IPL enters its decisive phase

In Bangalore’s case, the tournament has had two different phases, the one with Gayle and the one without Gayle.

IPL 2011 is in its final stage ! . It’s time for us to occupy the front portion of the couches for the next five days. The playoffs are upon us. Thankfully these are the four best teams so far in the IPL that are advancing into the next rounds. The one-sided games are therefore over and one can easily foresee a lot of close games in the playoffs and finals.

It must have been difficult initially, both for the players and the fan-base to shift loyalties suddenly running hot on heels after the World Cup. Suffice it to say that the IPL has done well to draw the loyalty of the fan base which was fervently attached with its nation’s tricolor flag just a week before. One could see packed houses, excited audiences and vibrant contestants. The IPL however did miss Lalit Modi, the adept manager, as Shane Warne pointed out recently. It is interesting to look at the qualified teams in retrospect and analyze.

Two teams decided to retain its core from the previous editions. Mumbai’s IPL performances are a patchwork quilt of impressions. With some handsome picks to its bag surrounding an already established strong core, Mumbai looked well nigh unbeatable at the start of the auction. It even did, for the first nine matches. The earlier half of saw a spirited display and insouciance while the latter saw a sudden implosion occurring within the team. It has happened even to the strongest teams in the past, when the role of the players are not well defined, a kind of complacency sets in, which is what the Mumbai Indians exuded in the last few games. Sachin Tendulkar curbing his natural aggressive instinct is equivalent to an engineering graduate trying to spend the rest of his life working at a call centre. However, a close win against Kolkata would have done a world of good to the confidence, something they desperately needed.

In Bangalore’s case, the tournament has had two different phases, the one with Gayle and the one without Gayle. Indeed the Gayle has been a vital force in this edition of the IPL, who has single-handedly turned the fortunes of the RCB. He has toyed with the best bowling attacks and has made them look a novice with his batting mayhem. His sixes are classified into two: 1) the one that hits the middle and lands on the roofs or out of the stadium and 2) the one that hits the unintended portion or the edge of the bat and still manages to land in the stands. The one-with-Gayle phase has produced eight wins in nine games.

One of the greatest strengths of the defending champions is that the role of the each player in their side is clearly defined

Another team that decided to build a squad around its core was Chennai Super Kings. The team’s mba hirelings were keen to pick the same squad in order to retain the erstwhile bonding shared by the players in the dressing room in the past three editions. The results will tell you why, the team has a cent percent record in qualifying to the next round so far. One of the greatest strengths of the defending champions is that the role of the every player in the side is clearly defined. Mike Hussey as an opener has the ability to anchor the innings in the start and subtly shift gears when required. He is one of the very few players in the world who can adroitly pace his innings to perfection. Dwayne Bravo, who was a new pick, has brought in the required versatility to the side by chipping in with the ball whenever required and also strengthening the batting down the order. Subramaniam Badrinath is one player who has caught the eyeballs of many (including the selectors) in this IPL with his surreal consistency.

There was one team which never subscribed into picking the players it had the last time, let alone retaining a few of them, which is the Kolkata Knight Riders. It was one of the teams which had a wretched odyssey in the IPL. It wanted to start afresh even if it meant cold-shouldering of the city’s favorite son, Sourav Ganguly; gave a new outfit to the franchise and decided to pick a completely new unit. In doing so, Dave Whatmore was appointed as coach and Gautam Gambhir was penciled as the side’s new skipper and the prognosticator in Sharukh Khan worked wonders. For the first time in the four editions, the side has advanced into the next round and the image of a jubilant Sharukh appeared flashing.

The points table has very less to indicate in terms of potential resources the teams have. The tournament so far has tested the potential of the teams and having said that all the teams have advanced to the play-offs, it is now a battle of the equals. From now, it will be a survival of the toughest. The teams’ success will lie in their ability to thrive in adverse conditions, handle pressure and give their cent percent on the field.