Indian Premier League (IPL)

[PKBasu]

True enough. BCCI will need to financially compensate players adequately if they want them to keep prioritising test /ODI/T20I cricket -- basically the latter should be worth more to the players than the opportunity cost foregone in playing IPL. Tough! Bhuvi was one of the first to make that calculation quite coldly.

[prasen9]

I have watched more days of test cricket than IPL in the last year or last five years or forever. I think a lot of people here like the longer versions of cricket. But, the reality is that people vote with their feet. Look at the audience in tests and in the IPL, viewership on TV, etc. If test cricket sold as well, then BCCI would have been all over it. In today's world, few have the inclination to follow a match for five days. IPL is more popular. 3 hour cricket is what is going to be the standard. People will watch even shorter formats - 100 or 10 over cricket too but those are too random and the BCCI, etc. want a longer version because it sells more ads. So, T20 cricket is the future. We all know that. And, where money is, people will follow.

BCCI can and should use their monopoly to make people play domestics. For example, you can make a policy that says that people who play so many days of domestic cricket will qualify for IPL auctions, etc. Or people who do not play so much domestic cricket will not be able to play IPL. Something along those lines. Or else, the Ishan Kishans of the world will relax during the season and get ready for IPL. Crass as it is, the BCCI is at fault. Create a good incentive/qualification structure, BCCI. Injured players can be given passes but the injury needs to be verified and managed by the NCA or some reputed regional centers who will not indulge in fradulent medical certificates.

[PKBasu]

Eden Gardens hosted no test match in the past 12 months, and hosted just one T20I -- and no ODI either, I think. But it gets to host the IPL Opening Ceremony. What a travesty for one of India's most storied cricket grounds. The CAB brass has its priorities absolutely upside down.

[prasen9]

And, I think one of the semis and the finals of the IPL is in Eden.

I don't know all the politics behind it. But, for the regular tests and ODIs, things are supposed to go in some rotation format to spread the game to different centres (read: keep politicians in all the state boards happy). So, I don't know that the CAB could have had matches in the last year even if it wanted to.

[prasen9]

KKR got thrashed. I think they weakened their batting lineup. Not very many batters clicked but Ramandeep scored a 9 ball 6 runs at the end. That is terrible batting.

Are Ramandeep and Rusell among their top 7 batters? If yes, can they bowl. If they can bowl 4 overs together with Iyer, then do we need Spencer Johnson? RCB had only five bowlers in their lineup including their allrounders. I would bring in Moeen for Spencer on a spinning pitch and Rovman Powell on a pacy pitch.

I am always for more batting. Bowlers get thrashed anyway.

[Rajkumar Sharma]

With 109/3 in 10 overs, hitters like Ramandeep or Russell should have been promoted earlier. Venky, Rinku was waste in that stage. Yes, Ramandeep should bowl atleast 2 overs to prove his allround potential. Russell needs to modify his batting as opponents has figured out his weakness

[prasen9]

The last five overs were even worse. Not saying that overs 10 or 12 to 15 were much better. The middle order failed en masse.

[PKBasu]

It's too early to write Andre Russell off on the basis of one failure. Last year, he rose to the occasion whenever needed, starting with the first match. This year, he has started on a weak note, but he can contribute with bat and ball, so let's wait and see. Harshit was pretty poor with the ball compared to last year. Being holders is often one burden too many for most teams/players.

[PKBasu]

Ishan Kishan was a man on a mission today. He should be back in contention for the T20I side if he can keep batting like this.

[prasen9]

It's too early to write Andre Russell off on the basis of one failure. Last year, he rose to the occasion whenever needed, starting with the first match. This year, he has started on a weak note, but he can contribute with bat and ball, so let's wait and see. Harshit was pretty poor with the ball compared to last year. Being holders is often one burden too many for most teams/players.

I am not writing off Russell or Ramandeep or Narine. Or whoever. We must always ask questions about whether they are the best we have. The problem with holders is that they are complacent and play the old guard, while other teams improve. As I said, I would rather bring in Moeen for Spencer Johnson. and, not axe Russell. But, I was pointing out that Russell or Ramandeep did not bowl. Last year, Russell bowled. So, we are playing five or more bowlers and not enough batters. Make Ramandeep, Russell, and Venkatesh bowl at least 4 overs better still if they can bowl 6-8. Then, stack up the batting. That is my theory. Batters give you higher totals. RCB did not have superflous bowlers in their team. KKR had 8 bowlers or something like that. Drop Spencer.

[prasen9]

Rahane, Ishan, Ruturaj, Kohli, Jurel, Samson have all started well. Krunal, Puthur, Khaleel, DLC, Deshpande too.

[prasen9]

Rishabh Pant carries his terrible T20I form/record to IPLs. He played an over's worth of balls and got out for zero. Good for LSG that he got out instead of wasting more balls. In this form of cricket these days, you cannot waste an over. That is, 5% of your overall resources. You hit from every ball especially if your team has loads of wickets in hand, which they did. Terrible thinking. Ishan Kishan played the right way. The Abhishek Sharma way is increasingly the right way in the era of impact subs. See ball, hit ball. Simple. Pant knows that he is bad at consistently scoring when there are five fielders on the boundary. But, you can't do much. Just hit. Don't overthink. If others with poorer hand-eye coordination and strength can do it, he can do it. He needs to stop thinking so much and playing afraid.

[prasen9]

I posted the above post during the break. Pant's 6 ball zero turned out to be the difference at the end. Surprisingly, he also did not bowl Shardul Thakur more than two overs. Weird. Maybe the analytics guys rule the world and told him that Thakur is not good for the end overs. Or the coach had strict plans not to overturn. But, these are the cases where you overrule the machine. Anyway, the other A. Sharma played an epic inning. He was also good last year.

Indian impact leaders:

Ash Sharma, Ruturaj, Ishan, Khaleel, Krunal, Puthur, Kuldeep.

[Rajkumar Sharma]

Delhi team will be differant with addition of KL & Natarajan. Mohit Sharma's bowling won't work except in slow & sluggish pitch like Chennai or Motera but not in Kotla

[PKBasu]

Delhi's win yesterday was truly astounding. Ashutosh Sharma truly pulled off a heist. DC were 65/5 in 6.4 overs, when Ashutosh came in as an impact player. They needed 18 to win off 9 balls when the 9th wicket fell. Mohit faced 2 balls, while Ashutosh clubbed 2-6-4-6 to finish the match with 3 balls to spare!

Too many crazy high-scoring matches (except in Chennai) so far this year. Punjab Kings did well to win today. Shreyas Iyer seems to be a very good white-ball captain.