The Zoya Factor

Khoda said, his voice deceptively casual,'So you think the only reason we've been winning is because you've been gracing our breakfast table before the matches, do you?" I opened my eyes very wide. 'Well , obviously,'I repiled. 'Surely you weren't thinking it was because of you?' when the yonger palyers in india's cricket taem learn that mid-level advertising executive Zoya Singh Solanki was born at the exact moment that india clinched the world cup, back in '83, they are intrigued; when eating breakfast with her is followed by vistories on the feild, they are impressed; and when not eating with her results in defeat, they are convinced she's their lucky charm. Between them and the eccentric IBCC president they coax Zoya to accompany the indian team to Australia for the 10th ICC world cup on an all-expenses- paid holiday, on the condition that she breakfast with them before every match...Worshipped by her indian fans, and vilified by the other competinh teams, Zoya struggles valiantly to do her bit for indian cricket in the thick of the world cup action. It doesn't help that she keeps clashing with the erretically brilliant new skipper Nikhil Khodawala tells her flatly that he doesn't believe in luck..