IPL 2012

Imagine that - dodgy goings on in the IPL - I'm gobsmacked !

Chris Gayle, easily the best big hitter the cricket world has ever seen!!  Its all too easy.  My only regret of him not being in the West Indies, is that these are his prime days.  Guys who relies on such natural talent, with age after 34, they're never the same kind of player.  They missed 2 of his best years!

Looks like Gilchrist has ended his IPL career! Had a tough season with injury, but it's sad to truly see the end of him playing cricket. Finishes with a strike rate of 140 in 67 games, with 2 tons and 10 50s and many catches/stumpings.

What about Bookie accepting that he gave SL players money for fixing?

Edited by mystery - 20 May 2012 at 1:23pm

IPL is going from strength to strength, so is jealousy and irrational opposition against it.

Media (obviously some haven't had their share of pie due to limited media rights) is hell bent to paint it in poor light , IPL-5 has been a super success which the anti/hate camp would never agree.There has been numerous occasions where cricket has been simply great rather than being a "yawn", every matches have given immense interest.

Incidents have happened in past in every sport, in every country and in every decade.Whenever something bad happens a proper action are taken. The way media is crucifying all this, the over reaction, it looks like there is something more to anti IPL and there is a motive to bring it down.This is not about just Indian media , there are other forces (with conflicting business interest) that just can digest the IPL and its success.

Is it the fear of complete shift in power in sport ? I don't know, IPL is still in its nappies, the market for cricket in sub continent is much more than some of the other cricketing nations (as Football/Rugby are favored sports).

I was in doubt about all this when IPL started, but now I can see the a lot of things very clearly.

Originally posted by sam_ahmed I think the success of the IPL is mainly because team India have done well since it's inception, barring last 12 months

I don't know from when you watched Indian cricket or cricket for that matter, really. Agree if you said about Indian's overseas records in 90's and prior to that, but then every team was like that (barring WI of late70's to late 80's (from history books) & Australia mid 90's to mid 2000's). Many teams won at home and lost in foreign conditions.

Originally posted by sam_ahmed if 2012-13 is anywhere near to what the last 12 months have been for team India, I think even Raj won't watch the IPL!

I am quite sure you wanted to put some sarcasm there.I fail to understand it.Can you please elaborate.

Doesn't really matter since when I'm watching cricket because I was only talking about last 12 months and I think Team India have had a poor year, I don't know what you mean to say Raj, do you mean every team had similar last 12 months? or Do you mean India haven't enjoyed success before that? Why you always... always dig into history for simple points I really can't understand.

Sam my point was very clear to say that Indian team performance was always good at least from time I started watching cricket late 80's to 2000 at home. Then from 2000's they were better even at abroad. Infact all other teams were on similar lines on performance.Good at home , weak in unfamiliar conditions. (expect few like WI and AUS of certain era who dominate almost all countires)

Your post implied as if only since IPL things have changed in Indian cricket. So cleared your wrong notion (If at all you had any).

Second point - Indians lost because they did not play well , as simple as that. There isn't any IPL reason to it or any other reason.



Edited by MalhotraRaj84 - 21 May 2012 at 7:38pm

Hmmm - so you send Ross Taylor at number 7 and Venuogopal Rao and another local bloke ahead of him when the required rate has jumped to 11 and only 5 overs remain - and that too in a qualifier for the finals. Am I the only one smelling something fishy?

KKR make it to finals for the first time, they do have a good balanced team.Shewag's strategy to  send some pinch hitters for quest of quick runs pinched him badly.However if that would have come good, none would even question that.

CSK and MI battling it out in Chinnaswamy batting paradise for a spot against DD.

MSD's 6 of Malinga was something very very special ... why he always holds back in T20's. He is one among of the most destructive batsman who always curbs his aggression.

CSK played like champions, these guys are very dangerous once they come to Quarter/Semi or Finals.

CSK take on DD , can't predict the winner ... DD has one of the best bowling attack while their batting is very dangerous on any pitch. They have a line up which can make mockery of 200 runs against any attack, but if they fire, esp at the top.

For CSK , Raina is due for a big big innings. I guess some scintillating innings from him in Semis and Finals ( hopefully) is in store.Nothing like it when Raina is on song.

For KKR , Naraine and Gambhir are the Aces, while there are others like Mcullum, Kallis and brigade of local talent that are quality and can be destructive on their own. Do they have big match nerves? (I don't think so).

Dhoni,Shewag or Gambhir - All my favs , so no problem whoever wins but I would prefer the order which I mentioned.

Memory mate memory ... but actually CSK have dominated IPL's so much in all five seasons and won CLT20 once, so it is obvious regarding the confusion.No surprises, many of my friends feel the same,even I felt at times, but then immediately I remember Bhajji's antics after winning the cup
( and Maligna's refreshing batting which saved them throught the tournament in precarious situations).

So two more big games to go...I guess KKR might not lift the cup, decode/attack Narine, get Gambhir quickly, the team may fall flat. DD has the best team, KKR a balanced team , but CSK have MSD, One of the best captain I have seen in any format.

Captain is just as good as your team, and you can't expect a captain to win you matches with just the captaincy. Unless you have good players in right form, even world's best captain can't win a single match without team's effort. All that said , this guy makes things happen on the field when going gets tough, which other captains would not do. He has that strange art where he makes wonders at times with his decisions, field placing, bowling changes, tactics and strategies.

CSK smoked 222. DD taking guard, can they do it,maybe yes but very very difficult.

The only time CSK have lost a final be it in IPL or CLT20 was when they played against a team Yusuf Pathan plays for... Yusuf took 3 wickets and scored a match winning 56 in that game... can he do it again in the finals this time!!!??? we've seen signs of that in Qualifier 1...He brings in the X factor... 

I don't know what others say , but the way Chennai have played to get to 17 pts and winning 2 pressure games , if they win tournament I would say they deserved to win the tournament.Infact whoever wins from here , seems to be a deserved winner to me.

So coming to the big match this Sunday, I guess KKR is already having jitters about the way CSK are thrashing opponents. KKR would go all out right from the outset, which might backfire big time.KKR might lose even before the battle heats up.While that can happen with CSK too, if overconfidence creeps in.They had two flattering matches against teams like MI and DD.

Can't really expect the outcome of the game, CSK should win it, the moment they made it to top four, they were obvious favorites. They know how to play big matches and win it.Well favorites just means who might win , but every damn favorite has to go out and win it by actions. I'm hoping the same from CSK.

Sunil Naraine is going to be key for KKR , while I expect (hoping) Raina to do something special in finals....Well both the team have such quality and reliability players , that it is hard to guess who will be the Ultimate winner.