The League Of Excellence: IPL (Part I)

Image credit: freepik.com/Rochak Shukla

Hello Friends,

IPL 2023 is in full swing delivering breathtaking matches one after another. First phase of the league stage is  done for all  the teams. Like previous editions this year too some of the teams have found their winning combination at the very beginning whereas some are still struggling to get their best eleven yet. How did you all like the new concept of impact player this year? Though from the outset it sounds something very interesting, we are yet to witness some extraordinary performances by the impact players. Hopefully we would be able to see such performances in the coming days as the league phase will become more challenging towards its end.

Talking about teams all the ten teams looked balanced on paper before the start of the tournament. But again it boils down to the fitness & current performance of the individuals that lift the team. Last year finalists seem to be riding on their previous  edition success & trying to get better this time around whereas the old horses Mumbai Indians & Chennai Super Kings trying to come out of their not so impressive performances of the recent past and rewrite the history this time around. Another debutant of last edition Lucknow Super Giants also delivering some impressive performances to go one step better from where they ended last year. Most surprising result has been that of Delhi Capitals who has been one of the most consistent performers in the recent time. It is difficult for them to fill the void created by the absence of Rishabh Pant, but still they are a formidable side under the able leadership of David Warner. It's just that collective performance yet to come. Hopefully they get their acts together sooner than later.

Former champions Sunrisers Hyderabad & Kolkata Knight Riders also seem to be in disarray during the the initial phase. If Kolkata had to regroup themselves after injury to their regular captain Shreyas Iyer, Hyderabad is struggling due to their inconsistency under the new leadership of coach Brian Lara & captain Aiden Markram. Royal Challengers Bangalore has been steady so far whereas Punjab Kings being the dark horse this time around. Overall if the first phase of the league stage  seems promising the final phase is definitely going to be more exciting. I am sure this year too we may have to wait till the last few matches of the league phase to get the playoffs  line up.

Talking about individual performances, like every season this year too there is no dearth of  scintillating performances. Last year performers like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma,  Arshdeep Singh,  Ayush Badoni, Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma continue to impress this year too. Performances of Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Shivam  Dube, Tushar Deshpande this year have drawn the attention of one and all. Big ticket foreign recruits like Cameron Green & Sam Curran have justified their price tag so far with some match winning performances. On the other hand this season is witnessing the comeback of some of the veterans of the league.  Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Mohit Sharma  have already delivered some match winning performances for their respective teams and look good for some more. Last but not the least talking about veterans' performance and not mentioning  MSD's name would be unfair. He has really come all the guns blazing this time around & trying to create impact through his short innings so far in the league. Amidst all the talks of this being his last season as a player four time IPL winning captain seems to be determined than ever to make this count for him & his team this year. Let's have a look on top leadership instances so far from the most popular T20 league in the globe.

Old is gold

Most of the times it has been said that T20 is youngsters' game. Looking at the current edition of IPL one might not agree to that. Every year IPL produces some memorable performances by emerging youngsters and some of them go on to represent their respective countries as well. But this year we are witnessing the veterans of the league giving a tough competition to their younger counterparts. Players like Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Mohit Sharma who have substantial experience in T20 cricket seem to have reignited their passion for the game at a different level & that is reflecting in their performance.  They are giving a fitting reply to all those who advocates T20 being a youngsters' game. It's not easy to keep yourself motivated specially when you are heading towards the fag end of your career without much of a playing opportunities. But these players seem to make most out of the opportunities they are getting this year. A never give up attitude & hard work is the mantra for their success. I am sure they are going to inspire lot of the other players with their efforts.

Nation loves the man in yellow

Every edition of IPL creates quite a few headlines and the most talked about ones being related to none other than MSD. This year too when the buzz was quite high about his retirement & CSK's future leadership, he came in his usual captain cool avatar and kept doing what he has been doing for years. His able leadership is again a prime reason for CSK's surge this season so far. Utilizing the available resources in the best possible manner in absence of key players due to injuries is something he does with perfection. Giving confidence to the youngsters and motivating the senior ones to do their job has been his mantra for years now & he has been doing the same this year too. Talking about his batting he has not disappointed his fans. His batting has been an example of how one can turn a certain challenge to an opportunity. His batting has been the talk of the town in the recent past when he was unable to score freely due to lack of exposure to competitive cricket. He ensured that he is able to create enough batting firepower at the top which will ultimately reduce the pressure on him & he can still do the finisher's job as and when required. Looking at his leadership skills & own performance one can't assume his future plans. But whenever he bids goodbye fans would expect he does that with yet another trophy to his name. Don't think anybody would be surprised if that happens this year.

Captain courageous

This edition of IPL is showcasing completely  contrasting fortunes of  two captains, David Warner & Sanju Samson. Warner was handed the captaincy of Delhi Capitals after the injury to regular captain Rishabh Pant which ruled him out for the entire season. Considering his experience & stature as a captain for his previous franchise it was highly anticipated that Delhi will flourish under his leadership. But the first phase of the league stage shows a completely different picture altogether. Delhi had to earn their first victory of the season after five consecutive losses. Difficult to believe that a team consisting of players like warner, Axar Patel, Nortje, Mitchel Marsh, Prithvi Shaw could hardly perform upto their reputation. But twin wins in their last two games must be confidence booster & should help them to turn their fortunes. Not an easy task for any captain to suddenly take over the captaincy & perform. But it is expected from a fighter like Warner  to give it all. And he certainly is trying his best to turn things around, most of the times single handedly. He has been the mainstay of the Delhi batting line up so far which otherwise looks quite fragile. In terms of captaincy he has been extremely proactive be it in bowling changes or field placement. He knows what it takes to be a champion team & he is trying his every bit to do the same with Delhi. Hopefully his efforts pay off in the coming matches and Delhi fans could witness some of the best performances by their team.

On the contrary there is Sanju Samson who is flying high on confidence post his successful stint with Rajasthan Royals last season which saw them playing the finals for the second time in IPL history. An extremely down to earth as well as underrated captain, Sanju has been a consistent performer for his team for last few seasons. Whereas a lot is spoken about his batting & inconsistency at the national level, more needs to be spoken about his leadership skills too. Not to forget he is captaining a side with some of the  absolute stalwarts of the game like Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Ravichandran Ashwin. His calmness during the crunch moments is extremely commendable. Not to forget Rajasthan has struggled big time after the inaugural season even to qualify for the playoffs. Changing the fortunes of such a team with limited captaincy experience is a tough task and he is performing it to near perfection. The way his team is performing this season too, not to get surprised if the man from Kerala takes them to their second IPL title. Long way to go Sanju Samson.

Stay tuned for more at this space.