Could not have been better for Kochi

They took four long years to make it to the Indian Premier League and it should be as mindblowing as it can get when they beat the former runners-up and along with it the number one team in last year's edition of the same. Howver, I am aware that my words make little sense for it is only the Kochi Tuskers Kerala who as a team are making their first appearance in the IPL and not its players especially in the game of cricket. Players like Sreesanth, Jayawardane and McCullum along with Muralitharan know what it takes to be the best.

If Sachin Tendulkar is someone who can do miracles with the bat, Muralitharan is another similar chap who can do the same with the ball. Someone like Sreesanth can play well for his home team-Kochi rather than some Kings XI Punjab needless to be said. But, much to anyone's surprise the same man from the same town was found to lack his place in the playing eleven. However, that should not be the matter to think about when it was the time to rejoice after Kochi handed Mumbai a 8 wicket defeat yesterday at Mumbai. Defeating a lion's team on its own den is better relished than missing out on a local lion.

The Kochi Tuskers Kerala team has been the pick of this edition of the Indian Premier League not only for their on field performance but also for the team that they have chosen to head with. They have batsmen of the likes of Brendon McCullum who is a hard hitting player famous for his 158 off just 74 balls in the inaugural edition and the inaugural match of the IPL when he blasted the RCB bowlers all over the stadium to score the only 150+ individual score of the IPL which stands even today. Other mad names include Muralitharan, John Hastings and Brad Hodge.

The highlight of the day was the hundred by Sachin Tendulkar which was I guess the first in his T20 career if the IPL is considered as a tournament. Otherwise, Sachin Tendulkar has hardly any T20 games behind him. For a change, he was not awarded the man of the match despite scoring a hundred which brigs up another rarity in cricket. That hundred according to me should have been the innings bestowed compared to McCullum's 81. When Sachin Tendulkar could have been given the man of the series last year despite being on the losing side, one has to wonder what deceived him yesterday.