Missed Danny Morrison during the World Cup? Have no fear, folks, we’re just a few days away from hearing our good ol’ Danny screeching out, “Welcome, folks, to a hot, sunny afternoon in Muuumbai…”
It’s IPL time and the carnival is ready to start. Get ready for weeks of slam-bang cricket, kamaal catches, Bollywood celebrities cheering for their teams and of course, a controversy or three to spice it up. Some things always stay the same in the Indian Premier League, but let’s have a look at what’s new this year.
It’s back in India, entirely!
Due to the elections last year, we saw the initial portion of the tournament being played in the United Arab Emirates before returning to India in May. This change of venue played quite a part in IPL 2014; defending champions Mumbai Indians lost all their matches in the Emirates before rediscovering their mojo in front of their home fans and clinching qualification for the Playoff stage. This time though, the tournament stays in India, which should be balm for travel-weary players. It also gives cricket fans more opportunities to come out and cheer for their favourite teams in the stadiums.
Jagmohan Dalmiya is the new BCCI president
There’s going to be a new BCCI President this time around, thanks to the Supreme Court of India. Jagmohan Dalmiya, that old canny workhorse, is the new BCCI President and, considering that an IPL chairman still hasn’t been appointed yet, will probably also supervise the event. It would be interesting to see how Dalmiya will approach the event: will he try and be a Lalit Modi type of chairman who’ll try and micromanage everything or will he be more understated and delegatory? Dalmiya has started off on a good note; he convinced KKR not to boycott the event over Narine being asked to ask for another test to clear his action, but will he be as successful in dousing other fires which will surely loom on the horizon soon?
There will be an impact of the 2015 World Cup
Just like in 2011, this year’s IPL starts only 10 days after the World Cup ends. For the Indian team especially, the IPL comes after a long and exhausting tour of Australia, followed by the World Cup. Will the players be able to stay motivated especially after such an intense tournament? There’s also the risk of player burnout; the physios of the international team will keep a strict watch on the different franchises, hoping that they give their players sufficient time to recuperate between matches.
Chepauk will (we hope) be back
This year, we will finally see one of the IPL’s grandest venues come back into the reckoning. Chennai Super Kings will love playing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where, on matchdays, the entire stadium is engulfed in a sea of yellow and the support for their team is deafening. Questions are still being raised as to whether the authorities will allow the stadium to host IPL games because of a case concerning construction of some stands still pending in court, but on the whole, things look hopeful and we should hopefully see MSD leading his Kings out amidst the whistles at Chepauk!
Who is KC Cariappa?
While there are a lot of young players with plenty of promise on the IPL circuit, all eyes will be on KC Cariappa, a little-known spinner from Karnataka who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a massive sum of Rs. 2.4 crores. KKR has a taste for mystery spinners and in case problems persist with Narine’s action, they might turn to Cariappa. According to an ESPNCricinfo report, Gambhir was unable to read Cariappa’s deliveries during a trial, which precipitated KKR’s interest in him. India’s spin cupboard has looked quite bare of late, so Cariappa’s bowling will be observed keenly by both selectors and fans alike.
It’s IPL time and the carnival is ready to start. Get ready for weeks of slam-bang cricket, kamaal catches, Bollywood celebrities cheering for their teams and of course, a controversy or three to spice it up. Some things always stay the same in the Indian Premier League, but let’s have a look at what’s new this year.
It’s back in India, entirely!
Due to the elections last year, we saw the initial portion of the tournament being played in the United Arab Emirates before returning to India in May. This change of venue played quite a part in IPL 2014; defending champions Mumbai Indians lost all their matches in the Emirates before rediscovering their mojo in front of their home fans and clinching qualification for the Playoff stage. This time though, the tournament stays in India, which should be balm for travel-weary players. It also gives cricket fans more opportunities to come out and cheer for their favourite teams in the stadiums.
Jagmohan Dalmiya is the new BCCI president
There’s going to be a new BCCI President this time around, thanks to the Supreme Court of India. Jagmohan Dalmiya, that old canny workhorse, is the new BCCI President and, considering that an IPL chairman still hasn’t been appointed yet, will probably also supervise the event. It would be interesting to see how Dalmiya will approach the event: will he try and be a Lalit Modi type of chairman who’ll try and micromanage everything or will he be more understated and delegatory? Dalmiya has started off on a good note; he convinced KKR not to boycott the event over Narine being asked to ask for another test to clear his action, but will he be as successful in dousing other fires which will surely loom on the horizon soon?
There will be an impact of the 2015 World Cup
Just like in 2011, this year’s IPL starts only 10 days after the World Cup ends. For the Indian team especially, the IPL comes after a long and exhausting tour of Australia, followed by the World Cup. Will the players be able to stay motivated especially after such an intense tournament? There’s also the risk of player burnout; the physios of the international team will keep a strict watch on the different franchises, hoping that they give their players sufficient time to recuperate between matches.
Chepauk will (we hope) be back
This year, we will finally see one of the IPL’s grandest venues come back into the reckoning. Chennai Super Kings will love playing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where, on matchdays, the entire stadium is engulfed in a sea of yellow and the support for their team is deafening. Questions are still being raised as to whether the authorities will allow the stadium to host IPL games because of a case concerning construction of some stands still pending in court, but on the whole, things look hopeful and we should hopefully see MSD leading his Kings out amidst the whistles at Chepauk!
Who is KC Cariappa?
While there are a lot of young players with plenty of promise on the IPL circuit, all eyes will be on KC Cariappa, a little-known spinner from Karnataka who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a massive sum of Rs. 2.4 crores. KKR has a taste for mystery spinners and in case problems persist with Narine’s action, they might turn to Cariappa. According to an ESPNCricinfo report, Gambhir was unable to read Cariappa’s deliveries during a trial, which precipitated KKR’s interest in him. India’s spin cupboard has looked quite bare of late, so Cariappa’s bowling will be observed keenly by both selectors and fans alike.
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