IPL - Inter Personal League

As we near the end of the first round of the IPL, there are some things that seem to be pretty evident. IPL the concept has really taken off to a flier and there may be very few people who when quizzed will not have a favorite or not know about the game. This format of the game has been so interesting and so beautifully packaged that even the womenfolk who generally stay away from sports related activities on air have started tuning their TV sets in the evening to SET MAX, the official broadcaster much to the chagrin of the various channels who air
Saas-Bahu serials at the same time.

However back to business and we see a definite pattern emerging
1. The Captains and their teams: The teams have been chosen as per the captainsare. Few good examples can be given like that of the Kolkatta Knight Riders who have got Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Shoaib Akhtar in their ranks. The common thread that binds these three persons are their personalities and their flair for controversy. Then we have the Bangalore Royal Challengers who have Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Wasim Jaffer and Shivnaraine Chaderpaul. All these individuals are more known for their Test match accomplishments than their one day feats and definitely not their T20 careers.

2. Camaraderie: What the IPL has done is bring in players of different cultures and regions together and help bind them for the common cause of defeating their opponents which may have players from their on national teams. So it really is nice to see a Mohd. Hafeez getting advice from Saurav Ganguly or a Shoaib Malik helping out Virender Sehwag. It is also a good learning ground for the scores of youngsters who will be immensely benefited from their experience in the IPL. Hence it is good to hear that Glenn McGrath spends time with each and every bowler explaining the various nuances of the game in spite of them being from various different countries. These games also help people iron out their flaws and think about the game differently. There may be players against whom they have played a lot against & who when they come together discuss each others strategies of getting the other out. The cat may be out of the bag and help both players immensely in the rest of their careers.
However there always remains a fear of the SLAPGATE happening and it may also happen in other teams. Players when they go back may not like a player from their own team just because he was instrumental in his team winning against the formers team and vice versa. This is something that can happen and it can ruin careers. Also with the amount of money surrounding the game, players cannot simply ignore such indiscretions. This is one aspect of the game that the ICC needs to take care of. Player fallout will have a disastrous effect on the game and the game may come down to being a wrestling match brawl.

3. Old v/s New: And last but not the least, one look at the points table and it throws something that may not be visible to the naked eye but seems kind of logical. The teams that are languishing at the bottom of the table viz. Kolkatta, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad are captained by Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid & VVS Laxman respectively. All these players are either at the twilight of their careers or have their careers ended prematurely mainly due to Dhoni’s Devils. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that the teams commanded by these players are at the bottom pile. Whether they will rise like the Phoenix, from the ashes, given their experience will be something to watch.

Happy watching!!!!