The IPL bandwagon has finally come to a glorified finish. But the cricket goes on. In another fortnight a new season begins for India and elsewhere it has already begun. Sometimes the overdose of cricket can make it dull as dishwater. The IPL this year certainly lacked the freshness and the exuberance that it usually exudes. But if we factor in the TV ratings and stats of the league stage results, it tells us quite a different story entirely. There has been a significant increase in the viewership than 2014. And after 13 matches each, only one team was through to the semifinals which makes it officially the most exciting IPL ever.
We certainly need to give credit to the current crop of international players who play all forms of the game round the year. Because staying fit is not only enough, but also being motivated enough to give their all in the field every day is immensely strenuous, especially if things are not going your way on the field it becomes psychologically exhausting. Scraping through this period is what makes a champion. The youth of the IPL needs to learn this from the veterans more than the technique. Certainly in IPL the veterans have proved that this game is more than just the technique. Ashish Nehra took 22 wickets this season for Chennai Super Kings at age 36. Pravin tambe did his magic with leg breaks last year at age 41. Brad Hodge was brilliant whenever he batted for Rajasthan even when he was 40 years old. It is tough to imagine IPL without these players. It is indeed tough to leave them out of contention. In this line of thought, imagine how it would have been if the players of the yesteryear played the IPL. Imagine how your fantasy cricket team would be with the likes of Richard hadlee and Imran khan. Here's a list of players who would have added a different shade to the IPL.
Navjot Singh Sidhu:
Yes, You heard it right my friend. Explosive with his bat. Explosive with his
mouth. He can be the perfect opener for any side. That's an optimistic
expectation from a player with mediocre records. But hey, optimistic are those who think bullshit is the fertilizer. He can
hit the ball quite hard and give a mouthful to the bowlers who talk. For a
captain any batsman who unsettles an opening bowler with any means whatsoever
is quite a handy batsman and he is quite experienced one at that. Playing
alongside him can be as uncomfortable as
a bum on a porcupine but BOSS! you got to choose between tightening your
belt or losing your pants.(Sorry, I couldn't help it.)
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| You have something to say? I dare you! |
No guesses which team he would have played for. But Preity Zinta
would probably need to arrange for a drummer to do 'Ba-dum-tuss' every time he
hit a four or six and Sehwag would probably need to start believing in singles
playing alongside him. But seriously, with field restrictions in the first six
overs and his energetic body language in the middle, he will instill fear in
the minds of bowlers. Because fear my
friend, multiplies faster than rabbits.(enough!)
Krish Srikanth:
These two can be a lethal opening combination on their day. He's a swashbuckling opener who is just brute force. He could be the BAZ of the yesteryear for Chennai and as usual they would keep retaining him and Dhoni would probably play him every match even if he is not in form. Consistency is not there in his lexicon but it's just a risk you take as an owner because on his day he can destroy bowling attacks and turn matches rapidly especially in the sub continent.
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| Seriosuly, Why do we need helmets macha? |
His theatrics are a crowd puller. He will probably win
Hot-star moment award by facing Mitchell Johnson without a helmet and playing
with haydos' mongoose bat (So much for his fearlessness!) .
Ravi Shastri:
He flashes and flashes hard and the ball
goes like a tracer bullet. No it really does. This powerful middle/lower
batsman with his slick left arm spin can be an asset to any team. He can up the ante if things are going slow
with his big hits and he can slow down the game with his shrewd skills with the
ball. Consistency is not going to be a problem with him as his commitment is
hundred percent in each game.
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Annd he goes for the full monty!!
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He might not win matches all the time but his value on the
field can't be weighed based on the winnings alone. He's a cool customer and he's a perfect utility player for the
team. He's the one who scores valuable twenty runs in the middle which no one
notices but it's valuable all the same. It's so similar to the role Shakib Al
Hasan plays for Kolkata. He's just what
the doctor ordered for your fantasy cricket team. Gambhir can afford at least
a smile now. No?
Ian Botham:
Another paragon for the perfect all rounder. Had Sir Botham at his prime played in the IPL, he would have crossed the 16 crore barrier in auction with ease. An indestructible batsman and a terrifying bowler had he been a loyal football player to an English football club they would have had Statue for him outside their stadium. Such was his cricketing virtues with a nonchalance in the mould of the Iron man.
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My life, my rules, my cannabis!
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Break his tooth with a bouncer, he would spit it out and be ready to face the next ball(Well, he has done that literally). His is a life of extremes on and off the field which can be a great spectacle for the ever drama-loving IPL fans. He would have probably played for RCB or MI who thrive on these kind of players. Oh! And he would probably have given a "Rats posterior" to ECB had they tried to play politics on him to not let him play in the IPL.
Kapil Dev:
Legendary fast bowler who bowled fast when India wasn't producing enough fast bowlers is a perfect IPL specimen because he's Indian and a Fast bowler. I say that because of the four foreign player limitation in IPL. And he's not just any ordinary fast bowler, he can produce match winning spells and he can do it consistently. His lower order batting prowess is also a huge asset. He might not have the pace of Hadlee or the domineering quality of an Ian Botham but he still does the job for you. His marathon athlete's stamina will make him a strong contender for any team.
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| Look I don't know anything about ICL, I swear! |
He would have probably played for Sun Risers Hyderabad or
Delhi who seem to have a strong liking for having pace bowlers in their attack.
Dev and Dale? Run batsman, run!
Robin Singh:
You simply cannot keep this under-rated Indian limited overs giant out of contention from IPL. The brilliant fielder, a nagging bowler and an excellent batsman that he is, certainly can come out of the coaching room of Mumbai and play for them still. Mumbai will definitely not miss him from their "Coaching Team" that they have assembled.
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| Head coach? USA? Done. |
He is the player who can take those spectacular catches at
point to win catch of the match award. He's the perfect utilitarian candidate
for a fantasy team. He's also more suited to play for Rajasthan who identify
these kind of talents and make them champion. Robin and Hodge could have been
the perfect finishers!
Erapalli Prassana:
'Pras' as they call him is an astute and shrewd tactician. He's an off break bowler with a beautifully guised flight which lands perfectly out of reach for the advancing batsman who's aiming for a cover drive. His was a game that played on minds. This wily old fox reads the batsmen like a hawk and disguises his off breaks and arm ball perfectly. He might get hit for a few but he can fox the batsmen with his attacking mindset.
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| Flight! Flight! Flight! |
Chennai would have pounced on player like him in the auction to use him in their home ground's red soil turf which is perfect for his off breaks. Pras and Mutiah muralidharan? CSK need not wonder which way the match will "Turn".
Imran Khan:
This transformer and a legendary leader with his glamour and glitz would appeal to the IPL like no other cricketer would. His reverse swinging yorker would have won so many close matches in the IPL. It's like having Mitchell Starc and an Andre Russell the batsman in the same player. His invigorating leadership ability needs no introduction either.
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| I'm the cricketer not the actor Imran Khan! |
If the Tacit agreement
to not pick Pakistani players by the owners is broken, at his peak, this
indisputable Pakistani legend would have been a great pick in the auction. He
can certainly blend in to any team in the IPL which splash the cash. I wonder
how AB tackles him. Dil-scoop maybe?
Richard Hadlee:
How can we miss sir richard? The pinnacle of all rounder legends of the game. More known as a consummate bowler with hard hitting batting abilities. His aggressive character and looks rubbed off on his performances as well even while playing the game with all spirit and professionalism. He would have thrived in the IPL. Not that he needed a reputation but IPL would have made him extremely rich and a very famous cult figure in India.
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| Legendary sir |
Stephen Fleming would have definitely convinced the CSK
management to buy him and then Chennai would have had two Knights(Sir Jadeja)
playing in their team. Is that a first time ever?
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