I am glad that the IPL is over. At least, I can focus on winning my daily bread. With the amount of games that are being played all through the year, I hardly watch any cricket match and IPL is no exception. But with the IPL, the buzz gathers momentum as the tournament progresses and when it comes to the play-off stages, I take an interest in how Chennai Super Kings fare. As they never fail to make up to the play-offs, I end up watching the tail end of the tournament and this year was no exception. With CSK, I like the way they gel as a team and raise when it matters. The camaraderie, bonding and the team spirit are infectious. More so, when the team carries the name of the city you associate yourself with.

Although I was a little disappointed that CSK didn’t win the title for the third time in a row, it was not a big deal. The team that held the nerve won and Kolkatta Knight Riders won deservingly. But, what happened after their victory was amusing. It was funny and sad that a club cricket victory was turned into a state sponsored spectactle at Kolkatta. Imagine 100,000 people turning up on a working day to felicitate the victory at Eden Gardens led by Mamta Didi and a equal number lining up the streets cheering their “heroes”, who apparently are Bengal’s pride. Three other teams have won IPL before and we haven’t seen celebrations of this scale in the past. Today, there is a full page advert in Times of India – Bangalore edition (possibly in all the editions of all the other national dailies) thanking the fans for their support.

I don’t really care how KKR celebrate. After all, it is their hard earned victory, especially after languishing at the bottom of the table for long. But, what irks me is the will of the politician in Mamta to quickly seize the opportunity and turn KKR’s victory as her own. It is a shame that she believes that people would bury the memories of her misrule deep under the lawns of Eden Garden. I wouldn’t be shocked if KKR owner Shahrukh Khan gets nominated to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. Well, in this country – anything is possible.

If KKR’s victory is a trendsetter, that will be great. A team achieving victory through hard work should be the lesson for every other team in any game – not just cricket. But, if their celebrations become a trendsetter, we will have something to worry about in future. Over a period of time, this will turn into a victory of one Indian city over another. Given the emotional nature of Indians, this will pose a serious challenge to the federal structure of the country. I ask myself if I am over-reacting. I am not. Imagine a city like Bangalore celebrating the victory over Chennai or the viceversa, just like Kolkattans did yesterday – I would shudder to think of the consequences.

On a lighter note, what if the same team ends up at the bottom of the table next year? Wouldn’t Mamta declare the team as a bunch of Maoists. Well, in any case – as KolkattanS and their team are having the moment of their lives, let me end this rant by congratulating them on their victory and wishing them good luck for next year.