Storm in desert is back: IPL 2021(Part-IV)

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Hello Friends,

League phase of IPL 2021 has finally come to an end.  It was a commendable job by BCCI once again like last year to conduct the league especially after it came to a sudden halt by early May this year due to Covid 19 pandemic. The second phase of the league in UAE happened to be even more exciting as the teams went all out to secure that coveted place in the playoffs. Lot of credit to all the players and support staff for giving their best even amidst the worst of the situations. Some of the individual as well as team performances showed how tough a sportsperson can be specially when the going gets tough.

After some hard fought matches we have got the top four teams who have qualified for the playoffs. All four are deserving and have played some exceptional cricket throughout the league phase. Special mention for Kolkata Knight Riders who were not in a great position  when the tournament came to a halt in May. But the  second phase in UAE saw a complete turnaround for the Kolkata based franchise as they played some excellent cricket to qualify for the playoffs ahead of the defending champions Mumbai Indians.

As far as the defending champions Mumbai Indians are concerned this was certainly not their year. They were nowhere near to their usual best and that reflected in the results too. Teams like Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals have lot to think before the next big auction  with respect to their team combination and overall performance as it has been a repeated story of disappointment for both of them over the last few years. Sunrisers Hyderabad had a really tough season. Mid season captaincy change and ouster of David Warner, one of their most consistent performers over the years from the playing eleven did not help their cause either.

As far as Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore are concerned some top class performances made it a memorable season for them. Like other seasons this season too saw some of the best of the next generation of Indian cricket. The amount of talent Indian cricket has right now, it's a real scary thing for the rest of the cricketing nations if they don't raise their quality. Seeing young Indian youngsters playing some fearless cricket against the best in the business is a real delight. Now we are all waiting for some more fearless cricket in the knockout stage to conclude one more exciting season of the most sought after T20 league in the globe. Let's now have a quick look at the top instances of inspirational leadership.

Leader Morgan vs Batter Morgan

A captain on the cricket field is expected to lead by example which might be through excellent individual performance or game changing decision making. But either way the captain should be able to inspire the team to achieve greater success. Have we ever imagined how difficult it would have been when the captain's individual performance is not upto the mark or the decision making is leading to unsatisfactory results? Most of the times  the individual gets criticized badly. But a strong leader never gets bogged down by such situations. Instead they start believing more in themselves as they know it's in their hand to change the situation. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan faced a similar situation this season when he went through a rough patch in terms of his own batting. A captain of high stature with a world cup title to his name was feeling the heat like never before. But he ensured that his own performance doesn't affect the team results drastically. His decision making as per the match situation was upto the mark most of the times. He was able to get that collective performance from the team which was good enough to take them to the playoffs. Such an incredible example where a leader was struggling with his own performance but was able to get the best out of his team (Click here for our previous article on Morgan's leadership). 

At the end of the first phase they were in a position where not many people thought that they can make a comeback this season considering their poor batting, lack of form of their key players and of course the captain's failure to lead by example. But they did a turnaround in the second phase by winning five of their seven matches. Most of the matches they won this season were a result of collective performance rather than individual brilliance. Morgan was good enough to utilize the available resources to the best of his ability despite the injury concerns to some of the key players. Morgan has been an inspiring leader over the years for England and now this season with Kolkata Knight Riders may well be the beginning of his legacy in IPL too. The way his team performed so far there won't be much surprise if they go all the way to win that coveted trophy. Of course Morgan himself and his team would expect that batter Morgan would definitely arrive during the knockout phase.

The Big Show for RCB

Glenn Maxwell

Bigger the reputation bigger the expectation, be it  an individual or a team. Royal Challengers Bangalore has been associated with all the big names over the years including Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble to name a few. But in spite of all the big names and some extraordinary individual performances they haven't been able to win the IPL title even once. Cricket is a team game. Over the years RCB has been the most talked about team majorly due to their individual players and their performances. But rarely they have been able to create that impact as a team which can go all the way to win the title. There have been changes in personnel almost in all the seasons. This year too they played it big by acquiring services of Australian  allrounder Glenn Maxwell. And Big Show  Maxwell didn't disappoint his new franchise at all as he played a crucial role in getting his team to the playoffs. It was indeed an important season for Maxwell after his disappointing performance last year with Punjab Kings. There were speculations about his high price tag specially after a not so impressive previous season. But Maxwell could hit all the speculations and doubts about his ability out of the park in the similar manner he does to the bowlers.

He is the top scorer for RCB in league phase while playing some important match winning knocks. His presence not only strengthened their batting but also provided a much needed stability to the team composition. Though it was a collective performance from the entire team this season so far, Maxwell proved to be that X-factor for them. His performance is also an indicator of how an individual's performance can be effected by certain environment or personnel. It was the same guy who could not hit a single six in the last season for his previous franchise, but this year he came with with all guns blazing. A calming influence of cricketing expert like Mike Hesson and confidence of captain on his abilities has made his work easy. All the RCB fans would expect that the Big Show continues in the knockouts too to end their drought for that much awaited IPL title. 

Form is temporary, class is permanent

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Form is temporary but class is permanent is a very familiar statement in the sports world. This has been a reality for the individuals as well as teams. It proved to be a reality for one of the most loved IPL franchise this season, captain cool led Chennai Super Kings. They were the first team to be eliminated last year but became the first team to qualify for the playoffs this year. What a turnaround in a span of few months. What's the secret behind this miraculous turnaround? Captain cool has been asked several times the same question this year and his answer has been his year long belief that results are the outcome of a consistent process. If we look at the team this year it is clearly visible that there has not been much of a change since last season as far as players are concerned. Instead they have just filled the empty boxes. An excellent opening combination in the form of du Plessis and Gaikwad; strong middle order with Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Raina; world class allrounders like Jadeja, Bravo, Curran and a top class bowling attack are some of the catalysts behind their success this season. And not to forget the calming influence of Dhoni & Fleming. Dhoni never believed in complete change in terms of team composition as he has always been that leader who backs his players  specially when the results are not that satisfactory. He did the same this year too and the results are  exciting as always. This transformation of CSK can well be a great case study for the leaders on how to get your team back to the peak of success after a substantial failure.

Change in name but not in fortune

Punjab based franchise changed their name from Kings XI Punjab to Punjab Kings. But they should also understand that change of results need change in strategy and most importantly a change in the mindset. This team kept repeating their mistakes over the years and the result is known to all. Even  the presence of efficient coaching staff and top class performers also has not been of much help. So what's the problem with this team? Can't anybody find the reason for their repeated mistakes? Do the owners have no other role rather than just changing the players year after year? Definitely they have. Every person associated with the team is accountable for the results. Over the years they have got world class players but most of the times either they have not got sufficient opportunities or haven't been able to fulfill teams' expectations. At the same time there are players who have underperformed in this franchise whereas they have been standout performers in other teams. Glenn Maxwell has been a prime example. He has been a star performer for them in the past too, but he was not retained after an unsuccessful season last year. With RCB Maxwell is showing what he is capable of with a little more backing from the team management.

There can be a lack of winning environment which the owners and team management could not create over the years just because of frequent changes. Teams like CSK, MI or even Delhi Capitals for that matter are successful because they could create a core team over the years. That strong team bonding and collective zeal to succeed has been a major contributing factor to their success. This is an ideal lesson on team building. It is so very important to create that environment of trust among the team members. A winning environment can not be built in a day. It's again an outcome of a consistent process which needs to be followed by every member of the team and of course the presence of an aggressive leader is a must for the success of the same. May be Punjab team is missing that. Whatever may be the issues their fans would expect them to do a turnaround sooner than later. The men in charge have a lot to do to change their fortunes, not just changing the name of the team.

A champion in making

IPL produces plenty of young Indian talents every year. Some of them goes on to achieve sustained success whereas some succumb to pressure. But one thing is for sure that to achieve extraordinary success in such a competitive sport one needs ample mental strength. This year has been no exception when it comes to produce exceptional talent. Young talents like Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Ravi Bishnoi, Umran Malik, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh have impressed one and all. But one player who has been extremely impressive and played a major role in changing the fortunes of his team this season is Ruturaj Gaikwad of Chennai Super Kings. Probably he can be termed as the find of the season. He showed a glimpse of his talent last season when he played some match winning knocks towards the end of the season after missing the majority of it due to Covid-19 infection. But this year he started from where he left in the last season. His strong partnership at the top with du Plessis is one of the major factors in CSK's success this year. A fluent stroke maker who can change gears as per the need. His consistent performance saw him getting his maiden T20 hundred this year. From missing out majority of the season last year to be one of the talking points this year... what a story. It has been a roller-coaster year for him as he made his debut in the national colors too this year. With valuable advice of a leader like Dhoni he is thriving match after match. A perfect example of how focus and hard work can help you achieve greater success irrespective of how young or old you are.

Click here for the previous article in this segment.

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www.davidmolloyphotography.com from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons