The Index
Drool, drool, slurp
Cheerleaders may attract more men to the IPL but who brings the girls in? Here are XI IPL hotties who get the ladies giggling and tossing their hair
Samantha Pendergrast
22-Apr-2009
Brendon McCullum
Take a tub of whipped cream. Pour in hot fudge, chocolate sauce, honey, the works. Now take it away and gimme Baz. No fat, and so much more delicious, this Kolkata opener looked in top shape even after marauding 158 off 73 balls in the tournament opener in 2008.
Take a tub of whipped cream. Pour in hot fudge, chocolate sauce, honey, the works. Now take it away and gimme Baz. No fat, and so much more delicious, this Kolkata opener looked in top shape even after marauding 158 off 73 balls in the tournament opener in 2008.
Chris Gayle
Captain Cool would look relaxed, possibly half-asleep, even sitting on a Victorian straightback surrounded by all of Lord's Emsworth's sisters. After blitzing his way through a run-chase, Gayle would still be game to go partying… all night.
Captain Cool would look relaxed, possibly half-asleep, even sitting on a Victorian straightback surrounded by all of Lord's Emsworth's sisters. After blitzing his way through a run-chase, Gayle would still be game to go partying… all night.
Rahul Dravid
No whipped cream for him; he would blush deeply and mumble about being a married man. We understand. But despite that and his frustrating need to offer the forward-defensive shot in a Twenty20, we can't help ogling Dravid. Would he be agreeable to jam?
Full postNo whipped cream for him; he would blush deeply and mumble about being a married man. We understand. But despite that and his frustrating need to offer the forward-defensive shot in a Twenty20, we can't help ogling Dravid. Would he be agreeable to jam?
Deck the halls with boughs of lolly
Ten songs on heavy rotation on Lalit Modi's iPod
Jamie Alter
21-Apr-2009
1. "For the Love of Money", The O-Jays
Donald Trump took the 1974 No. 9 hit from soul/R&B group the O-Jays and made it into an anthem of sorts on his smash reality show The Apprentice. You can almost picture Modi hitting "repeat" for this catchy tune. Especially when he gets out of one of those fancy imported cars, entourage in tow.
Donald Trump took the 1974 No. 9 hit from soul/R&B group the O-Jays and made it into an anthem of sorts on his smash reality show The Apprentice. You can almost picture Modi hitting "repeat" for this catchy tune. Especially when he gets out of one of those fancy imported cars, entourage in tow.
2. "Money", Pink Floyd
The definitive money song, complete with cash register and coin sound effects. A must on Modi's list of beats to play in the office, while travelling, on the treadmill, before business meetings, and during power naps. Cha-ching.
The definitive money song, complete with cash register and coin sound effects. A must on Modi's list of beats to play in the office, while travelling, on the treadmill, before business meetings, and during power naps. Cha-ching.
3. "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)", Pet Shop Boys
In their 1985 pop chart topper the Pet Shop Boys gave us the formula for harvesting loads of lolly. That year Modi was a student at Duke University, and was probably singing along in his dorm room to lyrics like "I've got the brains, you've got the looks/Let's make lots of money." Twenty-four years on, with a host of lucrative positions and even a chic TV commercial, it seems Modi had both brains and looks.
Full postIn their 1985 pop chart topper the Pet Shop Boys gave us the formula for harvesting loads of lolly. That year Modi was a student at Duke University, and was probably singing along in his dorm room to lyrics like "I've got the brains, you've got the looks/Let's make lots of money." Twenty-four years on, with a host of lucrative positions and even a chic TV commercial, it seems Modi had both brains and looks.
Bringing it all back home
Seven ways to make the IPL in South Africa a more authentically Indian experience
Nishi Narayanan
18-Apr-2009
1. All local VIPs must travel with a full contingent
If you're a celebrity, you better bring along your kids, nephews, nieces, uncles, spouse's uncles, grandparents, second cousins, step sisters and anyone else who may stand a chance of sharing DNA with you. Why? Because that's how we do it in India.
If you're a celebrity, you better bring along your kids, nephews, nieces, uncles, spouse's uncles, grandparents, second cousins, step sisters and anyone else who may stand a chance of sharing DNA with you. Why? Because that's how we do it in India.
Also, tickets available to the general public must not exceed the number of concrete benches in the stadium.
2. All regular spectators must come bearing nothing
No bottles, cigarettes, lighters, cameras, food, children, bags, caps, horns, fans or anything that will enhance the cricket-watching experience and/or distract them from the cricket. It's not the Indian way.
Full postNo bottles, cigarettes, lighters, cameras, food, children, bags, caps, horns, fans or anything that will enhance the cricket-watching experience and/or distract them from the cricket. It's not the Indian way.
Coachie coo
Five things Sourav Ganguly can do to get along better with coaches
13-Apr-2009
1. Retire. Call it a day. Hang up his boots. Call it what you may, just don't call it throwing in the towel, because that's among the things Ganguly is least likely to do. All this to say, perhaps it's time he saved himself the trouble of getting along with lesser beings like lateral-thinking team coaches and the like, by taking himself out of the equation.
2. Do a Shane Warne and appoint himself player-coach of every team he still harbours hopes of playing for. That said, he'll find it quite hard to sideline another gentleman in his current set-up, who is as fond of calling attention to himself as is good old Sourav: the ever-sprightly Shah Rukh Khan, majority stakeholder and full-time cheerleader of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
3. Appoint a shiny, swank, spiffy-looking team bus as coach. This will ensure that Sourav can always put himself in the driver's seat.
Full postHold that bon mot
Five things television commentators must be banned from uttering
06-Apr-2009
1. "It's a beautiful day to play cricket"
What with global warming, pollution and the abysmal quality of sunshine most parts of the cricket-playing world get, it's hardly ever a beautiful day to play cricket. Unless, of course, you happen to be in Australia. In which case, it's nearly always a beautiful day to play cricket. Sadly, most of us aren't.
What with global warming, pollution and the abysmal quality of sunshine most parts of the cricket-playing world get, it's hardly ever a beautiful day to play cricket. Unless, of course, you happen to be in Australia. In which case, it's nearly always a beautiful day to play cricket. Sadly, most of us aren't.
2. Calling MS Dhoni "unflappable" and "calm"
We don't want to hear those words again. We want you to use your imagination and find other words to describe Dhoni. But since you're obviously incapable of that, we urge you to get yourself a thesaurus. And no, we shan't be unflappable and cool about it.
We don't want to hear those words again. We want you to use your imagination and find other words to describe Dhoni. But since you're obviously incapable of that, we urge you to get yourself a thesaurus. And no, we shan't be unflappable and cool about it.
3. "What _______ need now is a wicket"
It's quite palpable to cricket watchers that once a partnership develops between two batsmen what the bowling side needs is a wicket. Your time and vocal chords would be better utilised if you told us other things. Fortunately for you, cricket is rich with statistics, stories and bits of engaging trivia, which you are encouraged to regale us with instead of stating the bleeding obvious.
Full postIt's quite palpable to cricket watchers that once a partnership develops between two batsmen what the bowling side needs is a wicket. Your time and vocal chords would be better utilised if you told us other things. Fortunately for you, cricket is rich with statistics, stories and bits of engaging trivia, which you are encouraged to regale us with instead of stating the bleeding obvious.
Men behaving badly
Tempers. Drug-taking. Excessive drinking. Fishing. All the vices are covered in our bad boys XI
S Aga
06-Apr-2009
Sourav Ganguly
Gave offence by baring his chest at cricket's holiest of holies. Now turned mellow, but makes the grade thanks to his ability to get those around him to lose their heads while he looks beatifically on.
Keep away from: Australian coaches
Gave offence by baring his chest at cricket's holiest of holies. Now turned mellow, but makes the grade thanks to his ability to get those around him to lose their heads while he looks beatifically on.
Keep away from: Australian coaches
Shane Warne
Rich and storied history of substance-abuse (regardless of if you include cheese as a substance or not), skirt-chasing and illicit text-messaging makes him a shoo-in.
Keep away from: waitresses
Rich and storied history of substance-abuse (regardless of if you include cheese as a substance or not), skirt-chasing and illicit text-messaging makes him a shoo-in.
Keep away from: waitresses
Praveen Kumar
Beat up a doctor after having mud splashed on clothes by said doctor's car as Kumar stepped out of a shop where he had gone to buy a gun. The beating was administered in a glassware shop, which sustained damage. All-round fun.
Keep away from: Johannesburg
Full postBeat up a doctor after having mud splashed on clothes by said doctor's car as Kumar stepped out of a shop where he had gone to buy a gun. The beating was administered in a glassware shop, which sustained damage. All-round fun.
Keep away from: Johannesburg
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