By Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, 5/26/2022
India bowed out of the 2021 T20 World Cup without putting up a proper fight. A lot has changed since then.
Rohit Sharma is now the all-format Indian captain, Rahul Dravid the new coach after Ravi Shastri’s departure, and a new-look India’s T20 tour of South Africa squad is announced.
Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, comeback kid Dinesh Karthik, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav, and Hardik Pandya all made deserving entries or returns to the T20 side.
IPL performances have been duly rewarded, selectors have displayed some positive thinking, but is the selection aggressive enough?
3 Indian Cricketers Who Deserve More Chances in T20I
Despite rests for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and injuries to Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, and Suryakumar Yadav, three players could not find a spot in the 18-man squad. It is hard for anyone to break into the Indian team these days, but team India is making a huge mistake by not giving them a chance at all.
Eight years ago, Prithvi Shaw burst onto the scene by scoring 546 (330) in a school competition. Comparisons to Sachin Tendulkar were inevitable (and even Sehwag & Lara for that matter). He then won the U-19 WC as captain and has produced runs at the domestic circuit and IPL level.
Things looked bright, but he has only played 5 Tests (1 century, 2 50s), 6 ODIs, and a sole T20I (debut golden duck by the way).
History of fitness issues has not helped advance Shaw’s case, and he has often been depicted as ‘careless’ or ‘carefree’ in his batting approach. However, this is exactly the need of the hour for Indian cricket in T20Is.
Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, and even Ishan Kishan play a similar brand of cricket as openers, but Shaw is a breath of fresh air. This season he has produced knocks of
And when he has not gone big, he has knocked singles and made sure the partnership with David Warner flourishes. Prithvi Shaw might not rack up the running charts and stay till the end, but what he provides is worth much more – an impetus to the team from Ball One of the match.
The real question is, will he even get an audition for the T20 WC squad?
Rahul Tripathi was always considered one of those key Indian uncapped players who ‘punches above his weight’ and ‘provides a bit of spark and energy in the field,’ but has always been seen a level below international quality (like a Swapnil Asnodkar, Manvinder Bisla, Nitish Rana, and now Rajat Patidar).
But has Rahul Tripathi been unfairly pigeonholed? He batted with flair this year at SRH (413 Runs, 3 50s, 158.24 SR) and was the catalyst behind KKR’s run to the final last year (397 runs, 2 50s, 140.28 SR). His highest score in each of the last 6 IPLs read
93, 80*, 50, 81, 74*, 76
This means that when he is in the mood, he goes big. But more than the stats, it is Tripathi’s infectious attitude while batting. He starts hitting from ball 1, can float anywhere in the batting lineup, and adapts to any situation. Fast bowlers, spinners, doesn’t matter. 120/2 or 0/1 – he comes in with the same aggression and mindset as a modern day #3 batter should.
Mitchell Marsh, Moeen Ali, Dawid Malan, Mohammad Hafeez, and Devon Conway are the template to bat at #3 these days. Gone are the days of Steve Smith and Virat Kohli steadying the pace.
Tripathi has done all in his power to showcase his ability, but will he ever get a chance?
Sanju Samson has been the most ill-treated of them all. Samson has barely received any chances at the international level since his debut in 2015:
1 T20 Vs Zimbabwe (2015), 1 Vs SL (Jan 2020), 2 Vs NZ (Jan-Feb 2020), 3 Vs Aus (Dec 2020), 3 Vs SL (Jul 2021), 3 Vs SL (Feb 2022).
There is barely any continuity. In his last series in February,he did not bat in the first T20I and scored his personal best – a crucial 39 (25) with 2 fours & 3 sixes at #4. Yet, he has been dropped while the likes of Ishan Kishan & Venkatesh Iyer have been retained despite poor IPL form. What message are the selectors and coach sending?
In Qualifier 1 of IPL 2022, Samson gave an apt reply with the bat.
First ball he faced – SIX! What followed was carnage. His next scoring shots were 4,4,4,6,6. He scored 30 (13) before he even took a single. Now, that is T20 mentality!
That 47 (26) was a more impactful innings than Jos Buttler’s 89 (56).
Sanju Samson and the IPL Inconsistency Myth
He has been on the IPL scene since 2013 but has always carried the perception of ‘inconsistency’, ‘not enough domestic runs’, or ‘throws his wicket away.’
Let us dig a bit deeper. This may have been true from 2013-2016 (where his average hovered between 20.4-26.45 & SR between 112.35-125.15). In each of those years, he would make one or two sparkling fifties and then fall off.
However, from 2017-2022, he has scored 3 hundreds, 12 fifties, striking it between 136.72-150.36 and averaging between 30.07-40.33. Runs in these five years?
386, 441, 342, 375, 484, 421*
His numbers might not be KL Rahul-esque (659, 593, 670, 626, 616) whose SR hovers around 135. Rahul plays an opener/anchor role, while Samson is the middle order intent batter who can keep the game moving and hit spinners out of the attack.
In essence, Sanju Samson has become more consistent, more lethal, and a true match winner.
Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Tripathi, and Sanju Samson, literally the only three Indian batters with a modern day T20 batting mindset, were omitted from the South Africa squad list. Although India has about 24 T20Is to try out new players before the 2022 T20 World Cup later this year, their exclusion reveals India’s reluctance to play ultra-aggressive cricket.
Among Indian players, only Dinesh Karthik (187. 28), Rajat Patidar (156.25), Shivam Dube (156.21), Rishabh Pant (151.78) have comparable Strike Rates. Samson, Tripathi, and Shaw have taken the leap of faith with risk & reward. The real question is, will Indian selectors?
Samson’s own words summarizes the Shaw-Tripathi-Samson Paradox beautifully. At Breakfast with Champions, he stated that
“When you’re doing a role like this. In T20s, when you are there to hit sixes…you need to have guts inside yourself, you need to be brave enough to do that role…failures will happen…If I get to play, I play. If I don’t, I don’t.”
“I am not here to score lots and lots of runs…I am here to score a small amount of runs which are very effective for the team.”
India Need to Revive the Memories of 2007
India last won a T20 World Cup way back in 2007. It was the inaugural edition, nobody knew what this beast T20 cricket would come, and the IPL had yet to be announced.
Stalwarts Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly stepped aside to give youngsters a chance. Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Sreesanth, Joginder Sharma, RP Singh, and even the timeless Dinesh Karthik would make the squad. The Pathan brothers, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag were the ‘seniors’ in the side lead under a certain captain MS Dhoni.
And guess what happened? India won—a young team with nothing to lose who just went out there, took risks, and expressed themselves.
Fast forward 15 years and 6 T20 World Cups later, India has yet to win another trophy. What’s worse? They have not even played close to their potential (Virat Kohli dragged into the finals and semi-finals of the 2014 & 2016 editions).
It might be time for a couple of seniors to step aside and give a free reign to players who can go there and play their natural, free-flowing, expressive cricket.
By Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, 3/24/2022
Time for IPL 2022! Yep, the festival is back—This time with two more teams. That is right! Welcome Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Kings!
Lot has changed since last time. A massive auction and an end of an era. No Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, AB De Villiers and although MS Dhoni & Virat Kohli are still here, they are no longer captains.
Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about IPL 2022 QUICKLY—Squads, Schedule, Latest Injury News, Commentators, History, and Predictions! By the end of this read, you should have all your IPL 2022 questions answered.
Venues: All the matches will be played in & around Mumbai:
Wankhede Stadium
Brabourne Stadium
DY Patil Stadium (Navi Mumbai)
MCA International Stadium (Pune)
IPL 2022 Groups
GROUP A
GROUP B
Mumbai Indians
Chennai Super Kings
Kolkata Knight Riders
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Rajasthan Royals
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Delhi Capitals
Punjab Kings
Lucknow Super Giants
Gujarat Titans
IPL 2022 Groups
*Note: Unlike previous IPLs, this is not going to be a round-robin tournament. To keep the number of games bearable, each team will play teams from their groups twice (as well as one team from the other group), and the rest of the team once. So that is two games against five teams and one game against the other four for a total of 14 matches.
Detailed team-by-team fixtures are displayed with each team below.
The big news in this arena is that Ravi Shastri is back in the commentary box after his coaching tenure with the Indian team came to an end. Also joining him are ex-IPL stars like Mr. IPL – Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla, and Dhawal Kulkarni
English/Global Broadcast
Harsha Bhogle, Ian Bishop, Alan Wilkins, Pommie Mbangwa, Simon Doull, Sunil Gavaskar, Danny Morrison, Graeme Swann, Scott Styris, Neroli Medows, Anant Tyagi, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Murali Karthik, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Hayden, Deep Dasgupta, Anjum Chopra, Nicholas Knight, WV Raman, Daren Ganga, Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith
Apart from these two major broad categories, IPL 2022 will be broadcasted in at least seven other regional languages with marquee Indian domestic cricketers as commentators.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 2009, 2011, 2016 (Runner-Up)
Delhi Capitals: 2020 (Runner-Up)
Punjab Kings: 2014 (Runner-Up)
*Note: Rising Pune Supergiant reached the final of the 2017 IPL (Deccan Chargers Gujarat Lions, Sahara Pune Warriors India, Kochi Tuskers Kerela were the other teams to have featured in the IPL – Now defunct. Also, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab were the earlier names of Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings respectively).
2022 Indian Premier League News at A Glance
IPL 2022 Injury/Withdrawn List
Jofra Archer was eligible to be in the IPL 2022 auctions. However, he will not be playing this season due to an elbow injury. Watch out for MI in future seasons. Bumrah + Archer will be WOW!
Deepak Chahar is set to miss the IPL with a recurring quadriceps injury.
Anrich Nortje is suffering from an injury but is back with the squad (might not be available right away).
Jason Roy & Alex Hales withdraw due to bio bubble fatigue. Mark Wood is out of the IPL with an elbow injury.
Suryakumar Yadav is suffering from a hairline thumb fracture. He will miss the first match and may comeback soon.
Other IPL 2022 Major News
MS Dhoni steps down from captaincy. Ravindra Jadeja the new captain for CSK. Dhoni will however play as a player for one (or more) seasons.
Moeen Ali gets visa (late) and had to be quarantined. Hence, he will arrive by CSK’s second match.
IPL 2022 Team Availability
Every season, team combinations are impacted by international commitments. Here are the ongoing/future series that might collide with IPL 2022:
Bangladesh Tour of South Africa:Dwaine Pretorius (CSK), Kagiso Rabada (PBKS), and Lungi Ngidi & Mustafizur Rahman (both DC). However, they may only miss one or two matches since CSA has granted leave for Rabada, Ngidi, Jansen, Markram, and Rassie van der Dussen at the expense of the Test series. Read Firdose Moonda’s article explaining Money Matters.
Australia tour of Pakistan:Australian players are not granted a leave till April 6th, which means they will be unavailable for 4-5 matches for their respective teams. This includes Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch (KKR), Sean Abbott (SRH), Hazlewood/Behrendorff (RCB), Marcus Stoinis (LSG), and David Warner (first two matches). Oh and Glenn Maxwell is getting married, so let us leave him alone for a couple of weeks.
England tour of West Indies: Jonny Bairstow (PBKS), Alzarri Joseph (LSG) – Misses first two matches due to the Test series
NZ Tour of England:Starts in June but if their IPL teams qualify for the playoffs, Tim Southee (KKR) & Jonny Bairstow (PBKS) might miss out.
*Note: Netherlands tour of NZ series is also ongoing but NZ have released all their IPL bound players, so there is no conflict.
CSK’s strength lies in their all-rounders and bench strength. Moeen Ali, Jadeja, and Bravo make up the core but even if they sit out, Santner, Chris Jordan, Pretorius, and Dube are adequate replacements.
Weaknesses
Out and out pace bowling. Without Chahar, Adam Milne is the lone spearhead of their fast bowling attack but Deshpande/Asif are a bit inexperienced.
X Factor
Watch out for Devon Conway, or as he is known in CSK circuits—Mike Hussey 2.0.
Chennai Super Kings IPL 2022 Squad List
Batters
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ambati Rayudu
Robin Uthappa (WK)
MS Dhoni (C/WK)
Hari Nishaanth
Narayan Jagadeesan
Subhranshu Senapati
_________________________
Overseas
Devon Conway (WK)
All Rounders
Ravindra Jadeja
Shivam Dube
Rajvardhan Hangragekar
Bhagat Verma
___________________________
Overseas
Mitchell Santner
Dwayne Bravo
Moeen Ali
Dwaine Pretorius
Chris Jordan
Bowlers
Deepak Chahar
Tushar Deshpande
KM Asif
Mukesh Choudhary
Prashant Solanki
Simarjeet Singh
__________________________
Overseas
Adam Milne
Mahesh Theekshana
Overseas Players (by Nationality):
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne
Balance. Solid top order with Marsh/Axar as allrounders and Sarfaraz Khan/Rovman Powell as the finishers. And with Shardul Thakur here, there is no need to fear.
Weaknesses
Replacements. Warner/Marsh/Nortje/the Fizz will be out for the first 4-5 matches.
X Factor
Watch out for Axar Patel-Shardul Thakur. Could be the Sneh Rana-Pooja Vastrakar type lower order players DC need.
Shubman Gill, 2. Matthew Wade (WK), 3. Wriddhiman Saha, 4. Hardik Pandya (C), 5. Vijay Shankar, 6. Rahul Tewatia, 7. Gurkeerat Singh Mann/Jayant Yadav, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Mohammad Shami, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Noor Ahmad/R Sai Kishore
Strengths
Bowling line-up of envy—Rashid Khan, Shami, Lockie Ferguson, R Sai Kishore.They also bought most of the India allrounders in the last five years (Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Gurkeerat, Jayant Yadav, Tewatia)
Weaknesses
Top order. Without Jason Roy, this is a think looking line up. Pandya-Shankar-Tewatia-Rashid can do wonders once in a while but lot rests of the Gill-Wade opening combination.
X Factor
R Sai Kishore. Consistent performer for Tamil Nadu in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the domestic game. Should finally come off the bench and make his mark in the IPL.
Gujarat Titans IPL 2022 Squad List
Batters
Shubman Gill
Wriddhiman Saha (WK)
Abhinav Manohar
Sai Sudharshan
____________________________
Overseas
Matthew Wade (WK)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)
All Rounders
Hardik Pandya (C)
Vijay Shankar
Gurkeerat Singh Mann
Rahul Tewatia
Jayant Yadav
__________________________
Overseas
Rashid Khan
Dominic Drakes
Bowlers
Mohammad Shami
R Sai Kishore
Varun Aaron
Pradeep Sangwan
Darshan Nalkande
Yash Dayal
___________________________
Overseas
Lockie Ferguson
Noor Ahmad
Jason Roy* (withdrawn)
Overseas Players (by Nationality):
Australia: Matthew Wade
New Zealand:Lockie Ferguson
West Indies: Dominic Drakes
Afghanistan: Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad
The All-Round Package.If fit & in-form, Russell-Narine-Cummins-Venkatesh Iyer will be a handful. And captain Shreyas Iyer is in rich vein of form as well.
Weaknesses
Wicketkeeper. With a long tournament, there are not many keeper options apart from Sheldon Jackson (Indian domestic) & Sam Billings. Fitting them into the middle order might change combinations in the XI.
X Factor
Watch out for Chamika Karunaratne. With Cummins arriving after match 4 and Russell’s fitness never certain, Chamika could be a handy lower order bowling all-rounder.
KL Rahul (C), 2. Quinton de Kock (WK), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Marcus Stoinis, 5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Krunal Pandya, 7. Jason Holder, 8. Krishnappa Gowtham/Shahbaz Nadeem, 9. Ravi Bishnoi, 10. Avesh Khan, 11. Dushmantha Chameera
Strengths
The first XI. What a team – Pandey/Stoinis at 3 & 4 means KL Rahul can play his natural game. Hooda-Pandya-Holder are adequate finishers/all-rounders and Bishnoi/Avesh Khan/ Chameera strong bowlers.
Weaknesses
Replacement bowlers might be a slight concern.
X Factor
Watch out for Rahul-QDK as the opening pair of the tournament.
Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2022 Squad List
Batters
KL Rahul (WK/C)
Manish Pandey
Manan Vohra
Karan Sharma
Ayush Badoni
___________________________
Overseas
Quinton de Kock (WK)
Evin Lewis (WK)
All Rounders
Deepak Hooda
Krunal Pandya
Krishnappa Gowtham
___________________________
Overseas
Jason Holder
Marcus Stoinis
Kyle Mayers
Bowlers
Avesh Khan
Ravi Bishnoi
Shahbaz Nadeem
Ankit Rajpoot
Mayank Yadav
___________________________
Overseas
Dushmantha Chameera
Andrew Tye
*Mark Wood (Withdrawn)
Overseas Players (by Nationality):
Australia: Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye
West Indies: Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers
The same core as before. Rohit-Ishan-Sky-Pollard-Bumrah.
Weaknesses
The bowling cohort. Unadkat/Thampi are adequate players to come off the bench but not the ideal starters.They will also miss the Pandya brothers.
X Factor
Watch out for the foreign recruits. Brevis was the batter of the U-19 World Cup, Tim David is the hardest hitting Singaporean in the T20 circuit, Fabian Allen’s reputation has gone up in the last couple of years, and a fit-Tymal Mills is a treat to watch.
Mumbai Indians IPL 2022 Squad List
Batters
Rohit Sharma
Ishan Kishan (WK)
Suryakumar Yadav
Anmolpreet Singh
Rahul Budhhi
Aryan Juyal (WK)
Ramandeep Singh
Tilak Verma
___________________________
Overseas
Dewald Brevis
Tim David
All Rounders
Arshad Khan
Sanjay Yadav
___________________________
Overseas
Fabian Allen
Kieron Pollard
Daniel Sams
Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah
Jaydev Unadkat
Murugan Ashwin
Mayank Markande
Basil Thampi
Hrithik Shokeen
Arjun Tendulkar
___________________________
Overseas
*Jofra Archer (unavailable this season)
Riley Meredith
Tymal Mills
Overseas Players (by Nationality):
Australia: Riley Meredith, Daniel Sams, Tim David (Singapore/Australia)
The top 5. Agarwal & Dhawan are perennial Orange Cap contenders, Livingstone-Bairstow are T20 legends, and Shahrukh Khan is the newest finisher in the house.
Weaknesses
Not many Indian batters on the bench if Agarwal/Dhawan were to get injured.
X Factor
Watch out for Rishi Dhawan. He has had a pivotal domestic season.
Bowling line up of Siraj-Harshal-Shahbaz-Hasaranga-Hazlewood is mouth-watering.
Weaknesses
How many games will it take RCB to figure out their best XI, which has been their usual problem. I reckon until Maxwell & Hazlewood come in, RCB might experiment with Anuj Rawat-Lomror-Rutherford.
X Factor
Watch out for Finn Allen. If he gets a chance, just remember his debut 29-ball 71 in a T20I. Also watch out for captain Faf du Plessis. Legendary leader – can he help RCB cross the line?
Kane Williamson (C), 2. Rahul Tripathi, 3. Aiden Markram/Glenn Phillips, 4. Nicholas Pooran (WK), 5. Abdul Samad, 6. Priyam Garg/Abhishek Sharma, 7. Washington Sundar/Shreyas Gopal, 8. Romario Shepherd, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Umran Malik, 11. T Natarajan/Kartik Tyagi
Strengths
Umran Malik-Natarajan-Bhuvneshwar Kumar make a solid bowling line-up. Expect Umran Malik to break the speed charts in this edition of the IPL.
Weaknesses
Not convinced with Priyam Garg/Abhishek Sharma at #6. They might be better used up the order with experienced batters to finish off the match.
X Factor
Watch out for Rahul Tripathi.He was the heart and soul of KKR’s run to the final last year and for RPS in 2017.Also watch out for Suchith, the ultimate substitute fielder.
Ravindra Jadeja is the captain of CSK in IPL 2022 as MS Dhoni steps down.
Who are all the IPL 2022 commentators?
Harsha Bhogle, Ian Bishop, Aan Wilkins, Pommie Mbangwa, Simon Doull, Sunil gavaskar, Danny Morrison, Graeme Swann, Scott Styris, neroli Medows, Anant Tyagi, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Murali Karthik, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Hayden, Deep Dasgupta, Anjum Chopra, Nicholas Knight, WV Raman, Daren Ganga, Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith head the English global broadcast unit, while Ravi Shastri, Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, Mohammad Kaif, Mayanti Langer Binny, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jatin Sapru, Tanya Purohit, Suren Sundaram are the Hindi/English commentators.
Who is the captain of RCB in IPL 2022?
After Virat Kohli stepped down, Faf du Plessis became the captain of RCB in IPL 2022.
What are the two new teams in IPL 2022?
Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are the two new teams in IPL 2022.
IPL 2021 prediction results were quite unusual this time around.
The usual contenders for the Orange and Purple caps –David Warner, Quinton de Kock, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, & Kagiso Rabada all had sub-par seasons. Even recent IPL specialists like Ishan Kishan & Suryakumar Yadav had seasons to forget. Nicholas Pooran probably had the worst of the lot.
The Year of the Surprise Package
This was the year of the ‘Surprise Package’—the rise of Avesh Khan & Chetan Sakariya, Moeen Ali 2.0, Harshal Patel’s dream season, the return of Glenn Maxwell, consistency in Sanju Samson & Prithvi Shaw, and even a 37-run over from the man who can do it all—Ravindra Jadeja.
Of course there are some things that never change. AB De Villiers & the Gayle Storm struck a couple of match-winning knocks without much match practice.
Finally, if we would have done a ‘Catch of the Season’ award, surely Ravi Bishnoi would have received it for his 2 classical running/diving catches.
IPL 2021 Prediction
Before the IPL began, we asked our Twitter followers to predict the IPL result and award winners with #BCDPredictions. Here were the categories:
#Champions
#Top4
#MVP
#OrangeCap
#PurpleCap
#FairPlay
#EmergingPlayer
#SurprisePackage
#BrokenDream
The Actual Results
Since half the games were not completed, we will consider multiple winners for each category if there were close contenders. (If we do not consider close calls, there actually very few correct answers).
Interestingly, there were zero predictions for Shikhar Dhawan & Harshal Patel, the orange & purple cap winners respectively.
So here is how things stacked at the halfway stage.
Note*: DC and PBKS played 8 games each, while other teams played only 7.
Champions
Delhi Capitals (12 points, 8 games) Chennai Super Kings (10 points, 7 games)
The moment of truth….Drumroll please….WE HAVE A TIE!
1st 🥇: Aviral Rai, James McCagrey, and Vandit (5/12)(Vandit was also the winner of the IPL 2020 Predictions)
2nd🥈:Sourabh Sanyal, Sourabh Negi, Scripturient, The Hundred Report, Xan, Priyam Desai, Kanishk, Rohan Gulavani, and Arnab Bhattacharrya (4/12)
3rd 🥉: Shivam & Harrison (3/5)
Honorable Mention:Jonny – “Hope it stays COVID safe most of all #IPL.”
The Anti Award goes to…Jimmy Ciego! His top 4 were RR (5), PBKS (6), KKR (7), and SRH (8) with Nicholas Pooran as the most valuable player. Oops… 😅 No worries. My predictions were a close second there.
Sometimes, predictions go your way, and sometimes they do not. The important thing is to have fun and get a chance to interact with other cricket fans.
In all seriousness though, my thoughts and prayers with everyone going through the pandemic around the world, especially in India. Take care and stay safe.
Thank you all for participating in the IPL 2021 Prediction 😊 Until next time…
Comment below your favorite memories from this IPL, share with your friends, and subscribe below to receive email alerts when new articles come out!
IPL 2021 has unfortunately been suspended ‘indefinitely’. Seemed inevitable—here are five takeaways from this tournament.
1. India’s Problem of Plenty At the Top for India, Questions Elsewhere
Virat Kohli announced during the India-England series that he & Rohit Sharma would open for the T20I World Cup. Ishan Kishan & Suryakumar Yadav also had stunning debuts, but IPL 2021 has changed the narrative.
Dhawan, Shaw, & KL Rahul are back in the reckoning with dominating performances while Agarwal signed off with a blazing 99*. Forms of Rohit-Kohli, Gill, Kishan, and SKY on the other hand? Concerning.
While India has plenty of options at the top, lower order looks unstable. Pandyas are horridly out of touch, Tewatia was a one-season wonder, and Karthik’s form is hot and cold. On the bowling front, Natarajan is injured, Varun and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have fitness issues, Kuldeep-Chahal are in the worst phases of their careers, and Sundar-Ashwin failed to make a mark. Only positives were the Chahar cousins, Harshal Patel, & Jadeja. Good finds in Sakariya & Avesh as well.
2. England Burnt Out, Hope for South Africa, Doubts for West Indies
England arrived in India with the goal of experiencing conditions that will help them lift the World T20 trophy. Fast forward two months, Stokes-Archer are injured & Morgan’s magic is missing—both as captain and with the bat. Apart from century in the final game, Buttler flattered to deceive, Currans were inconsistent, Woakes-Malan barely played, & Roy-Livingstone-Billings did not even get a chance. Only Moeen Ali & Bairstow had positive seasons.
With a busy home Test summer around the corner, England need to manage their players carefully. A case of severe burnout.
South Africans, on the other hand, endured a resurgent campaign. Genius of AB De Villiers aside, forms of du Plessis, Morris, Miller, and even 42-year-old Tahir provides South Africa much needed hope. With Janneman Malan & Nortje in brilliant touch during the Pakistan series, the Proteas have a decent core of youth & experience.
Ngidi, Rabada, and QDK were not in top gear, but we all know what damage they can do.
Finally, West Indians witnessed high highs and low lows. Pollard played his best IPL innings, Hetmyer & Russell displayed their finishing potential, and Gayle produced a couple of match-winning performances as well. Yet much-hyped Pooran had one of the all-time worst IPL seasons—4 ducks & an average of 4.66. Not much of note from Allen, Holder, & Narine either.
3. Loyalty Is Temporary, Class Is Permanent
David Warner might only be considered a great modern-day Australian opener, but he is an absolute legend in the Indian Premier League.
Most fifties (50), third on list of centuries (4), and fifth highest run-scorer (5447), best for any foreign player. More importantly, he led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their only title in 2016 along with four qualifiers.
It took just 6 games, couple of unfortunate run-outs, a 110 strike-rate, and miscommunication with management to axe him. Expect Warner to don a jersey of another team next IPL.
Loyalty is fickle.
4. World T20 In Danger?
Unlike the successfully hosted IPL 2020, the way this edition ended was bit of a shame. IPL 2021 was supposed to be testing grounds to see if India can host the World T20 later this year. India failed.
UAE is the top contender to host the tournament, but multiple issues still to think about. IPL 2020 was in a strict bio-bubble with 8 teams involved. The World Cup will host 16 teams, and each team is allowed an extended squad of 23 players.
Man proposes COVID disposes.
5. Humanity Prevails
Jason Behrendorff had to be the most unfortunate cricketing story of IPL 2021.
Not picked in initial auction, called as a replacement for CSK, quarantined, and when he finally became eligible to play, the IPL was called off.
What’s worse? Australian government is not accepting their citizens (even jail threat), so the Australian contingent from the IPL must fly to Sri Lanka & Maldives until the travel ban ends.
Regardless, kudos to Behrendorff & earlier to Cummins for contributing to the COVID-19 emergency in India that set off a series of players donating to the cause.
Our thoughts and prayers with India and others suffering from the global pandemic.
Moment of The Day: Chris Gayle’s Stump Goes Flying
After Kagiso Rabada’s consistent breakthrough IPL seasons, IPL 2021 has been a letdown so far. With Anrich Nortje on the bench, his position was under the scanner. Just 3 wickets in the last 5 games, he came back with a 3/36 today. My moment of the day was Rabada taking Gayle’s stump out with a full-toss after Gayle had dispatched Rabada for a six.
Mayank Agarwal was the batsman of IPL 2020 although he got injured halfway through. After his form dropped from Test cricket, he was not looking like his own. Even though he was among the runs this year, the ball-striking and strike rate was not up to par. As stand-in captain for KL Rahul, he was back to his absolute best. 99* (58) pushed PBKS to a competitive score of 166.
Honorable Mention: Hetmyer’s finishes it off in style – 16* (4) with 2 sixes
T20 World Cup Spotlight: Shaw, Shikhar Shoe-In for the 23-Member Squad?
Prithvi Shaw has been single-handedly dismantling the opposition within the powerplay, while Shikhar Dhawan has been killing the opposition softly. Together, they have formed a deadly combination, both in the top 4 of top run-getters.
Dhawan is the orange cap: 380 runs, 54.28 average, 134.27 strike rate.
If the T20 World Cup happens, they should definitely make the squad now. The question is, do they make the XI? With Mumbai Indians trio Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar struggling for form, Dhawan-Shaw might be a wildcard opening entry rather than Sharma-Kohli. KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal are the other options.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Dawid Malan
Nicholas Pooran was finally dropped for Dawid Malan. Malan already scored higher than Pooran in his six games – but the strike rate was concerning. 26 (26) with a few good looking shots and singles, but was bogged down. Where do things stand for him?
Ravi Bishnoi has pulled some blinders and have had some good games with the ball. After Harpreet got Prithvi Shaw out and Steve Smith slow to get off, PBKS had a sniff. Shikhar Dhawan had other plans as he destroyed Bishnoi. Ended with figures of 4-0-42-0.
KKR Vs DC– IPL 2021 Match #25 Quick Review! Prithvi Shaw’s assault sets KKR aside. Russell was the only positive, but harsh words from Brendon McCullum at the end.
Moments of The Day: SHAW, SHAW, SHAW. SHAW. SHAW. SHAW.
Here are my moments of today:
Wide, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4. Straight. Lofted. Inside-out. Over-midwicket. Backward Point. Cover. Prithvi Shaw’s consecutive fours were the highlightof the match. Unfortunate Shivam Mavi was on the receiving end, who followed his 1/13 4-over-spell against Punjab Kings with 1-0-25-0 against DC.
When Shubman Gill exited, KKR were reeling at 82-5 in 13 overs. Dinesh Karthik hit a couple of boundaries, but it was birthday boy Andre Russell’s 45* with 4 sixes that propelled KKR to a respectable total. This is his third cameo in 7 games, apart from his 5-fer. Already has had a better IPL than last year.
Pat Cummins took all the wickets of DC’s innings, but it was too little, too late. Shikhar Dhawan fell on 132 in the 14th over, by which time the game was gone. Questions on Eoin Morgan’s captaincy—why was Pat Cummins the 5th bowler? After Mavi, Varun, Prasidh Krishna, and Narine had bowled?
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Brendon McCullum’s Press Conference
Brendon McCullum had some harsh words for his squad after the match. He had high praise for Prithvi Shaw & Andre Russell and gave some signals for future KKR games. “If you can’t change a man, change the man.”
While Shaw’s form has hit the roof since the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shubman Gill’s form has nosedived. After his 91 in Australia, Gill’s scores read: (England Tests) 0 & 14, 11 & 15*, 0, (IPL) 15, 33, 21, 0, 11, 9, 43 (38). When he has scored, it is not quite fast enough. With Nitish Rana & Rahul Tripathi struggling for consistency, KKR just do not have the firepower at the top. Tim Seifert needs to inject the aggression at the top.
Sunil Narine has had a wonderful IPL career with KKR and has bowled decently this year, but his batting is just not good enough. Eoin Morgan is not doing that well either (duck today).
Time for SRH-inspired captaincy (SRH dumped Warner) and replace Narine/Morgan with Seifert & Lockie Ferguson. Last season, Karthik relinquished captaincy to Eoin Morgan after 7 games, and KKR has had a history of captaincy issues….so once more the charm.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
KL Rahul – 331 runs (PBKS, 7 matches)
Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 7 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Chennai Super Kings
7
5
2
0
10
+1.263
2. Delhi Capitals
7
5
2
0
10
+0.466
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
7
5
2
0
10
-0.171
4. Mumbai Indians
7
4
3
0
8
+ 0.062
5. Punjab Kings
7
3
4
0
6
-0.264
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
7
2
5
0
4
-0.494
7. Rajasthan Royals
6
2
4
0
4
-0.69
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad
6
1
5
0
2
-0.264
IPL 2021 Points Table
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Moments of The Day: Top Order, Spinners Make It Delhi’s Day (Barely)
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Prithvi Shaw‘s first six scoring shots included 5 fours and one six. All from the middle of the bat to give DC a start that they wanted in Chennai. At this ground, a quickfire 53 was the momentum that was the difference between the two sides.
The only other batsman that played a long innings was Kane Williamson. Having collapsed earlier with smaller targets, Kane Williamson showed his worth in this 160 run chase. Batted through the innings and got SRH close to victory. Well, at least to the Super Over.
Avesh Khan& Jagadeesha Suchith are the names on the long list of young Indian talent. Avesh Khan impressed yet again with 34/3 and is now second on the Purple Cap list (11 wickets) behind Harshal Patel. At the end of the innings, Axar Patel’s back-to-back wickets of Abhishek Sharma & Rashid Khan, it looked curtains for SRH. Williamson needed support and got a timely 14*(6) from Suchith. 2 fours and a pulled six off Kagiso Rabada.
The spin trio of Ashwin (4-0-27-0), Axar (4-0-26-2), and Mishra (4-0-31-1) finally played together, and they all delivered. The ball was turning square, and they were varying their pace and deliveries accordingly. May be the last time to see these three together this year.
Honorable Mentions: Rishabh Pant-Steven Smith 58 run partnership; Delhi’s Spin Trio
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Why Didn’t Bairstow Play the Super Over?
Jonny Bairstow was on fire again with quickfire 38 (18) with 4 sixes and has been SRH’s most destructive & consistent batsman this season. Hence, it was surprising that he was not sent with Williamson in the Super Over. His expression on the sidelines went viral.
MI Vs PBKS– IPL 2021 Match #17 Quick Review! Ravi Bishnoi & Mohammad Shami set up the chase, and KL Rahul-Mayank Agarwal-Chris Gayle carried Punjab home.
Moments of The Day: Good Team Selection Key to PBKS’ Win
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
PBKS’ collective bowling performance the key to victory. The way Moises Henriques (3-0-12-0) & Deepak Hooda (3-0-12-1) began set the tone for Punjab’s disciplined bowling effort & got the 5th/6th bowler out of the way earlier. Bishnoi finally came back to the XI and delivered right away. Both Shami & Bishnoi had figures of 4-0-21-2.
KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal– They delivered all throughout IPL 2020, but had been inconsistent in 2021, which lead to Punjab’s low scores of 106/8 and 120 recently. 53-run partnership today helped Punjab chase the tricky total. KL Rahul has received lots of criticism for “Strike rate is over-rated” comment, but today, slow-ish matured innings by KL & Gayle was exactly what Punjab needed. Strike rate is over-rated…in Chennai.
Rahul Chahar & Jayant Yadav – Mumbai took it close yet again due to the spinners. Chahar has been the best leg-spinner all IPL and was turning it square again. Figures of 4-0-19-1 (8 dot balls) & 4-0-20-0 (16 dot balls) for Chahar & Jayant respectively almost brought MI back in the game.
World T20 World Cup Spotlight: The Universe Boss Is Back
Chris Gayle was going through a lean phase with scores of 10, 11, & 15 with Dawid Malan looking over his shoulder. Despite a slow start today, he came back with 43* (35) with 2 sixes, in usual Gayle fashion on the 8th anniversary of his 175* against Pune Warriors. Mumbai Indians were choking oppositions at will in Chennai and run-a-ball with 3 overs to go was touch and go. Boult came in, & Gayle/Rahul finished it off with 14 balls to spare.
The 41-year-old Universe Boss should definitely be in the 23 men World T20 squad, shouldn’t he?
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Mumbai’s Batting Is Losing Its Grip
159/9, 152/10, 150/5, 137/9, 131/6 – Things are going from bad to worse for the Mumbai Indians, despite winning 2 without a single convincing batting performance.
The form of Ishan Kishan & Quinton de Kock will be a worry, specially since Chris Lynn went back to the bench after his 49. Except one score of 40, de Kock has scored 2, 2, & 3 respectively. Kishan’s 1 (3), 12 (21) , 26 (28) do not look any better and the miserly 6 (17) was the reason Mumbai scored only 21 runs in the 6-over Powerplay today.
Rohit Sharma & Suryakumar Yadav have done better overall, but neither have converted to the big scores after being set. Rohit’s 63 (52) was better today since he stayed till the 18th over, with 19, 43, 32, 44 earlier. SKY, similarly, has scores of 31, 56, 10, 24, & 33.
With 4 games in the slow pitches of Delhi to follow, MI are in dire need to change strategy…or personnel.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
Harshal Patel – 12 wickets (RCB, 4 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
4
4
0
0
8
+ 1.009
2. Chennai Super Kings
4
3
1
0
6
+1.142
3. Delhi Capitals
4
3
1
0
6
+0.426
4. Mumbai Indians
5
2
3
0
4
-0.032
5. Punjab Kings
5
2
3
0
4
-0.428
6. Sunrisers Hyderabad
4
1
3
0
2
-0.228
7. Kolkata Knight Riders
4
1
3
0
2
-0.7
8. Rajasthan Royals
4
1
3
0
2
-1.011
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The bottom of the table clash: KKR Vs RR. Purple Vs Pink. Who you do think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Moments of The Day: Stalwarts Mishra, Shikhar Steal The Show
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Amit Mishrais the most successful spinner with 164 wickets in all of IPL (7 away from #1 spot- Malinga) and for good reason too. 38 years young, his guile, spin, and googly continues to puzzle people to this day. Although he did not play last year and was out of the XI in the first few games this IPL, Chennai was the ideal venue for him to exploit his leg spin. With Kuldeep-Chahal struggling in internationals & Ashwin out of contention in T20I, is there a small window for his comeback? (Although he has not been treated too well in his international career).
On paper, Shikhar Dhawan’s45 (42) flatters to deceive, but in context, this may have been just as important as his 85 and 92. At Chepauk, KKR & SRH has lost from winning position against MI, but the experience of Shikhar Dhawan & Steven Smith pushed DC across the line.
Emergence of Lalit Yadav– Along with the experience of Dhawan-Smith, 24-year-old Lalit Yadav stood up with an all-round performance of 4-0-17-1 & mature 22*(25).
Honorable Mentions: Rohit Sharma’s 44
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: The Power Three of MI?
Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, & Krunal Pandya has been the engine room for the Mumbai Indians, yet they have looked out of sorts this year. In the four innings, they have accumulated:
Hardik Pandya – 35 runs, best of 15
Kieron Pollard – 49 runs, best of 35*, 1 wicket (one match winning performance)
Krunal Pandya – 26 runs, best of 3*, 3 wickets (including match winning 1/13 spell Vs KKR)
RCB’s success in Chennai had been built on Glenn Maxwell & AB De Villiers, and that has been missing from MI’s #4-6.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
Harshal Patel – 12 wickets (RCB, 4 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
4
4
0
0
8
+ 1.009
2. Chennai Super Kings
4
3
1
0
6
+1.142
3. Delhi Capitals
4
3
1
0
6
+0.426
4. Mumbai Indians
4
2
2
0
4
+0.187
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad
4
1
3
0
2
-0.228
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
4
1
3
0
2
-0.7
7. Punjab Kings
4
1
3
0
2
-0.824
8. Rajasthan Royals
4
1
3
0
2
-1.011
IPL 2021 Points Table
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Moments of The Day: Unadkat, Miller, & Morris Come Back In Style
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Rajasthan Royals have had two major purchases in the last few years—Jaydev Unadkat & Chris Morris. While Chris Morris has not had a major IPL season since the 2015 season with Delhi (Daredevils), Unadkat has been bitterly disappointing at RR. Today Unadkat ended up with 4-0-15-3, devouring the entire DC top order. Morris, who had been denied a run by Samson in the first game, came back with 36 (18) with 4 sixes.
The Fizz (Mustafizur Rahman) was the big positive for today. Post-injuries, his impact had dramatically reduced from the heights of his dream debut year. He was finally hitting speeds of 135 kph+ and putting revolutions on the ball. The dismissals of Stoinis & Curran were especially satisfying. With Unadkat-Fizz occupying the ‘specialist off-cutter’ position, & Sakariya/Morris for support, this is turning out pretty nicely for RR.
The fielding is finally doing justice to the standard of the IPL. After a horrendous few days, RCB-SRH brought things back on track. Today, it got even better—Samson’s flying screamer, Parag’s run out of Pant, Tewatia’s running back catch, Miller’s run out of Ashwin, & Dhawan’s 3 catches (6 in total this IPL).
Honorable Mentions:Lalit Yadav impresses; Rishabh Pant almost bails out DC with a 50; Avesh Khan’s 3 wickets
T20 World Cup Spotlight: South Africa, the Dark Horse?
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the various T20I World Cup squads.
There was a point today where Miller & Morris partnership were facing Kagiso Rabada. Miller’s career can be divided into three phases:
Killer Miller (Pre-2016)
Where Is Miller? (2016-2020)
Accumulator Miller (Post-2020)
Frankly, if this third phase is anywhere close to ‘Killer Miller’ phase, South Africa might just have a chance for the T20I World Cup. With AB De Villiers’ return possible, the young SA squad impressing against Pakistan(Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, Russie Van der Dussen, Klassen, Linde, Shamsi), & the IPL experience of Faf-ABD, QDK, Miller, Morris, Rabada-Nortje-Ngidi, count this Protea team out at your own peril.
The Chris Woakes & Tom Curran Conundrum – Woakes ended up with 15* & 4-0-22-2 today & 2/18 in the first game, while Curran had figures of 21 & 3.4-0-35-0 & 1/40 in the last game. Curran has played 28 T20I for England, while Woakes only has 8, last of which came in 2015. Time for a straight switch.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Delhi’s Team Selection
Although the Capitals made a game out of a 148 score, their tactics should still be questioned. Why was Amit Mishra dropped? What is Rahane’s role in the team? Smith-Hetmyer? Frankly, DC’s depth is so good, but I am just afraid the constant changing & chopping will not help in the stability.
RR already dealing with Jofra Archer’s injury have been dealt with Ben Stokes being ruled out of the tournament. Hopefully he recovers well, but maybe blessing in disguise given David Miller & Liam Livingstone’s form.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
2
2
0
0
4
+0.175
2. Mumbai Indians
2
1
1
0
2
+0.225
3. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+0.2
4. Delhi Capitals
2
1
1
0
2
+0.195
5. Rajasthan Royals
2
1
1
0
2
+0.052
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
2
1
1
0
0
0.00
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
2
0
2
0
0
-0.4
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The PBKS take on the CSKin Mumbai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead: