Howzat!

The IPL regular season ended yesterday. The 4 teams who made it to the playoffs start their matches tomorrow, with the finals on the 29th: Gujarat, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkota. Mumbai, 'my team' and the defending champion, ended their season 5th.

Below are the verses I have been writing for the past 6 weeks (the two 3-line verses are attempts at Japanese haiku):

Howzat!

The floodlights shine bright

Players huddle and take the field

The opening batsmen saunter to the wickets

Game time in Hyderabad!

Sharma, Buttler, Guptill, McClenaghan

Pollard and Rayudu

Ready with their willow woods

Squint at the bowlers

Experienced Nehra, young Rahman and Kumar

Flaunt their wiles with the cork

It was to be Hyderabad’s day

As Warner demolished the MI bowlers

Cool Wednesday morning two days later

MI to take on RCB

The vaunted scoring of Kohli

The sporadic brilliance of Gayle

MI batsmen have to step up today

Not rely on Bhajji to top-score!

The record of 1-3 needs a’ changin’

Or else ‘Tis going to be a mighty bore

MI beat RCB last night

T'was bliss to see Kohli and de Villiers

Out in the same over

Watch out Delhi, it will be Sad Saturday

Lions felt Sun's heat

Devils will dare nought tomorrow

Pune vs RCB, who cares... (Today) 

No cricket today

Family celebration dinner

Awaiting tomorrow's match

MI, MI, MI...

Must try and stay awake

To savour the victory

Seems RCB won last night

Planned to skip parties for MI 

Relieved match is at Four

Despite Captain Rohit’s heroics

Delhi won by 10 runs

Now eight more matches

For MI to come out with blazing guns

Slept through MI's win last night

Old age creeping up perchance

It was not much of a fight

Thursday, KKR will feel MI's lance

Watching Thu match with friends

And libations of course

Glad not to be alone or too sleepy

To savour MI's winning bourse

    Will be watching Thu match alone after all

    Being the sole cricfan in these woods

    Ah well, so be it

    Just so long as MI brings home the goods

     MI did win and jump to 3rd place

     Alas, Delhi and Hyderabad won yesterday too

     So it's Gujarat, DD, KKR 'n Hyderabad in top four

     MI will need to claw its way up tonight

    Cool Cap Dhoni's Pune team

    Will be taken by MI

    Must keep alive the dream

    Will be watching with a cousin/friend tonight

      Pune was taken and MI vaulted to #2

      Then Kolkota won last night and MI now #3

       It's a roulette between these two, Gujarat and Delhi 

       Latter two play tonight and Gujarat must win

       Or else beloved MI will be #4! 

IPL saga unfolds yet

#1 Gujarat slaughtered by Delhi last night

Now MI is #4

Their next match on Sunday shall be a fight. 

Kolkota beat Punjab last night 

And tops Standings now

Followed by Gujarat and Delhi

While to #4 MI takes a bow

DD plays Pune tonight

Negative rooting again

For Pune to win the fight. (.... Sorry, Deepak) 

Maybe #3 spot will then be MI's to gain

Mi resting till Sunday 

When Hyderabad will prove litmus test 

Meanwhile hoping other 3 teams in top four

Keep losing, encouraging MI to perform best.

Dozed off of course

But woke up to see the end

When Pune beat Delhi 

Driving some folks around the bend! 

Four crucial games remain

Mumbai 5th with Delhi just ahead

Revived Bangalore/Virat catching up

We must gather to watch more games!

For MI's sake, got to keep DD at bay

May de Kock be blinded by the Rising Sun

Let Warner do his batting voodoo 

And let Zaheer's Devils fall under the gun. 

‘Twas a dismal night

MI bundled out for 124 runs

Watch out Daredevils and Lions

As MI performs its usual last-stand heroics

It was a Sad Sunday

As Kolkota and Bangalore

Secured their playoff births

The four qualifiers now decided

With MI only fifth

Shall await the next season

To see MI victorious again! 

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