Duke Jeyaraj’s poem on the IPL 2019 final between Mumbai Indains (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Hyderabad on 12 May 2019
The bowling of CSK in the powerplay overs did the batting first MI Opener Quinton de Kock did mercilessly maraud!
That’s when surprise package Shardul Thakur got his out and gave him a send-off that was roughshod!
Hardik Pandya’s helicopter six was so cleanly executed that even MS Dhoni behind the stumps must have muttered, “My God!”
When umpire Nitin Menon did not signal two clear off-side wides, Kieron Pollard dramatically felt he was one the umpire did defraud!
But he still kept his cool to hammer two boundaries off the MI Innings’ last two balls dissecting top-notch CSK fielders who were almost kissing each other, leaving everyone awed!
Though Rahul Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah applied the breaks on CSK batsmen in their 150 run chase, the MI fielding was seriously slipshod!
When Shane Watson combined big hitting with his blocking having enjoyed three lives, CSK, back into the match, surely clawed!
Dhoni was narrowly adjusted runout by the out-of-the-field umpire Nigel LLong after he repeated viewed TV replays – the best available but inconclusive “measuring rod”!
Watson’s confused call for a two in the final over so that he could get back to strike when his team needed 5 runs off 3 balls, was clearly flawed!
As in the last ball, Lasith Malinga’s stump-directed slow yorker missed Shardul Thakur’s bat so broad!
The Mumbai Indians screamed for leg-before and got umpire Nitin Menon’s immediate nod!
And Mumbai Indians won by 1 run, the “best ever IPL final”, which was watched by fans worldover on the edge of their seats from Rayalaseema to Riyadh!
As Rohit Sharma kissed his fourth IPL Trophy as Captain and fifth as a player, photographers from world over kept clicking, kicking away their tripod!
Interestingly, the Mumbai Indians have now won the IPL now in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 – all years being odd!
But do you know what is even more odd?
That God-in-flesh Jesus would love us sinners so seriously flawed!
That Jesus loves us just the way we are – even if our profession happens to be that of a bawd!*
That he would offer on the Cross as a sacrifice for our sins, his sinless “bod”!
And those who refuse to repent and trust Jesus, on his shed blood, they, in-effect, trod!
What’s more – each one of us reading this must choose if Jesus is liar, lunatic or Lord!
(* bawd – a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money).
(Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. Find out more at www.dukev.org. Read presentations like this on www.purposespot.blogspot.com. Watch Duke at www.youtube.com/visitduke).
