IPL 2023: 3 key talking points from the first week

The first week of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is over and, as always, it has brought the entire country to a standstill. It is safe to say that the period of uncertainty over the pandemic is beyond us as the home and away matches concept is back in the T20 extravaganza after a period of three years.

The league has already seen some breathtaking innings, high-scoring contests, and tight finishes too. Despite the tournament being marred by several injuries to key players, the on-field action has so far lived up to the expectations and hype.

Here are the three key talking points after the first week of IPL 2023:

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#1. A good toss to lose?

All the captains so far have decided to bowl first after winning the spin of the coin. The results so far have favored the team batting first, who have won five out of 8 matches.

One of the reasons all captains have given on electing to bowl, particularly in night games, is the dew factor that sets in late in the night. But the counter question is, aren’t the bowlers trained to bowl with a wet ball as they have been playing day-night cricket for a long time? We saw Sam Curran bowl a great last over against the Rajasthan Royals by nailing the yorkers to perfection even with a ball that was not completely dry.

Isn’t it a better option for teams to put runs on the board in good batting conditions and put pressure on the teams to chase it down? Well, for now, all the captains will be hoping to lose the toss and bag those two crucial points.

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#2. More than 4 hours for a T20 game?

The concept of T20 cricket has become popular among all age groups due to the duration of the game. The three-hour match, which was initially the idea, is now going well past four hours in this edition of the IPL.

The new addition of “DRS” usage for wides and no balls in this year’s IPL has surely not helped in moving the game at a decent speed. Even though these are included in the two successful attempts for the team, these decisions aren’t straightforward and thus take a long time to arrive at a decision.

Along with the new rules, the two time-outs in each innings have not helped finish the game sooner.

In addition to the long tournament, which goes up to two months, the lengthy duration of each match might not thrill cricket lovers across the country.

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#3. Why are the Gujarat Titans clicking?

THe Gujarat Titans are one of the few franchises that have picked their side with bowling resources in mind. All five bowling options, including Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, and skipper Hardik Pandya, possess terrific wicket-taking abilities to go with international experience. The introduction of Irish left-arm pacer Joshua Little has added more strength to their bowling group.

Another key factor that has worked in their favor is role clarity. They don’t seem to complicate things as much as others think about the “matchups” but go with simple plans. Their batting order suggests each has an obvious role, which has helped them right from last season.

It will take some effort to break the juggernaut of Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans in this year’s IPL.