IPL 2016: A tournament for the opening batsmen

The ongoing Indian Premier Legue has been a revelation of sorts. Out of the 15 matches played so far, 14 have been won by the team chasing down totals. The template has been so similar all throughout so far, win the toss, elect to field and then win the game with ridiculous ease. And these wins have not come by belligerant late-order hitting, but by the openers laying a strong launching pad for the others to follow. It will be no exaggeration to say, that this IPL has been a season for the opening batsmen.

In limited overs cricket the best place to bat is at the top of the order and on Indian surfaces where it gets difficult to score once the ball loses its shine, the bulk of the runs should come from the opening batsmen and this IPL has been a shining example.

The teams that have done well have a lot to do with their openers. Kokata Knight Riders, for instance are the table-toppers currently and it is no surprise that Gautam Gambhir has played a decisive role at the top of the order. In 4 matches so far the KKR skipper has scored 226 runs and has carried his bat on 2 ocassions. The strong starts that he has provided along with Robin Uthappa has established KKR as a force to reckon with. Uthappa has been the more expressive of the two openers and has carried his Ranji form into the IPL and has enthralled everyone with his sublime shots. In the 4 matches, Uthappa has scored 134 runs with an average of 33.50.

Gujarat Lions lost their first match to the Sunrisers Hyderbad. Aaron Finch has been brilliant for the Lions in the first 3 matches notching up 3 consecutive half-centuries and almost single handedly guiding his team to victory. He was dismissed without troubling the scorers in the match against Hyderabad and the team could not recover, even though Suresh Raina did find form. In the 4 matches, Finch has scored 191 runs with an astounding average of 63.66 and a strike rate of 135.46.

Delhi Daredevils got off to a slow start against Kolkata Knight Riders but have bounced back with some aplomb. And not surprisingly they owe it to Quniton de Kock their opener who have been a fulcrum of their batting order. QDK is one the best young talents in world cricket at the moment and he has enjoyed Indian conditions. He came to his own when Delhi Daredevils overhauled the target of 192 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, and de Kock smashed a century to take his side home. In the 3 matches so far, the South African has scored 184 runs and in the two matches he has clicked, Daredevils have won.

Mumbai Indians take time to warm up and they have always been slow starters. This season is no different and their rather flummoxing team combinations have played their part. Mumbai have won two matches and on both the ocassions Rohit Sharma has played the decisive knock as an opener. He scored half-centuries against Kolkata Knight Riders and against Royal Challengers Bangalore and his team won on both the ocassions.

David Warner similarly has been playing at a different level altogether for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. While Shikhar Dhawan has been struggling to get going the combative left-hander has not let this effect him in any which way. He is owner of the orange cap and in 4 matches has plundered 235 runs. His side has benefitted from this too as they have won games where Warner has batted through, that is against Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions.

Virat Kohli is batting like a dream at the moment and his position as an opener has gelled well with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. In the 3 matches, Kohli has scored 187 runs and has been instrumental in the performance of his team. His dismissal more often than not has stalled the progress of the team as was so very evident against the Mumbai Indians. With Chris Gayle not in form currently, Kohli the batsman will have to bat well to make things easy for Kohli the captain.

Rising Pune Supergiants have not had the best starts to their campaign and there are major concerns around their bowling line up. Their batting line up however has been quite good and in Ajinkya Rahane and Faf du Plessis they have an ideal combination to set things right for the team. Rahane sizzled in the first match against Mumbai Indians and that showcased in the victory of Pune. He has since not had defining moments with the bat and that has had a bearing on the performance of the team. Faf too has had only one significant score in the tournament so far and Pune would ideally hope that the duo clicks and play to their potential at the top of the order.

Kings XI Punjab are languishing at the bottom of the table currently and their batting has failed them. The only game that they have won was against Rising Pune Supergiants where their openers Murali Vijay and Manan Vohra put together a partnership of 97 runs. They have been the best batsmen so far but have not batted enough to have any bearing on the match.

Their impact can be further understood by the fact that in the 15 matches that have been played so far, 11 openers have been been the man of the match. Clearly, this IPL is for the openers who can pace their innings and bat for the maximum number of deliveries.