IPL 2020- Cricketing Extravaganza Amidst Crisis(Part I)

Image credit: unsplash.com

Hello Friends,

Last six months have been really tough for all of us. We confronted a kind of situation which we never experienced before. Lockdown, scare of virus, numerous deaths, job losses, uncertainty over future & what not. There have been so much of negativity all around us. We were craving for that ray of positivity. It was tougher for those staying away from their families. In our daily life there have been several sources from where we gather positive energy. Be it books, sports, music, movies or any other medium depending on the individual's interest level. But there is one thread which connects all Indians & that is the game of cricket. This is one such sport which is celebrated in our country like a festival. We all indulge in cricket in some form or the other. Whether it is watching cricket or reading & writing on cricket or even playing. Cricket has been such an integral part of our lives over the years that we missed watching live cricket more than anything else during the lockdown. At the same time any sport is a tremendous source of positive energy & motivation. Though international cricket is played across the globe throughout the year, there is one tournament for which we all eagerly wait throughout the year. Any guesses?? yes, I am talking about the Indian Premier League(IPL), the most popular T20 tournament in the world.

Image Credit:Daljit8

IPL is generally played during March-April every year. But this year considering the corona virus scare was looming large there was already an uncertainty about organizing the event as per the pre-decided schedule. Declaration of nationwide lockdown made it even worse. It was such a heartbreaking moment for all the Indians to know that the most awaited sporting event of the year went into the dark cloud of uncertainty. But BCCI was optimistic as well as determined to find a way to organize the event at some point before the end of the year. Complete Cancellation of the event for the current year was never an option. With the postponement of World T20 scheduled for october-november'2020 came the ultimate relief. Finally after a long wait IPL 2020 got rescheduled to be played from september 19th in UAE. It was a commendable effort from BCCI officials to be able to organize the event amidst so much of difficulties . It was a breather for the players to be on the ground (Without spectators of course) after a long time as well as for the fans to finally be able to enjoy live cricket from their home comfort. Being on the ground & cheering for your favourite player is still going to be missed immensely though😞

This year's edition of the most sought after T20 league has completed its first week. As far as the excitement & competitiveness is concerned there is no dearth of it this time around too. There have been lot of challenges at the players' end as well. For some it has been to be back to the match fitness after a long break whereas for some it has been really challenging to get used to the quarantine norms & playing in empty stadiums. But all these difficulties have not been a roadblock to showcase exciting skills. IPL has always been a terrific platform for young talents to showcase their skills. At the same time this tournament brings out the best in each individual player. While watching IPL over the years I not only enjoyed the competitive cricket but also cherished the valuable leadership lessons that the matches or the players provide us. Hence I thought of sharing those with you guys this time around. I will not be writing detailed match reviews or player stats over here, instead will be focusing on different match situations & how one reacted to them. So without any further delay let me share my top three takeaways from week one of this cricketing extravaganza.

Image Credit: Daljit8

 Old is gold : MI Vs CSK 

There could not be a better start to the long awaited tournament than this. Two most successful teams of the league & finalists of the last season locking horns in the opening game. There have been so much talk before the tournament about Dhoni & his ageing army in the CSK side. Though both the teams looked bit rusty due to the long time gap since their last outing, it was the ideal combination of youth & experience led by a leader of Dhoni's stature won the battle. It was a nail biter in every sense. But Dhoni's leadership again stood out. His Faith in his senior players like Rayudu & Faf du Plessis is still giving rich dividends whereas investing in young talents like Sam Curran & Deepak Chahar shows his focus towards building the team for the future. Promoting Curran & Jadeja up the batting order when the entire nation was waiting for him to come & finish the match was a masterstroke. It shows how important it is to be giving confidence to your younger team members especially to handle tough situations. His acceptance of the fact that lack of exposure to any form of cricket over a year made him giving opportunities to others ahead of him in batting order reflects his practicality & understanding of each player's potential. Over the years we have seen Dhoni being the captain cool & the most dependable finisher. But this edition might see the leader Dhoni looking to build the team for the future while giving opportunities to his young guns in various match situations.

 A leader in making: KXIP Vs RCB

Every year IPL produces a bunch of new individual talents as well as some extraordinary leaders. This year we might see KL Rahul emerging as a potential leader for the future. He has been appointed as the captain of the Kings XI Punjab franchisee this season. Considering it is his first assignment as a captain in franchise cricket & that too for a team which has never won the tournament even after building strong teams year after year, challenge was paramount for Rahul. But True leaders always stand upto challenges & Rahul was no different. After a heartbreaking super over loss in the first match it was so important for Rahul & team to put up a winning performance in their outing against a formidable Bangalore side. The captain did it in style. While taking lesson from the previous outing of settled batters not finishing the game, Rahul decided to do it on his own & lead by example. While making highest ever score by a captain in IPL (132 Not Out) he showed excellent composure to build the innings at the beginning & going berserk at the end to notch up a 200+ score. His hitting of one of the fast bowling greats Dale Steyn was a treat to watch. His timely bowling changes & field placements made the work easy for the team. It was a well deserved victory for Rahul & co by a huge margin of 97 runs. We will definitely see more of captain Rahul as the tournament progresses. But this match has already given us a glimpse of making of yet another Indian leader.

 Never stop believing in yourself: RR Vs KXIP

Best match of the season so far. Also this match was a prime example of how self belief can win over any adverse situation in life. This match will be remembered for many a reasons including a classy century from Mayank Agarwal, Sanju Samson's new power hitting avatar, highest run chase in IPL history. But talking about this match & not mentioning about Rahul Tewatia would be unfair. What an innings he played. Importance of his innings rises not because it came in the winning cause, but due to the situation in which he played it. Being sent to score some quick runs he struggled for timing big time at the beginning. But he did not throw his wicket. Instead kept believing that he can get the job done & eventually did it for his team. From struggling for timing to hit five sixes in an over to turn the match in his teams' favour; can't recall of anything similar in recent past. What an amazing example of what self belief can do in any situation. A not so popular name, known for his spin bowling shown the entire world what he is capable of. Lot of unknown faces have made their names in IPL. Hopefully we get to see few more such unbelievable performances from Tewatia. Felt 'Player of the match' award could have gone to him, at least for the fighting spirit if not for the runs.

That's it for this week. Hope the coming weeks bring even more exciting matches & few more inspiring stories as well. Stay tuned ..