A sad resposne and miserable TRP ratings of 3- 5 in target markets due to the popular Indian Premier League, Star Plus has decided to air repeat telecasts of Shah Rukh Khan-anchored quiz show Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai? till June 1, the day the Twenty20 league ends.
The programme with Bollywood’s reigning mega-star Shahrukh Khan as the anchor was conceived by Star Plus to win over prime time viewership from Sony’s IPL cricket telecast.
The Episodes of the Shah Rukh Khan starrer, which is the Indian clone of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?, was aired on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (8 to 9 pm), but now will be repeated Monday to Wednesday (11:30 to 12:30 pm) and again on a back-to-back slot on Sunday (1 to 4 pm).
Commercials aired during the original show time will also be re-run without charging advertisers additional fee, said sources. In other words, an advertiser will get three times more air time on Star Plus for the same amount it had paid originally.
Like in our earlier editorial in which we thanked IPL for putting and end to the the Saas Bahu Saga, this ratings prove once again that a realty show or a original format can easily drive the blues out of any programmes currently aired in Indian Television.
In the other game yesterday night which got reduced to 16 overs due to rain, Kolkata Knight Riders ended a run of four consecutive defeats to edge out Bangalore by five runs in a low-scoring and rain-affected match.
The Knight Riders batted first at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and compiled just 7 for 129 off 16 overs but it proved to be enough, with the Royal Challengers mustering only 4 for 124 from their 16.
David Hussey’s 26 off 12 balls was the top score for the Knight Riders while captain Sourav Ganguly chipped in with 20 before getting run out.Brad Hodge opened the innings while Dale Steyn took 3 for 27 for Bangalore.
It was with the ball that Ganguly was the unlikely hero, conceding just seven runs from his three overs while taking a wicket for the Knight Riders.
Mark Boucher smashed an unbeaten 50 and Cameron White managed 30 for the Royal Challengers, but it was not enough to meet the target.
Bangalore has now lost six of its eight matches in the tournament and its a mater of concern for the owner also. With the CEO Charu Sharma sacked swiftly and very little co-ordination or team work its a doubt if this team can make it to the first four.
Afer three straight defeats Chennai finally woke up under the captain ship of MS Dhoni who spear headed a thrilling four-wicket win over Delhi in the Indian Premier League overnight.
Gautam Gambhir smashed 80 off just 49 balls as the Devils compiled a formidable 5 for 187 after being put into bat at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan (59) put on a record 121 for the third wicket and the Super Kings did well to restrict the Devils to below 200.
Chennai pulled off a fantastic run chase, led by Stephen Fleming’s 44 off 28 balls and S Vidyut (40 off 23), promoted to open in place of Parthiv Patel.
The pair put on 62 runs for the first wicket and captain MS Dhoni (33) and Albie Morkel (30) ensured their early work did not go to waste. For the first time in Inidan Premier League, the match was won only in the last ball of the game.
As was expected, Super Kings have been the worst hit by the departure of some foreign players for national duties. But Deccan Chargers have been unexpected bloopers. They will hope to turn late bloomers in this edition of Indian Premier League.
Men at the Helm
Laxman hasn’t looked as inspiring as he could have been. He hasn’t shown much imagination and innovation as of now. May be it’s his turn this time. Dhoni has been an inspiring captain but doesn’t seem to have the same charisma after Hayden and Hussey have left. Just leaves us wondering, “Why?”
We have the bat
On paper, Deccan are a much stronger batting side but apart from Rohit Sharma nobody has shown the hunger to succeed. An innings from Gilchrist or Gibbs, and their fortunes could take a “U” turn. Chennai batters have their work cut out. Big guns Dhoni, Fleming and Raina need to come good.
We have the ball
The two teams involved don’t have the strongest of balling units in the league. But with Ntini and Albie Morkel joining Murali, Super Kings look one up. For Deccan, Afridi has been balling well and RP Singh showed signs of return to form in the last match against Mumbai.
Patrolling Party
Deccan’s fielding has got a boost with Gibbs adding to Styris, Afridi and Rohit. Still, Chennai look slightly better in fielding with Raina, Morkel and Ntini being the leading athletes.
High on betting meter
Most bookmakers are giving the teams an equal chance of around 5 on 6 while a few are keeping Chennai ahead, but only marginally.
Who gets the tick?
This is going to be a very exciting match after last couple of one sided ties. The match will probably be decided in the innings when Deccan come out to bat. Whether the bat can blaze away or the ball can dodge the bat will decide the course of the game.
After reaching back home all Australian cricketers are of the opinion that playing on the same side with Indian players has helped mend strained relations.
“It’s been an incredible experience. It’s been one that’s broken down the cultural barriers that perhaps existed through the course of this summer but also, more than anything, it’s been a hell of a lot of fun to play in,” Australia’s star batsman Matthew Hayden, who played for Chennai Super Kings, told reporters in Brisbane.
In fact after the bitter exchange and strained relations between the two teams during the recent tour of India - Hayden is not at all happy with Harbhajan’s punishment and the total affair.
“I think it was a pretty disappointing thing. I just think we’ve all tried to move on from anything to do with taking a backward step in the way last summer went on,” Hayden said.
Hayden was also charged by Cricket Australia for breaching the Code of Behaviour as he mentioned Harbhajan as an “obnoxious little weed”.
As Australians prepare for the upcoming test at Brisbane, Hayden said he needed to make “big adjustments” to be prepared for the West Indies tour that will have three Tests and five One-Day Internationals.
Apart from Hayden, other Australians who played in the IPL include Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Symonds and retired greats Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and spin wizard Shane Warne.
This is indeed one of the positive effects of their two week participation in the Indian premier League. Needless to say both sides learnt a lot about each other and many barriers disappeared during their stay. Also the fans enjoyed a team work never seen before which was much beyond regional and national barriers.
