IPL 7: Fans say home players missing

Bangalore: In many ways, IPL-7 will be different from the past editions. The biggest draw of the league has been the fan base and its loyalty, and over the past six years the teams have covered lot of ground as fans have come to associate themselves with their favourite teams.

Be that as it may, it is club culture where players move or are transferred to other teams, an idea borrowed from the successful leagues of the world.

If the EPL and the NBA can swing through this ideology without a hitch, why not the IPL?

For the first time in many years, the league will see many stars, icons, if you may, turn out for different teams having plied their trade elsewhere in the past.

Back in 2011, in the third auction when Rahul Dravid’s name came up for bidding there was a collective gasp as Royal Challengers Bangalore opted to ignore the player who turned out for them in the previous three editions.

It was the beginning of a new trend, as Rajasthan Royals quickly usurped the player who went on to lead them in illustrious fashion for three years. If anything, this year’s tournament will have borrowed heavily from that concept.

Virender Sehwag, as dangerous a player as one can envision, but unfortunately going through a rut, has been let away with Delhi Daredevils, who in the past had also overlooked another of their marquee player in Gautam Gambhir.

Having played for the Daredevils all along, Sehwag, given a new lease of life, will turn out in the vibrant red of Kings XI Punjab albeit at a low price of '3.20 crore. But history has been replete with instances of big players being forced to hop over owing to combination of poor form and a feeling of being ‘unwanted’.

Michael Hussey and Albie Morkel, strongly associated with Chennai Super Kings will be history as far as the two-time champions are concerned. A dilemma of a dwindling purse and a preference for a middle-order player like Faf du Plessis saw CSK let go of Hussey, who was snapped up in glee by Mumbai Indians while Morkel, who in the past has been a thorn in the flesh for the Royal Challengers, will see himself don their red and gold in a couple of months time.

The Challengers’ only quality buy amongst the bowlers turned out to be Morkel.