The IPL heats up….

As the IPL enters into its second month, the excitement and tension curve amongst the fans is slowly reaching its zenith. In the midweek matches this week, some crucial matches have taken place, which could have an important bearing in determining the semi-finalists. The Mumbai Indians have lost a match they should have comfortably won. The laws of Average at last caught up with their star batsman Sachin Tendulkar as he failed for the first time. The hugely talented JP Duminy almost took the team to victory but failed to clear the ropes at the most crucial juncture. This victory should be a boost for Preity’s boys who seem to have left the Duckworth- Lewis phobia behind and are looking more settled as a team.

The Kolkata Knight Riders vs the Bangalore Royal Challengers match was to determine who would establish themselves as the “holders” of the bottom position. And the knights did not disappoint. Although the match went down to the wire, it was always a matter of the Royal Challengers losing themselves rather than the Knights winning. The captain of the Knights, Brendon McCullum scored a golden duck and from there on the team never looked like scoring anything substantial. There are some teams that are not playing well but there is at least a positive framework in their thinking. The Knight Riders is one team that actually has lost everything— they have an unsettled team, an under-pressure captain, a confused coach and hapless bench strength. The body language of their captain tells it all— he seems to have succumbed to the unwanted pressure his coach has put on his players. The only way of reinventing this team is to remove the captain and the coach with immediate effect if they are to make an impact in this year’s IPL. Their match against the Mumbai Indians on World Labour Day would virtually determine the fate of their progress. The worst part of their performance this year is that it has been spineless in all respect. All the pre season hype regarding multiple captains, removing a settled captain, sending two senior players from the team, shows that the team is morally disintegrated. At every match the “think tank” of the Knight Riders comes up with quixotic decisions— the last match provided another feather to this cap. You play your front line fast bowler Ashok Dinda, and don’t give him a single over to bowl. What an idea…Sirjee!!!…I take a bow in front of you…Mr Buchanan….It seems as if the whole team needs to undergo a mental rehabilitation camp. With Gayle playing his last game, the possibility of a decent showing by the Knight Riders in the remaining matches becomes even more difficult.

With players from the West Indies and England leaving for International duty, the importance of Indian players in a team becomes central to a team’s success. A team can consist at the maximum of 4 foreign players. Hence choosing the right combination of players would determine the fate of a team. In this sense, the contribution of Indian players assumes a critical role. This is where teams like the Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers and Chennai Super Kings hold an edge over other teams. These teams are balanced with players from India and abroad who can be match winners on their day. Whereas, teams like the KKR and the Rajasthan Royals always seem to rely on individuals. The Royals rely solely on the Butcher of Baroda, Yousuf Pathan. And once he fails with the bat, the team looks like a club team. This is what happened in the match against the Chennai Super Kings.

With the business end of the tournament approaching, each match would prove crucial. Hence teams have to be very careful in choosing their combination. This year’s IPL has been more open in comparison to last year. As of now, more-or-less all the other teams stand a chance of making it to the semis. The top seven teams are separated by a mere 4 points. With everything to play for, each of these teams is not likely to miss an opportunity to reach the semi finals. As far as the Knight Riders are concerned, Friday’s match was a virtual semi final for them. But their loss settled Shah Rukh’s men at the abysmal depth of the points table, from there onwards “Semi –Final” pohuchna “mushkil hi nahi…namumkin hain”!!!!!!