The IPL Effect

A 44 day tournament rivaling the ICC Cricket word cup comes to an end with the so-called minnows Rajasthan rising from the ashes like a phoenix to take away the crown. Big names from various fields came to foray into a hitherto unknown form of cricket derived from the EPL with teams becoming business ventures and players becoming merchandise. Battle lines are redrawn with team mates becoming rivals and rivals becoming teammates. Cricketers don uniforms they never thought they would. A plethora of new activities like these were seen in the long span of the IPL. ICL, the so-called rebel group was washed away in an awe inspiring show of authority by the BCCI which chose to sideline the ICL rather than amalgamating it with the mainstream. While IPL turned out to be the stepping stone for many youngsters for the Indian Cricket team, ICL can virtually be said to be the padlock on those opting for the rebel group. Debates apart, there are certainly some very strong points, both positive as well as negative to be taken from the tournament. Firstly, the so-called big guns of Indian cricket were hardly able to make a mark in a format tailor made for them. With a very few exceptions, the senior pros failed miserably in delivering what was expected from them. Relying on foreign players to a troubling extent was seen from most of the teams. At the start of the tournament, the first few matches sealed the fate of a few teams while other teams witnessed a dramatic change as the tournament progressed. Kolkata, which looked like a formidable team and one of the frontrunners for the crown failed to deliver once players like McCullum returned home for national duties. Deccan Chargers, a team looking fabulous on paper failed to deliver right through the tournament. VVS Laxman, a player whom many labeled as a misfit for the 20-20 format took the opportunity to prove it right (!). Mumbai, starting on a low note and witnessing some ugly moments, rose up like anything and the final few matches that they lost could have gone anywhere. Bangalore. Well this was certainly a team that looked more like a test outfit rather than on 20-20 one. Sure they had the capacity of going great guns but alas, they never showed any desire to prove a point to the Doubting Thomases. In a format labeled as a batsman’s paradise, bowlers showcased the fact that no such thing exists anywhere and hard work always pays. The fact that the conversion rate of the free hits was minuscule itself proves the point. Yes, while we are at it, the much hyped free hit has failed to make a mark not only in the IPL but also in the one-day format. I wonder why the bowlers do not bowl every ball as if it were a free hit!

Perhaps the most important consequence of the IPL tournament is the fact that the bench strength of the national team has improved by leaps and bounds. Already 3-4 youngsters have been roped in for the national side and many more are ready and raring to go. A team having formidable and strong bench strength has the distinct advantage of the players in the playing eleven being aware of the fact that they are expendable, that their place in the side is not to be taken for granted, that there are many lined up to take their spot. This kind of healthy competition is what separates the winners from the posers. It was the key to the success of the once invincible team of Australia and it is the same factor that has played a critical role in the fact that the Indian team never reached that milestone in its totality. But that is perhaps history now that there is a horde waiting to pounce upon a vacant spot. Performance has suddenly returned to the top spot on the list of things you need to do to get a place in the national side. Maybe the tag of ‘Invincibles’ is just around the corner. Maybe…