By Denzil Fernandes
Oct 29: Without any doubt, each and every one of the eight franchises have special players who lend balance and substance to their side’s performance and progress. Absence of such significant torch bearers makes the team looks rudderless and aimless, to say the least.
First in the list of stand out stars has to be Karnataka’s K L Rahul who leads Kings XI Punjab. Rahul is getting himself groomed as a future India captain. He has already been appointed as the vice-captain of the Indian T20 and ODI cricket team which is set to tour Australia shortly.
He has batted brilliantly for the Punjab side scoring heavily. He is a man in a hurry to prove his worth as a free-scoring batsman, wicketkeeper and captain. The entire team depends on his show with the bat. Of course, there are some others like Mayank Agarwal, Glen Maxwell, Gayle and Mohammad Shami for the Punjab side. But Rahul stands tall and straight above them. Despite the law of averages, nothing seems to stop him. He is the ultimate run machine. Runs flow from his bat just like cash from the ATM.
Young and handsome Sam Curran from England is the shining star for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Sam is a joy to watch whatever he is doing - be it bowling, batting or fielding. Veteran CSK captain Dhoni loves him no end to come up with his tricks in a team which is short of ideas in the ongoing IPL. England’s future captain is only 21 and is already showing great maturity on the field.
In an ageing Chennai squad, Sam brings plenty of fresh air and breath with his all-round show. The shiny haired youngster excels in style.
Chennai has other stars in Jadeja, Rayudu and du Plessis as well but the Englishman is ahead of all in the team. Dhoni’s old army can do well with players like Sam Curran. His other brother Tom also plays in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders but Sam is a cut above. Sam will be a long time fixture for the Chennai side for many years to come.
One cannot imagine what would happen to the fortunes of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) if AB de Villiers was not playing for them.
The never ageing South African can be picked as the top player in the entire IPL RCB captain Virat Kohli cannot thank de Villiers enough for what he does for the team. ABD is a versatile wicketkeeper, superb batsman and an electrifying fielder when he is not keeping. It is also believed that ABD can bowl as well. He is an accomplished all-round athlete who dabbled in hockey and other games as a schoolboy. Though 36 years of age now, he plays like a youngster even today. Before retiring from the national team de Villiers was named as the ICC ODI Player of the Year three times in his career apart from being featured in Wisden Cricketers of the Decade at the end of 2019. Another youngster Dev Dutt Padikkal has been pleasing with his show for RCB and looks set for bigger things in the days to come. Captain Kohli and spinner Chahal keep the wheel moving but ABD is vital for RCB plans without a doubt.
Unpredictable performances in the IPL have put Rajasthan Royals in a precarious position. They are packed with players like Bairstow, Stokes, Samson, captain Steve Smith and Joffra Archer apart from others. But everyone has been inconsistent which has been their downfall.
Australia’s free-scoring batsman Steve Smith is leading Rajasthan Royals (RR) yet again. He has been playing for various teams in the IPL since 2010 successfully. This time around, he has still not hit the right form and due to this his team has suffered. England great Ben Stokes is also with RR but slightly disturbed due to his father’s illness in New Zealand. RR have potential match-winners who are struggling to deliver. But Jofra Archer has been a stand out performer for RR. Recruited as a pace bowler primarily, Archer has now confirmed himself as a superb all-rounder. His hitting as a late order batsman has been breathtaking. While Archer has kept most batsmen quiet with his varying pace he has set another high level in fielding. His one-handed catch to dismiss Ishan Kishan of Mumbai Indians in an earlier match was out of this world which turned the match upside down. His own teammates could not believe what they saw from Archer. Quite fittingly, RR went on to beat MI with such a fine display which included great match-winning knocks by Stokes and Samson. Archer has been a star for RR undoubtedly.
Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have not been able to shine well in the UAE KKR, despite showing great signs have flattered to deceive. A young squad which did not click and poor captain Dinesh Karthik had to hand over the reins to Eoin Morgan in between. Aussie pacer Pat Cummins has impressed but the biggest flop has been Andre Russel. Andre Russel of West Indies was expected to explode with his batting but has disappointed. Young opener Shubman Gill has failed to capitalise despite starting well.
All in all, KKR have not been able to gel well. There is good potential but the application has been missing.
The former champions should do well in the next edition with some fine-tuning. New Zealand bowler Lockie Fergusson has done his best for KKR. New smiling skipper Eoin Morgan has tried his best but in vain.
Champions in the past, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have flashed in between with little success. They promised but perished while losing their way by losing easy matches which they should have won. Their star and captain David Warner from Australia has been outstanding along with Manish Pandey, Willamson and Bairstow. Wicketkeeper Saha, Garg and Sandeep have lent support too. In Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan they have found a great spinner who has the knack of picking wickets and stopping the flow of runs. But the killer instinct has been missing. With India speedster Bhuvaneshwar leaving the team due to injury midway SRH has lost an important player.
Holders Mumbai Indians (MI) are one side that is blessed with players who contribute all around. So it is difficult to pick someone who is a prime star. This is a team that has shining stars from top to bottom. MI captain Rohit Sharma leads from the front with his great batting supported by his partner Quinton de Kock. Then comes Surya Kumar Yadav who has taken batting to another level.
The Pandya brothers, Kieron Pollard, Ishan Kishan are dependable batsmen. Bowler Trent Boult, spinner Chahar and booming Bumrah have been superstars for the Mumbai side. One should not be surprised if they lift the trophy once again this time in Dubai.
One team that has shown great promise and purpose in this year’s IPL is Delhi Capitals (DC) captained by Shreyas Iyer. Iyer has Dhawan, young Prithvi Shaw and Aussie Marcus Stoinis to pile up the runs. All-rounder Axar Patel along with veteran India spinner R Ashwin and South African pacer Rabada has played a great role in Delhi’s wins. DC is sizzling in the Gulf heat with extreme energy to outshine their opponents and lay their hands on the elusive IPL trophy. DC are a capable unit who can make a great bid for IPL glory.
This year’s IPL has thrown up several promising players who will ply their trade for many years to come. While some veterans like Imran Tahir, Dale Steyn, Dhoni, Watson, Harbhajan, Moeen and others may not be seen in the next edition, the arrival of young Turks like Banton, Padikkal, Gill, Prasidh, Cullan, Bishnoi, Garg, Chahar, Tewatia and so many others augurs well for the game.
For those with the ability to smash the white ball out of the ground or to skittle the sticks with terrifying speed or unplayable spin there is great promise and hope to prosper in the cricket business.