Is there a match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that is not “important” or “crucial” or “significant”?
Most captains and coaches want you to believe that no match is trivial. Of course it can’t be. No match can be trivial when there is so much at stake. All wins are big and all days are big. The IPL is all about ‘big and important’ matches and we are now presented with one from the top drawer in this edition.
Delhi Daredevils versus Kolkata Knight Riders. Not the marquee match, but a mouth-savouring cricket contest for the new generation of fans who display their ‘loyalty’ most vociferously and visibly – they don’t take chances and cheer both the teams. They jump at fours and sixes and at the fall of wickets. They need no reason to showcase their vocal cords and dancing skills. Cricket is only a tool of entertainment for them, a four-hour celebration that leaves them as drained as the players.
The players are hardly complaining though. If they win it is fine. If not, then the loss becomes a “process.” It is this intriguing thing — process — that amuses some of the old-timers. The support staff has its role of backing the team and the team backs its instincts as the cricket carnival traverses the country.
Roles defined The batsmen have their roles defined. To absorb the pressure and respond robustly. After all, it is all power with the ball sailing into the galleries as if wanting to escape the wrath of the hitter. The bowlers have their roles defined too – to put the ball in the right areas. Now, ‘right areas’ is a flexible aspect. If the bowler is mauled it can be defended as “a bad day at office.” If he ends up with a haul of two or three wickets, then the right areas become a huge hit.
Actually the right areas depend on the stride and form of the batsman. KKR has one such – skipper Gautam Gambhir, who is scoring in abundance but wisely not looking at a national comeback. He is right. It can’t be based on his flourish in the IPL. The team has done enough to stay among the contenders and Gambhir may look to impress the audience, some of whom have watched him grow at the Ferozeshah Kotla.
DD is a different side this year. It is winning. Mentor Rahul Dravid and skipper Zaheer Khan have been largely instrumental for this new image of DD. But the tournament is still in its initial phase and they will have to summon all their experience to keep the momentum going.
Momentum is another aspect often referred to by coaches and captains. As long as it helps a team exceed its potential, no one is complaining. Not the spectators, certainly, who can fill up the Kotla on Saturday for an entertaining weekend cricket feast as DD and KKR look to keep the “process” in place in an “important” game.
