New Delhi: I believe Indian Premier League (IPL) has a beneficial influence on Indian cricket, yet I am not one who believes it to be the cure all of the game in India. Essentially, it serves two important purposes: firstly, the bray of league trumpets invigorates youth and players of the country, which is good for the game; second, keeps BCCI flush. Again a good thing for the game in the larger perspective. We have seen them all work productively.
There is no denying IPL provokes even the meekest - player and spectator - to take a stand. Which is a good thing actually. Competition never hurt anybody in healthy proportions. Keeps the players sharp. Lifts them to perform deeds above themselves in the interest of their respective teams. Fragrance of this valiance lingers long in players' memories as does the rhythm of roused youthful blood which pulsated then in connivance.
Yet the very same advantages created can be the cross on which Indian cricket is impaled. We have seen enough glimpses of both in the past five years. Taking liberty to twist the Bard for my purpose here - when the might from our quiet confines emerges, it may fright fair peace, and make us wade even in our kindreds' blood.
We have seen it all - on the field and off it.
Let the better qualities prevail.
~0~
New Delhi: For various reasons not entirely under my control, I have been unable to watch IPL regularly this season. I have barely glimpsed at segments of matches - live or retrospectively. The weekends were supposed to fill in the blanks but it hasn't turned out that way. This is not to say I haven't seen any of the matches in entirety at all.
By a curious repetitive quirk of fate, most of the matches I have actually watched this season have been strange, sloppy to the extent of evoking suspicion, even disappointingly lacking in revealing progress made by the Doms - the breed of domestic cricket players who have had a fair run in IPL. News or social media tells me something different about matches I haven't watched. It's as if two simultaneous leagues are going on and I seem to catch the one with all the slugs! Yesterday's encounter between Mumbai and Chennai based teams is an example. Also, it provides clues as to how these matches are reported, talked about and perhaps stored in memory. History is suggested to minds peaked on thrill and excitement.
I tuned in to the Mumbai-Chennai match yesterday to watch it all - my first IPL match of the weekend. Going by second hand stories, I was letting myself in for a treat. Chennai's team were the invincibles and Mumbai were touted as the most proficient team in the outfield. Commentators also kept harping on this ' great fielding' theme even as Mumbai dropped three easy catches off a Hussey desperate to get out, then dropped another you-ought-to-take-those-at-this-level catches, and in between missed a sure shot chance to run Dhoni out on his improbable second run simply because nobody bothered to back up and be there at the stumps to collect. Ravi was on about terrific Mumbai fielding nevertheless along with other commentary box/studio denizens. I mean all the slipping and sliding shouldn't really be able to cover up five wicket opportunities lost. Not that it mattered anyway.
Chennai - not that they cannot lose a game, just that they played as if they badly wanted to lose and looked it too. It was all weird to watch though. If they were supposed to lose, then Chennaicricketwood and Bollycricketwood proved to be the premier ham teams of this universe. Pakistan are thespians in comparison. But it is entirely possible Mumbai were out there to win actually, even if it appeared like they'd rather it looked like Chennai had more than a fair shot at winning it. Like two once-upon-a-time-lost-in-a-mela twins busting each other with fake dishooms and cartwheeling on the beach sand. Bollycricketwood and Chennaicricketwood, together ended up putting a wonderful Sunday tamaasha..
At some unknown level that is.
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