Examination Pattern in India (Revised)

1. General students - Answer ALL questions.



2. OBC - WRITE ANY one question.



3. SC - ONLY READ questions.



4. ST - THANKS FOR COMING..



AND



5. Gujjars/Jats - THANKS FOR ALLOWING OTHERS TO ATTEND THE EXAMINATION . !!



CHEERS TO RESERVATION......

Oh well, another one of those forwards that we find in our mail every morning - but I liked the sarcastic humor (is there any such thing??) evident in the mail. I mean, the way we are going about harping on reservations for people of all castes and creed, it would be a wonder if we have any seats left for the general students, say 20 years down the line! I don't hold any grudges against the so-called minorities but screaming for reservation all the time is not going to solve their problem. Demand better infrastructure, more educational spending - make efforts to match the levels of the general population so that they don't have to scream and fight for reservations.

And until that happens, be prepared for the above examination pattern!

Online Gambling - A booming menace!

Caught this interesting article in the Economic Times:

The rapidly mushrooming number of illegal sports betting websites is
heightening concerns among authorities about global corruption, money laundering
and gambling addiction.

There are now an estimated 15,000 such sites on the World Wide Web,
including some 13,000 illegal ones, shuffling around $23.6 billion a year,
according to the authorities.

[---]

Declan Hill, a journalist and British expert on the problem, says the
amount of corruption in global sports has increased almost 100-fold in the past
five years thanks to Internet-based gambling.

"Ten years ago, national lotteries controlled 100 per cent of the sports
(betting) market," Hill said.

Quite a serious problem, huh? Especially considering the amount of money which is being circulated around but what is the solution to this? Why not follow suit and legalise the entire online gambling business similar to what the U.K. and the Caribbean have done? Atleast, countries would then stand to benefit from the revenues generated through online gambling (in terms of taxes). Along with the legalisation of gambling, make betting on sports, especially cricket, legal too! According to some reports on the Internet, the current IPL season has seen betting activities to the tune of Rs. 4,000 crore!

Legalise them and then tax them and subsequently pass on the tax benefits to the common people (and this time in equal amounts to either genders :-) ). Try as hard as they may, governments will never succeed in truly eradicating betting and gambling, so why not profit from this burgeoning industry? Atleast, legalisation provides the governments with a way to regulate and profit from the revneues generated by this industry - As they say, if you can't fight them, then join them! :)

Crazy as ever!

Hey readers, how is it going on with you? I am super-busy here what with having to write an article for the ICFAI Charter magazine, composing questions for FRM 2008 and simultaneously working on 2 top-secret (not defense level) projects! Besides, having to constantly go up against my IT team and the HR guys here at office and I got my hands full! And oh, I forgot to add the bit about me missing out on my reading and the arrival of my cousins, along with their daughters, for the summer vacations! All in all, life sure is super crazy / busy / fun at the moment!

I hope to share with you more on my secret projects in the days to come – provided my efforts bear fruit! Else, it will all go down the toilet with not even a trace left for you to ponder over! Meanwhile, work at office is exciting – got 2 downgrade/upgrade calls right on the button! But heck, this isn’t the place to discuss my work, is it? Oh, and are any of you wondering why I haven’t published any photos from Canon S5 camera that I dedicated so much space to a month back?

Well, frankly, though I do have a lot of photos on the camera, the net connection at home has been nothing short of pathetic – I am using Reliance’s NetConnect and man, the speed is not only super slow, but it also takes an eternity to open a page! I am super tired and fed up of the slow connection – I’ll upload a bevy of photos once I get a new connection – probably sometime next month.

By the way, I have finished reading James Patterson’s Hide and Seek – I might be tempted to write a review of this book sometime during the weekend! ‘Til next time, take care and play safe!

Weekend Diaries!

Hey readers, hope you all had a lovely weekend.. I had an awesome 2 days where I got plenty of time to catch up with my family, sleep, shopping and loads of other things! All in all, I'd a rocking gala time! But thanks to my defunct net connection at home, I couldn't really catch up with news - financial or otherwise - over the weekend!

Hence, my surprise when I caught sight of a Moneycontrol headline saying that RComm and MTN have agreed to enter into exclusive negotiations - now where did Bharti Airtel disappear? Wasn't Bharti the lead horse that was expected to acquire MTN? Oh well, doesn't really surprise me - RComm is entering into a lot of acquisitions of late and the latest deal with MTN simply reiterates the views of Anil Ambani -Dream BIG!

Climbing the ladder!

While on one hand I was thankful to the rain last night for making the night cooler, the same rain played a spoiltsport in Delhi when the washed out match between the Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders got rained off! With the washout went any slim hopes KKR may have entertained of entering into the semi-finals of the inaugural edition of the IPL. Quite a disappointing - some may say fitting - end to Dada and SRK's Journey!

A lot of promise - on paper .. They fought bravely but only in patches! Apart from 2-3 outstanding innings, there wasnothing substantial coming out of the KKR camp. Most importantly, the team had to play well together which they failed to have done in this edition atleast! Hoping for more from them the next time they come out to play! We still love you Knight Riders!

By the way, I am currently busy writing an article for the next edition of the The Charter magazine by ICFAI - so my posts may be very general till I finish with that! Additionally, I am workng on a top-secret dream project at the moment, details of which I can't furnish now. So please don't ask me! :-) I thank my argumentative friends who often ignite this I'll-show-you-how-it-is-done spirit in me - just keeps me going, trying my level best to go one step further, climb one more rung! Korbo, Lorbo, JEETBO RE!

Shit happens & How!

Hey guys, saw this interesting status message on one of my online contacts .. Stercus accidit(Shit Happens).. Follow the green highlighted link to read how shit happens in different religions! I am sure you will find it pretty hilarious! If nothing else, it's a good way to pass your time in this sultry weather! Enjoy because shit happens as it has to happen to some one!

Click here if that link does not work! And below is a sample of what you will get to read if you follow the lilnk:

Hare Krishna: Shit Happens, Rama Rama Ding
Ding.

She-it happens, She-it happens, happens,
happens,

she-it, she-it... (Repeat until you become one with
she-it)

Please this flower and buy our
shit.

Calvinism: Shit happens because
you don't work hard enough.

Episcopalianism: If
shit happens, hold a procession.

Lutheranism:
Shit happens, but as long as you're sorry, it's OK.

By the way with the shocking defeat suffered by Chennai Super Kings at the hands of Royal Challengers, Kolkata Knight Riders may have an outside chance of qualifying for the semis! With SRK totally behind his team, I think it's team for KKR to show the fighting spirit and exploit this window of opportunity! Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo re!

Scribbling .. For Fun!

Hey readers, so how are the summers going? I sure am burning in this heat - my office AC was conked out for the last 2 days and man, it was damn suffocating in here! We even had one person fainting in office, now where are all the activists demanding good working conditions when you need them the most?

If the days are hot enough, then the evenings we got to deal with these Northwesters which even claimed the life of a person in Kolkata .. The guy stayed just a few blocks away from me! Yeeks.. So sad for him! Somehow, it feels so strange .. The guy died because a tree fell on his car and he got crushed to death! Even I was out that night and could only gaze in wonder when I saw trees dancing like drunks and heavy branches crashing at my feet! Somehow, I made it home but that guy wasn't so lucky!

Death is so sudden, coming without any warnings! And that's why folks, do what you have to do NOW! Don't wait for tomorrow or the next moment! Say what you have to say now, do what you have to do now! Don't leave things unsaid or undone - go easy with tensions, misunderstandings, bad experiences! Live life for the beautiful moments it presents you with NOW rather than what may come tomorrow!

And just for the record, I got my profile & my photo (slightly hazy and cocky) featured on the May 2007 issue of the CFA Charter Magazine from ICFAI University! Life, death, sorrow, joy -- everything walks this path together!

Reliance Communications - Go India, Go!

Reliance Communications or RCOM (formerly known as Reliance InfoComm) is India’s largest private sector information and communications company with a subscriber base of over 48 million subscribers. Founded in 2002, RCOM has established itself as a dominant service provider in the CDMA segment. The company is now looking to grow via acquisitions and expansion of service offerings under the wireless and non-wireless service offerings. The next 12-18 months will see the introduction of plenty of new growth drivers for the company. Below is a brief look at some of the drivers:

1) Wireless Segment:

RCOM is gearing up operations to commence with one of the biggest roll-outs
of GSM operations, aiming to achieve 90 percent population coverage within 12
months of the launch in India. The company is confident of rolling out its GSM
services from the fourth quarter of 2008. The company has already established
its presence in the CDMA segment and its dual-SIM enabled CDMA handsets will aid
the company in retaining subscribers as well as easing the switch from CDMA to
GSM. The company has secured a loan of $750 million China Development Bank for
this purpose.

The company is also planning to introduce a net-enabled phone at a
price of only Rs. 480/- per handset. This marks a steep discount to the
currently available internet browsing phones at a cost of Rs. 1,400/-! The
company intends to place an initial order for 12 million handsets. It will
target the 600 million rural population and expects to sell around 1 million
pieces a year in the rural and semi-urban areas. The company is also looking at
roping in the labour ministry that is looking at digitisation of communication
technology and making mobile phones affordable to farmers.

Reliance Infratel, RCOM’s tower arm, currently has
37,000 towers. Infratel is looking to increase to tower count to 60,000 by 2009
and 70,000 by 2010. The increase in the tower count will result in a higher
transmission capacity. The increase in the tower count coupled with the GSM
launch will drive higher revenue from the company’s wireless segment.
Additionally, RCOM is seeking possible listing of Reliance Infratel on the
Indian stock markets. Infratel has received the SEBI approval to proceed with
the IPO which will witness the dilution of 10% stake in Infratel for a sum of
Rs. 50,000 crore – Rs. 60,000 crore. Listing of Infratel’s IPO will result in
significant unlocking of value for RCOM’s shareholders.

2) Non-wireless segment:

One of the most significant components of RCOM’s non-wireless segment is Reliance Globalcom. After Reliance Infratel, I believe that the
company stands to gain significantly from the significant expansion activities
being undertaken at Globalcom. From increasing the private undersea cable system
to 137,000 route-km (r-km) (at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.5 billion) and landing
ports to 64 to presence in 60 countries in 2010, Globalcom will enable RCOM to
not only post strong margins (since a major part of expansion will take place in
emerging markets) but it also help the company to maintain a higher growth rate
compared to national as well as global peers. The expansion in the undersea
cable network is expected to address the global connectivity needs of 90% of
world population. Some news report also state that Globalcom is in talks with
banks and mobile operators for setting up a global backbone to enable interbank
money transfer on mobile platforms.

RCOM is also ready to begin with the roll-out of its Direct-to-Home
(DTH) services, known as Big TV. I expect the company to corner
a significant share of the DTH campaign based on its superior service offering
(over 240 channels) and presence in over 4000 towns. The higher market
penetration will in turn enable the company to derive higher revenue from the
non-wireless segment.

RCOM is looking to increase its presence in Wimax with the acquisition
of a majority stake in eWave world in April 2008. The company will invest $500
million in this service by 2012. RCOM estimates the revenue potential in
emerging markets at $10 billion; the company expects to capture 10% of the
market share in the next 24 months which will translate into revenues of $1
billion by 2010.

RCOM is also aiming to double its market share in the US in managed
Ethernet. Acquisition of Yipes in July 2007 provided the company with 5% market
share in the US in managed Ethernet. By 2010, the company has guided to revenues
of $200 million - $250 million with a market share of 10%. In the Internet Data
Centre (IDC) space, the company has set itself a target of being among the top
three providers by March 2009. Additional expansion into the area of global
conferencing will lead to further upside.

My entire argument for an investment in RCOM is based on the factors listed above. I’ve purposefully not taken the company’s base business (the CDMA segment) into consideration. I’ve also deliberately made an attempt to stay away from discussions on the company’s cash position or the net debt on its balance sheet. I believe that while the underlying business of the company’s remains strong, the next wave of growth could be derived from one or more of the above factors.

But I must sound a note of caution: Although the company is very confident of delivering on its promises, I believe that the company is exposed to significant execution risk. Most of the company’s plans are highly ambitious and aggressive and require significant upgrade in operational efficiencies. Additionally, changes in government regulations may hamper the company’s plans and possible slow-down the execution ability of the company. Another concern is the amount of financing which the company will need to successfully carry out these expansion activities.

While the Indian Telecom industry is recording one of the fastest growth rates in the worldwide telecom market, the growth path is not without its share of obstacles, with the raging war between the CDMA and the GSM operators over spectrum allocation being one of them. However, despite the likely hurdles in its path, I expect RCOM to reap the benefits from the aggressive strides that the company is looking to make in both the wireless and non-wireless segments. The company is looking to drive incremental growth in India with the roll-outs of the GSM operations and Big TV while internationally, Globalcom is expected to provide a major thrust to the company’s top- and bottom-line growth by 2010. Besides the incremental revenue from these expansions, IPOs for Globalcom and Infratel will also unlock significant value for shareholders. Given the current market conditions, I believe this is the right time to accumulate shares of RCOM.

The Decoupling Myth Demystified!

Emerging Markets – Have they really decoupled from the Rest of the World?

Significant increase in cross-border trade, foreign direct investments, spread of technology and migration led to the coining of the term “globalization”. Globalization opened up the world’s economies - both domestically AND internationally – and resulted in the setup of an international industrial and financial business structure. The pace of globalization was such that ripples felt in one part of the world easily found their way to other parts of the world, regardless of geography.

The most recent example of such a rippling effect is the ongoing U.S. crisis, brought about by a severe housing slump and simultaneous credit crunch, that has resulted in a waterfall effect on the economies of the rest of the world. And to think that some very influential people were discussing the decoupling of the emerging markets from the rest of the world, or to be more specific, from the United States of America.

Now before I go into a discussion of the last statement, let me first briefly describe the decoupling theory and emerging economies. According to the decoupling theory, economies of emerging markets and the U.S. can grow at the two different ends of the growth rate paths. Simply put, the decoupling theory argues that even if the U.S. economy falls into a recession, the economies of the emerging markets will remain untouched and continue their sharp upward growth curve. Emerging markets are defined as world economies which are in a transitional phase between developing and developed status. The four biggest emerging markets are Brazil, Russia, India and China, collectively known as the BRIC economies.

Now coming back to the topic, I would like to state that in this globalized world, no market may remain insulated from global shocks. With the USA accounting for 20% of the global demand, any shocks felt in this economy will have severe repercussions on most of the markets around the world. Despite emerging markets enjoying good fundamentals and strong domestic demand, the shortfall in exports (courtesy the worsening credit crunch in the USA) will need to be replaced by an exceptional (and sustained) increase in domestic demand for these markets to continue growing the way they have done in the past.

Additionally, consider the fact that owing to the opening of world economies, increasing amount of FDI investment has occurred in emerging markets. Most of these FDI inflows are coming in from the U.S. – now with most banks and financial institutions facing severe credit crisis in the USA, investments made in the emerging markets are being liquidated and used to fund the financial needs of the firms back in the USA. This resulting decrease in investments in emerging markets, if not made up by a subsequent increase in domestic investments, will result in loss of liquidity, accompanied by a sharp correction in the valuations of these emerging markets. And this is precisely what has been witnessed. Stock markets in these emerging markets have corrected by a greater margin than the ones in the USA.

Now if we were to even accept the assumptions of the decoupling theory for an instant, how do we then explain the resulting flight of liquidity from these emerging markets without first dismissing the basic assumptions of decoupling? Decoupling suggests the shift of economic power from the USA to the economies of the emerging markets, most notably the ones in Asia. While I do not expect the economies of the emerging markets to follow that of USA’s into recession, I do expect a moderation in the growth rate at which these economies will grow in the coming years. While I do expect the good fundamentals and strong domestic demand in China and India to shift the balance of power from the USA into the hands of these emerging economies in the long-term, I do not anticipate this shift to occur suddenly or in a short span of time.

I believe in the adage that change is constant but I also believe that only a gradual change in the underlying dynamics of the world economy is sustainable. While the emerging markets growing at an exceptional rate, they need to increase the domestic demand and consumption in their markets. This in turn will reduce their dependence on revenue from the USA. To boost domestic consumption in these markets, I believe that their currencies need to appreciate significantly to enhance the purchasing power of the people of these markets. For long we have seen the USA driving the growth for the world markets and hence, it is only justified that the shift of growth drivers occurs gradually. Decoupling is not expected to happen overnight and hence, my belief that emerging markets have not really decoupled from the rest of the world – Yet.

Some sites worth a look!

Hey readers, I am back with some awesome sites. Do check out a few of them in your spare time:

1) Despair.com : Some of the sayings are sure to sink your already sunk feelings! A sadistic way to lighten up! Recommended for those who can laugh at themselves and life!

2) WhichisWorse.com : Here the choices are pretty simple and equally catchy and yucky! Caught between a mountain and a river just got redefined by the choices on offer at this site! [P.S. Correct the pun if you know the right one]

I hope to add some more sites to my survey pretty soon. 'Til then, enjoy reading and do check out these (de)motivating sites!

The TAX-gender divide!

While I was busy catching up with my work and those rare, few friends of mine who missed me, one of them asked me a very common, sometimes unnoticed question: Why do women get greater tax exemption than men?? Here is my reply: Historically, women have earned less than men on average. Plus, their working life-term is shorter than men, hence they are given more tax-breaks to enable them to save a higher amount over a comparably lower working life period.. Does this sound reasonable?

The question gave me a pretty weird idea and so I decided to conduct an in-office poll of the same.. Here are some replies which deserved special mention!!

--- because they deserve the best in all areas of life (a feminist..)

--- I think women are better than men and should have some privileges enhanced. (a thoughtful feminist)

--- they already have so many extra expenses (Definitely a shopaholic!)

--- because they have two letters more than we do!! (Wise-ass!!)

--- because men are better managers than women!! (This seemed like such a chauvinistic reply.. Does this even answer the question?)

--- because men keep asking for money from us!! (Certainly a lady-in-command. I wonder about the asking for money phrasing — doesn't it go vice-versa?)

--- because they are the best in every way, and the best people get the best reward. (Hmm. I wish this person had elaborated further — "best in every way.. which way?? how many ways?? Okay, okay, Censor Board calling!!)

--- because P Chidambaram (and FMs before him) seem to like women more than men ;) (What a sad truth! Sigh. No comments on this one!)

So, dear readers, I would love for you people to come forward and express your opinion on this question. While you are at this task, do check out this article which appeared in the Times of India in 2005. "All's Fair in Love and Tax"

For women seeking emancipation from the clutches of a male-dominated society,
this year's Budget by finance minister P Chidambaram takes the first definite
step not only towards gender equality, but gender empowerment.

Like a Times of India editorial recently argued, finally it is the woman on top. For
generations, man-woman relationship in India has been defined by the contours of
a woman's role in the family and, thereafter, by extension in society. And I
dare say that these contours have been drawn since the time of Ramayana by male
guardians of civil society, first with Lakshman's rekha and finally with Sita's
banishment from Ayodhya on grounds of staying in Ravana's Lanka, far and away
from her husband.

You will agree that our role as women is first defined by the duties we perform as somebody's daughter, then as somebody's wife, and then again as mother, grandmother... We are never really expected to be ourselves. So in a small way, this year's Budget gives Indian women the chance to stake greater ownership over her 'real' streedhan. In terms of the income-tax benefits offered to women income earners, the Finance Minister has taken a small step towards gender equality and a giant leap for womankind. It makes a fine distinction between incomes earned by men and women and the need for women to retain a greater control over their earnings by way of providing an income-tax exemption limit of up to Rs 1.25 lakh against a limit of up to Rs 1 lakh for men.

...

Let us hope that we all move towards less taxing, more relaxing
times - and make this world a better place to live in.

The author's wish sure seems to have been answered, with Mr. P. Chidambaram hiking the tax exemption limit for women from Rs. 1.45 lakhs earlier to Rs. 1.80 lakhs in the budget for financial year 2008-09!! Rock on gals!!

Sometimes I do wonder that when women all around us are fighting for equal rights, then why do we even have this reservation quota/preferential treatment for women? If you want equal rights, then shouldn't you be allowed to stand up for it and fight? Why this discrepancy? Why is it in some office places/educational institutes that they strive for a healthy male:female ratio? Why is a comment against a women by a man considered sexist while a women can get away with anything she says to a man, sexist or non-sexist? This society, which is now increasingly getting behind the female side of human beings, needs to reconsider some of the shortcomings in the justice which is meted out these days.

While I am all for females having equal rights, I certainly am amused by the fact that women in all spheres of life get preferential treatment over men in most cases. A woman's word is given more weightage than a man's word: now many of you might disagree with this generic statement but those of you who have been at the receiving end of just such a thing will know how it feels like!

Sigh! I think I have just sowed the seeds of a major debate here and while I would love to rationalize and explain my stance more elaborately, I believe in listening to the most primal and urgent calling in this world: that of your body's and mind's telling you to put all rubbish, garbage and dumpsters aside and climb into a sweet, inviting bed for a good night's rest!

But hey it's just me who needs to listen to my mind and my body — you merry fellows go all out and rage a huge debate among yourself over what ever I have said. However, I would like to add that I do not hold any grudges against the females — I love my Momma, I love my sisters and pretty, single girls, I am crazy about you all! :-)

Are you evil???

Hey an interesting quiz which makes you think of your evil side, the dark side of you! Yes, it really makes you think.. Try it straightaway here! Click here .. Foudn this test and other similar ones on Tickle.

For the love of fonts!

Hey readers, I am sorry for not having posted much off late but my professional and personal (nothing romantic or even close to it) are buzzing right now! Hope to have some spare time this weekend. In the meanwhile, why don't you try out this game in which you need to recognise the font in which the text in front of you is written?

Hmmm.. errr .. did that sound confusing? I apologise if I sent you off on a spin but click here to check out this cool game and only for your info, yours truly got a score of 8 out of 34! Try beating that fellas .. NO, seriously try beating that!

By the way, the sacking of Charu Sharma from the post of the CEO of Bangalore Royal Challengers has stunned many and ignited raging debates on accountability and the need for a CEO in a cricket time (of all the places in the world)! I reserve my comments at the moment!

Iron Man worth a watch!

To tell the simple truth, I simply went ga-ga over Iron Man! Yes, the Man of Steel, yet another comic book hero (this time from the Marvel stable), made his on-screen debut worldwide on May 2, 2008. And what a debut it was! Though the climax felt a bit underdone compared to other superhero movies, the most likable part of the movie was the way the director essayed the making of Iron Man. I simply loved this part and I am sure those of you going to watch the movie are going to come out of the hall smiling! Paisa Vasool guys!

Before i move into the details, let me draw a brief sketch for those of you who have not grown up on a staple diet of such superhero comics. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a.k.a. Iron Man, is the owner of Stark Industries, the leading manufacturers of weapons and a major supplier to the U.S. army! In Afghanistan to show off his latest missile system, the convoy carrying Tony is attacked and he is kidnapped. His abductors want him to build the exact replica of the missile system he test fired for the US Army prior to his abduction. In return, they will set him free.
However, instead of building them a missile, he builds a powerful suit using which he stages his escape. Once back in the US, he decides to shut down his weapons manufacturing unit and instead concentrate on making the world a better, safer place by modifing the design and properties of the suit he built udner captivity. But such things are easier said than done and the poblems and adversities faced by Tony Stark in building the new suit is something that the viewers are surely going to enjoy!

While this was a superhero movie, the movie still had a real feel to it -- something similar to what I experienced when I first watched Batman Begins (2005). I mean, the characters are more real, especially the SUPERHERO! Thye have problems, like the rest of us mortal beings, and the depth in which both these movies chronicle the making of the superhero is something I quite enjoyed watching! If we relax the definition of superhero to include a superagent, then we may also add Casino Royale (2006) to the mix as the movie gave a good rewind on how James Bond came to acquire his trademark signature moves.

With good, in fact rocking, back ground music and a running time of just under 2 hours, the movie is a real delight. In addition to the crisp screenplay, I liked the subtle shades in the movie a lot. Special highlights in the movie are interactions between Tony and his secretary, Pepper Potts, and the conversations between Tony and his U.S. Defence friend, Rhodey. And of course, the gadgets and the technology wll please all die-hard techies and gadget lovers! And to borrow a girlie expression, the robots were soooooooo cute! Yes, indeed I agree, the robots were intelligent, smart and humorous! I hope in the years to come, we can see some good sequels of Iron Man -- however, I do hope that the director makes the hero a bit more slimmer; a paunch on a superhero is not desirable and of course add some depth and unpredictability to the characters! Develop more suits, like they have done in the comics, maybe?? At least a suit for everyone -- That would be fun!

But that's then, this is now -- Go watch Iron Man -- It's a movie you should IRON out some time for!

Royal(s) Humbling the Knight Riders!

When the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, launched his cricket franchise, the Kolkata Knight Riders, in glittering style a few weeks along with a couple of heartwarming taglines, he could neve have imagines that a few days later he would be mouthing one of those after the third consecutive defeat in the IPL tournament -- Be scared, be shit scared!

Though the Knight Riders began their campaign in style winning two matches in a row, the fire seems to have died in the bellies of the Knight Riders ever since they have returned from the 6-day break!

Or maybe the fire was nowhere there in the first place! I mean take away Brendon's dreamy, breezy, surrealistic, out-of-this-world innings in the first match, a shocker of a pitch in the second and a couple of breezy knocks from Shukla and you are left staring at a batting line up that has failed to fire in any of the matches! Ya sure the bowling looks good, especially with Ishant running in and cleaning up the left handers, but the overall standard of the Riders have left a lot to desire. Where is the fire guys?? What happened to all that aggression? Lacking any sense of purpose or a reason to perform? Or all you are concerned about is pocketing your fat pay cheque? If the Knight Riders do not get their acts together in the coming days, then they may find themselves contesting for the top 4 position in the IPL championship -- from the bottom!

But nothing should be taken away from Rajasthan Royals, who have relied on local talent and the sheer presence of their captain, Shane Warne, to cause as many as 4 upsets. For someone labelled as underdogs, they sure have done wonderfully well to have 4 wins under their belt from the 5 matches they have played so far. The same can't be said of the other, more fanciful and overpaid, franchises. The battle for the Top Spot in the IPL championship promises to be a captivating one and in my heart, I believe it's just a matter of one win -- yes, just 1 win, 1 moment of inspiration -- to set the Knight Riders back on track! So, keep cheering SRK, Kolkata, All the King's Men! Because, Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re!

The night for the Knight Riders

Be warned Rajasthan Royals: Be scared, be s*hit scared for the Knight Riders will out to regain their pride in Jaipur! The villains, the devils, all the King's Men are seething from their losses in the last 2 matches and there is no better balm for the pride than by going all out and beating the crap out of the opposition.

Though the Knight Riders began their campaign in style wining the first 2 matches, they seem to have lost the plot in their last 2 matches. Or maybe the 6 day break from the frenetic pace of this format has lulled their senses. But it does not matter, for the task masters -- John Buchanan and Sourav Ganguly are ready to kick ass! Sourav himself needs to lead from the front and silence all his detractors (once again!).

But nothing should be taken away from Rajasthan Royals, who have relied on local talent and the sheer presence of their captain, Shane Warne, to cause as many as 3 upsets. For someone labelled as underdogs, they sure have done wonderfully well to have 3 wins under their belt from the 4 matches they have played so far. The same can't be said of the other, more fanciful and overpaid, franchises. This battle promises to be a captivating one with Sourav going once more against his nemesis, the God of spin, Shane Warne. It's just a matter of leading by example -- the captain who does it better today shall prevail and in my heart, I believe it's just a matter of one win to set the Knight Riders back on track! So, keep cheering SRK, Kolkata, All the King's Men!