Firstly I am really sorry to have not blogged for a week but was unwell for a couple of days. In London now… came here straight from South Africa, needed some time to myself and some time to unwind from the cricket mania, and no better place to do it than London. Needed to detox so retail therapy works well for me, ha ha shopping my feet off making use of the perfect weather. Other than that was also here to attend a press conference where we announced the British Asian Trust Cup, which is a match between the Middlesex Panthers and the Rajasthan Royals… will be played at Lords on the 6th of July, and all the proceeds going towards the Prince’s charity, so fun with a good cause. Other than that… shot for a Magazine here, and caught up with some friends but the high point was walking on our wet lawn barefoot, 25 degrees Celsius perfect weather and having a chocolate cup cake from Lola’s… Ah Divine! Now this is what I live for. Anyway will be here till my birthday on 8th and then back to Bombay… reality beckons! Cheerio guys until next time… be good and enjoy life, make the best of it, because it’s the cheapest bargain you get it for free

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Unbelievable! The last two teams on the table last year make it into the finals this year, so RCB Vs DC it is! What an unexpected result, but am so so happy for Vijay Mallya, a dear friend and his team deserves to be in the finals, it’s been a long wait! This has been one hellava trip, so much to learn. Going back with a lot of cricket knowledge but other than that so many great memories from SA. Amongst all the travelling did get the chance to do some sightseeing  - something I don’t normally get to do when on shooting schedules, but managed to sneak in when we got some time off here. Did a safari in Singita, did a thrilling Hot air balloon trip, went to the lion park and actually played with the Cubs, something unusual. It was amazing to see a wild animal in such a vulnerable playful state, trust me they weren’t tame. Fed ostriches and got pecked by one! And also fed a giraffe, they have the longest purple tongues, wrapped it around my hand, leaving its saliva all over it, eeow! But what fun.

Getting all packed to leave Joburg which became our home for 3 weeks. Can’t wait to see the Finals tomorrow, and all the entertainment… the end to the SA cricket safari

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Hey guys, sorry haven’t blogged for the last 5 days ‘cause it’s been quite a rollercoaster ride. Just lost our last game and our chance of getting into the semi finals! The Royals started off with 2 sixes and then…we kept losing wickets and we made a 101. One of our lowest scores! But then after KKR came in to bat, the tables had turned so fast cause the Royals bowled really well…there was a ray of hope cause they were just 37 runs and 4 wickets down after the first ten overs. But after the 18th over things changed in their favor and they won. Must say it seemed we would lose earlier but the Royals gave them a hard time even making that low score. What’s sad is we could’ve won this one but that’s cricket. So unpredictable! Anyway Cest la vie, you lose some u win some… Loved the journey thus far. We still put up a brave front despite an incomplete team, hopefully next year we’ll have Sohail Tanvir and Shane Watson back. Let’s see who reaches the finals. I reckon it will be a Delhi Vs Chennai final… let’s wait and watch.  Adios for now will write soon.

PS… Thanks for all the support nevertheless, to all those Royal fans we will be back with a bang next year!

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Phew! 20-20 cricket isn’t for the fainthearted! I nearly had three attacks in the last 2 overs, didn’t watch the last 5 balls cause I was praying so fervently. Yeah yeah was really embarrassed after the match was over, heard everyone saw me praying! It had to be divine intervention… kept seeing my spiritual guru Bhagwan (from the Oneness University) telling me we were gonna win, and that’s what kept me going. It started really well with a new batting order and couple of additions, Botha was fabulous but a few extra runs in couple of overs and the game changed in Mumbai Indian’s favor… but The Royals and I have one thing in common. We DONT give up! Loved every bit of it. Felt like a movie, high drama, thriller, love for the team emotions had it all, only it was not on Reel all Real. was a nervous wreck by the end of it but was worth it after all. This was an important match, back on the score board catapulting the Royals to third place…
Now on every match counts… and every team is hungry for points to stay in the semis. Won this one by the skin of our teeth, thanks to all the prayers and fan support. Please continue because each one really matters. Food for thought… A Battle is not lost till YOU give up!

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Sorry guys for not blogging for the last few days, been travelling and in Kimberly was staying in a guest house, considering there is just one good hotel there and 3 teams were staying there. Now on my way back… it’s been a hard 2 days considering we lost 2 matches… We were looking really good after the win with the Royal Challengers… was looking forward to getting Shane Watson back, till we heard he wasn’t gonna join us cause he’s injured his groin! So that was the first piece of bad news, next Warne’s hamstring was playing up, and then today Graeme was called out on an unfair appeal. It was clear that luck wasn’t on our side and that’s a prerequisite in the 20-20 matches. Today was an important match, Deccan played well and they deserved to win. Keeping my fingers crossed for the next 3 games that decide who goes into the Semis. Being the positive person I am, I still want to believe its happening for the best, and we’ll be back with a bang. Thanks for the continued support guys… Lets Halla Bol!

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I’ve come to one conclusion - the Rajasthan Royals like making History! Yesterday’s game did just that, after making the lowest score, we made history again by making the highest score in this year’s IPL… 211, what a score! We had lost one game against KingsXI Punjab and this win was a shot in the arm for all of us. It put us back on the top of the table. Happy to see Graeme Smith back in form and Ojha was such a revelation. Our batting order was a concern but now this team has revived all our confidence and played like the CHAMPIONS we know. With Shane Watson joining us soon will only make it better. We’ve peaked late but better late than never. Quite excited about the next match in Pretoria against Royal Challengers. Hoping for the best. Thanks for all the support, please continue to root for the team. Halla Bol!

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From the time I have come to South Africa, the one thing I have really been wanting to do is a safari. So Raj, Me and a couple of close friends with family in toe, decided to do just that. After the last game we really needed a break so off we went. Landed in Singita yesterday, staying at Lebombo this place is perfection personified. Luxury in the wilderness, just what I wanted and what a combination!! Went on a game drive in the afternoon and we got really lucky as we saw a pack of Lion (I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard it roar), hippo’s in the water hole, and a giraffe (poor thing was injured), Baboons Impala’s, kudu’s and the most regal African Elephants. Wanted some more so left at 6am this morning, heard some people had spotted a leopard and its cub, but unfortunately we didn’t spot it. The beauty of nature in its purest form is something that I can’t express in words. You got to see it to believe it! Like Nelson Mandela says…”There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered” It’s a beautiful line I read when I entered and I now know exactly what he meant when he wrote that.

What’s great about this place is that you are completely cut away from the outside world (if you want to be), No phone networks, no TV in the rooms and internet only in the common TV room, its pollution free and the view is absolutely breathtaking. After Lunch we all sat down to watch the match in the TV room and converted that small room into a mini stadium, cheering and screaming every time someone hit a four or six. It was a nerve wrecking end but what a win. I realised we Royals have a knack of winning the difficult ones Again Shane Warne took some strategic decisions today and Abhishek and Yusuf were the saviours. Nice to see Lee Carseldine and Shane Harwood join us, both did really well. Phewwww!! Never enjoyed cricket so much. It’s been a great weekend. Shamita loved every bit of it till she went to her room and discovered her room was ransacked by the Baboon’s. Ha-ha apparently they knew where the Mini Bar is and we were warned when we checked in to keep all doors locked when we leave the room. (Obviously someone didn’t listen ) Going back to Joburg tomorrow, next match in Durban against Kings XI… come on Royals… HALLA BOL!!!

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Phew! Still haven’t gotten over yesterday’s match…can’t express my happiness. RR IS BACK IN BUSINESS! Every match has been exciting but with our last performance, I had a lot of reasons to fear the Delhi Daredevils… firstly because they had not lost a single game till now and they had a great lineup of batsmen! But like I’ve said before its more about luck and that was on our side yesterday. We got those early crucial wickets and I breathed a sigh of relief and surprisingly kept the score below 150, which is fantastic considering Delhi’s always scored above that. While batting Graeme was the rock of Gibralter, he made the base. All batsmen contributed but Yusuf was on fire. He hit 6 sixes and I wasn’t complaining… he turned the game around, despite being badly hit on the shoulder. Anyway the team’s spirits are up with this win. Hope this winning streak continues. Happy about the way things are shaping up, we are 4th on the score board, which is encouraging.

All’s well, just regret the fact that I won’t be in India to cast my vote, really wanted to this time. Elections have to be taken seriously if you are a responsible citizen. Unfortunately with the unexpected turn of events and the IPL being shifted to SA it’s become difficult. I would not miss voting for anything otherwise. But to all those Indian citizens who want the best for our Country, now is the time to make the decision, don’t waste your democratic right to choose. VOTE! Hoping for a best… Will write soon… Thanks so much for all the love and support, love the messages, keep them coming.

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Yesterday was an interesting day, shot for a music video and ad for HDFC life insurance. It was a fun day, Graeme, Yusuf, Shane, Jadeja, Mahesh and me. Graeme taught me how to bat and Shane taught me how to spin the ball! We played for a bit and after I ran four times between the wickets I was gasping for breath! Now I respect my cricketers more, wonder how they do it, handling all that pressure, gawd! We actors have it easier, at least we get retakes… anyway it’s still a thankless job when they lose… Today I was all geared up for an exciting match. It was a beautiful day and a jam packed stadium. It started off well but we lost, wickets kept falling like 9 pins. Dunno what happened. Crickets not good for health when you’re a co-owner, ha ha. Well no one feels good losing, but I’ve taken it in my stride, hoping we have better luck next time. Like I say whoever plays the better cricket of the day deserves to win and today it was KingsXI. For all those Rajasthan Royal fans - keep the faith, be positive and wins will manifest. Off to Johannesburg tomorrow morning, another match day after… keeping my fingers crossed!

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If you’re wondering why it took me so long to blog, reason is I’ve just recovered from the high voltage drama at the Newlands stadium yesterday. What a match, nearly bitten my fingers off in excitement! Can’t express my joy, it was a long wait and at last was happy to see a well deserved win. It reinstated the faith in all those royal fans. Yesterday went by screaming my lungs hoarse till I lost my voice and by the time we reached the Super over I nearly had 2 cardiac arrests. But I was resuscitated by Yusuf’s sixes. It was the most incredible feeling and the stadium was filled with such unimaginable high energy. Never enjoyed a match more, heard it was one of the most entertaining matches in IPL history, well after making the lowest score in IPL history in the first match this history making was some consolation

Phew! Don’t know when I was so happy last but yesterdays win was a High point and a party was called for, had no strength left after the long day, but had to applaud my team for that Royal win…I guess luck was on our side… Go Royals! Halla Bol!

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