Rookies rule, fancied gasp at halfway mark
The Indian Premier League is cricket’s marathon where each team plays 14 games. The tournament that stretches for over two months is a test of skill, stamina and energy. In the beginning everyone in the crowded field jostles to get their noses ahead. Now, at the halfway stage, the competing group is distanced. Some teams are in front, close to the top; others are almost out of the race.
This IPL has produced surprising results with fancied runners gasping for breath and rookie teams dictating the pace. In a result not anticipated by players and pundits, analysts and astrologers, MI are 0/8— knocked out, humbled.
By any cricket logic this should not have happened. MI has a proud track record as IPL’s most successful team and is backed by an all-star support staff that includes Sachin Tendulkar and Mahela Jayawardene. Their dugout has top experts to cover all bases.
It is common knowledge that resources are not an issue and MI is the best trained, prepared and organised professional set up in IPL.
The franchise considers IPL as a year round commitment and has invested massively in a fantastic facility for the team. It engages constantly with the players to look after their needs and MI’s scouting set up, led by John Wright (with TA Sekar, Parthiv Patel, Kiran More, Vinay Kumar), is the best in IPL.
Their preparation for this season can hardly be faulted. Ahead of the auction they retained four players and then splurged big to acquire rising star Ishan Kishan, finisher Tim David and match winner Jofra Archer. Once Tilak Varma and other Indian talent were assembled it seemed all boxes were ticked.
Why then did these carefully constructed plans unravel? 0/8 had never happened in IPL and Rohit Sharma and Mahela are not the only ones stumped. Various theories are floating around—all correct in some ways—to explain the debacle but there is no convincing answer.
One possible consolation for MI is that sport works in mysterious ways, defeats prediction and produces twists. Cricket has long celebrated its tradition of ‘glorious uncertainty’ and the T20 format has only raised the suspense over results a notch higher. Perhaps an apt understanding of the game came years ago from an observation made by Ness Wadia, the Punjab Kings co-owner, when IPL was relatively new and teams were just about finding their feet.
In business, said Ness, if you take certain steps, certain results will follow. A leads to B to C in a logical way but cricket defies this—you can do all the right things and have the wrong results. Basically, unlike university/entrance exams, there is no guide or do-it toolkit to help cricket teams navigate the system and ace a tournament.
MS Dhoni’s CSK, the other IPL success story, too is in sad decline but their current misery can be broken down and analysed. For far too long they flirted with the formula of supporting age/experience/loyalty in putting together a winning squad when the T20 format demands youthful energy and fresh thinking. This season the bubble finally burst and the team consisting of veteran superstars is next to the bottom of the league table.
Their current misfortune is due to the injury of Deepak Chahar (₹14 crore auction buy), loss of form of Ruturaj Gaikwad (retained opener) and Moeen Ali (dangerous floater). CSK have a new captain, but from evidence available at the halfway stage, the team clearly misses the calm, masterly leadership of MSD.
Midway through IPL it’s the two new teams that sit near the top, their success linked to strong bowling and, inevitably, slices of good luck. Gujarat won some close games which could easily have gone the other way, for instance when Tewatia hit the last two balls for six.
But the standout development is fresh Indian talent making an impact to influence the outcome of games. The 10-team tournament opened opportunities for more players and this is seized by fearless new players ready to compete. Ayush Badoni, Mukesh Choudhary, Kuldeep Sen, Yash Dayal, Jitesh Sharma and others are not just filling numbers but making serious contributions; as is Lalit Yadav, batting at 5 for Delhi. Not to forget Umran Malik, who makes the next fastest Indian quick look like a flighted spin bowler.
This resurgence results in fewer slots for foreign players as teams don’t fill the quota of four in the playing eleven. Tim David, MI’s ₹8.25 crore player, got only two games out of the eight they have lost till now.
The first half of IPL marathon has been sluggish and TV viewership numbers are substantially down. That should change rapidly as the teams pick up pace, but it remains to be seen whether the lead runners can hold their positions.
Crucial question: Do the new teams of 2022 (Gujarat and Lucknow) have enough oxygen in their system to stop the challenge of Rajasthan Royals, winners of 2008?