WILL THERE BE A TWIST IN THE IPL?
Pitches in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah offer a new dimension to league
The Indian Premier League is back. Matches start in the UAE on September 19 as Season 14 resumes after a Covid-induced break. For the second time in two years, the UAE is hosting the IPL games. While Season 13 matches were played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah last year, the 2021 edition restarts in the UAE after it was suspended in May when several players came down with coronavirus infection.
After 29 matches in India, the Delhi Capitals have their noses in front with 12 points from eight games. Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore are breathing down Delhi’s necks with 10 points and a game in hand. Defending champions and favourites Mumbai Indians with eight points are in fourth place, but they will be relishing the prospect of playing in the UAE, having won their fifth title here.
The UAE stadiums are a different proposition than in India, where matches in the south tended to be low-scoring affairs. But runs were on offer in the games in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi.
The pitches in the UAE are loaded with runs, but pace bowlers can get some life if they bend their backs. Fingers spinners haven’t had much success last time around, though the leggies did hold their own.
More than the strips, it’s the size of the stadiums that will impact the run-scoring. Sharjah’s short boundaries will provide a deluge of runs, while sixes will be fewer in the longer Abu Dhabi boundaries. All this will force the teams to rejig their strategies.
The three-month break also will affect the composition of the teams. Many players are not available due to injuries, some others withdrew citing the crowded calendar, while Simon Katich has stepped down as RCB coach. The franchises have signed up several new players as replacements.
So the second half of IPL 14 will not be an extension of the Indian leg in terms of cricketing action and results. There are far too many variables. The return of spectators adds more spice to the mix. And that makes for exciting tussles ahead. The Twenty20 matches suddenly became more unpredictable. So hold on to your seats and keep your eyes glued on the action.