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Badshahs making it a one-horse race

Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: The idea of including a team like Lahore Badshahs in the Indian Cricket League’s (ICL) Edelweiss 20s Challenge was to increase competitive interest and enhance star value to the Twenty20 competition.

However, after the first week of competition here, it is becoming increasingly clear that, inadvertently, the organisers have let loose a heavyweight in a group of middleweights.

Going by the pounding given by Badshahs to teams like defending champion Chennai Superstars, Hyderabad Heroes and last year’s runner-up Chandigarh Lions so far, there appears only one winner.

And worse, the league has not even reached the half-way stage.

An advantage

Unlike other teams, Badshahs enjoys the advantage of having players from the same country.

What more, the team has the right mix of experience and enterprise in batting and bowling. In fact, this team is strong enough to give the current Pakistan team a run for its money.

Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq and Rana Naved are players of proven abilities.

Given the competition and challenge in the shortest version of the game, these players are collectively proving more than a handful for the rest.

The presence of Badshahs has brought in many more spectators to the Tau Devi Lal Stadium at Panchkula.

The way Farhat treated a packed house to an exhibition of ruthless hitting on Sunday was indeed a great advertisement for the game and the entertainment associated with the format.

That display is sure to boost the attendance in the games to come.

Though the Twenty20 games are capable of producing surprise results like in no other version of the game, it will take some doing to deny Inzamam’s men this time around.

Unless a couple of teams hit peak form this week and show the wherewithal to challenge the Badshahs, the men from Lahore will walk all over the opposition in the remainder of the competition.

So far, pre-event favourites Lions has lost two of its three games, while Superstars was looking for a win after two outings.

Delhi Giants has won two games, but looks vulnerable. Heroes and Ahmedabad Rockets are the other teams that appear capable of causing upsets but do not inspire much confidence.

If the pattern of performances is any indication to go by, Badshahs is threatening to make it a one-horse race.

Tuesday’s match: Mumbai Champs vs. Ahmedabad Rockets (7 p.m.).

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