The IPL Watcher
Mumbai's opening woes
In six matches, Mumbai Indians have tried out four different opening combinations in their search for the perfect pair, but so far, the returns have only been diminishing
S Rajesh
06-May-2014
Michael Hussey-Aditya Tare, Rohit Sharma-Aditya Tare, Ben Dunk-Rohit Sharma, Ben Dunk-CM Gautam. In six matches so far, Mumbai Indians have tried out four different opening combinations in their search for the perfect pair. So far, the returns have only been diminishing - the opening partnerships, in chronological order, are 24, 20, 11, 10, 6, 6.
Till last year, Mumbai had one batsman who was a permanent fixture at the top of the order - Sachin Tendulkar. Out of the 78 innings he played for Mumbai Indians, 74 were as an opener, and while his strike rate of 119.66 wasn't outstanding, he scored 2227 runs at the top order at an average of 34.79, with one century and 13 fifties. His presence gave a solidity which Mumbai are searching for now.
Apart from Tendulkar, Mumbai have had a couple of successes at the top - Sanath Jayasuriya averaged 27.85 at a strike rate of 147 in 29 innings, while Dwayne Smith averaged 41.53 at a strike rate of 130 in 13 - but many more failures. Shikhar Dhawan and Tare are the two Indians who've got a fair number of opportunities at the top without making a success of it, but where Mumbai's failure rate has been alarming is in the number of overseas batsmen who've flopped as openers.
Full postKKR's house of cards
Kolkata Knight Riders lost six wickets for two runs against Rajasthan Royals, the worst such collapse in the IPL
S Rajesh
05-May-2014
When Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa added 121 for the first wicket in the chase against Rajasthan Royals, it was way more than what the team would have expected from their opening pair. In 103 previous matches, no KKR opening pair had ever added so many; there were only two previous century stands - the highest being 113 - and the aggregate of nine previous opening partnerships for KKR had been a grand total of 99.
So, when Gambhir and Uthappa put together 121 in 14 overs in a chase of 171, KKR would have been fairly confident of the following batsmen managing the remaining 50 runs in six overs. As it transpired, the record opening partnership was only a precursor to a record collapse, as KKR lost six wickets for two runs, the worst six-wicket collapse in the IPL. The collapse included Pravin Tambe's hat-trick, and KKR never recovered from the shock.
The table below lists the worst six-wicket collapses in the IPL, and this one takes the top position by some distance. The next two are instances of teams losing six wickets for seven runs, but those are both lower-order collapses, when teams lost their last six wickets cheaply. A similar top-order crash was seen in the 2011 IPL game between Deccan Chargers and Kochi Tuskers, when Kochi, chasing only 130 for victory, slumped to 11 for 6 and were eventually bowled out for 74. Among the batsmen who succumbed during that collapse were Brendon McCullum, Mahela Jayawardene and Brad Hodge.
Full postSuper Kings: squeezing the best out of the best
A look at how Chennai Super Kings' overseas players have added immense value to the team
Bishen Jeswant
05-May-2014
Chennai Super Kings have been the team to beat for six years now. There are probably a number of things that make them tick and it would therefore be unfair put down their success to one single factor. However, it is undeniable that the management's ability to extract the best from its players is one of the major reasons for the team's success. Apart from motivating lesser known players like Manpreet Gony and Shadab Jakati to punch above their weight, Super Kings have also been able to ensure that their international stars deliver.
The fact that this is not merely a case of giving the management undue credit becomes clear when we see that these same foreign players have not performed at the same level while playing for other franchises. Michael Hussey had been the back bone of Chennai's batting for a couple of years, but now appears a shadow of that player with Mumbai Indians. While age might have something to do with Hussey's decline, that can't be the case with Albie Morkel. He had come in lower down the order and delivered many a knockout punch for Super Kings, but Royal Challengers Bangalore don't seem to have discovered (yet) how to best utilise Morkel. Below are performances of some international batsmen for Super Kings, who have played for other franchises as well. Apart from these batsmen, Super Kings have also had players like Matthew Hayden and Faf du Plessis who have done well for the team but not played for other franchises.
Dwayne Bravo, on the other hand, has scored three half-centuries for other teams (Mumbai Indians) but none for Super Kings - that probably only tells us that Super Kings' top order has usually ensured that he does not have to be pressed into service early in the innings. His strike rate and average are still significantly better when he plays for Super Kings.
Full postChinnaswamy Stadium's ticket mystery
Known for its packed houses during IPL games, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium had plenty of empty seats during the first home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the steep price of tickets did not help
Nitin Sundar
05-May-2014
The Indian Premier League rolled into Bangalore on Sunday, with a crucial night game between the home side and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is known for its packed house during IPL games. Tickets generally sell out a few days in advance, so when a small group of fans turned up at the official ticket window outside the ground on the morning of the match, it was perhaps in blind hope. They would have been pleasantly surprised by the short line at the ticket counter outside Gate 8.
The officials in charge of selling tickets informed fans that the cheapest seats available for sale were worth Rs. 1650, and that all the cheaper options had been sold out. Most of the fans were clearly reluctant to spend so much for an evening's worth of entertainment - after all, movie tickets on average cost around Rs. 300 in Bangalore.
It later emerged that the officials at the counter weren't being entirely truthful. There was at least one unsold booklet of tickets costing Rs. 825, which the official (Lokesh, according to the badge he wore) was trying to conceal from the general public, and surreptitiously sell to some 'friend' who had jumped the line. When Lokesh was pointedly questioned about this preferential treatment, he sheepishly offered the excuse: "These tickets are almost sold out." He also tried to make the problem go away by offering to sell the cheaper tickets to the people at the head of the line, but that move backfired. Soon, the people who had been unwilling to shell out Rs. 1650 for a ticket, were back in the line with renewed interest in the cheaper alternative. Lokesh was forced to sell them against his wishes, but did not seem too concerned at the threat that his behavior would be reported to the KSCA officials. Despite his best efforts, this correspondent was not allowed to enter the KSCA offices to lodge a complaint.
Full postAmit Mishra's nightmarish IPL 2014
One of the best bowlers of the last six IPL seasons, Amit Mishra has had a tough start to IPL 2014, reaching a few not-so-flattering landmarks
S Rajesh
04-May-2014
In the first six editions of the IPL, Amit Mishra had taken 95 wickets at an average of 20.25 and an economy rate of 6.93, numbers which were good enough to pronounce him among the best bowlers in the tournament. Only Lasith Malinga had taken more wickets, and among spinners only a handful had a better economy rate. Mishra had also gone for 86 sixes, second only to Piyush Chawla's 91, but it couldn't be held against him in a format where it was inevitable for a legspinner to go for a few of those. Given that he was only five wickets short of 100, it was widely expected that he would reach landmark before he'd get hit for a century of sixes.
As it's turned out, though, IPL 2014 has so far been a bit of a nightmare for Mishra. In just 19.3 overs, he has disappeared for 16 sixes, which is as many as he conceded in 62 overs last year. Against Kings XI, Mishra was hammered for seven sixes in his four overs - five by Glenn Maxwell and one each by Virender Sehwag and David Miller - which is the most sixes hit against any bowler in a single IPL match. [Mishra shares that record with Pune Warriors' Mitchell Marsh, who also went for seven sixes in a game, against Royal Challengers Bangalore during that Chris Gayle onslaught.]
A week later against Mumbai Indians, Mishra vanished for five sixes, all the hands of Keiron Pollard. The third of those was the 100th six that had been hit off his bowling in the IPL, making him the first to that not-so-flattering landmark - Chawla is still on 95. As if to celebrate that milestone, Pollard hit the next two balls for sixes as well, in an over which cost Mishra 27. Those series of sixes have meant Mishra has been hit for a six once every 7.31 balls in IPL 2014; last year a six off him was three times more scarce - once in 23 balls.
Full postToo many thinking caps for Mumbai?
A team management packed with former international greats may not be the ideal solution for the floundering Mumbai Indians
Nagraj Gollapudi
03-May-2014
Sachin Tendulkar stood behind the dressing room door in Dubai, shadow-practising strokes he once played in the middle. Out in the centre, Kieron Pollard was trying hard - eventually in vain - to stabilise the Mumbai Indians' middle order against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final match of the IPL's UAE leg. How sorely Mumbai have missed Tendulkar's calming presence in the XI this year.
But, if we dare ask, is Tendulkar causing a distraction with his presence in the dressing room? The batsman had announced his retirement from the IPL last year, but the franchise appointed him as an icon. In addition to being the franchise's brand ambassador, Tendulkar is also around during the team's training sessions.
Tendulkar, however, is not the only great player on the Mumbai coaching roaster. Anil Kumble is the chief mentor, John Wright is the head coach, Jonty Rhodes is the fielding coach and, recently, Ricky Ponting joined as consultant. The stars are followed by a second line of assistant coaches, which includes former India allrounder Robin Singh.
Full postCan't stop winning
The five longest winning streaks in the IPL
Siddarth Ravindran
02-May-2014
The five longest winning streaks in the IPL
8 - Kings XI Punjab, 2013-14
Kings XI were virtually out of the race in IPL 2013 when this streak was kickstarted by two destructive innings from Adam Gilchrist, before he ended his career with his first wicket in recognised cricket. The run was extended this year by another Australian playing a series of destructive innings - Glenn Maxwell's pyrotechnics helped Kings XI to five wins in five matches and an unfamiliar spot at the top of the table.
Full postYet to get a game XI
At the end of the UAE leg of the IPL and a third of the way into the season, we pick a XI of bench-warmers (four overseas, seven Indian)
Siddarth Ravindran
01-May-2014
At the end of the UAE leg of the IPL and a third of the way into the season, we pick a XI of bench-warmers (four overseas, seven Indian)
Unmukt Chand: Arrived for IPL 2013 with a red-hot reputation after two Twenty20 centuries but that cooled off after a season in which he didn't play a single influential innings despite getting plenty of chances with a faltering Delhi Daredevils. Now with Royals, he has been overlooked for the opening spot in favour of Karnataka youngster Karun Nair or Mumbai stalwart Abhishek Nayar.
Shaun Marsh: While he may be infuriatingly inconsistent in Tests, he has been among the most consistent batsmen in the IPL. A part of Kings XI Punjab since the start, he has rewarded them with 1903 runs at an incredible average of 44.25 and a strike-rate of 133.26. His opportunities are limited given that Kings XI are winning everything this season, Glenn Maxwell and David Miller have been the stand-out batsmen this season, George Bailey leads the side and Mitchell Johnson brings fearsome pace to the attack.
Full postA case for S Badrinath?
S Badrinath was not bought by any of the franchises during the 2014 IPL player auction, but judging by how some of teams have fared so far, they could use his skills
Karthik Krishnaswamy
30-Apr-2014
When he went unsold at the IPL auction, S Badrinath said it felt like "a blow to my chest". Watching how some of the batting line-ups have performed this season, he might be wondering why everyone passed up someone with the experience of 95 IPL matches, and a pretty decent record.
Badrinath has 11 half-centuries in 67 innings, an average in the 30s, and a strike rate of 118.89, which, while not particularly eye-catching, is better than the IPL strike rates of, to take the names of three other specialist batsmen from India, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey and Manoj Tiwary.
Of those three, Rahane was retained by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2014 player auction, while Pandey and Tiwary went for Rs. 1.7 crore and Rs. 2.8 crore respectively. Badrinath's base price was Rs. 1 crore.
Full postNews of corruption disheartening - Jaywawardene
Mahela Jayawardene, the Delhi Daredevils captain, has said the spot-fixing controversy that has marred the Indian Premier League this season has been disheartening and disappointing
ESPNcricinfo staff
20-May-2013
Mahela Jayawardene, the Delhi Daredevils captain, has said the spot-fixing controversy that has marred the Indian Premier League this season has been disheartening and disappointing. He hoped the guilty players are punished appropriately so that it can be a deterrent in the future.
"At times I have felt angry. Cricket deserves more from the players," Jayawadene said. "Right from the beginning (this IPL season), there have been interactions and counselling. Rajasthan Royals have had a great season and I am sure Rahul Dravid must have forced on the team the right spirit and the winning attitude. If even after that some guys don't feel responsible, then they are making a bad decision. They must take ownership of their actions and hopefully they are taught a lesson so that others don't follow them."
Jayawardene said that although the seniors had taken the responsibility of guiding the younger players, beyond a certain distance, it was up to the individual. "It was a sad day in England last year, it's a sad day now. I don't how we can stop this," he said. I don't know how stronger we can be."
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