We’re going to have to find ourselves a new hero. Along the way we might find ourselves a new champion.
The Indian Premier League playoffs are finally set. It took all 72 regular season games to resolve the issue but now we know who’s staying and who’s clearing out the locker room for another year.
Sadly, from a spectacle viewpoint, two of the most destructive batsmen in the IPL are done and dusted. Chris Gayle and his Royal Challengers captain, Virat Kohli, who between them smashed more than 1,300 runs will be mere spectators. An over-reliance on the pair ultimately cost Bangalore a post-season berth.
Its place has gone to an expansion upstart. The Sunrisers Hyderabad, created out of the ashes of the defunct Deccan Chargers, kept their nerve to win their final two games and claim fourth place. The Sunrisers’ success was built on a virtually flawless home record but whether they can reproduce that form on the road in a winner-takes-all eliminator remains to be seen.
Delhi will provide the scenery. The Daredevils are long gone but their stadium, the historic and atmospheric Kotla, will host the opening two playoff matches. The first will reveal a finalist; the second will reduce the field from four to three survivors.
The stats don’t lie. Chennai and Mumbai have earned their top seedings with almost identical records. The Super Kings edged the Indians on net run rate after both finished the regular season with impressive 11-5 records. Now they’ll meet again with a place in the Championship game at stake.
Mumbai holds the psychological advantage. The Indians tamed the Lions home and away this year, winning both games with something to spare. In their most recent meeting, just two weeks ago, Mumbai humiliated Chennai – dismissing M.S. Dhoni’s team for a paltry 79, thrashing their illustrious opponents by 60 runs.
The Super Kings will not have forgotten and will be fired up to set the record straight. Only Gayle has scored more runs than Chennai’s Mike Hussey this year and the Australian opener, along with Suresh Raina and Dhoni, are perfectly capable of compiling a big total or chasing a sizeable target.
Mumbai’s bowling attack will have to fire on all cylinders. Australian seamer Mitchell Johnson has enjoyed a memorable debut season in the IPL taking 22 wickets, while veteran Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga is always a danger and is one of the most reliable ‘death’ bowlers when batters are swinging at everything.
The losers will get a second chance. They will face the winners of Wednesday’s elimination tie between the Sunrisers and the Rajasthan franchise. The Royals, champions of the inaugural IPL in 2008, have had to endure four barren years before a second appearance in the playoffs.
Shane Watson remains a match winner. The Australian all-rounder, who was very much the star of the 2008 championship winning team, is back somewhere close to his peak with bat and ball. He is one of only five men to have topped 500 runs in 2013 and has taken 11 wickets at a very acceptable economy rate of 6.66.
James Faulkner is the breakout star of IPL6. Watson’s compatriot, playing for his third franchise in as many years, seems to have found a home in Jaipur. The Tasmanian is the League’s leading wicket taker having claimed 26 victims. Like Johnson, Faulkner’s contribution will be key if the Royals are to stay alive.
Rajasthan and Hyderabad split the season series with comfortable wins on home soil but the Sunrisers will be in buoyant mood having cruised to victory over their rivals just 3 days ago. Faulkner returned season’s best figures of 5 for 16 but ended up on the losing side.
Few would begrudge the Royals another shot at glory if only out of respect for their captain. Semi-retirement is clearly suiting Rahul Dravid who has made more half centuries since turning 40 in January than he did in any previous edition of the IPL. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?