It was a brilliant win for Chennai Super Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad after facing defeats in back-to-back matches. Ruturaj Gaikwad was a delightful watch in that game. Missed his hundred but it was still a match-winning 98. I always talk about those key moments in the game which are hidden somewhere between these big knocks. Often, these small but key contributions get forgotten. In that regard, one must acknowledge Ravindra Jadeja’s spell of 1 for 22 from 4 overs vs SRH. It was a game-changing moment in the match. It was an outstanding display of spin bowling because those were difficult conditions and the way he turned the game was fantastic to see.
CSK are looking in good shape even though they are not yet in the top two of the points table. Not everything has gone their way, but I still find it hard to imagine that CSK are not going to the playoffs. It is surely getting a little congested in that middle section with Hyderabad losing a couple of games and Delhi Capitals giving a charge.
One needs to go back to that DC vs MI contest to see how an over from Axar changed the course of the game. Axar did not pick up any wicket but bowled superbly in a very small phase. It was a phase when all bowlers were getting belted but then Axar bowled four very good balls for almost nothing when Tilak Varma was on charge. Like what Jadeja did against SRH, Axar had done
there. These small moments change the game, shift the momentum towards your team and eventually leave a huge impact on the result. In a high-scoring game, such small differences turn out to be huge.
Like I have said in my previous articles, I am more interested in these small but effective moments in the game. It is very easy to get lost among the fours and the sixes. These high scoring games do provide great entertainment and fun. But within the process of those 400-500 runs scored in the match, there are three to four balls or maybe an over which eventually changes the course of the game.
Rajasthan Royals have been clearly the best side so far and by some distance. They have found match-winners regularly. Jos Buttler has been outstanding. Yashasvi Jaiswal looked in his elements after a slow start. Sanju Samson has been leading the team superbly. He batted amazingly well. I think he has made it very tough for Indian selectors to ignore him for the T20 World Cup. He has made a really strong case for selection with these performances. I will be very surprised now if he does not make the squad after these terrific performances in IPL.
One thing that helps Sanju’s case is the maturity, smartness and leadership qualities he has shown this IPL. His game has matured, and he looks to fight difficult situations to get the team home. Remember that the uncertainty of the conditions in Americas is a huge challenge for almost all the teams going there for the T20 World Cup. We don’t know how the pitches are going to be
played out in the USA and West Indies. Having an experienced player like Sanju, who has played enough T20 cricket to adapt to whatever conditions the team faces over there, can help. The teams are going to need smart, clever players who can read the match situations and get side through the tough phases. It might not be all about the big hitters but it might be more about the smart cricketers.
Aside from the weekly review of the IPL matches that just went past us, I also want to speak about some amazing performances from Indian players. Again, these performances may not necessarily include a huge score or a five-wicket haul or a big hundred. But performances which left an impact on the game in even a smal way. How big these performances were may not be not rated by how many runs or wickets these players scored or picked but when did they score the runs or pick the wicket.
Vaibhav Arora is one such name from KKR. I think his contribution has been outstanding. Shashank Singh from Punjab Kings as well, who has been a hero for them on many occasions this season. Mayank Yadav, who played only a handful of games, has delivered some good shows for LSG. He is an exciting talent to watch out for. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Abhishek Sharma was equally good. He has batted with strike rates of over 200 in some innings. The way he has opened and shown his intent has been excellent to see. Harshit Rana from KKR may not be in the race for a Purple Cap but he has taken important wickets for his side in the tournament so far.
Not to forget, GT’s Sai Sudharsan, who scored a fabulous 84 on Sunday afternoon vs RCB. For all the entertainment that IPL has been providing for past 16 years, it is still a competition that is helping produce the next generation of Indian players. This is a stage where you put young Indian players in an environment where they must regularly perform and shine. It is a massive lift for Indian cricket. The list I mentioned above might not be leading in the race to win the orange or purple caps, but their contributions so far have been worth gold.
Continuing with my sympathy for the bowlers in this format from my last article where I spoke of how they have become merely bowling machines, I wanted to make a suggestion of sorts to ensure there is a balance between the bat and ball. When you look at batters in this game, they
carry plenty of bats with them, each one of them manufactured specific to the needs of the format. A batter can change his bat at any stage of the game, depending upon who he is playing in that phase. A batter can use the equipment they like if the specifications are met. On the other hand, a bowler gets just the white ball. He must fight with it alone.
I wonder if we can come up with a ‘T20 ball’ and not use just another white ball for this format of the game? What does this T20 ball do? It might be stitched or designed in a way that it provides more lateral movement for the quicker bowlers. Might provide the spinners with a bit more turn.
The point is that this T20 ball must help the bowlers to be in the game throughout the 40 overs. That there should be something for them too.
Pitches and boundary sizes can change of course. However, you still get a flat, true wicket for this format where you can trust the pace and bounce, so maybe a look into changing the state of the ball might be worth looking into.
It is only an idea, but something needs to be done to help maintain a good balance between bat and ball. I know there are different manufacturers producing white balls but maybe this needs to be more investigated.
