IPL 6: The tournament so far

The sixth edition of the IPL has begun on expected terms; with its general dose of sizzle and fizzle. There have been high-octane clashes, nail-biting finishes and some stunning performances. Thankfully, for now, no controversies have reared their ugly heads thus far in the tournament. As we near the end of the third week, let us look at some of the cricketing trends which have dominated the tournament so far.

Low scores

Bowlers have been dominating the tournament so far

This has undoubtedly been a bowler’s IPL thus far, with barely a handful of 160-plus scores by the batting teams; the highest score being 209 by the Mumbai Indians against the Delhi Daredevils. The pitches have not been the batting paradises that we have been accustomed to seeing in the earlier seasons, with scores of 180-plus being the norm. Most tracks this season have been keeping low as the game progresses and the others also assist the faster bowlers with good pace and bounce, thus making it difficult for the batsmen to hit through the line. Hence, we have seen that scores of 140-150 are turning out to be pretty tough to chase down and even low scores of around 120 being defended, making for some pulsating viewing. There is something special about a cricket game – be it Tests, ODIs or T20s – when bowlers dominate and batsmen have to earn their runs. Hopefully this trend will continue.

Spinners dominate

It’s not that the faster bowlers have underperformed, but there is no denying that spinners have ruled the roost this time around primarily because of the slow nature of the pitches. Sunil Narine, Amit Mishra, Sachithra Senanayake and R. Ashwin are the names who have dominated the batsmen thus far in the season. Amit Mishra especially has been a revelation, bowling his team, Sunrisers Hyderabad, to victory in a few games, including a spell of 4 wickets off the last 5 balls of the innings versus Pune Warriors India. He is one of the leading wicket-takers in the IPL and his leg-spinners and googlies are making batsmen dance to his tunes. Sunil Narine has continued from where he left off last year and batsmen are still at sea against the wily tweaker from the Caribbean. Sri Lankan Sachithra Senanayake, also playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, has been an ideal partner to Narine and has been bamboozling even senior pros like Adam Gilchrist with his crafty off-breaks. It is quite a sight when quality spinners bowl in tandem and batsmen find it hard to tackle them. Let’s hope this trend continues.

Rise of the ‘underdogs’

It is perhaps imprudent to call any team an underdog in the IPL, but teams like the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals have been performing brilliantly with their limited resources as compared to the other ‘biggies’ in the tournament. Hyderabad especially have surprised everyone with their stunning performances, and find themselves in the top half of the table. What has worked for them is their brilliant bowling unit of Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra working together in tandem and leading them to decisive victories. Once they get their batting sorted out, which will be bolstered when Shikhar Dhawan returns, they could be even more dangerous. Rajasthan, on the other hand, are being led very well by the dependable Rahul Dravid; and with players like Brad Hodge, Ajinkya Rahane, Siddharth Trivedi and others, they seem to be a very good and balanced outfit. With some victories under their belt, their confidence is running high and they can cause some serious headache to the other teams in the fray as the tournament progresses. If these teams keep performing the way they are, they can have a genuine chance at the title.

Excellent fielding

The fielding standards in the IPL have always been pretty good with some unbelievable catches making headlines over the years. But this year, the fielding has been simply superb. The Chennai Super Kings has led the way with the likes of Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja living up to their reputations of being excellent fielders. The other teams too have all been outstanding in the fielding department. What has been heartening to note is that senior pros like Ricky Ponting of the Mumbai Indians and Michael Hussey of the Chennai Super Kings have been fielding like panthers and pulling off some remarkable catches on the field despite their age. The fielding has been splendid so far with many stunning catches and outstanding run-outs turning many games around. It’s true that the crowds love the sixes and fours, but some wonderful fielding too can set the hearts racing.

Batting collapses

It is true that batting collapses are not a new phenomenon, but there have far too many collapses already this season. Bangalore, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and Mumbai have all been guilty of collapsing like a house of cards. The most remarkable collapse, however, was when Pune Warriors India lost their last six wickets for a meagre 7 runs against Hyderabad. The teams really need to be cautious and ensure that it doesn’t become a habit. This is something that the IPL can really do without.

Non-performing captains

Adam Gilchrist has been woefully out of form this IPL

Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Angelo Matthews and Kumara Sangakkara/Cameron White make up the list of non-performing captains this season. These are big names and are expected to stamp their authority in the tournament – something they have failed to do so thus far. Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting especially become more accentuated because of the baggage of expectations their legendary status carries. Their continued failure has disappointed the fans and one can only hope that they soon come back with some sterling performances as that will not only help their teams and the fans, but the IPL as a whole.

New faces on the horizon

Ever year we get to see plenty of new, young and exciting Indian players coming through the ranks and making a name for themselves in the IPL. And this year has been no exception. Karan Sharma, the 25-year-old leg-spinner from Uttar Pradesh playing for Hyderabad this season, has been impressive with his turn and bounce in the few games he has played. He can be one for the future if groomed well by the cricketing authorities. Mohit Sharma, the 24-year-old seam bowler from Haryana who plays for Chennai, has also impressed with his steady line and length and wicket-taking ability. However, one feels that he needs to add a bit of pace in his bowling to really make it big. On the batting front, we have 19-year-old Hanuma Vihari playing for Hyderabad. He has shown that he has a mature head on his shoulders with a couple of fine knocks of 40-plus, one of them bagging him the Man of the Match award as well. His added advantage is that he can bowl some effective off-breaks. With age on his side, he can be one that can be nurtured for the future as well. 21-year-old batsman Mandeep Singh, turning out for Kings XI Punjab, too looks like a talented prospect, displaying a fine array of sparkling shots. However, one feels he would need to curb his over-attacking instincts to excel on a regular basis. He surely needs to be watched and nurtured carefully. There are a few other talented Indian youngsters in the other teams who have come up with one-off impressive performances. But we need some more sterling and consistent performances from these young lads to make the world sit up and take notice of them. One hopes that we get to see more such players. After all, that is what the IPL’s motto is; giving unknown talents a genuine opportunity on an enormous platform.