Royal Challengers Bangalore's Fanatic Fans Challenge

RCB's Fanatic Fans Challenge 3:South Africa is the sequel to the Fanatic Fans Challenge 2 which took place during IPL 2010. They are having 3 positions to fill out this season. A blogger, a photographer and a podcaster.

Well, your job as a Chief Fanatic Fan would be to cover the CLT20 and the masalas and the local enthusiasms, everything that cricket & the CLT20 touches in South Africa and update it on the RCB site for your fellow RCB fans back home. The idea behind sending the best there is so everyone through their words, pictures and voice would feel as though they are in South Africa and not missing a thing.

How will you prove you can do that? Every category has 2 questions – one to prove you have a passion for cricket and can generate content on that topic (so that you don’t go there and watch the game without understanding why so many men running after 1 ball) and the second question to prove that you can make a story out of nothing (so we know you can add masalas and make a dull story interesting for the audiences)

Write out your application, send it in and then start collecting votes, you have until 11th of August to collect votes! If your application is one of the best, that they think can stand a chance to win, they will feature it. A featured application is also an example of what it will take for a fan to win this challenge. So for those of you who don’t have your applications featured, you can pick up a few pointers from the Featured Apps list. You can edit your application until the 9th of August.

Here is the entire flow of the process at RCB.

7 winners will be shortlisted from each category on the 12th and then they will go to Bangalore for the final audition (dates for which will be confirmed).

So if you think you have it in you, to be a Chief Fanatic Fan, travel to South Africa for the CLT20 while you work for RCB – Apply Now!

A Clash of Indian Legends

Well, the third season if Indian Premier League is into it's last week.

The first semi final of IPL-3, between Mumbai Indians and last year's finalists Royal Challengers Banglore is going to take place at DY Patil stadium in Mumbai.

Mumbai Indians is in tremendous form winning 10 out of their 14 league matches. Sachin mesmerized everyone with his lovely batting and he has been in a great form. Mumbai Indians need Sachin to fire once again to put a great start. Then they have in Rayudu, Tiwary two good players who can play some big shots. If Pollard delivers with the bat, then it will be an easy match for Mumbai. Mumbai's bowling department is also strong with the likes of Malinga, harbhajan and Zaheer.

Coming to Banglore team, Kallis has been a consistent performer. But he needs to improve his strike rate if they have to put up/chase a big score. They have explosive batsmen like Uthappa and Taylor who can turn the match away from the opponent very easily.

On a whole, both teams are very strong. Both the teams have good batting line up and good bowling attacks. But, mumbai has been consistent and playing in front of the home crowd is an advantage.

My playing XIs:
Mumbai:
Sachin Tendulkar, Shikar Dhawan, S Tiwary, A Rayudu, JP Duminy, K Pollard, Satish, R McLaren, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, S Malinga

Banglore:
J Kallis, M Pandey, K Pietersen, R Uthappa, R Taylor, V Kohli, R Dravid, D Steyn, R Vinay Kumar, Anil Kumble, Praveen Kumar

I'll go with Mumbai Indians.

Dream Final

Gilchrist's onslaught against DD took DC to finals, where as cool-headed innings from Dravid and Pandey against CSK took RCB to finals...

The two bottom-placed teams in IPL 2008 are now the finalists of IPL 2009. What a turnaround this for both the teams...

DC Vs RCB, my dream final...

DC has been shaky in some matches but Banglore has been exceptional after KP's departure...

RCB has the upper hand as they defeated DC in their last league match...

But T20 is all about form on that particular day....you outplay the other team, you win...

These two teams have been doing just this throughout the tournament, surprising other teams with superb performances...

Gilchrist, Rohit, Symonds and RP holds the key for DC where as Taylor, Kallis, Kumble and Dravid holds the key for RCB.

Though I support DC, I wouldn't really mind whoever wins the trophy....I just want this final to be simply awesome :)


Go DC..Go RCB..

What RCB should do?

This is not written keeping in view of today's match...

1. KP and Ryder should open
2. Uthappa doesn't look confident at the top and he has not been aggressive. It will be good if comes down the order, may be at No.5
3. Dravid is the only batsman for BRC to score consistently ...He came to bat when the team had almost lost the match....He can't do anything when he comes to bat in that situation... He should come at No.3...Unfortunately for today's match he is not available...

Finally the batting order should be like this

1.Ryder
2.KP
3.Dravid
4.Kallis
5.Uthappa
6.Taylor / B Akhil
7.Kohli
8.Praveen
9. Pankaj Singh/ Steyn
10. Vinay Kumar
11. Kumble


For today's match, it's going to be interesting who's gonna replace Dravid. Will it be Gaurav Dhiman or Wasim Jaffer?

Oldies Shone on First Day

The much awaited IPL Season 2 has arrived atlast and what a day it was ....

The first day of IPL2 has some surprises and proved that hittig fours and sixes is not that easy on South African soil... The finalists of last year's IPL lost their opening matches. Last year's runners up Chennai Super Kings lost to Sachin's Mumbai Indians. Defending Champions Rajastan Royals were humiliated by Pieterson's Banglore Royal Challengers.

Sachin gave a good start to IPL by winning a match against Chennai super kings in the first match of IPL2... He proved that it's not always about try to hit every ball for four or six....it's about playing according to the situation and pitch condition...In the other match, Dravid did the same....Wickets were falling on one end..but Dravid stayed there till the end and took his team to a comfortable total...Kumble's 5-wicket haul was another highlight of the match between Rajasthan and Banglore...but the match was almost over before kumble came onto bowl...

The credit for Mumbai's win goes to Abishek Nayar and Sachin, and the credit for Banglore's win goes to Dravid and their collective bowling performance...

I wonder why Dhoni did not give Ashwin a chance to bowl....He should have selected an extra batsman then...And also why Albie Morkel was not chosen?

Chennai's most valuable player (also IPL's) Flintoff cost them the match by giving 3 sixes in one over :)

I enjoyed Abishek Nayar's innings and Shane Warne's bowling...