E-commerce in Sports

India now buys products and services by violently tapping its fingers across the keyboard of a desktop/laptop that was bought in similar manner.With a user base of over 10 million, e commerce has close to revolutionalised the way  people buy and brands sell products. The popularity of the new medium of retailing has led to arguments around timely product deliveries,quality assurance,genuineness of the product and the effect on traditional retailers.

A couple of years back, one would imagine conversation similar to this ,"Hey I think the iPhone is way more expensive in the mall.I would rather buy it from the gadget shop in the local market." Today,everyone seems to have to shifted to the online format of buying and conversation on where to buy seem to end mostly with a .com.

There are standard products that people buy off e commerce portals which include gadgets,books,music,clothes,bags and now even paintings.The though that keeps circling my sporty head is, " Would I ever buy sports equipment online?." Eleven out of ten times the response I get from within is a strong NO. Sports equipment is try personal to the style of the person using it.While,I might go to a shop check out the same model ,test it an then come home and order it,there is one major psychological emotion that I am ignoring in the process and its called ,familiarity. While many professional sportsmen talk about weight distribution in a cricket bat,or the level of tension of the guts of a tennis racket or even the shaft of a golf club, one of the most important things people miss out on is the fact that sports equipment is a translation of ones passion/desire of indulging in a sporting activity. While I consider mysql as an evolved and avid user of technology and the internet,I would still like to have a twenty minute conversation with a salesman before buying a specialized product.

I believe sporting equipment is an extension of a person.It must do the trick on the battle field but must also blend with the personality of the person using it.Many professional sportsmen including Mahesh Bhupati and Yuvraj Singh have recognized the power of e commerce and have set up their own online shopping stores. There are interesting perspectives on why they chose to set up their online ventures.

As an aware Indian passionate consumer of sports goods,I honestly believe I would never buy equipment online because I like the excitement of going to a store and testing  5 other products that I don't intend to buy . I love playing shadow strokes inside a mall store and like I said,I have to see what meets my needs and blend with my life.

T20 World Cup: India vs Afghanistan

The action of the T20 world cup is finally underway and the drama has unleashed itself with Zimbabwe already losing its opener Sibanda in the big run chase against host Sri Lanka. The signs of drama have already unleashed themselves on day 1 of the tournament.

In a few hours, millions of Indian cricket fans will be glued to their screens to encounter Indias first game in the world cup against close by neighbors Afghanistan, a side that has qualified for back to back T20 world cups even after all the unrest back home. Although, most cricket enthusiasts would have written off the Afghanistan side for tomorrows game against the mighty Indians, considering the game already won by the Indian camp might put Dhoni's men in a sticky situation.



There are a few reasons that could overturn the predicted result of India's opening encounter in this years T20 World Cup.

• There is a major chance that the Indian team might not be taking their game against Afghanistan too seriously. Over experimentation in the field might cost them a victory. We have seen such situations in the past where India has been on the losing end of many underdog victories.
• Afghanistan has qualified for the T20 World cup in the middle of major national unrest the country has been subject to in the recent times.They have already won respect of cricketing greats and have engraved their success story in cricketing history. The spirits in the Afghanistan locker room would be high and their confidence to take their cricket to the next level perfectly in place.
• India has shown signs of inconsistency in recent games. Their last two games against Pakistan and New Zealand have both ended in losses. Apart from a handful of players, most of the team has not shown to many outstanding performances off late.The Indian bowling has been particularly unimpressive.
• Afghanistan's unpredictable but talented unit has the potential of causing discomfort to the Indian line up. Captain Nawroz Mangal,wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad and the vice-captain Mohammad Nabi have the potential to take the game away from India.

Being a complete patriot and a huge supporter of the 'Men in Blue,' I sincerely hope the Indian men hold their ground for their game against the talented Afghanistan and inch their way closer to another T20 world cup win.

T20 World Cup Schedule

The T20 world cup is round the corner and the excitement seems too be right up there. Cricket fans have already started analyzing statistics and making predictions. Sport's happy meal fast food combo, the 20-20 world cup is finally here!!!!!

Courtesy: t20wordcupcricket.com

Divided into four groups,the actions unleashes on the 18th of September with the hosts,Sri Lanka playing Zimbabwe at Hambantota. India play their first game at Colombo against Afghanistan on September 19th. 

Keep the schedule handy and enjoy an exciting time of Bam Bam cricket.

Group A - England, India and Afghanistan
Group B - Australia, West Indies andIreland
Group C - South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe
Group D - New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Courtesy: Google Images

Get set to cheer Dhoni and his boys on and hope India regains t20 supremacy in Sri Lanka.