IPL & Goldfish in the same bowl!

The IPL T20 has hit SA… Indian Premier League cricket if you have not heard about it…

The IPL is big business – with an enormous following in cricket mad countries like India. The games are short and exciting with and electric atmosphere around it - only 20 overs per side (T20). While sixes and fours are being hit, the crowd is entertained by music rockstars and cheerleader dancers with sexy moves! This is not the boring cricket of old!!

ZaraZoo covered the behind-the-scenes of a recent game at Newlands Cricket Ground.

Photography by Stefan Steenkamp.

The IPL started only 2 years ago and is a massive success story. It has promoted T20 cricket to Sportainment status (Sport & Entertainment together) and cricketers are benefitted hugely! The Indian teams buy up successful International players like Kevin Pietersen ($1.5mil), Jacques Kallis, Herchelle Gibbs and many more. Other South Africans that play in the IPL: Graeme Smith, Albie Morkel, Dale Steyn, Mkaya Ntini, Mark Boucher, Roelof van der Merwe and more.

In total there are 59 games played here in South Africa over the next month. Each game has a carnival atmosphere created by artists, bands, DJ’s and beautiful cheerleader dancers. Yesterday, the acid jazz band Goldfish, was on the stage at Newlands. They’re one of my favourite South African acts and it was part of my job to shoot their gig – how cool!!

With all the entertainment around the ground and fireworks going off with each 6 and wicket that falls, the crowd also gets hyped up. People dress up in all kinds of outfits and wigs! This guy below started a Mexican Wave on his own – check the next photo – the wave made a full 360!

To get the same atmosphere as at a rock concert, IPL contracted Maverick & Big Concerts to do the event management – Why not? It’s sportainment!

The sexy guy below is Mark Chipps from Goosebump Productions. Mark filmed the behind the scenes with me – it’s for a documentary on one of the teams, the Royal Challengers of Bangalore! Mark is a great guy and often works with us on weddings as well.

Apparently the guy at the top is very famous in India – I heard people chanting Chang…. Chang…. Chang… and then quite a few posed with him for a pic – He looks Chinese, but when he speaks, he sounds Indian! If you know this guy, please leave a comment and tell us who he is!! hahaha

If you like cricket and have not been down to watch a IPL T20 game, get a few friends together and go for a big jol – Its loads of fun, a great party!

I’ve recently started on Twitter – the coolest thing since sliced bread. So if you’re not on yet, go read my post about Twitter – it’ s got in structions on how to get set up quickly.

ZaraZoo – http://twitter/zarazoo

GoldFish – http://twitter/GoldFishLive

Mark Chipps – http://twitter/markchipps

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