A billion hearts broke that night. A thousand sullen faces all around that expressed anguish and a deep sense of dejection.
Up against the West Indies in the second semi-final of the t20 World Cup, 31st March 2016 was supposed to be India’s night at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
A match which began in nervous excitement ended with the painful image of Virat Kohli after a bitter loss. A tournament which was India’s to lose had ended on a rather anti-climactic note.
Disbelief filled the week that followed the fateful night, as cricket aficionados from across the nation tried hard to come to terms with a broken dream.
It was in this scenario that the 9th edition of the Indian Premier League got underway from 9th April. Sans the anticipation which would otherwise greet a season of thecash rich league, the IPL opened up to empty stadiums and dwindling TV ratings.
As the days progressed, a few stellar performances, some disappointments, a trend of chasing down targets, eye popping fielding efforts and a number of nail biting finishes ensured that India’s T20 league slowly but surely started grabbing eyeballs.
Here’s a look at how the tournament has panned out for all the teams in a four part series, starting with Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Delhi Daredevils
Zaheer Khan has been refreshingly different as captain
Think Delhi Daredevils and what comes to mind is a team that has perennially languished at the bottom of the table for the last few editions. 2016, however, seems to be a different story so far. Bolstered by the appointment of Rahul Dravid as their mentor and bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan as their captain, the Daredevils have made refreshing strides in their quest for their maiden title.
After stumbling against the Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening encounter, the DD bounced back to win 3 games on the trot before ending just a run short against the Delhi Daredevils. They got their revenge against KKR in the return leg, a win which catapulted them to second spot in the IPL standings.
With a fine balance of youth and experience, the Delhi franchise currently stand on third place in the table with 8 points in 6 games.
Highs – The success of the leg spinners in the shortest format has been kept alive by the impressive and economical bowling of Amit Mishra. The leggie has picked up 8 wickets, including a haul of 4/11 against the Kings XI Punjab, and has been instrumental in checking the flow of runs in the middle overs.
Bought for a whopping 7 crore at the auctions, Chris Morris has been in explosive all-round form. His death bowling against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, along with Mohammad Shami, prevented the opposition from stitching up their second 200 plus run score in the tournament. An economy of 6.6 coupled with a staggering strike rate of 226 has madethe South African one of the key players of the Delhi line-up. He single-handedly guided his team close to Gujarat Lions’ total of 172, only to fall an agonising 1 run short.
Carrying forward his form from the T20 World Cup, Delhi’s opener Quinton de Kock has 198 runs from 5 innings. Playing with a carefree attitude while chasing a mammoth 192 against RCB, the South African notched up the season’s first IPL hundred, making 108 in 51 deliveries.
Disappointments – Much was expected from talented batsman Shreyas Iyer, who finished the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy with 1,321 runs, including 4 centuries. The youngster managed only 22 runs in 4 innings in the IPL, with 2 ducks, before being benched for the game against Gujarat Lions. He made a return in the game against KKR, only to be dismissed for a golden duck.
The player who was roped in for a whopping 8.5 crores, Pawan Negi, has had little to contribute with both bat and ball, going wicket less and managing only 29 runs in 3 innings.
Expectations – DD have had foreign players who have made their mark in the matches so far, be it de Kock, Morris, Carlos Braithwaite or JP Duminy and it is time now for the Indian batsmen to raise their hands up. However the constant shuffle in the batting order along with a run rate of 5.9 in the Powerplays can prove to be a liability as the tournament goes on.
The bowling has variety, be it in the spin or the pace department. A resurgent Delhi can very well finish in the top four.
Remaining matches (8)
03 May – GL vs DD
05 May – DD vs RPS
07 May – KXIP vs DD
12 May – SRH vs DD
15 May – MI vs DD
17 May – RPS vs DD
20 May – DD vs SRH
22 May – DD vs RCB
Kolkata Knight Riders
Gambhir has been prolific with the bat
Kolkata Knight Riders started their campaign on a rollicking note, winning 4 of their first 5 games and occupying the numerouno status in the IPL league, before losing two on the trot to Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils. Due to the ongoing elections in Kolkata, the Gambhir led team are currently on a touring spree – they have played 5 of their 7 games away from home so far, with a game left against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Bengaluru.
Manish Pandey absence due to chicken pox has been a huge blow for the purple brigade.
Highs – They say, a job well begun is half the battle won. Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa have been the most consistent performers for the Knights. While the Delhi opener has amassed 302 runs, Uthappa has scored 234 runs in 7 innings. Together the duo average 50.2 for the opening wicket and have been integral elements for the team’s success over the years.
Not much was expected from Sunil Narine after the West Indian made a comeback into competitive cricket after remodelling his action. Out since November due to a suspect action, the spinner has been his effective self, clogging the flow of runs and picking up crucial wickets. Just like in the previous years, his 4 overs form the most crucial phase of the match. The way the player has been handled by Gambhir, who refuses to put any unnecessary pressure on Narine, is commendable as well.
Amidst a plethora of spinners, Indian bowler Umesh Yadav with 9 wickets and an economy rate of 7.8 has been making rapid strides in the Purple Cap list. The KKR bowlers have conceded only 6.53 runs in the Powerplays so far and have picked up wickets every 19.6 deliveries, the best in the tournament amongst all teams.
Lows – The bowling form of Andre Russel along with the indifferent form of Shakib al Hasan have been a huge let down for the Knights. While Russel has been constantly going for runs, especially in the death overs, Shakib’s ineffective left arm spin means the Knights have had to turn to Brad Hogg, a move which has weakened their batting order.
With 5 players turning out for KKR at the number 3 spot in 7 games, the middle order wears an unstable look. The move to send in PiyushChawla at number 3 over Surya Kumar Yadav or sending in Andre Russel at 7 when the asking rate was over 12 against the Daredevils, were moves which made little sense.
Expectations – What is worrying is that all 4 wins for the Knights have come while chasing. With 5 home matches still in the kitty at the Eden Gardens, KKR should qualify for the play-offs. It is high time that the middle order come to the party, however.
Remaining matches (7)
02 May – RCB vs KKR
04 May – KKR vs KXIP
08 May – KKR vs GL
14 May – KKR vs RPSG
16 May – KKR vs RCB
19 May – GL vs KKR
22 May – KKR vs SRH
Watch this space for the review of the other six teams.
Note – All stats have been updated till 1st May 2016
