My mother is an avid gardener and gets really excited when a flower blooms after ages. She loves the ones that bloom only once in a year. I wonder what drives stuntmen players like #SanjuSamson to flower during the IPL matches. Why has he played only four T20s for India?
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews the #RRvsCSK match #4 during the ongoing IPL 2020. The relatively smaller Sharjah ground saw the first 200+ total during this edition of the league and powered by #SanjuViswanathSamson.
March of the Mallus
And you thought the Mallus play only football. And are fans of Brazil and Argentina. I think one of the sources of unbridled joy for Mallus this time is the emergence of players like #DevduttPadikkal and #SanjuViswantahSamson. Not just because they can add to #TinuYohannan and #SSreesanth who are the only two gents to play Tests for India. More importantly, the meek and soft-spoken Mallu is also now in a dashing avtaar. Much like how the ubiquitous ‘torth’ goes from covering the face when entering the shaap to a triumphant headgear when emerging out, fortified with kallu and ‘touchings’. Sreesanth of course remains the original champion but with his bulked up Big-Boss persona now, he might well end the Mamukka-Lalettan rein! I remember watching Padikkal at the Karnataka Premier League and his wiry frame, free-flowing shots combination was heady! More power to the Mallus this time. Eee varsham cup adikkum!
It aint over till the lion roars
I am not sure what Thala was thinking when he came in. Looked more like he was shopping for appalams in Tiruvanmeiyyur. Suddenly the bat change happened, and he changed him mind to the fiery murukkus. He does look jaded and is perhaps more Rafiki than Simba now. I have a feeling CSK has got its middle order muddled up and save for duPlessis and Rayudu, no one seems on song. I am not sure the Monk is meditating yet and clearly Jaddu is yet to figure out his jugaad. I wonder if Raina sitting somewhere near Shimla and biting into an apple is contemplating his sin? Also, while promoting #SamCurran seems like a good idea, it is more tactical than strategic. Time perhaps for CSK to play Gaikwad as opener. CSK incidentally has only four players below the age of 25!
“Reap the whirlwind, Brady. Reap it.” – Billy the Kid 1989
Talking about Gaikwad, its perhaps time for the young guns to take over. This IPL is perhaps the year of transition – from healthy waistlines to ripped six-packs. Clearly time for Saini, Sanju, Padikkal, Bishnoi and Jaiswal to take over while the likes of Bhajji, Chawla and Malinga move on. In this sense, the Royals team is perhaps leading the way with a host of younger players. In fact, Uthappa the oldest player is 34 which is perhaps the average age of team CSK! The future of Indian cricket augurs well when you add to that list the likes of Gill, Nagarkoti, Mavi and Anukul. But then you ponder what happens to Pant, Shaw and Dube? Is the shelf life going to shrink? Between Virat, Bumrah, KL and Rohit at the top, and Shreyas, Pant, and Gill in the middle and all these newbies at the bottom, we have a talent pool that looks awesome.
Bots anyone?
Was #TomCurran out? LBW or caught behind? Did the umpire have the right to review his own decision? The jury is still out on this one, but this is debate for the long haul. As if that fire-alarm like buzzer for the no ball was not enough! The three tech advancements in recent years viz., the DRS, the Hotspot and the Hawk-eye have prioritised accuracy. T20 cricket should perhaps embrace this technological advancement as the early adopter and lead the way. For the nay-sayers, Spare a thought though to the simple gully cricket – in most parts of India, the leg before decision still does not apply!
Front-load your ammunition?
The Sharjah pitch devoid of grass was apt for batting first. Why did MSD prefer to bowl first on this wicket? Add to that the shorter boundaries and sixes on par with Chinnaswamy. The experts claimed 160 as the par score in the Middle East. So, what gave here? Was it the Sanju blitzkrieg? If duPlessis had started his assault a couple of overs earlier, would it have changed the game? Didn’t CSK get to 200 eventually? I think the IPL is fast becoming a game where you put out your strongest batting assets early and enable them to maximise the overs. As for bowling then, it is a function of how well you are able to curate the mix with timely changes. I think the fearless, free-flowing Strokeplay at the start of the innings is not just a lottery; it is fast becoming an integral part of the strategy to force the pace, destabilise opposition bowling and breach the par score for sure. Notice also how the pinch-hitter is now an extinct animal. You need experts for this.