IPL 2020 Off To A Flying Start
Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
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By Slogger
First publised on 2020-09-21 07:46:24
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Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
View all posts by this Author
IPL 2020 has got off to a flying start in the bio bubble put in place by the BCCI in the UAE. After initial hiccups of several players and support staff in various teams testing positive and getting their practice schedules botched up, all the logistics, arrangements and most importantly, health precautions, fell in place and the players got to perform on the field.
The first match in Abu Dhabi between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings showed that although some of the players had not shaken off the lethargy of being out of match practice for over six months, the thrill of playing competitive cricket after so long made them eager to perform. So while Rohit Sharma started off with a bang, he got stuck and was ultimately dismissed cheaply. The new Mumbai Indiansâ bowlers, Trent Boult and James Pattison bowled with fire and consistency (which showed why the franchise had invested in them) and pegged CSK back but Ambatti Rayadu and Faf Du Plessis batted with gritty resolve to take them home with 5 wickets in hand. The match brought back M S Dhoni on the field and despite having gained weight, the way the wily skipper handled his bowlers showed that the coolness is still intact.
Although the stands were empty and there were some VIPs, including Saurav Ganguly, in the pavilion (maintaining strict social distancing and wearing masks), those were just the sign of the difficult times we are living in now. On the field, though, the players stuck to their tasks in the customary competitive manner. The fans, too, had a lot to cheer after a prolonged hiatus. The commentary on television had the roar of the crowd in the feed but the cheerleaders were missing. This IPL is being played for the television viewer and the telecast showed pictures of fans enjoying with the customary intensity all over the world. Pandemic or no pandemic, the game must go on.
