Hello Friends,
If you are a cricket buff you could not agree with me more, but if you are not I am sure this season of IPL cricket and its constant updates will bother you terribly. As one-third of the population is devouring the slew of cricket matches that are relayed directly on TV almost every day. Having been a cricket enthusiast from my college days I started tracking the IPL matches of 2018. Though I had been watching matches intermittently in the past few years owing to professional commitments I was not able to follow it closely. However, now with time on hand and interest renewed I have become a huge fan of the IPL Cricket format.
Eight teams, 20 overs, tough competition, nail-biting finishes, whirlwind centuries, all out for ridiculously low scores, 18 something boys putting in astounding performances, 30 something experienced players are giving the young boys a run for their money, playoffs nearing, crowds swelling, frenzy at the highest level… IPL is turning out to be hotter than the summer in India!
Mahendra Singh Dhoni:
Well, it’s not just Dhoni. Undoubtedly he is a delight to watch, and of course, I could go on and on about this Captain Cool who commands respect from everyone. Be it the board, the commentators, his colleagues in-house and foreign, and needless to say his legion of fans, all of them love and salute his unsurpassed acumen matched with superb leadership qualities. His staying power seems only to be growing with every passing day, and for sure he seems irreplaceable.
Timings:
With comfortable play timings, it is a boon for office goers to return home on time to catch the matches that commence at 8:00 pm in the evenings and at 4:00 pm during the weekends. And there are two matches every weekend to enthrall cricket lovers across the country.
Beat the Summer:
The fear of stepping out in this sweltering heat for entertainment is completely ruled out. As the TV sets bring the players to your living room with action replays and highlights and engaging commentary by Harsha Bogle and his team. The opportunity to see and hear several leading yesteryear players providing expert comments is a great opportunity indeed.
Young Crop:
The toast of this IPL season, atleast for me is the amazing crop of young talent. From Rishab Pant, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Jofra Archer, Kuldeep Yadav et all are truly inspiring and their passion is evident.
Old Warhorses:
That said, the 30s stars such as Ambatti Rayudu, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo have been enormously active and have turned around matches and enabled positive outcomes. Truly heroes indeed!
Star Power:
It is indeed entertaining to see Anoushka Sharma supporting the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Virat Kohli with her on-screen presence and Twitter messages. Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Venkatesh, Ambanis are all there with tension written all over their faces awaiting with bated breath to know the outcome of each match.
Chennai Super Kings:
If you are a Chennai fan, I am sure you should whistle and hoot for our boys. The men in yellow are wonderful fellows. They have been doing a splendid job with the bat and the ball, not to mention the sharp fielding antics. Though criticized for the 30 something cricketing team they have silenced the critics and have been quietly going about winning matches. At least most of them and they are qualified to get to the next level.
With playoffs around the corner, the scene is going to be full of action! Let’s see who bag the trophy from defending champions Mumbai Indians.
Image Courtesy: Magzter and Cricket Today, Deccan Chronicle, Times Now, Indian Express and Cricbuzz.
Useful Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Premier_League
Cheers
Bhuvana Rajaram
