What are the recent trends from the IPL?
Return of the rebels
Young Indian players, who had defected to the unauthorised
Indian Cricket League since 2007 and who earned themselves IPL contracts thanks
to BCCI's amnesty scheme, have embraced the spotlight big time. Be it Ambati
Rayudu's ebullience, R Sathish's energy in the field, Shane Bond's scorching
opening overs or Jhunjhunwala's industrious half-century, the rebels showed
that two years in the wilderness hasn't diminished their talent and hunger.
Batting gets conventional
The presence of the in-form Dilshan and Pietersen in the
2009 edition of the IPL, played in SA, meant that unconventional strokes were
the norm rather than the exception. But KP is in Bangladesh and Dilshan's form
seems to have deserted him. Instead, we have lofted extra cover drives, the conventional
sweep and the violent slog sweep. Hence you have players like Jacques Kallis,
Robin Uthappa, Saurabh Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan and Ravi Bopara excelling.
Injuries for key players
MS Dhoni, Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Gautam
Gambhir, Brett Lee. These are names that draw in the crowds. Sadly, these
superstars will be missing from action for at least a week to 10 days. The
league has hardly begun and already we have high-profile names limping off the
scene. After a hectic international scene, the energy-sapping and frenetic
schedule is only draining the players even more.
Where are the Aussies?
In IPL 2008 and 2009, the Australian players made an impact
almost immediately. The Hussey brothers, Michael and David, Shane Watson
(2008), Shaun Marsh (2008) Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Glenn McGrath (2008)
and Shane Warne, all had made a statement in the first couple of games in the
league. This year though, it's the South African, Indian and Sri Lankan players
who have made an early mark.
Emphasis on Indian youngsters
The IPL just got more Indian in 2010. Teams have begun to
realise the importance of banking on good domestic players. This is where a lot
of off-season work and talent-spotting is beginning to show. Mumbai Indians
created history in their first game of the league by opting to play just three
foreigners instead of the stipulated four. Players like Aditya Tare, Ambati
Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary have been a success.
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