- The 17th edition of the highly popular, lucrative, and cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 cricket tournament concluded with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) winning the coveted trophy for the third time. KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) most convincingly in a shockingly one-sided final. The final was a hugely disappointing fare for the SRH as they failed to offer even a semblance of contest. What was anticipated as a keenly contested match between the two quality sides eventually turned out to be a damp squib. Of course, KKR will not have any complaints about lifting the trophy after a decade. One of the most defining aspects emerging from the recently concluded league is how the batters have attacked the bowlers right from the word go.
PC: First Post
- The powerplay in the first six overs was used by the belligerent batters to a great extent, placing the bowlers under pressure right at the beginning. The number of sixers hit by the batters in the powerplay is mindboggling. Look at the way SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were seen indulging in teeing off the ball far and away. Likewise, Sunil Narine of KKR, Virat Kohli of RCB, or for that matter every opener worth his salt was simply amazing to watch. As you are aware, the IPL is primarily made up of Indian cricketers supplemented by four overseas players in the playing eleven. It’s time we dissect the just concluded IPL to understand did the platform provided Indian cricketers ample opportunity to emerge as a serious talent.
- Remember, the competition in the IPL is truly international since several world-class cricketers participate in the tournament. As such, the benefit of sharing a dressing room, on and off-the-field interaction, knowledge exchange, and playing alongside some of these marquee players would only help the budding Indian cricketers tremendously. Let’s see who are those Indian cricketers that have left behind a mark in the latest edition of the league. To begin with, Abhishek Sharma tops the list with his explosive exploits with the bat at the start of the innings. The youngster is a Team India prospect if he continues to perform consistently. The freedom with which Abhishek went about taking the bowlers was a sight to behold.
PC: Times of India
- The tearaway fast bowler Mayank Yadav representing Lucknow Super Giants made an impressive presence in the first few matches of the league. But for the most inopportune injury, Mayank would have left behind a great mark in the Indian cricket scenario. Pacer Harshit Rana of KKR had a great tournament bagging the purple cap for the most wickets. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy of KKR had a great tournament as well. Rayan Parag of Rajasthan Royals was a revelation who went about scoring freely in the tournament. He is a prospect for Team India for sure. Pacer T Natarajan of SRH had a superb outing scalping a handful of wickets. This augurs well for the Indian cricket going forward. The IPL is living up to its billing producing talent for Indian cricket.
