Well I thought the first week of IPL had plenty of nail biting finishes only to witness more in the second week. Well, I’ve actually lost count on the number of times I said “WHAT A MATCH!” It’s almost like we feel we’re entitled to a thriller a day and a super over a week.
The Highlights
Besides the thrilling games, we have witnessed some terrific entertainment courtesy some individual brilliance. Virat Kohli has been dominant and has continued his sublime form into the IPL. Dinesh Karthik, who we always knew was very talented, has really made a statement with his remarkable timing and range of shots. Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, AB Devilliers & Jacques Kallis have been consistent performers.
Just as it is always enthralling to see someone of the calibre of Chris Gayle smash a few out of the park, it is equally engrossing to see Dale Steyn bowl with his devastating pace. Rather low key players, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith & Manpreet Gony have been high on impact in reversing fortunes for their respective teams.
Much like mystery spinner Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan’s orthodox and ingenious approach with his unique range of shots adds a different dimension to the game. Low profiles, Amit Mishra & Kevon Cooper have proved their worth and are now an integral part of their team. The inclusions of Chris Morris, James Faukner and Sachin Senanayake have been successful ones.
Besides the youngsters who have been electric on the field, senior pros like Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid and Adam Gilchrist have shown that they are no less with their spectacular catches.
The Lowlight
The ugly spat between Virat Kohli & Gautam Gambhir on the field was very disheartening to see for the “Indian fan”. Two sport personalities whom youngsters idolize in our country should not show that kind of emotion & body language on the cricketing field. And such a thing happening in the heat of the moment and all those theories, I don’t buy them, because I firmly believe Cricket is a gentleman’s game, and it needs to be played in respect for it to be respected.
Whats Been Different in IPL 6
The quality of pitches in IPL has substantially improved leading to better cricket. Also, we now see franchises relaying their home wicket suited best for them, as a result we are seeing teams are getting more difficult to beat in their own den.
Whose Missed Out
Top ranked, Brendom McCullum who could destroy any attack has still not featured in the playing XI and the millionaire, Glenn Maxwell has been warming the bench.
Points Table Update & Whats In Store
Having played the most games, RCB leads the table with 4 wins out of 6. MI & RR are placed 2nd and 3rd respectively having won 3 out of the 4 games they have featured in. SH are placed 4th with 3 wins out of 5. KXIP & CSK have won 2 out of the 4 games whereas KKR & PW have won 2 out of 5 games they have featured in. DD still to enter the points table after having played 5.
What the IPL gives, is a stage and an opportunity. Can the lesser knowns Indians like Ashish Reddy, Hanuman Vihari, Manan Vora, Gurkeerat Singh, Rishi Dhawan or Rahul Shukla make it big. If you've looked at scorecards of domestic cricket, you know them by name. The IPL allows you to see them and gives them a platform. This is one aspect of the IPL which I adore.
Can MI & RCB be “consistent”? Will RR & SH continue to upset and dominate? Have PW & KXIP reversed their fortunes with that win? Will CSK & KKR perform to potential and rise on the points table? Can DD end their losing streak? This should form the crux of week 3 in IPL
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