New fiction combines crime, sports in IPL age


The timing of the release of Rajiv Rajendra's second Crim-Cric novel The League is perfect considering it falls bang in the middle of the Indian Premier League, on which, it is loosely based. With a story that pans out more like a Bollywood film, Rajendra is ready turn his main protagonist star cricketer Tarun Krishnan's adventures into a franchise after his debut novel Doosra.

The tale about a billion-dollar cricket league in a fictitious island called Palmyra and run by a filthy rich Arab sheikh called Abdel Rafter al Rafter, the tome is not a production from the whodunit stable. Rather it reads more like an edge-of-the-seat thriller with detailed account of how the guilty will be nabbed.

As has been the popular notion about cash-rich T20 leagues, the author tries to weave a story around match- fixing, sleaze, deaths with a lot of inspiration from some of the incidents that had rocked the cricket world in not so distant past.

Hero of the story Krishnan assisted by Tech whiz kid Sunny Khare will save the image of the Glorious Game from being tarnished by high-profile international mafia.

How they emerge successful in their mission is for the readers to find out but we can surely discuss some interesting facts about the book.

The author has thought of innovative names for the T20 league teams. They range from Violet Super Heroes to Yellow Scorchers to Orange Speeders, and Red Shooters.

However the name that takes the cake is that of famous film star Jahan Panah Khan (JPK). Now, you don't get marks for guessing as to who is inspiration behind such a name.

The author's fascination for hi-tec gizmos is reflected in how the character of Sunny Khare evolves.

The book also seems to be inspired from real life characters and incidents.


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