Team India's worrying prospects, don't want AAP effect

New Delhi: The return of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in power in Delhi may not go down too well with Indian cricket fans. During AAP's 49-day rule last time, Indian cricket team failed to register a single victory.

With days before India's high-stake World Cup match against eternal rivals Pakistan, Arvind Kejriwal-led party shocked political establishment far and wide by sweeping Delhi Assembly elections.

The anti-graft party sure wrote a new chapter in India's electoral politics by winning 67 of 70 seats in Delhi, but their return in power is being taken with some degree of scepticism by Indian cricket fans.

During AAP's short-lived first term (December 28, 2013 to February 14, 2014), Indian cricket team played seven matches, five One Day Internationals (ODIs) and two Tests, but failed to register a single win in those outings.

India, touring South Africa, lost the second Test at Kingsmead by 10 wickets after the Tea on the fifth day on December 30, 2013. After losing both the three-match ODI and two-match Test series, India immediately head to New Zealand.

There too, India suffered series defeats in both the 50-over and five-day formats. In the five-match ODI series, Kiwis thrashed the tourists winning four matches. The third match, at the picturesque Eden Park in Auckland, did produced some heartening performances from the Indian team. It ended in a tie with both sides scoring 314 runs each, and Ravindra Jadeja winning the Man of the Match award.

New Zealand won the first of the two-match Test series by 40 runs at Auckland, but Indians salvaged some pride by forcing a draw at Wellington on the fifth day on February 18, 2014.

Interestingly, on Tuesday CM-designated Kejriwal revealed that the oath-taking ceremony for the new government will take place at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on February 14, a day before India's World Cup opener against Pakistan.

On December 28, 2013, then 45-year-old Kejriwal took the oath of office and secrecy at a public ceremony in the historic Maidan after leading AAP to a stunning debut in electoral politics winning 28 of the 70 seats.

But just 49 days after assuming the role of Chief Minister, Kejriwal on February 14, 2014 resigned with his cabinet after failing to table the much-debated Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly.

If Kejriwal's return at the helm of Delhi Vidhan Sabha proves a premonition for Team India, then the so-called AAP effect will be a worrying prospect for Indian cricket fans. Because, India stands to concede their perfect record against Pakistan in World Cup.