Royal Challengers match in the finals of the IPL 2009 on Sunday.

Above pictures courtesy: Cricinfo

+++

The long winding IPL 2009 finally comes to a close this weekend.  The semi final line up is ready.  Deccan Chargers take on the Delhi Daredevils in the first semi final today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday), the Chennai Super Kings take on Bangalore Royal Challengers in the second semi finals.

Go Deccan Chargers Go 

+++

In the IPL and cricket mania, its very difficult to find more information about such a sport.  A stupendous effort by the players inspite of the fact that their effort gets no recognition in the Indian press.

Jayanta Talukdar clinched the men’s individual recurve gold and helped India win the team event in the Archery World Cup Stage 2 at Porec, Croatia, on Saturday.

Talukdar upset Athens Olympicgold medallist Marco Galiazzo of Italy 110-108 in the final to clinch his second gold. Earlier, the trio of Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Mangal Singh Champia won India the men’s recurve team gold.

Jayanta Talukdar

This was the trio’s second consecutive team gold after bagging the first at Santo Domingo World Cup Stage 1 on April 5. India had beaten Great Britain in Stage 1 final.The trio had bagged India the first team gold in World Cup series winning at Antalya (Turkey) in 2008. This was followed by two more already this year.

Talukdar also won his third head-to-head contest against the Italian Galiazzo, all played at Porec. He first tamed Galiazzo in 2006 on way to the gold medal, and again beat him in 2008 and now in the final today. Talukdar held the lead in the first two ends of three arrows each at 55-52. He surprisingly conceded two points in the third end to allow the Italian to narrow the gap to 81-82.

Mangal Singh Champia

When Galiazzo hit an eight with his second arrow of the final end of the three arrows, the Indian needed a nine to win. Talukdar hit a 10 to take the second crown in Porec. The women’s recurve team, however, failed to clinch the bronze medal losing the play-off to Ukraine 197-212.

In the men’s team summit clash, Russia trailed by one point (54-55) in the first end, recovered in the second end to tie the match at 108 points at halfway mark. However, India took the lead in the third end at 164-162. Russia showed their best in the last end, but it was not enough to beat the Indians.

Rahul Banerjee

In the women’s third place play-off, it was pretty good performance in dusty conditions as Indian eves took 53-49 lead in the first end. They, however, could not overcome the windy conditions as they did in the first end and went on a wayward shooting, 7-9-8-8-9-6, all on the right side of the target.

The Ukrainians tied the match at 100 points and took the lead in the third end at 154-150. The last end for India was stressful as the last arrow slipped from the arrow rest as Ukraine eves settled the issue. Archery Association of India president VK Malhotra and secretary general Paresh Nath Mukherjee congratulated the winners.

Article courtesy: Rediff and pictures source: Hindu, Tata Steel & NDTV

+++