Logos hold a common place in cricket. We have seen them allied with every series that takes place round the year, with every World Cup & with various organizations that are integral to cricket, thus describing the theme of the games.

IPL's logo shows a player slogging a ball alongside a pyramid which is a symbol of DLF, their official sponsor. Thus the logo is complete in itself -- conveying the intensity of IPL games & revealing its sponsor's identity. The World Cup is no different event & involves different logos each time it is conducted in a particular country or region. We saw an emblem first represent cricket during the 1992 World Cup held in Australia & New Zealand; since then, witnessing a colourful logo define the mood of the event is not something unusual. In 1999, England had used a bowler representing county cricket in England, while in 2003, South Africa used an offbeat logo with zebra stripes, depicting the wildlife & the mix of black and white inhabitants of South Africa. In 2007, the World Cup moved to the region of islands, West Indies. They borrowed the logo from their prominent beach culture, portraying a player playing cricket on a palm beach in The Caribbean. The upcoming World Cup in 2011 will be held in the subcontinent, with India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh playing host. Selecting a logo this time was a bit complicated as all three countries had to be taken into consideration. After much thought, finally, a colourful ball, representing the diversity of the regions, was tick-marked for its use as a logo.

The most outstanding logo, so far, is the one ideated for the 2007 World Cup, as it deviates from the conventional graphics. It is a blend of both - cricket & of countries love towards the game.

The ceremony of unravelling of logos these days, is followed by one more ceremony, & that`s of unveiling the face of the MASCOT. As we all know, a mascot represents the identity of a group & is believed to bring good luck. It was Proteas, who pioneered the concept of mascot in cricket. During the 2003 World Cup in Africa, we saw for the first time, a mascot named dazzler, a zebra and symbol of wildlife in South Africa, be a part of the tournament. Dazzler couldn't bring much luck to the host team, as Africa didn't even make it to the Super Six stage. But the overall tournament got a positive response & turned out to be successful. Next was West Indies turn, when Mello, a raccoon-like creature, brought luck in abundance, with more than expected revenue generated from the sale of tickets, thus making the 2007 World Cup the first-ever to produce revenue more than any previously held cricket world cups.

The organizers of the upcoming 2011 World Cup have chosen a blue-coloured tiny elephant, whose name selection was done through an online competition organized by ICC. Stumpy, as it has been named now, depicts the enthusiasm of a young individual. It is for the second time that an elephant will be used as a mascot after 29 years, as it was used by the name "Appu" during the Asian Games held in Delhi in 1982. The gentle giant, an iconic symbol of India & Sri Lanka, holds an important place in the lives of these countries inhabitants.

The question is, do we really need a mascot to get lucky? Do we really need to believe that association with a figure will bring luck flowing in oodles? Are we just being superstitious? Or, is it just an addition to elaborate the excitement of an event of this huge stature? Whatever be the reason, let's hope Stumpy steers success our way in overwhelming degrees.

Mascots like Moochu Singh, Rocky & Ranjit, and Hoog Lee are seen during IPL as they represent the teams of Rajasthan, Punjab & Kolkata. Maybe, next year we might get to see all other IPL teams following suit. I don't remember when was the last time all the three teams got lucky with their roaring lions? But the question of their inclusion is immaterial in the context of a tournament like IPL, which is all about fun, euphoria, excitement, extravagance & tantalizing frills & fancies. For me, sporting a mascot in IPL is like further embellishment given to ameliorate a team's look. When we can have bustling horns, drums & trumpets, enticing cheer leaders, waving flags & thirst-quenching drinks, then why not a silent creature depicting the team's spirit, whose association with the team brings with it the possibility of getting lucky? It would be great if every IPL team would have a mascot, as long as they spare the species of tigers & elephants, for we've been over-exposed to mascots like these.

Hoog Lee is the least appealing of all, while Rocky & Ranjit best depicts the spirit of IPL & Punjab`s team, with Moochu Singh languishing between them with its less conspicuous appeal. Thank God, our Moochu Singh is adorable & not lazy-looking like Hoog Lee, though I find Rocky & Ranjit the best.

Friends, who's your favourite?

M@ndkini!!