It is ability not age that counts when the time of reckoning arrives. With an average age of more than 30 years, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) became champions for the third time in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
You need to whistle for them. They deserve all the accolades for clinically destroying the opposition to reach the final. You’ve got to hand it to Captain Cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Not only was he in top gear as a captain but also as a player, critics be damned.
At 36, he has too many critics behind his back with knives sharpened. But he gave such an exemplary performance that many had to back off.
Dhoni rightly claimed it is all about fitness and not age. Shane Watson, also 36, gave the performance of his life to ensure that CSK eventually won.
The other 30-plus players in the side like Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu, Imran Tahir and Suresh Raina chipped in when it mattered.
For once, the two best sides in the competition got into the final. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had a good run and despite a hiccup in the playoffs against CSK, made it eventually to the final.
Again it was captain Kane Williamson who spurred his side throughout the IPL. He batted well, was tactically sound and was backed by his team.
The SRH bowling was a major force in the tournament with Rashid Khan having a great run once again. He probably is the best spinner in the shortest version of the game.
The biggest disappointment were Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Defending champions MI started badly, then recovered but tapered off later.
They never looked like a side who could win the IPL this time round. They were often lackadaisical and lacked consistency. Kieron Pollard hardly made an impact and the bowling looked ragged at times.
Virat Kohli and A B de Villiers were in sizzling form this year but their team finished in the bottom half the table. Sadly, the other players did not contribute much and RCB kept losing matches. The big mystery is that a big hitter like Brendon McCullum hardly played this year for reasons unknown.
Captain Dinesh Karthik provided the inspiration which helped Kolkata Knight Riders make the cut for the playoffs. Overall, the performance was sketchy and only a last minute flurry helped them reach the last four.
Kings XI Punjab made a brilliant start but as the tournament progressed, chinks appeared in their armour. Chris Gayle and K Rahul made a huge impact at the start but the rest did not match it. They leaked runs regularly and their batsmen couldn’t get going. Andrew Tye had a great tournament and took the most wickets in the tournament.
Rajasthan Royals made a late surge and clinched a berth in the last four due to the valiant efforts of Jos Butler who batted superbly. But RR didn’t make much impact after Butler left to play for England.
Ben Stokes proved to be a big disappointment for RR who had dished out a huge sum for him.
Delhi Daredevils may have finished last but there is hope that the future will be much brighter than before. With Gautam Gambhir retiring after a bad run, many of the younger players stepped up under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. Rishabh Pant was in great form, playing some audacious shots to thrill the crowd.
This edition of the IPL was truly a great success with many close matches which kept the spectators enthralled. There was some great batting, bowling and fielding.
De Villiers leaping catch on the boundary line will be lasting memory of IPL2018.
~~
- Mogambo Khush Hua! - July 13, 2019
- Five Spoofs To Make Your Day - July 7, 2019
- Have You Seen These Aamir Khan Classics? - June 29, 2019
