This is the headline of the latest news happening in our class. When we learned that the mechanical faculty actually had a 11 member cricket team, we never believed it would end in such a match - The students vs staff match. It is expected to happen tmmrw. In fact I am one of the member of the Challenger Team which really got a huge thrashing playing with our Class team in a friendly warm up match today. But I guess more than a few members of the class XI would agree that the warm up really helped especially if they got to beat the faculty tmmrw.

But let us travel back a little in time. The whole cricket mania erupted in our class when the BCCI announced the historic Indian Premier League ( spzl thanks to ICL for instigating them to do so). We pretty much enacted the process with real time bidding (with fake money of course), managers, cheerleaders ( Go!! sibu go!!) and of course cricket itself. While the stage set was not that big enough , the spirit was never lacking. In fact I was one of the bidders and our team Immortals was perhaps the best when it comes to spirit and hooliganism. We were also the only team to beat the Bethany Mustangs - the eventual winners. We were like the old Indian team - consistently inconsistent. At this juncture I would like to congratulate all the members of the MPL (Mechanical Premier League) for making it a huge success especially Kiran, Ajith and Thoufeeq for their coordination.

This actually makes me wonder how I got myself into this game. I was never a big fan of cricket at least not of the playing part. I usually spent my sporting abilities on soccer and badminton ( though a rather injured arm is not helping me in that). But cricket is one sport I enjoy even without winning, and I get to enjoy a lot ;) So whatever influenced me to play this game, I am glad I did.

This is a poem I wrote about Cricket. It was written long way back, so all critics out there plz be indulgent.

CAT - Now that is a three letter word which actually doesn't remind me of a real cat - you know the 4 legged creature which spent half its time combing its hair - In fact it has come to the point where u r really going to have trouble talking to animal lovers coz ny ting even related to cat will only remind u about the most hyped exam which is attended by well over 200000 people. CAT inspires us with percentiles, quant, verbal, analytical, mocks and those never ending jargon's which will turn any so called 'non-aspirant' to wonder which language we are talking, and indeed it is true. To many, CAT is an alternative form of life style, the highest purpose which drives them forward, the most revered exam which gives them shivers and so on and so forth. To some others it is just another exam to get a push forward in their social circles at the cost of embarrassment when the results are out. To others it is form of social charity with the sole purpose of increasing the percentile for the upper echelon - if they do realize that. Or it may be the placement wallahs who just couldn't differentiate an 'A' from 'R'. But while there are so many different segments of so called aspirants wanting to fulfill whatever purpose they have, I don't belong to any of them. In fact I belong to those 'dream weaving group' whose life were full of dreams about a certain three letter word but came to the realization long way back that, it is what it is - a dream.

It has been a long time since I moved from "Gosh!!! It must be cool to have a BLACKI" to "So which all are the other participating institutions in CAT". From then on, it was a spiraling journey along "I will definitely do it", "I can definitely do it", "I hope I will do it", "Will I be able to do it" and finally "What does it matter any way". But I have moved from that also and now stand in "GOD Please save me from this " since i started having these weird conversations:

J: So howz the CAT prep going?
CAT aspirant: not so good;
J: Really 100 percentile is not enough for u or what

P: So all set to crack the IIMs?
CAT aspirant: NOT really
P: Oh u r cho sweet and modest (followed by weird girly giggles - when will she realize I was not being modest)

CAT aspirant 1 : Oh I won’t get it. But u r so blah blah blah so u will get it
CAT aspirant 2: No I won’t get it bcoz of blah blah but since u r blah blah maybe u will...blah
CAT 1: NO u will
CAT 2 : NO u will
( I think u know how the rest of the conversation goes)

J again: So how’s the CAT prep going (no matter what you say I won’t believe it)
CAT aspirant becoming wiser: No comments

Now life has been this and many more since me and one of my nutty friend decided to drop CAT. For the record neither of us influenced each other! Now we are expected to travel to Kozhikode this Saturday along with 1000's of so called aspirants from all these segments. My initial apprehension at meeting these bhujis has been subdued by a friend who promised there are more guys like me. Now I can only think about the chance of meeting these day-dreamers and talk about 'Kozhikode biriyani's, the latest flick 'twenty twenty' or simply girls. Now while they are talking about tips on 'How to crack CAT', we will be talking about "How not to Crack under CAT":D