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A little under a month remains for the resumption of IPL 2021 and excitement already seems to have hit fever pitch. Even though the Indian cricket team is busy clashing swords with England in the United Kingdom, plenty of cricketing enthusiasts have begun marking out their calendars for the unprecedented second leg of IPL 2021.
Before the tournament was suspended, the Delhi Capitals had fashioned a lead at the top of the IPL 2021 points table and were two points clear of the Chennai Super Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore, both of whom had played a game less.
Mumbai Indians rounded out the top four, having accumulated 8 points in 7 fixtures, whereas the Sunrisers Hyderabad were languishing at the foot of the table, having only managed a meagre 2 points from 7 matches.
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The Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings and the Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, didn’t particularly set the world ablaze but stitched together a few victories, meaning that they are still in the hunt for a play-off spot once IPL 2021 resumes.
Rather unsurprisingly, the return of the IPL would also carry the burden of expectation for a lot of teams, with the lion’s share of the pressure being transferred onto the respective captains of these outfits.
Though cricket remains a team sport and there isn’t a lot that a skipper can do if the rest of his/her players aren’t performing, there is no escaping that they are the first to blame when the going gets tough.
Naturally, several IPL captains will be under immense pressure heading into the resumption leg of the competition. And, with IPL 2021 nearly upon us, the time could be ripe to inspect which skippers will be under more pressure than some of their counterparts.
#3 Eoin Morgan (Kolkata Knight Riders)
During the 2020 edition of the IPL, the Kolkata Knight Riders shelved the idea of Dinesh Karthik as captain. The wicket-keeper hadn’t really inspired his side and with a readymade replacement aka Eoin Morgan waiting in the wings, KKR couldn’t help but pull the trigger.
Morgan, despite his success as an international skipper, hasn’t been able to translate it into something tangible in the IPL. KKR missed out on qualification in 2020 and, as things stand, are the worst-placed team not named SRH when talking about the play-off race.
Their batting, in particular, hasn’t resembled what anyone would expect of a team captained by Morgan. For large swathes in IPL 2021, they were lackadaisical and showcased a general lack of intent – something that Morgan wouldn’t have fancied too much.
On the personal front as well, Morgan hasn’t had much luck. Even in international cricket, the left-handed batter has struggled in 2021 and hardly made a mark when the Three Lions toured India in February and March 2021.
Check the latest IPL 2021 schedule here.
Morgan had a sub-standard start to IPL 2021
As far as IPL numbers are concerned, Morgan only mustered a grand total of 92 runs from 7 matches. That tally could also be slightly skewed, considering 47 of those runs came in one innings – against the Punjab Kings at Ahmedabad. However, that essay did come just before the IPL was brought to a screeching halt, meaning that Morgan might have a hint of momentum on his side.
Apart from that, the English captain also needs to ensure that KKR enroll themselves for the play-offs – something that hasn’t happened since the 2018 installment, which considering a franchise of KKR’s pedigree, is a pretty long wait.
And, more tellingly, Morgan will have to do so without his bowling spearhead Pat Cummins.
Thus, there is enough to suggest that Morgan has plenty on his plate heading into the resumption leg of IPL 2021. Though he has the capability of turning things around in a trice, there is no denying that he is a captain under pressure.
#2 MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)
For much of the past couple of years, there has been immense scrutiny around whatever MS Dhoni has done. Back in August 2020, the wicket-keeper retired from international cricket, having served a voluntary exile since the infamous 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. Yet, the time away from the game magnified his performance at IPL 2020.
Unsurprisingly, as has become the norm, Dhoni’s struggles mirrored the Chennai Super Kings’ shoddy showing. Their approach and the personnel at their disposal came under the scanner and plenty felt that CSK and of course, Dhoni had run their IPL race.
A year later, though, CSK began dispelling those doubts as they surged into the upper trenches of the IPL table. They were a lot more firebrand in their approach and reaped rich rewards, with Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad in particular, earning effusive praise.
However, despite the wave of optimism, there was one thing that CSK were missing – Dhoni’s runs and pyrotechnics at the end of an innings. Throughout the tournament, the legendary wicket-keeper was content to push himself lower down the order to allow those around him to flourish.
Under ordinary circumstances, that would be termed a masterstroke. For someone like Dhoni, though, it forced fans to long for more. Not only did they want Dhoni to rewind the clock, they also wanted him to bat higher and express himself a lot more. He only scored 37 runs in 7 matches, after all. Thus, Dhoni – the batter, is clearly under pressure in IPL 2021.
Can Dhoni sign off with another IPL triumph?
From CSK’s perspective, IPL 2021 could be the final chance for the franchise to lay its hands on more silverware under Dhoni’s stewardship. The former Indian skipper isn’t getting any younger and could even bid adieu to the game, especially if CSK emerge victorious.
For any other individual, an IPL campaign at the twilight of their professional career would be looked as an occasion to savour and one that would allow him/her to calmly walk into the sunset. With Dhoni, the yardsticks change dramatically.
The wicket-keeper simply has nothing left to prove after 13 glorious years of service. Yet, Dhoni will almost always be measured up against himself, which probably illustrates the high standards he has set for himself.
Time for the Last Dance then, eh?
#1 Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
At the moment, there aren’t any cricketers that can hold a candle to Virat Kohli’s stature. The Indian captain, who also happens to skipper the Royal Challengers Bangalore, is the poster boy of Indian cricket.
From that viewpoint alone then, his inability to win the IPL sticks out considerably. That that has also happened, despite RCB boasting tournament-winning squads previously, has only added to the drama, theatre and splurge of internet memes.
Thus, when RCB ascended to the top spot at the start of the 2021 edition, plenty felt that this was indeed going to be their year. Unfortunately, a few wobbles followed, although the sheer number of victories at the outset meant that RCB still commanded third spot on the IPL points table.
Since then, the IPL has gotten suspended and RCB have had time to reassess, reload and set themselves up for another assault at the title. They have also lost quite a few of their overseas players but have done brilliantly to replace them, with the likes of Dushmantha Chameera, Tim David, Wanindu Hasaranga and possibly George Garton in queue to line up for RCB. Perhaps, they’ve even bettered the side they had in the first leg of the competition.
As far as Kohli’s personal fortunes are concerned, well, it’s fair to say that the Indian captain hasn’t been at his best. In the 2021 edition, he only managed 198 runs in 7 games. Though his average hovered around the 33-run mark, his strike rate dropped down to 121.47, which considering his career strike rate of 130.41 is a significant dip.
Virat Kohli is yet to win the IPL
Furthermore, Kohli’s ability as a captain has been debated since time immemorial. While he remains one of the premier batters on the planet, the same hasn’t always been said about his captaincy, especially in white-ball cricket and the IPL.
Thus, with a T20 World Cup looming, Kohli would ideally want to set the ball rolling and embark on a personal crusade to conquer everything left to conquer. If that happens is another matter altogether but there are murmurs, although hushed, that this could be the season where Kohli – the IPL captain leaves his mark.
Is it time to start the “Ee Sala Cup Namde” chants then? We’ll know soon enough!
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