Inside Edge (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 2 - Paddle Sweep - full transcript

The PPL auctions are underway, the teams competing tooth and nail for the gods of cricket. But the machinations behind the scenes don't always translate well under pressure in the auction room. All as the PPL fate hangs in the balance.

TJ. We have to get him.

Bangalore and Haryana
are building teams from scratch.

There will be a bidding war for him.

But we can't overspend on him.

Eight crores, maximum ten.

We need the rest of the players, too.

Yes. He is going to be expensive.
Probably the most expensive buy.

But imagine the value
he will bring to the Mavericks.

He's the world's best...

Anyway, as I was saying,

he's in explosive form and is itching
to play in the PPL.



He'll be perfect.

Will 10 crores be enough?

Hurricanes will definitely
bid more than that.

If we can just blindside
our competition somehow.

Don't worry.

TJ will wear the Mavericks' jersey,
and at the right price, too.

And the first name of the day,
Arvind Vashishth!

-Ten crores.
-Ten crores from Mumbai Mavericks.

Sir... Sir, if they took away
the captain, sir,

who will captain your ship?

Do I have another bidder?

Hurricanes at 10.5.

Mavericks at eleven now.

Anyone else? Hurricanes?



Hurricanes at 11.5. Mavericks at 12.

Sir, we should be careful,

to not make the same mistake with Zarina
that we did with Dhawan.

Hurricanes at 30.

Don't worry, Pritesh.

Zarina is the right person
to be the face of our expansion.

As far as Dhawan is concerned,

forget him like everyone else has.

Hurricanes at 14!

Mr. Handa, if we overspend on the captain,

we won't have anything left
to build the rest of the team.

Hey, if we lose Arvind after all
these shenanigans,

we might as well lick a donkey's ass.

-Whose ass?
-Never mind.

Ladies and gentlemen, time is running out!

Do the Mavericks have another bid?

Yes, they do. At 14.5!

We have Hurricanes at 15 crores.

Mavericks, any more bids?

Sold for 15 crores!

Moving on to our next player.

And that's how you blindside
your competitors.

They shoved it hard
down my throat, motherfuckers!

Shoved what, sir?

Penis?

And next up we have Tyler TJ Jackson.

Batsman from South Africa.

Tyler Jackson at two crores,
for the Mavericks.

He's in scintillating form.

Yes, Arvind.

Mr. Handa, you can't afford
to spend too much on TJ.

You are already overbudget.

We need Banks and Winston, too.
They're more important.

He's worth a lot more
than what I hear right now.

We've got a new team in the fray.

Bangalore Blitzers at nine crores!

They've entered with a bang!

Mavericks at 9.5 now.

Are the Blitzers still bidding?

No?

Any bid from the Blitzers?

Sold!

The world's number one batsman
goes for under 10 crores.

And that's how you get TJ. Happy?

Ravi, wait.

Let me take it.

Manu, I got you some kopi luwak
that you like so much.

Thank you so much, Dad.

You're welcome.

By the way, have you seen this?

Yeah.

Wasn't he meant to interview you?

Strange.

Here you go.

-So, how's it going with the Mavericks?
-Yeah, great.

But, Dad, Zarina...

Like, she's such a perfectionist.

What a woman!

She's handling so many things.

Auction, team selection, planning...

That's good.

I think you should learn from her, Manu.

And don't be intimidated.

If there's something
you feel strongly about,

I think, you should tell her.

She'll respect you more for it.

Dad, you know that all
of this is very new for me.

It'll take me some time
to learn the ropes.

That's why I tell you, sweetheart,
be more involved. Okay?

I'm trying.

Not for me.

Since when did you start
having coffee without sugar?

About a year now.

Why? New diet?

High sugar.

What is this, Dad?

Just because I was in the UK,
you didn't tell me about it?

Are you at least taking your meds?

Every day after every meal.

Now what?

I think because of my studies
and all these years in London...

We've grown apart.

Well, now that you're back, Mantra,
we can make up for lost time.

Come here.

Up next, pacers.

I know who should lead the attack.

-I have a name in mind, too.
-Australian.

-Mine's Australian, too.
-Not a Test regular.

But very good in ODIs.

Everyone knows about him.
Don't waste time.

No. I don't.

-It's Dave Richards. Yeah!
-Dave Richards.

We need an Indian pacer, too.
I mean, someone with real pace.

Sure, what are the best
Indian options we have?

Here.

Where's Prashant's name?

-Prashant Kanaujia?
-Yeah.

Why? I mean, he played well
in his first game last season,

but after that, nos, wides,
a ton of extra runs.

I mean, correct me if I'm wrong.

He was under pressure then.
There were some problems. It's sorted now.

What's his form like in domestic leagues?

Failed to make it to the UP Ranji team.

Below-par performance
in inter-state T20 tournament.

And if we talk about ODI then...

Look, he's still
the fastest bowler out there.

And just for his pace,
he deserves his place in the team.

Yes, but he is clearly off form.

I don't care!

You guys are all on
your own fucking trip, you know?

Choosing whoever you all want in the team.

What about me? I am the captain
of the Mavericks and I decide.

You know, this is my call.

I want Prashant in the team.

Yeah? No fucking answers, right?

Go to fucking hell.

That's just unreasonable, man!

Vayu, sit down.

Okay.

Okay, we need 20 to 25 players
for Mavericks anyway.

It's not a big deal
for us to get Prashant.

In any case, with his current form,
who else is going to bid for him?

Okay?

Dude, I heard some shit
went down with you?

Yeah, some bastard
bumped into me at a party.

We had a tiff and he lost his cool.

Pulled out his revolver,
and shot me. Right here.

-How is your shoulder injury now?
-Now, it...

What is this, asshole!

Prashant, no!

Come on, you motherfucker! Shoot me!

I'm warning you...

If you've got the balls,
pull the trigger, you fucker!

-No!
-I'll pull the trigger!

Shoot me, asshole! Shoot!

And up next, the rookie from last season,

who had surprised us with
his blistering pace, Prashant Kanaujia.

The Mavericks bid for Prashant
at the base price of 50 lakhs.

Is there anyone else?
Bidding for Prashant Kanaujia.

-Yes, Arvind.
-Mr. Handa, let's bid. It's payback time.

Okay.

And, yes, a bid from the Hurricanes.
One crore.

All right, and a bid from
the Hurricanes, one crore.

Mavericks at 1.5.

Hurricanes at two.

Mavericks at 2.5.

Hurricanes at three.

Mavericks at 3.5 crores!

Hurricanes at four!

What an interest Kanaujia has evinced.

Now we've got them by the balls.

What, sir?

Camel under the mountains.

Vayu, it's going out of hand,
he's already at four.

I want Prashant, no matter what.
Go for it, Rohini.

Mavericks at 4.5.

Hurricanes at five! Mavericks at 5.5.

Hurricanes at six!

Mavericks now at six point...
Hurricanes at seven!

Kanaujia seems to be quite
the surprise pick today.

Vayu, we can't do this.

Moses, what did I tell you?

Listen, Vayu, there's...
We can't get emotional about this.

Damn it, Moses! Just get him!

Come on, guys, the clock is ticking.

Mavericks at 7.5.

Hurricanes at eight!
Oh, my goodness, this is unprecedented!

Anymore bids?

Zarina. Listen to me, listen to me!

You owe me. Okay?
You owe me for everything I did last time.

Vayu, this is too much!

Either he's in or I'm out.

Fuck you, Vayu.
Don't even think of blackmailing me.

What's happening, man?
We shouldn't get stuck with Kanaujia.

Guys, if it buys you
your captain's loyalty,

then three crores
isn't really a big amount.

Right?

Look, I'm not the expert here,
you guys are.

But from where I can see,
Prashant and Vayu share a bond

that goes beyond cricket,

and if that's what Vayu wants,
then we give him that,

and then we have
a happy and loyal captain.

This is just my opinion, though.

Mavericks at 8.5.

Hurricanes? Come on. Once... Twice...

And Kanaujia's gone
to the Mavericks. Sold!

Next up, medium pacer, Gurmeet Singh.

We have an opening bid
from the Hurricanes at 50 lakhs.

Sultans at one, Kosmos at 1.5...

Do you know how many zeros
are there in eight crores?

Of course you don't.

Bloody, ignorant motherfucker!

Not a dime of talent,
yet you'll be a master of millions.

You fucked me up,
and now you are minting money.

Look!

Look at what you've done to me.

Look, it's blood.

It's still warm.

Feel it.

It's your doing, isn't it?

Here, feel it, motherfucker!

We need a replacement for Devender.

Top three Indian spinners have been
retained by the other teams.

Maybe, we should go for a youngster.

-What if we get an international spinner?
-Like who?

Like him. Zulfiqar Ahmed.

That's not an international spinner.

That's a Bangladeshi spinner.

Numbers?

Bowling average 28.14.

Seven wickets in six T20 matches.

Economy rate, 8.20.

That's a very average average.

Look, guys, we can get
only four international players.

If we need a spinner,
why not get someone local?

Vayu, I swear
I could strangle you right now.

Can we try something different for once?

Okay, okay.
Why do you think he's so special?

Because of his control measure. Tanay?

What's a control measure?

-Tanay?
-Yeah, one second.

Alexa, what is control measure?

For a batsman, control measure
indicates the percentage of balls

that he has played with total control.

-For example...
-Alexa, stop.

That's right.

For example, if a batsman misses
two out of ten deliveries,

that means that he has
a control measure of 80%.

But for bowlers, it's the opposite.

If the batsman misses his deliveries,

that means that they are not
in control of his bowling, right?

Zulfiqar's control measure is insane. 70%!

And that means?

For every match he bowls in,
the batsmen miss

or mistime seven out of ten deliveries.

That means that they can barely read him.

Welcome to the second day of the auctions.

And we're gonna start with the spinner
from Bangladesh, Zulfiqar Ahmed.

Base price, 50 lakhs.

Base price offered by the Mavericks.

Any more bids? No more bids?

And sold! For 50 lakhs
to the Mumbai Mavericks.

And now, for the all-rounder
from England, Mr. Tim Banks.

Base price, two crores.

His pace will work well
on Haryana's pitch.

And as far as batting is concerned,
he is in top form.

Chennai, 12 crores, Kolkata, 12.5,

Hurricanes at 13!

Kolkata Kosmos at 13.5.

Mavericks at 14.

Chennai Legends at 14.5.

Do we have another bid?

Kosmos at 15. Legends at 15.5.

Arvind, should we reconsider?

We can't afford to spend blindly
on another player.

I have already spent 15...

Mr. Handa, I am well aware of
my value and Banks' value.

Just trust me and go for him.

Hurricanes at 16 now!

Banks going once...

Twice...

Sold!

Hurricanes have spent 30 out of
their 60 crores on just two players.

...where the Mumbai Mavericks
unable to retain Arvind,

but bagging Tyler Jackson.

Tyler Jackson ranked
the number one batsman in the world.

And on the other hand,

Haryana Hurricanes are employing
a rather odd strategy.

-What would you call such a strategy?
-Disaster!

Strategic blunder or brain fade.

I don't know what to call it.
I mean, 60 crores,

and they go out spending
31 crores on two players.

If Haryana continues
to bid like this tomorrow,

they'll have a hard time
getting 11 players.

Suppose Haryana Hurricanes
can only buy five to seven players

with their 60 crores, then what'll happen?

Will they be disqualified?

No. They should be sent
to kindergarten to learn basic math.

I'm sorry,

you had to overspend on me.

Look, Arvind,
you're not just another player for me.

You're my hope.

And hope is priceless.

Potentials?

Every year, we scout many players,
nationally and internationally,

to find cricketers who might make it big.

This is a list of those players.

Last year, Prashant was also
selected from this list.

And this year, our first choice is...

Parth Kumar.

And how old is Parth?

Sixteen.

I've seen him play. Great potential!

Three centuries in consecutive
Under-19 games.

-Who else is on the list?
-There are a few more.

South African pacer, a baseball player,

an Afghan all-rounder.

Amateurs. All of them.

-But very talented.
-I'm sure.

But there is a difference
between Under-19 and PPL, Rohini.

When they have
to score 12 runs in four balls,

against a bowler
who's hitting the deck at a 150!

And the thought
that millions are watching...

Well, I don't think any of these players
can handle that kind of pressure.

So, let's move on.

Yeah, Rohini?

I just wanted to...

I have some...

Suggestions...

From our team's potentials list.

Rohini, no.

Sir, please use this list.

Rohini, I cannot.

No one will buy them.
They'll all go unsold.

This way, you get to complete your team
and they get to play in the PPL.

Rohini, it's not about the players.

It won't be right.

Thank you.

Arvind, I hope your decision will be
in the team's best interests.

Sir, we have Banks,
Anand, Jones, Arvind...

I mean, you are also in the team.

We have Winston.

-We need seven to eight more players.
-Yes, sir.

And how much amount
do we have with us now?

Sir, we had 60, but now we only have
about 2.5 crores.

Sir, actually we spent 15 on you...

Hi, Arvind sir.

-Okay, sir, I'll see you at lunch.
-Okay.

Hi, Rohini.

Did you have a look at my list?

No.

I won't do it.

How's it going, Arvind?

Arvind, I won't tell you what to do.

I would just say that at
a time like this, if your ex...

"Ex?"

Your ex-team's owner,
Zarina, had this opportunity,

she would never
let it slip out of her hands.

And we have the last batch of players.

The young ones with
no international experience.

Parth Kumar. A 16-year-old.

Right-hand bat, base price, 20 lakhs.

Do I have a bid for Parth?
Under-19 cricketer?

Come on, everybody.

No bids for Parth?

And we've got a bid
from Haryana Hurricanes.

Once... Twice...

Sold!

Sir, why are you wasting money
on these two-bit players?

They might not even have played
a day's cricket in their lives.

What did you say?

Nothing, nothing at all, sir.

Jack Douglas, former baseball player.

Sold!

Ringo Pothas. Right-arm fast.

Sold.

And that concludes our auction.

I hope everybody is going home happy.

Thank you.

So, Parth, who do you attribute
your success to?

More than my mom and dad,
I would like to thank my coach,

Mr. Mukund Pansare.

If it weren't for him,
I may not have reached this far.

As a coach, how are you feeling?

Ro, I'm sorry I'm late. Listen, I...

I'm happy.

The boy has worked very hard.

And his efforts paid off.
I'm happy for him.

Fuck this shit!

Do you think Parth
will be the next Vayu Raghavan?

I don't think

there can be another Vayu Raghavan.

I hate it when he's right.

Who?

Imtiaz told me not to announce
the film before signing the contract.

What happened to our agreement
about revenue sharing, Mr. Wadhwa?

Zarina, I'm...

...not the owner of the studio,

but just a slave to the market.

The studio cannot share revenue with you.

Why not?

You've shared it with other stars,
then why not with me?

That's not how it works, Zarina,
please try to understand.

I forgot.

They're all male stars.

Zarina, you've been
in this industry for years.

See, we can always discuss.

No, Wadhwa. I'm done with
the discussions and negotiations.

I will no longer
be bullied by this industry.

You can't walk away.
The film has already been announced.

I can.

Zarina, it'll mar your reputation.

Look, Zarina,
whether you sign this film or not,

this film will be made regardless.

Yes, Wadhwa, the film will be made.
Whether you make it or not.

What is that supposed to mean?

Zarina! Bhatia,
talk some sense into her...

Madam, what should we do now?

What's there to do?

-We'll celebrate today.
-What do you mean?

I mean, find me the best champagne
this city has to offer.

Today marks the launch of
Zarina Malik Films.

Yes, madam.

-Good flight.
-Nice.

Grip tight, huh?

A little distance between the knees.

Yeah, nice, nice, nice, nice.

Shoulder, yeah. Head absolutely still.

How's your front foot defense?

I haven't played in a long time.

How will your game improve
without practice?

Lately, I've been spending more time
watching the game than playing it.

And your brother?

I tried to talk sense into Parth.

Start with first-class cricket,
then go into PPL.

But, no.

"Vayu played PPL first and then Test.
I'll do the same."

By the way, he's doing all right.

Who?

Vayu?

Why are you wasting this poor man's money?

Come on, let's go grab a bite.

I don't have the time.

And what's keeping you so busy?

Rohini,

we all come into this world

with a purpose.

And my purpose in life
is to train batsmen.

And Vayu is one of them.

England and Australia's
cricket boards are refusing

to send their players for the PPL.

We must raise this issue
in the ICB meeting.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome.

Today, I would like to share
some very special news with you.

I launched my own banner,
Zarina Malik productions.

And our first production is going to be

Zindaani: The Prisoner of Love.

Starring superstar, Imtiaz,
and yours truly.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Despite your film being a big hit,

nobody believed you'd work together.

I mean, after what happened last year.

Would you like to take that?

A hit film can mend any relationship.

Plus, Zarina has magical powers
when it comes to convincing people.

Stop.

Coming back to the auctions for a second.

Are you regretting
not retaining Arvind Vashishth?

I think the whole world
saw how hard we tried

to buy back Arvind Vashishth.

He served the Mumbai Mavericks
magnificently over all these years.

And I think the Haryana Hurricanes
just wanted him a little bit more.

So, are you confirming Vayu Raghavan
as the team captain now?

Yes.

Together, guys.

Low crescendo on the last note.

Nice.

-Hi.
-Hey.

Everything okay?

Yeah. Yeah. All good.

Why are you here?

I just wanted to thank you

for supporting me.

About Prashant.

I just did what I thought was right. So...

Yeah, well, thanks.

Was there anything else?

Because I have to...

No! No, no, no. No, no.

So, you came all the way here to thank me?

You look...

I mean, you... The...

Play the cello?

Play the cello beautifully. Yeah.

Play the cello. It's really cool.

-Yeah. Yeah.
-Thank you.

-Vayu?
-Yeah. Yeah.

Okay, so, I have to go.

Of course, of course. No...

You carry on.

You cello, I'll ciao. Okay, bye.

Yeah. You have a good class. Bye-bye.

Bye, guys. Bye.

Fuck me. Asshole.

English and Australian cricket boards

have refused to create a window in their
calendar for PPL in their future tours.

And that means, some of their players
might leave during the tournament.

Now, we have to figure a way out.

All of your opinions are important.

Especially, the representatives that are
present here on behalf of the team owners.

But if their boards have taken a decision,

I feel we should honor it.

Mr. Basu, they have crossed the line.

And it's time we punish them.

Punish test-playing nations?

Because of a domestic T20 tournament?

And that is why I recommend
that we cancel our upcoming series

with both England and Australia.

And what do we replace the tests with?

More T20?

Of course.

And let me confirm the rumors.

I have been working towards a second PPL.

So, there's no point
in playing international cricket?

I've said this before,

and I'll say it again.

Test cricket still exists
only because of PPL.

That is the future.

And you are doing all this
for the love of the game?

Yes.

And if you have a problem with it,
let's put it to vote.

All those in favor of another league,
a second PPL?

Were you sure that everyone
would vote in your favor?

I mean, it could have gone
the other way, too.

Basu just makes noise.

He wants to become ICB president.

But he doesn't have the votes.
Do you know why?

Why?

Because he doesn't have vision.

He's afraid of change.

How about you?

Zarina, in life, change is inevitable.

I want to change cricket.

I want to raise it from
a Commonwealth sport to a global sport.

I want to take the game to China,
to the US, to Brazil.

In fact, I've already raised the funds
to start the league in several countries.

Yeah, but I can't do this alone.

I need someone by my side,
who will run the show.

Someone who will eventually
inherit my power.

So, that's why you want Mantra
to get involved in the Mavericks?

Not Mantra.

She needs time.

All right. Thank you for dropping me.

You're welcome.

If you don't mind,
I'll hang around for a bit.

Sure.

Give me the ball, son.

Don't spin.

Madam, did you see
the Home Minister's press conference?

No. What happened?

Please check.

Our government's priority is to ensure
the security of the democracy,

not that of cricket's.

For the upcoming elections,

security forces will be deployed in
every constituency.

And the PPL is also scheduled
around the same time.

So, it might get difficult
to provide security to the PPL.

That's why we are going to ask ICB

to cancel the PPL this year.

Are you watching?

Yes, I am.

It's all happening...

Just the way I planned it.