5 reasons why the All Stars series is already a blockbuster

Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne have masterminded this brilliant tribute to the game's bestEven as we begin the countdown to the final match in the All Stars T20 series which will be played in Los Angeles, the verdict is out on how it has fared; the only word that comes to mind is 'BLOCKBUSTER'.This blast from the past is the brainchild of arguably the game's greatest ambassadors, Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. This ensured that it was an instant hit among everyone even before the players roster had been picked.The buzz grew more as people came to know about all the past legends who would be participating in the tournament and Sachin's and Warne's respective squads were decided. With 2 matches in the 3-match series already behind us now, it is safe to say that the All Stars has achieved blockbuster status.Here are 5 main reasons why we think so:

#1 Famous old rivalries relived

Warne bowls to Tendulkar in the 1st T20 of the All Stars played in New York

The All Stars series has allowed cricket buffs to relive some of the greatest rivalries from the 1990s and early 2000s. The most popular one is definitely the rivalry between the captains of the two sides. It was a heartwarming experience for cricket fans to see Shane Warne bowling to Sachin Tendulkar yet again and getting his wicket as well. Warne also re-lived his rivalry with players like West Indies great Brian Lara and Indian wizard VVS Laxman.

On the other hand, Sachin too got a chance to reignite his rivalry, albeit in a fun way, with greats of his time such as Allan Donald, Wasim Akram, Courtney Walsh and Saqlain Mushtaq. We have also seen some legendary compatriots being pitted against each other, examples being Sangakkara & Jayawardena, Pollock & Donald, Ambrose & Walsh and Ponting & McGrath among others.

Some fierce rivals have been rubbing shoulders with each other as well by being part of the same team like Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar for Sachin’s Blasters. This aspect of the All Stars series has made it a super success among cricket fans.

#2 Retired cricketers proving they still have it in them

The legends have proved their mettle once again

Every cricket fan was looking forward to seeing their heroes from yesteryears playing cricket once again, but little did they expect that the cricket on offer from them will be of such high quality. Both T20s that have been played so far in New York and Houston respectively have seen high standards of gameplay minus some of the aggression and seriousness of mainstream cricket.

In the 1st game, it was about Sehwag’s brutal strokeplay, Warney’s wily leg spin, Akram’s miserly spell, Shoaib’s rip-roaring bouncers and Ponting’s composed batting. On the other hand, the 2nd T20 saw Hayden’s mighty sixes, Sangakkara’s pure class, Saqlain’s magical off spinners and Pollock’s attacking innings towards the end. Apart from these, there have been some other performances too which deserve a special mention.

These include Jonty Rhodes’ finisher acts in both games, Murali’s frugal bowling spell in the 1st match, Tendulkar’s brief yet entertaining innings in the 2nd T20 and Michael Vaughan’s assault on Shoaib Akhtar also in the 2nd encounter.

By what we have seen so far in the All Stars, it is evident that our old heroes still have a lot of gas left in their tanks.

#3 Viewers in India sacrificing their sleep to catch up on the cricket

TV viewers in India stayed up all night to watch the 1st T20 in the All Stars series

Such has been the madness for the All Stars T20 that even time zones do not seem to matter. The inaugural match of the tournament was a day game and since it was being played in New York, the live telecast of the match in India began at 11:30 in the night. But the fans in India did not care and managed to stay awake till about 3:00 AM just to catch their favourite stars in action.

It is hard to imagine that a tournament featuring a bunch of retired players can garner so much interest that even sleep becomes a distraction. But such has been the attraction of the All Stars series that fans can sacrifice anything for it irrespective of who wins or loses. Comparatively, when India toured Australia and New Zealand last year, not many home cricket fans were keen on waking up early to catch the national team in action.

This goes on to show the reputation that players of yesteryear had built in their careers which is one of the major reasons for the resounding success of the All Stars tournament.

#4 Awesome camaraderie between the players

The two legendary spin wizards, Warne and Murali, share a lighter moment before the start of the 1st T20

One of the primary features of the All Stars T20 has been the great camaraderie between the players who once ruled world cricket. There have been a number of moments that have won hearts of those who have seen many of them go at each other in their heyday. So whether it was Sachin and Shoaib celebrating a dismissal together or Sehwag stopping Ponting from leaving the field after getting out or for that matter, Warne patting Lara on the shoulder after dismissing the latter, the fans have had the privilege to see it all.

Even the draft that took place before the start of the series was a fun affair with the players having a great time together, and so was the pre-series photoshoot. The end of both games has seen the players of the two teams get together to take a lap of the ground and get involved with the spectators. This great show of harmony between the legends of the game has propelled the tournament to blockbuster status.

#5 The older lot showing that the T20 format is not meant for youngsters only

The six hitting has been at par with any other competitive T20 tournament

The misconception that the T20 game is made for the young blood has been shattered by the action we have seen from the golden oldies in the All Stars series. The tournament has given us everything that we expect when sitting to watch a T20 match. From the mighty sixes to the occasional bouncers, from brilliant throws by fielders in the deep to diving efforts by wicketkeepers to catch the ball, the All Stars has had all the ingredients thus far.

The strike rates of the batsmen have also been staggering to say the least and is even above the 300 mark for some of them. Not to forget some of the acrobatic strokeplay that has been on display, which is far from what many of us had even dreamt of.

Such great quality of cricket from sides which have several players on the wrong side of 40 further demonstartes why the All Stars T20 has gained popularity so quickly.