Indian Premier League 7, 2014

The Indian Premier League has become well known to all of us since it started in the year 2008 as Season-I tournamentdue to its commercial success throughout the globe.The Twenty20 cricket tournament usually held annually during the summer months of April to June has really gone from strength to strength and is largely viewed as being the 'richest' tournament in world cricket. Indeed the IPL brought glitz and glamour to the sport.According to Ravi Shastri,“IPL auction is the best physio in the world” as he thinks the IPL auction is good at persuading players to get fit.The commencement of the seventh season of the Indian Premier League, abbreviated as IPL 7 or Pepsi IPL 2014 has been held on 16^thApril, 2014 and will continue till 1^stJune, 2014, being hosted by both UAE & India this time. It is currently supervised by BCCI Vice-President Ranjib Biswal, whoserves as the League's Chairman and Commissioner and Sundar Raman is the IPL Chief Operating Officer (COO) since its first season, after he was appointed by former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi in 2008.In total there are eight teams participating this time as Pune Warriors India was terminated. The auction of players for the seventh season of IPL took place on 13^th and 15^thFebruary 2014 in Bangalore. For the second time after 2011, IPL teams were allowed to retain up to 5 players. 7 teams retained at least 2 players from the previous squad. After hosting the first part in the United Arab Emirates, the seventh edition of Indian Premier League will return to India on May 2. Based on security demands for the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections in India, the venues for some matches are shifted outside India.

Unlike the test cricket,which always had been often preferred for its intense confrontation with class play providing the best field for one player to perform, the T20 format is an extremely alluring medium to instant stardom for the young and developing cricketers giving them less time to show their cricketing talent and execute skills. Thereby, the game requires instantaneous and strong decision making process providing the players the right platform to showcase their mettle in international cricket before acquiring expertise in the longer version of the game, i.e., the Test Cricket. One may say T20 may kill the classic and text book skills, the charm to play for one own’s country and the real game spirit, nevertheless, it is quite inventive, innovative with improvisation never dreamtof in orthodox cricket.The belligerent, vigilant, agile and athletic fielders so quick on their feet and the batsmen showing caliber to deliver under pressure  hitting strong, smart and scintillating sixes by surviving on the wicket and win for their team is a real treat and an entertainment to watch for the spectators.This new dimension and dynamics is no doubt may be considered the correct version in the fast world where timeis a precious factor. Although, many say that T20 is ruining the bowler skills, the basic reason maybe that if a bowler have to swing the ball reverse, the ball has to worn or become old. Since T20 cricket is a limited over cricket, the bowler doesn't get a chance to swing it well and thus the batsmen finishes his over driving the full length balls hard enough blowing them high into the air.

There was a time before the onset of IPL, when cricket was sought as a gentleman’s game, played with pride. Recently, the former Indian captain and commentator Sunil Gavaskar stated, “India is a powerhouse in the eyes of the cricketing world, but over the last two years or so,particularly overseas, they have only shown themselves as a powerhouse” — regarding  India's recent failures. Moreover, one certain article reported two years ago that according to Arjuna Ranatunga, the former captain of the Sri Lanka cricket team,“IPL will produce butchers not classic cricketers”. Commenting on the fallout of the IPL on the game of cricket, he said cricketers now prefer to play IPL rather than for their country.

Anyways, it was also reported that the IPL 7 auction was different in many ways with almost all the teams stitching a newsquad altogether. This time marked the judicial spending by the respective franchisees who were smart enough to understand the proper value of the players and the so called big teams like Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) constantly withdrew themselves beyond a certain point during the bidding leading, to teaming up of lesser number of million-dollar players this time. Likewise, this was the first time the uncapped players were being released in the auctions and some Ranji Trophy (2013-14) players right from the top run-scorer to top wicket-taker got their rightful due and was in demand.Some players like Kedar Jadhav, Karun Nair, Lokesh Rahul, etc. who were never explosive by nature and command great value got selected as the franchisees understand that T20s are not just about slam bang but pacing your innings as well. The teams with a strategy like Rajasthan Royals , Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils went home happy after retaing five players whereas Royal Challengers Bangalore failed to shortlist their strategy and the team they wanted to stitch.Additionally, as we know earlier there used to be franchisee heads who used to make the call with the coaches just making a memento appearance. But this time during the two days of auction, someone like Dravid, Anil Kumble, Sanjay Bangar were critical in the decisions taken and it was visible in the absorbing discussions over every player and before placing every bid. The more the cricketers are involved, the saner the franchisees decisions appeared. Lastly, it was not about packing your team with players but understanding team culture, and hence, almost every franchisee made it clear that they weren't looking to complete the maximum squad strength of 27. In fact they were focusing on having a small but efficient squad which iseasy to manage and better to communicate.

Posted By: Amitava Dutta, brand ambassador "MY VOTE FOR a BETTER INDIA" social initiative by "Pickyouropinion.com".

Biased media follows gender stereotypes

With such development in technology, people in this golden age depend on media to a great extent. It not only influences an individual's thoughts but have its effect on global society.

If we have a closer look at our society we find that those days are not long gone and no doubt, there is still oppression present for women by men and these men in power subsequently control the means i.e., media. A precise look at T.V. shows, children's toys and advertisements reveal that they marginalize and objectify women as merely being involved in household, incapable of competing and deceitful. Media also enrolls in it, how an ideal women should look like, through its adverts it creates a mold, which may be a women with extensively slim figure, and one who doesn't fit into it is forced to adjust one's appearance.

In 1995, T.V. Shows like, FRIENDS were broadcasted in Fiji, and study reveals that in merely 3 years from then over 11.9% of women were over the toilet bowl and bulimia, all because they wanted to look like those thin figured characters, it was not a choice for them but an only option. Also today, when half of the time child is awake he's introduced to the social world through media, it is high time to critically keep an eye on the depiction of gender in media. Media has its freedom and it is wrong to control free speech by any means, and in a country like ours where media has the freedom to produce anything without even the interference of government, we can't do anything except to censor what is being published.

"In mainstream media, stereotyping is a standard way of characterizing people." Though there are leading women but in media they are shown in a more bitter way than the male. For example, in BREAKING BAD, a woman's adulterous affair is shown to be bad and immoral whereas her husband being a drug dealer wins sympathy as he's working for his family.

Similarly while walking through a children's toy store we find in the boys' section full of superhero figures, while in the girls' section we see kitchen sets, odd-shaped barbies.

Moreover, the boys' toys are made more complicated and for girls' they are simply painted pink, just to show that boys are intellectually stronger than their counterparts, which is yet another stereotype that media follows. Also in comic books, which is a source of entertainment and is accessible to most of the public, we mostly have male superheroes if by chance we strike one or two lady figures their pictorial representation is done in such a way that they are shown sexually being over girly (over curves), same is the case with barbies.

This female inferiority becomes a source of cultural understanding for those who believe only on media for their connection to outside world and they find it absolutely right.

Possible solutions for it can be- firstly, a male should be from very childhood be educated about respecting women and that they are not someone who need to submit always. Next, workshops should be held in order to educate children maybe in fourth or fifth grade about puberty, color, different sexual orientations and sex, so they do not abide by wrong means and treat each other in a wrong way. Next, women need to unify to speak out about them being suppressed by the media representatives, social media can play a good role to fight back.

The media by whosoever it is controlled, brings out a figure of women as being weak, a commodity, an incompetent one. Media is setting an unacceptable appearance for women. It is also leading to the acceptability of women being inferior. Accurate positioning of women, women fighting back, and proper education may combat the following of gender stereotypes by media.

Posted By: Shivani Dalakoti, brand ambassador "MY VOTE FOR a BETTER INDIA" social initiative by "Pickyouropinion.com".