IPL - An Overview

The IPL ball is now in the middle of its innings and the shine has just started to fade. With I, not blogging about IPL for past few days, it certainly seems so. Even some of the matches were heavily one-sided. And with at least a match everyday, it is certainly taking its toll. It would have been so much better if each side were to play just 7 matches, 3 at home, 3 away and one match at a neutral venue, my home town Pune for instance!

However, at the end of the day, its Cricket and one cannot just let it stay away from you. Though I have not watched the matches entirely, I have completely followed the results and the performance of icon players and also the star performances. With my team, the Chennai Superkings losing two straight matches, it hasn’t been the most happy part of the tournament. Still, I decided to dish out an analysis of how the teams are performing.

Chennai Superkings:

They started brilliantly with four wins on the trot. The absence of Hayden and Hussey was felt in their fifth match. However, it was not quite huge as expected. The batting did reasonably well to get a formidable score but the bowling had no answer to Sehwag who stole the show. In the match against the Royals, Tanvir was the super performer. He got four wickets by himself, (the first two were a gift from umpire Asad Rauf), proving that his strange action is really hard to pick up.

So now MSD will have something to think about. Though the team is looking quite gelled it is missing some good players up the order. Fleming and Co. will have to deliver the goods if Chennai are to do well. Losing wickets at the beginning has brought down many great teams in all formats of the game and Chennai will be no exception to that. Gony deserves a mention here. He has bowled well and is a good prospect for the future. MSD will also like to focus on fielding and running between the wickets which has looked shoddy in the past couple of games.

Rajasthan Royals:

The surprise package of the IPL. They have emerged from being the written about underdogs to complete champions. With Shane Warne leading the pack both with ball and bat (he hit 16 off 3 balls to win the match!), the team has won five straight matches. Yousuf Pathan and Asnodkar have looked menacing at the top getting the team of to flying starts. Smith has made his presence felt and so has Tanvir (6-14 vs CSK) in a big way. Actually the entire team has performed and have given no headaches to Warne. Kaif, Jadeja, Watson, Munaf all deserve a mention here. RR are now favorites to reach the final if not win it. Aniket writes here on Warney.

Delhi Daredevils:

Look virtually unbeatable until their top order is firing. Once that fails, all is over. With a loss to KXI, another emerging team, they still looked pretty solid. However, the upset loss to MI has put focus back on their vulnerability. The middle order has not been tested and even the great McGrath and Asif have felt the heat of T20. They seem to have winning formula revolving Asif, McGrath and Sehwag, Gambhir. Once it is broken they can easily be defeated. However, it is not that easy as it sounds and thats why this team is 3rd.

Kings XI Punjab:

This team is on a roll. Having one five matches on the trot, the team is certainly living up to its expectations. Again, team is heavily based around the foreign players like Sangakkara, Hopes and Sarwan. Yuvi has done well in parts while Pathan is the leading wicket taker now. Good mix of experience and youth. They have looked good but certainly not unbeatable. They look all set to making it to the final four.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

After a glorious start, this team seems to have lost the ability to win. Brendon McCullum is being sorely missed. Ganguly is looking passe. With an under-performing captain and inexperienced side, the team is looking down the barrel. Ishant, too seems to have lost his venom. Hussey and keeper Saha have kept matches alive. It only seems a difficult task from here just to get into the final four.

Mumbai Indians:

After a disastrous start i.e. losing first four games, they seem to have found their ground at least for the moment. And an inspired win over then leaders Delhi will certainly boost their morale. Pollock has taken on the role of captain wonderfully well. Bravo and Nayyar have performed. Jayasuriya yet to play a long innings. Bhaji banned and Sachin yet to play means that MI has never fielded its best 11 players. Hopefully, the costliest team in the IPL will continue its good run.

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

The ‘test’ side never looked in contention and never will be. Winning just two matches, one a very close game, they have at least lived upto their reputation. And winning against the Deccan Chargers was I think the highest high they will have. Dravid is looking all lost and Kumble, incongrous. Players leaving has hurt their already less fire power. They will be playing for pride and the Kingfisher Fair Play Award. I have no hopes from them…

Deccan Chargers:

The DISAPPOINTMENT of the tournament. just proves that matches are not played on paper. Won just the one match which I got see live. They have all the big names: Gilly, Afridi, Symmo (now gone!), Gibbs, Vaas, Styris but its just not happening for them. VVS has got runs at the top but at an uninspiring pace. The only real good thing is the coming up of Rohit Sharma who has looked really good at the crease. Good for Team India. Overall, they have the strength on paper, just have to bring it into practice. Bowlers will have to perform well and batsman to play longer innings otherwise the DChragers (or Dischargers) wont stand a chance.

POINTS TABLE IN BRIEF: as of 06-05-08

1. Rajasthan Royals - 10 points off 6 games
2. Kings XI Punjab - 10 points off 7 games
3. Delhi Daredevils - 8 points off 6 games
4. Chennai SuperKings - 8 points off 6 games
5. Kolkata Knight Riders - 4 points off 6 games
6. Mumbai Indians - 4 points off 6 games
7. Royal Challengers Bangalore - 4 points off 7 games
8. Deccan Chargers - 10 points off 6 games

For latest point table on Cricinfo

As of now, the top four teams in the table are the ones which are looking good. With a 4 point gap in between the top four and bottom four, it will be difficult for the bottom guys to fill it up. Still lots more cricket to be played. And one thing that is emerging is that Any team can beat any other team on their Day. Thus, their is no reason for any team to lose heart. And after the final four are decided, it wont be wrong to say that every team will have equal chance of taking the title.

Also,

Star Performances in IPL

Performance of Icon Players in IPL

Players leaving the IPL

Was thinking of writing a blog when I found this comprehensive post.

My analysis:

RCB: Bowling attack looks good now with Steyn , ZK and Pravin K. Will miss Taylor and Chanderpaul as already short of firepower.

CSK: Will sorely miss batting of Hussey and Hayden. Batting responsibility will shift on Patel, Dhoni, Raina and Badrinath. Bowling department will be strengthened by Ntini and Morkel. Fleming is here to stay.

DD: Not much difference. Existing players are performing. Daniel Vettori is leaving who did not play.

DC: One aggressive player gone (Symmo), one in (Gibbs). No difference. Gilly will be of course playing the entire series.

RR: Complete Strengthening of already emerging fine team. All incoming players (Smith, Y.Khan, Tanvir, Mascerenhas) are exciting.

KKR: Will be hit by Gayle and McCullum leaving. Butt will fill in as opener. Good thing Ponting is going. He was not playing well and they were not affording keeping him out.

KXI: Will miss Lee, and Katich who was MoM in last game.

MI: Exit of allrounder Dwayne Bravo will hit their team composition later in the season.

IPL Match Review: Chennai Vs Royal Challengers

“Bash of the South” as Ajay Jadeja was continuously referring to, took place yesterday at the home venue of the Royal Challengers i.e Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bangalore. With the Superkings being unbeaten yet, they were always the favorites going into the match. MS won the toss and chose to bat first on a decent batting pitch. However, the Royal Challengers were not going to give away the match so easily. Boosted by the inclusion of Dale Steyn, their pace attack looked more than ominous with Pravin Kumar and Zaheer Khan. The first 5 overs yielded just 22 runs for CSK with the loss of Hayden’s wicket. The consolidation and semi-acceleration was provided by Raina (28 off 17) with Hussey playing anchor role (47 off 38). CSK managed to reach 100-3 in 15 overs. And just when it seemed that RCB had done a brilliant job, Dhoni decided to script a story of his own. He fired 65 off 30 balls, after a slow start even milking 24 off a single over from Steyn. Eventually CSK ended at 178-5 losing Dhoni and Hussey off the lost two balls of their innings. They had amassed 78 runs off the last 5 overs, the same as in the middle 10! That was some acceleration!

The lost ground was easily recovered by Ross Taylor (53 off 34) and the unlikely hero W. Jaffer (50 off 33) for RCB as they smashed the Superkings’ bowling to all parts of the ground (One six from Taylor) measured 119m!). RCB raced to 127-2 in just 14 overs. Again Dhoni to the rescue. With quick bowling changes and good field placing, he inspired a collapse. His bowlers responded (Amarnath and Sharma) and so did his fielders (2 run outs). RCB slumped from a match winning 127-2 in 14 overs to 149-7 in 17.2 ov. After that it was almost over. CSK had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and held on to their superb unbeaten record leaving the Royal Challengers to despair.

With this victory, Superkings proved that they did not rely only on their international players. They had what it took to win even without them. A swashbuckling innings from Dhoni was refreshing and evoked memoirs of his former self. Nobody shall henceforth question his abilities to score quickly as captain.

Watching it LIVE!

Yes, I finally got my real first opportunity to watch a cricket match live. The occasion was the IPL clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Deccan Chargers at the newly constructed D.Y. Patil Stadium at Nerul, Mumbai. Aditya, Abhishek, Gadre and Ashwin were with me to enjoy the match.

The tickets were booked at an outlet. Ironically, thought the tagline of the company to whom the distribution was assigned was ‘Jump the Queue’, we still had to stand in queue to get the actual tickets in hand! Earlier, like in a typical bureaucratic organisation, we had been asked to travel from one gate to another, bearing signs of “Tickets SOULD out.” Finally, we found the tickets being given at what seemed like a watchman’s cabin. Of course, there were no board there…

We had time to kill, so we wandered around a mall near vashi. After having a hearty meal, we came back to the stadium.

The DY Patil stadium just near the university of the same name, is a real class act. Its unique cantilever design has no columns in between the spectators and the action. It boasts of a seating capacity near to 60000. The seats too were comfortable and to my surprise, numbered. A glass media centre looks down the pitch at one end, while the pavilion at the other. The architecture of the entrance is also good. We were in the second tier, looking sideways on the pitch. In hindsight, it turned out to be a good choice. We were relatively close to the action and we enjoyed overs being bowled from either sides equally. Also, we could gauge the height to which the bole frequently rose to, which was not possible from the lower tier due to a small projecting roof overhead. The Mumbai cheerleaders were right in front of us, so we did not mind staying far from them!

Coming to the stadium, the first thing that strikes you is the scene. As we emerged from the stairs, we were treated to a magnificent sight of the ground below, the three tiers in between, the darkening evening sky above and the lights shining down. The next thing was the seemingly very small distances. When you watch on TV, the ground seems huge and the action really far away. However, it is in reality not so. We could easily identify the players and having a pair of binoculars made it more interesting. Sadly, the Deccan chargers’ cheerleaders were far from us…

It is just pure entertainment to watch the game live. It is so much faster than what we seen on TV. It seems more continuous with no ad breaks. The DC cheerleaders were doing fantastic dance routines! They were just too good, graceful, sensuous and brilliantly coordinated. Their outfits though completely restricted , were in good taste. Strikingly sour were the Mumbai ‘local talent’ cheerleaders. They wore hideous shining blue costumes and could not coordinate their own too hands let alone with their team! The dance moves were sad and repetitive. More entertaining were a bunch of guys dancing in our block. Atleast they were hilarious. In the end the MI cheerleaders stopped dancing. Whether this had to do with their team not doing well or to do with gross embarrassment will remain a point of debate. Gadre writes here on cheerleaders.

For the data skeptics, there is no way that you miss any of the action or the statistics. A screen, albeit a small one, continued to show the score and replay for all balls. Fielding and caching too is a just a treat for the eyes. And the most special thing of all is the resounding sound of the ball hitting the meat of the bat. Also, one can understand the value of sheer pace in the bowling attack. And, seeing the ball disappearing over the boundary line is just amazing. The atmosphere was simply great before the match began and only when the home team was going good!

Coming to the actual game, MI were playing without Sachin and obviously without Harbhajan. They made a mess of their batting with nobody particularly supporting the innings. They ended on a modest 154. And then came pure delight. Adam Gilchrist was in devastating form and scorched his way to the fastest hundred in T20! With 10 towering sixes and 9 cracking fours, he made easy work of the target and DC hauled it in just around 13 overs. I was initially supporting MI but with a sub-par performance, I switched to the Chargers. That was obviously just for the night…

We had plenty of snide comments to enjoy from the back throughout the match. Pollock, Nehra, Laxman and a sandwich vendor were the hot favorites. It was a really memorable experience, one which I plan to undertake as frequently as possible from now on. Next on my list is an closely fought ODI (:p)

Ban on Harbhajan

The inevitable has happened.

Harbhajan has been banned from playing a total of 11 matches of the IPL. One of them was yesterdays clash against the Deccan Chargers in which the Mumbai team was ‘outcharged’ by Gilly. Thus, Harbhajan will have to sit out the next ten league games which MI will be playing. However, he may play the finals, IF MI make it to them.

This slap will cost Harbhajan around $730,000 which is around Rs. 3 Cr.

Lalchand Rajput has been fined for ‘not restraining Bhajji nor taking any action after the incident’. If really such is the case, I think it is a good move.

Harbhajan faces a separate inquiry by the BCCI. I believe the separate inquiry is another good move. Both cricketers are responsibility of the BCCI.

I believe that such a severe ban is qualified. Though, the obvious attempts from Sreesanth to let go of the incident makes me think whether it was really a one-sided incident or not. Were the tone or words used by him appropriate? However, the apologies from Bhajji did not look sincere enough. Thus, to see whether this ban is appropriate, one has to look at the bigger picture. Whether this is expected from a professional cricketer? Does it bode good of Harbhajan’s character and attitude? And does it send a good message to all those ‘gully’ cricket matches where even minor disagreements have been fatal? And is cricket still the ‘noble gentleman’s game’ it was started as? Everyone knows the answers to these questions. I sincerely believe that this incident is just a reflection of the all-round falling moral standards into cricket…

And consider the implications for Indian cricket in the future. Surely tensions will be high when both play(if they play) in the same match. A misfield by one on the others bowling, a freak runout between them and all would be watching with bated breath. And with Harbhajan the lone experienced spinner currently, should it be considered leaving him out for ‘personality disorder’ reasons? And will Sreesanth will get a sympathy vote?

In the end, it will hurt me to see Harbhajan undergoing this ban. He is one of India’s top cricketers and he has played a significant role in taking Indian cricket to the high position where it stands now. But I do not feel so sorry for him as I do for the Game…

Check out the article on Cricinfo.

Bhajji slapped Sreesanth?

That was the story which I saw on tv today. It came as a real shock to me as I had turned off the TV after the match result was clear. Apparently, Sreesanth was seen crying after Kings XI Punjab beat the Mumbai Indians yesterday. He looked far from shedding tears of joy and even his teammates consoling him looked pretty grim. So did Bhajji really hit him? I saw an interview with him in which he denied it. However, his expressions looked far from honest and even he put in some sentences like “between me and him” . I heard rumours that the Kings XI had filed a complaint with the match referee. We will see how this story unwinds…

Here, I must criticize Harbhajan for his unimaginative captaincy and gross inability to build up team spirit in the Mumbai Indians. Maybe it’s his fiery attitude or his apparent self-consciousness… He did looked really under pressure in the post match press conference. Team Mumbai, which has a huge fan following will be really hoping Sachin comes back and glues the team together and Bhajji goes back to his old attacking and winning ways. I will too, be hoping not only for the sake of MI but also of the national team…

Check out the article on CRICINFO

Harbhajan has been temporarily suspended until inquiry. He will be missing tomorrow’s fixture against the Deccan Chargers. Another blow to Mumbai’s morale…

The outcome of the appeal i.e. the ban on Harbhajan and my response to the entire incident is here.

Superkings outpower Knight Riders

In a splendid manifestation of their team strength, the Chennai Superkings (i.e. my team) made easy work of The Knight Riders. After restricting the Kolkata team to a modest 147-9, the Superkings reached their target for the loss of just one wicket with 3 overs to spare.

This stopped the galloping riders who like the superkings, had won both their earlier games. May be it had to do something with the absence of SRK in the stadium! It seriously exposed their weakness of not being able to survive once wickets had fallen. Also Chennai got an opportunity to dispel any doubts regarding their bowling attack. With Oram finding his rhythm, the bowling attack looked much more stable. Hayden and dominated the chase with 70, and Dhoni promtoted himself one down to make a strokeful 43. Even the rising star of India, Ishant Sharma was hapless against Hayden who seemed in sublime form.

So Chennai now move up to the top of the table with three wins from as many games. Now, the only other team with a chance of making the same streak is the Delhi Daredevils. DD have shown themselves to be a well balanced side with McGrath and Asif as the strangling pace bowlers and Sehwag, Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan as the smashing batsman. However, their middle order is yet to be tested. It will be another interesting match when they take on my team. With the Australians leaving on Monday, it will be testing times for Chennai…

IPL - Match review: Chennai Superkings Vs Mumbai Indians

Yesterday was the first home match for the Chennai Superkings. It was against the mighty Mumbai Indians. Sachin was not playing, so that was a disappointment. On a dewy outfield, bowling was always going to be a problem. So when Bhajji won the toss he opted to field first hoping that the dew would affect more in the second innings. However, Dhoni was a bit more practical and in the end, correct when he said that the dew was so heavy from the start that both sides would be equally affected by it. MS believed that his batting packed team did favour the batting first strategy.

Hayden played a really fine innings, 81 off 46 . He was ably supported by Raina 53 (54b) and even Dhoni joined the party 30 (16b). Some poor bowling, bowling changes, wides saw CSK reach 208-5. A controversial “Not Walking” gesture from Hayden drew some criticism, but I think other wise. will put a post on it some other time. Bhajji underbowled himself, Kulkarni and Pollock, all of whom were looking good. Instead he tossed the ball to inexperienced Yeligati & Nayar who went for 30 off 2.

It was always going to be tough for MI and with wickets falling early, (Ronchi, Jayasuriya) it was always going to be difficult. Many cameos from Uthappa, Pollock , Bravo were always giving MI hope , but they were always falling behind the reqd rate. However the real gem of an innings came from Abhishek Nayar 45 (20b) who with Harbhajan really turned it on for the Mumbai team. With runs reducing from 75 in 5 overs, to 62 in 4 , to 41 in 3, to 28 in 2, to 19 in 1 over, the game was wide open. And then the ball was thrown to none other than Joginder Sharma. Nayar hit him for two fours. It was 11 off 4 balls. Then came, what I believe the turning point in the game. Joginder bowled a no-ball and Nayar hit the ball to point and took a single. This brought Nehra to strike! Clear inexperience was shown by Nayar. It was 4 needed from 9 balls, a free hit and Nehra to face the ball. He did not make contact with it and managed only a single off the next ball. 8 off 2 balls. Nayar was on strike and Sharma dished out a perfect yorker, no run. It was over….

One of the most closely fought matches till now in IPL. CSK were triumphant, Hayden the MoM. Mumbai lacked the spirit and if I may suggest, a good captain. However, the Superkings will have to look back on their bowling…

IPL - Icon Players performances

This post is dedicated to the performances of Indian ‘Icon’ and other High value players who have raked in quite a lot of moolah…

Shifted to separate page on blog - Icon players

IPL - Star Performances

Due to the long nature of the list i had to make a separate page for it: IPL - Star Performances