IPL Fever

8.00 a.m.: I wake up with a start. I had a really weird dream. I was attending a cricket match with my school buddies. I have a really awkward set of friends. So basically, we are all cheering for our dear team Pune and Sid blurts out, “ Yaha kuch khaane ke liye milega kya?” (Will I get anything to eat?) At that very moment, the cricket ball falls into Sid’s mouth. I realize that my dear MS Dhoni has hit a six. Parnika suddenly starts talking in her rarely heard childish tone and keeps saying, “Trophy chahiye!” Ronit starts crying for no reason and Shruti starts letting out her sarcastic laugh. Tina keeps blabbering something about Harry Potter and Dibya keeps munching khakhras. Tanaya and Vaishnavi start a conversation that basically consists of pakao Marathi jokes. Palak keeps dancing and Isha just stares at everyone with a blank expression.  The other people (who are perhaps slightly less crazy) try to calm these people.  

The dream then fast-forwards to the end of the match and the Pune team lifts the trophy. Our faces beam with pride and happiness knows no bounds. We start dancing like lunatics. All of a sudden, we see Steve Smith saying, “Having a good time?” We find ourselves in the Kingfisher ad scene. We start running quickly towards our favourite players in order to get a selfie with them. But these players suddenly start dancing on the Jio dhan dhana dhan music. We dance along with them. Thankfully, I wake up and stop this series of idiotic thoughts.

8.30 a.m.: I freshen up and try to think of the cause of this stupid dream of mine. I become like the person in the Mentos ad ‘cause dimaag ki batti jal jaati hai. I realize that it is the finale of IPL today and my favourite team- Rising Pune Supergiant has finally made it to the finale. The scrappy sister suddenly enters the scene. She tells me about how I was dancing in my sleep last night. Ah, that dream really ruined my silent-sleeper reputation. 

10.00 a.m.: After a typical Puneri breakfast of missal pav, maa says that Pune will win today. The scrappy sister joins in with a piece of jamun pointing out that she loves Pune so much that she is eating a purple fruit (purple is the colour of the Pune jersey). I check my Whatsapp and share my excitement about the evening with my society friends. They laugh at my excitement since they don’t exactly like cricket. One of the craziest ones comments that food is mood. I just stare at my phone with a peculiar expression.

1.00 p.m.: I check my Whatsapp again and observe that my 8A buddies are discussing a lot about the match. I find this eerie because most of my friends from my dream are my 8A friends. I guess I was right when I called them lunatics.

3.00 p.m.: My phone has been producing its irritating ‘beep’ sound for a while now so I decide to find out the cause of this beeping. I find out that my dear 8A friends have come up with a stupid and irritating yet super fun way of conversation. Basically, everyone has to chat using hash tags. So for the past hour, the ‘hash tag’ conversation has been going on in the group.

8.00p.m.: My whole family, including dadu dadi is sitting eagerly to watch this match. We are munching on delicious junk food and basically increasing our calorie intake. But we are also having a blast together. Meanwhile, on the 8 A group, the hash tag conversation is still on and craziness is at its peak. You wouldn’t need Cric Buzz if you were on the group; updates of every minute were on the group. And ya, the hash tag conversation was on.

12.00 a.m.: I am grieving at Pune’s loss by one run. Everyone is disappointed. Though Mumbai the tournament, Pune won hearts by its hard work and never-give up attitude. Pune is the winner for me.  IPL doesn’t just fuel our excitement tanks; it also teaches us so many things. Teamwork, adjustment, battling loss, never giving up, IPL teaches it all. Also, it brings us together. Family, friends, acquaintances, we discuss sports with all! So, Pune may win or lose, I am happy with IPL 10!