The
recently concluded IPL has been the best edition ever with lot of close
finishes and evenly balanced teams. Once again, the league table topper lose a
spot in the final. Once again, Mumbai play well in the league games and throw
it out in the qualifies. Once again, Chennai struggle in the first half, come
back strong and make it to the playoffs (only IPL team to make it in all
editions). Never before we have seen 8 teams fighting so closely for a playoff
berth. Even those two teams at the bottom of the table were not truly
outclassed. They had their own moments and during last-over finishes, ended up
on the losing side more times than the successful ones. Kolkata played very
well throughout the tournament and they deserve to win the trophy. For the tournament,
it is good to have new winners than having the same team re-gain the throne.
Being
a CSK-an, what has affected me the most is people's obsession with our luck in
making it to the playoff. Let me explain why this should not be called as
"Just Luck". CSK equally deserved a playoff spot just as Punjab or
Bangalore or Rajasthan did. To finish in the first 4, you need to be consistent
throughout and not just the first 14 games. Chennai finished in 17 points from
16 games when Punjab and Rajasthan was on 14 points with two games left, and
Bangalore on 15 points with 2 games left. It so happened that Punjab and
Rajasthan failed to cross the 17-pointer and Bangalore was pathetic in chasing
a meagre 140 odd during its last game. The IPL rules are fairly simple. The
consistent ones go through. There is no luck here. This is called
"Rules". Luck (or Unlucky) is when an umpire gives a wrong decision.
Missed Run out or dropping a catch is not luck. It is the inability of the
fielder who failed to hold the nerve in front of a packed, aroused crowd.
Why
is everyone thanking Deccan? Why is everyone saying CSK is lucky, I thought. We
played equal number of games like any other team did and got points more enough
to finish in first-4. Rewind back to 2 years when MSD thrashed Pathan all
over Dharmasala to seal a playoff spot for Chennai after winning the last
league game of that year's edition. Had Chennai played its 16th game after
every other team did, the story would turn out that "Chennai made it to
the playoffs by winning the last game", instead of "Chennai made it
just because 3 other teams lost". If Chennai is lucky to have 3 defeats in
its favor, then Delhi or Kolkata is even more lucky to have 20-30 defeats among
other teams which ensured their spot. This is all relativity and the
perspective changes from observer to observer. When a game is lost after giving
a 6 of the last ball, everyone would blame it on the bowler who gave the last
six. There might've been 10 other sixes given earlier by other bowlers. The
game could've been won even by saving one of those 10 sixes but it is that last
six which remains in people's heart. That last disaster is what that comes to
your mind. This is the reason why Chennai is considered lucky because what
followed was defeats in its favor, making it look like LUCK. It is not. Luck is
when Chennai make 2-3 points less than Rajasthan or Punjab and still make it to
the playoffs. Not when they are ahead of others.
The
last one, but not the least one. That Chennai is fixing games. How is it that
when Chennai wins - people say "fixed game" but "victory"
for other teams? What money does N.Srinivasan have that Mr.Ambani or Mr.Mallaya
doesn't? Fixing the outcome of an IPL game is practically impossible because
there are so many people involved in the tournament. The max we can do is
convince a single player to get out for cheap runs or bowl a intentional
no-ball on a particular period of the game. The possibility of convincing
an entire team which is full of international and domestic players deserves
laughter. Morne Morkel's absence in the 2nd Qualifier is considered as a means
of fixing because Andre Russel who replaced him neither made runs or got
wickets. But think about that last game when the aggressive McCullum was replaced
by Bisla. Had he not played a brilliant inning and won it for KKR, his swap
would also go down as a means of "Fixing". It is good for the game
that KKR won, and Bisla played well. Otherwise, the jealously lot out there
would consider it as "undoubtedly fixed".
The post match interview of SRK or the response from the Bengal govt (as if their state won the Ranji trophy) was real fun to watch. Hope to see more fun in the Champions league.
