The Demo Site

Well..(That's how MS Dhoni, the Indian ODI Captain and Chennai Super Kings Captain starts every sentence...!!!)..So let me start in the same mode..

Well..All's well that ends well..But the IPL is just kicking off in India. To someone who does not know India that well, India is a cricket mad country and here people are going to get treated to a "Fast-Food" Version of the game called 20-20

For those who do not know what the game of cricket is about, i am sorry i cannot explain it to you. But all i can tell you is that there are 3 versions

1. Test Match:
Suitable for TV Audiences aka people who are currently out of job but capable of paying Cable TV Bills...ideal in times of "Recession"

2. One Day International (Day/Night)
Suitable for TV Audiences aka people who have fallen "Sick" and are currently out of the job for a single day..ideal in times of stress at work

3. 20-20 (The fast-food version)
Suitable for TV Audiences who are new to the game and who cannot fall sick or have not been fired yet.

Anyway lets get to the point..
Why the IPL is revolutionary is that it is going to generate a lot of revenue and contribute to the sporting coffers of India..its the first comprehensive league similar to its avatars in other sports

Soccer: La Liga
Basket Ball: American NBL

The League is going to kick off at the "Home of Cricket" i.e India come April 2008 and here are the logos/names of the 8 teams in the inaugural version of the League.

The idea is to analyze the Team Names/Cities/Logos and to understand the motivation in choosing the names..Here we go..

From North to the South...




1. Delhi Dare Devils Logo


The choice of the name "Dare Devils" could be inspired from the "Red Devils" of Man Utd. The Logo shows a Cricket ball Seam up on fire. What this could mean is that the Dare-Devils rely on their bowling more than their batting!!! But Don't we play 20-20 cricket with a "White Ball"??Get ready to see the Capital Team battle it out..

2. Punjab Kings Logo


"Kings" and the 2 small Lions on either side in the Logo..the Punjabi Word for "Lion" is "Singh"..
"XI" signifies that the team will always play with 11 players..But shouldn't every cricket team play with 11 players????
Wrong Choice in naming the Team as "Punjab" Kings simply because this team is going to be based out of Mohali..Tomorrow when the IPL Expands, you would see teams from Chandigarh/Jalandhar/Patiala..so you never want to name your city team based on your state...
Balle Balle Punjabi....

3. Rajasthan Royals Logo


Again we come across 2 lions on either sides blowing trumpets...The team is going to be based out of Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan..Wrong choice with team name representing the "State" rather than the city..
The "Royals" is because, Raja means King in Hindi and Rajasthan means Land of the Kings..
Rajasthan has been home to a lot of "Princely" states from Ancient times..

4. Kolkata Knight Riders Logo



In the West Bengal State, i doubt that there would be other city based teams in the future as well..so it would not have made a difference if the team had been named something like "Bengal ..."
The Cricket Helmet fashioned in the form of a Knights Golden Head Gear is to represent the fact that all the players are literally "Knights" of the Table of "King Sharrukh Khan"..the No#1 Actor in the Hindi Film Industry(Bollywood) based out of Mumbai.
They are also "Poor" players of the "Short Pitched Stuff" aka Bouncers and hence need helmets to protect their brains...Dada the captain of the team is testament to that fact.


5. Mumbai Indians Logo


Why would someone call their Team "Mumbai Indians"..Aren't the other teams Indians??
The reason is simply because the folks at Maharashtra/Mumbai consider themselves the most patriotic/nationalistic in the country and therefore the "Choice" of Indians in the team name drives home that "Statement of Intent"
The Logo has a "Blazing Chakra" which signifies that this team will cut through the opposition teams. The "Chakra" is a flying discus representing the Hindu God Vishnu's "Sudharsan Chakra" Weapon.

6. Deccan Chargers Logo


The team from the "Biryani City" of India..Hyderabad is represented by the "Raging Bull" symbolizing that anyone not up to the task will be mauled rather than be caught "Red Handed"!!!
"Chargers" also signifies that the fans should take note that the "Ticket Prices" will be "Bullish"..
Have a look at the "Red Eyes" of the bull..probably they will win the title "Bulls Eye!!"


7. Bangalore Royal Challengers Logo


If you are in "High Spirits" owing to the Maltose in "King Fisher Beer" brewed by Vijay Mallya....................The King of good times "Royally" Challenges you to indulge in a Beer Binging contest...The Small Lion at the top signifies the fact that the "Lion" is an endangered species in the country as well..
The "Gold/Red" color has already been used by Vijay Mallya to dress the "East Bengal FC" Football Team based in Kolkata..So Mallya is trying to be consistent with this Branding..
They will be the "Royal Challengers" to the "Deccan Chargers" as well..

8. Chennai Super Kings Logo


Finally welcome to the "Den" of the Chennai Super Kings..
Here we see a Lion again roaring and a small "Crown" atop "Chennai" signifying that these folks are going to be crowned the undisputed "Super Kings" of T-20 in India..
This team could "Cement" itself as the Indian T-20 Champs

An interesting fact is that in all the 20-20 competitions organized in India till date the Teams from Chennai@Tamil Nadu have been the winners owing to the fact that as a Team they hunt in packs...
1. ICL (Chennai Superstars winner of the T-20 Competition)
2. Ranji 20-20 Winners

I am declaring the winner from the logo contest based on popularity

1. Lion
2. Bull
3. Red Cricket Ball
3. Golden Cricket Helmet
3. Chakra

We can safely conclude that in a "Man Eat Man" world..the Asiatic Lion a "Man Eater" is the ultimate symbol....closely followed by Bull representing the "Bullish predictions/profits" for the IPL ahead..

Cricket is a "Modest Third" followed closely by the flying "Discus"sions about the context of 20-20 in the world of cricket..

Here's toasting the success of the IPL for years to come....