IPL Review IX: Floodlight failure, military tensions, No Cricket!

Just two games were completed in the ninth week of the IPL before the tournament was postponed for a week after military tensions on the country’s northern border with Pakistan. The match between Punjab Kings and the Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was abandoned because of floodlight failure but also because air-raid sirens could be heard in nearby towns. The stadium was evacuated immediately and the teams moved by train to Delhi.

The local players were sent home immediately while the contingent of overseas players and coaches were booked on flights home as soon as they became available. Several simply stayed in Dubai awaiting confirmation of the tournament’s status and a likely restart date.

A ceasefire between the two countries was agreed far earlier than most analysts expected and a restart has been tentatively announced for Friday 16 May – confirmation is expected by the end of business on Monday. Three cities are likely to be used for the 12 remaining league games and the Play-Off matches, with Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai deemed to be the most suitable and safest venues.

Neil Manthorp reviews an eventful week at the IPL…

South Africans:  Corbin Bosch has made quite a splash at MI, having waited six weeks for a debut and his 27 from 22 balls (1x4, 2x6) coming in at 113 for six, pushed the total to 155 for eight, and was very nearly enough to win. Coetzee bowled 12 balls (1-10) and faced six, scoring 12 runs (1x4, 1x6), proving that minimal work can still win matches. But Dewald Brevis was sensational for longer, smashing 52 from just 25 balls (4x4, 4x6), having come to the crease at 60 for five for CSK to reignite the innings and inspire the team to victory.

Match of the Week: A rain-delayed start and three further stoppages left Gujarat Titans requiring 15 off the single over which remained when the players took the field for the fourth time. Not many gave them a chance with Rahul Tewatia partnered by Gerald Coetzee, but it was his six over long off which proved to be the decisive blow as GT scrambled home to win by three wickets off the last ball.

Batter: Priyansh Arya’s 70 from 34 balls (5x4, 6x6) was exactly the flying start the Punjab Kings wanted in their match against the Delhi Capitals.

Bowler:  Varun Chakravarthy. KKR may have lost against CSK, but 4-0-18-2 is a fantastic performance defending a target of 180.

Performance: Century opening stands lead to victory in close to 70 per cent of the matches in which they occur, batting first or second. Priyansh Arya (70) and Prabhsimran Singh (50* off 28) added 122 for the first wicket in just 10 overs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium before floodlight failure (and nearby air-raid sirens) caused the game to be abandoned. Although bizarrely, there are suggestions that it could continue from exactly that position when the IPL resumes – at a different venue in a different city.

Clanger: Going ahead with the Punjab Kings v Delhi Capitals match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in the northern city of Dharamsala close to the Pakistan border, when tensions between the two countries were openly simmering and there were plenty of informed suggestions about relocating the fixture.

Overseas Player: Will Jacks scored 53 off 35 balls for MI against GT but Afghan wrist-spinner Noor Ahmed (4-31) took the sting out of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (179-6) tail, enabling Chennai Super Kings (183-8) to claim a consolation two-wicket victory with two balls to spare.

Indian Player: MS Dhoni, maybe? If he never plays another IPL game, at least he smacked his penultimate delivery for six to all but win the game against KKR. But he might carry on until he’s 50, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Ajinkya Rahane, a sprightly 36-year-old, has lead defending champions KKR with distinction and grace throughout this campaign and, although they won’t retain their title, his 48 from 33 balls against CSK was another example of his class.

Talking Point: Hmm…will the overseas players return for the resumption of the tournament, having understandably fled for home with the prospect of war looming? Some will, certainly, but the majority of the Australian and New Zealand players took the best part of 36 hours to get home so the return journey won’t be appealing with just 12 league games remaining. The English players have a shorter journey but most are likely to ‘pass’ on a return. Marco Jansen chose a cunning compromise, leaving the Punjab Kings to fly to Dubai – where he stayed. Out of harm’s way but just a short hop back if the situation calms and play resumes.