So, sit back, hold tight, the ride is about to begin…
The IPL is in town and isn’t too far away. The action kicks off at Mumbai’s DY Patil stadium on Friday 12th of March. It’s the champions of 2009 (Deccan Chargers) in action against the ever glamorous Kolkata Knight Riders. If ever the phrase “turn the table’s up-side down” had to be proved, the chargers could do it, in fact they could endorse it. Having finished right at the bottom in the 2008 stage, no one backed them to even make it to the final cut in the second edition of the lucrative league. But, with a change in their management and their skipper the chargers looked a new outfit (pun intended) altogether. The Aussie duo of Darren Lehmann (coach) and wicketkeeper batsman, Adam Gilchrist at the helm of affairs the chargers silenced their critics who were out at them especially in the wake of having such a wonderful unit. The knight riders on the other hand ended in the 6th and 8th positions respectively on the league table. The knights were the most controversial team in the 2009 edition with alleged racism reports, Owner-Management conflicts and “multiple-captaincy” theories. Former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly is back as skipper and is raring to go. The chargers on the other hand would be looking to replicate their performance of 2009. As far as the teams go, the clashes to look out for will be: · Andrew Symonds Vs Brad Hodge: Two Australians, one who was given a lot of opportunities but never made use of it (Andrew Symonds), the other who in spite of consistent performances at the domestic level wasn’t handed much of a chance (Brad Hodge). Both are key members to their respective sides and it can be safely said that the one who comes out on top should decide the fate of the match.
· Adam Gilchrist Vs David Hussey: Another all out Australian battle. Gilchrist, one of the fine strikers the world has ever seen will be looking to emulate his last season’s performance. David Hussey on the other hand is second only to the man mentioned above (Brad Hodge) when it comes to numbers in twenty20. One of the most experienced men in this format will be itching to prove his worth so as to regain his spot in the Australian one day team. RP Singh Vs Sourav Ganguly: Sourav Ganguly, the man who helped bring up the likes of RP Singh to Indian cricket. It would be interesting to see how the former team mates line up against each other. · Rohit Sharma Vs Ishant Sharma: The two Sharma boys, having played against each other in the Under 19 tournament and a lot in the nets, will surely try and gain an upper hand over each other. Both will be vying for a spot in the Indian 15 for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and will be desperate to do well. Key Facts: Deccan, in a way will be thankful that they won’t be playing at home as they haven’t won a single fixture at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium. It would be interesting to see who the crowd have on their backside and who they support. The Pitch: As far as the curator at DY Patil is known, he always prepares a hard wicket with a bit of juice on it for the faster men to exploit. Should be straw coloured—perfect strip for batting, shouldn’t change much over the course of 40 Overs. The first match of the IPL will be a bit different. More eyeballs will be focussed, the media coverage will be much greater. Having said that publicity has never been a concern for the cash rich IPL. There would be added pressure on the players to perform well and both teams would be looking to get on the board in the early stages of the tournament itself. The contest promises to be an exciting one and is sure to enrapture the spectators. So sit back, hold tight as the ride is about to begin… |
