As with most Twenty20 tournaments, nothing is clear at all. No team is dominating completely like the Rajasthan Royals of 2008, who are doing well this year anyway. Some teams like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have been remarkably inconsistent. The latter pulled off two spectacular wins and fell to three tame losses, the batsmen being particularly unpredictable. I was just querying Deccan Chargers' depth and ability and as I write they are defending 197.
The thing about Twenty20 cricket is that things can change in the blink of an eye and the innings is irreparable and sometimes over before you know it. Lose three wickets in succession and before the new batsmen can settle in, it's time. For example, Rajasthan were playing Kolkata and batting. Their run rate was steady until three quick wickets tumbled. They managed a harmless 131 and the Knight Riders had no problem chasing that down. So the challenge is to find a rhythm and get going consistently in this gamble of a game.
The disappointment of the season, Chennai, may take comfort in the fact that they have never started really big in four editions, but somehow picked up and made it to the last four. The batting has looked especially like Jekyll and Hyde, looking benign against Delhi and Mumbai and looking like twice champions against Bangalore.
There have been the issues, like chucking and fixing, but none quite as big as Fake IPL Player, so things look okay for the time being. One hopes this will be a clean IPL. After all, if it was dominated by one side or rigged like a movie, would it be as much fun as it is to watch?
The thing about Twenty20 cricket is that things can change in the blink of an eye and the innings is irreparable and sometimes over before you know it. Lose three wickets in succession and before the new batsmen can settle in, it's time. For example, Rajasthan were playing Kolkata and batting. Their run rate was steady until three quick wickets tumbled. They managed a harmless 131 and the Knight Riders had no problem chasing that down. So the challenge is to find a rhythm and get going consistently in this gamble of a game.
The disappointment of the season, Chennai, may take comfort in the fact that they have never started really big in four editions, but somehow picked up and made it to the last four. The batting has looked especially like Jekyll and Hyde, looking benign against Delhi and Mumbai and looking like twice champions against Bangalore.
There have been the issues, like chucking and fixing, but none quite as big as Fake IPL Player, so things look okay for the time being. One hopes this will be a clean IPL. After all, if it was dominated by one side or rigged like a movie, would it be as much fun as it is to watch?
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