IPL 2024: If teams had election symbols

A light-hearted mash-up of the country’s two carnivals – polls and cricket.

Cricket and politics are two of India’s biggest preoccupations. With the IPL on and polls around the corner, a novel scenario can be pondered - what if IPL teams had election symbols?

What would each IPL team choose if they had to pick election symbols? (X/@IPL)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Traffic Jam

Zero titles in sixteen editions is not what anyone expected from a marquee team. This year too RCB are one win in six matches at the time of writing. Things could change but for now RCB are stuck, like commuters in hellish Bengaluru traffic.

Chennai Super Kings: Turmeric Filter Kaapi

Red and blue are common colours in sports. On the other hand the CSK yellow is one of a kind. The South is also synonymous with coffee. Turmeric lattemight be the fad among java snobs but Turmeric Filter Kaapi would jam better with the Whistle Podu Army.

Mumbai Indians: Crossed Fingers

Hardik in, Rohit out, boos in, goodwill out. Perhaps the IPL came too soon after the revelry in Jamnagar and guests with great cricketing knowledge, such as Rihanna and Bill Gates, suggested some of those controversial changes. MI have made a bit of a recovery since. Crossed fingers capture the overall vibe at the Wankhede (read Antilia).

Gujarat Titans: Thepla

It could be politics, cricket, ostrich racing or cheese rolling. If it’s Gujarat, it’s got to be thepla. Now go get some chhundo and let us watch Taarak Mehta. Don’t worry, even the team probably starts its meetings watching Taarak Mehta.

Punjab Kings: Crater

Like RCB, the team has zilch trophies in sixteen years. But Preity Zinta, the celebrity face of the team, seems to take it all with a smile. Sportingly she tosses t-shirts among fans and speaks of making aloo parathas for players. A crater is homage to her famed dimples as well as the team’s position in the standings over the years.

Lucknow Super Giants: Derailed Train

Mayank Yadav’s record-breaking pace has been one of the top stories of this year’s IPL. Two consecutive player of the match performances and the fastest ball of the IPL – a 156.7 kmph bullet against RCB – set the tournament alight. But a breakdown soon followed. Yadav has strained his abdomen and there is no saying when he will get back on track.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: The Sixer Placard

Some of the meatiest hits this season have come from the blades of SRH. Heinrich Klaasen tops the sixes chart with 17 maximums, the same as Riyan Parag of Rajasthan Royals. At number three is another Hyderabad man, Abhishek Sharma. Indigo Airlines could learn a few things from SRH’s aerial efficiency.

Delhi Capitals: Smog

Captain Rishabh Pant is back and has shown what he can do with a couple of good knocks. But that has not been enough. With one win from five matches, DC are struggling to see where they are heading, just like Delhi folks when the air quality dips.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Emraan Hashmi

Harshit Rana gave Mayank Agarwal a flying kiss sendoff. SRK often blows smooches to the crowd. Whatever the motivation a kiss is a kiss and nobody is as generous with them as KKR. So why not the unofficial ambassador of the lip lock, Emraan Hashmi, as their election symbol?

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson and Kumar Sangakkara doing Naatu Naatu

Who’s on top of the table? RR. What was the Indian movie that made waves all over the world not so long ago? RRR. So what better symbol for the team than Captain Sanju Samson and Coach Kumar Sangakkara doing the ‘Naatu Naatu’?