IPL 9: Gujarat Lions underdogs at RCB den

Bengaluru: Whatever one might say, overdose of T20 cricket hasn’t killed the golden goose. In more ways than one, IPL-9 has lit up the arena —and we are not just talking about a particular individual going by the name of Virat Kohli — and the fact that it had sustained the interest going right down to the last league game before the playoffs is itself an indication.

In the past, teams have had runaway success and ensured a top-two finish by merit; this season save for table-toppers Gujarat Lions, who mostly by virtue of their first leg performances, finished with 18 points while the three other qualifiers — RCB, Sunrisers Hyderabad — who a couple of days ago appeared a shoo-in for the top-two and Kolkata Knight Riders all ended up with 16.  Only being demarcated by run-rate.

Fascinating it has been. As riveting as Kohli’s performances have been.
In what has been an outstanding season, even by his exceptional standards, unfathomable to other players and pundits alike, Kohli at the risk of overlooking AB de Villiers’ contributions, has single-handedly guided Royal Challengers Bangalore’s fortunes with batsmanship that has been surreal.

Four centuries in one season and closing on a mind-boggling 1000 runs this season, Kohli has fired the imagination like none other. Fittingly then, the top two teams — Lions and RCB will contest the Qualifier 1 at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday night for a shot at the IPL riches on May 29.

The phenomenal show by Kohli has ensured that the the 27-year-old will lead his team at home against Suresh Raina’s Lions in their debut season. On form, the Challengers are in awe-inspiring knick, mainly due to Kohli’s insatiable appetite for for runs. Six wins from the last seven games to power their way to the second position in the table from close to the bottom two weeks ago will surely send shivers down any opposition. And indeed the Lions were the recipients of Kohli and ABD specials in their last league encounter at the same venue.

Twin hundreds by the batsmen — the first ever in the history of the IPL in an innings — mauled and buried the Lions, who, however were missing the services of Raina, away in Holland awaiting the birth of his daughter. Now a proud father of Garcia Raina, the Lions’ skipper has come back with a vengeance and muscled his team to the top in the last couple of games.

On paper, there is so much of batting talent on either side that the fans must be alive with anticipation while thanking their stars for this opportunity. If RCB, riding on Kohli and ABD, has Chris Gayle, — not exactly the bookies’ favourite this season, if one could say so —Shane Watson and the young KL Rahul to lead their charge then Lions with the murderous Brendon McCullum, the capable Dwayne Smith, the ever-reliable Raina with Aaron Finch and Ravindra Jadeja to follow, have ammunition that could prove to be a bowlers’ nightmare. The last time around the teams met here RCB plundered 248 before skittling the Lions for 104. Dinesh Karthik, a key Lions player, had admitted then that the five-day break for them following that encounter was badly needed to lift them up mentally.

Sport in general is about momentum and cricket is no different. Yet, it’s foolhardy to live in the past. Previous results aren’t millstones and carry no weight in a fresh start. The Lions, mauled in the past, are fit, fresh and fearsome.

The form-team of the tournament, the Challengers, have been fabulous and frenetic in their flight. Let the dice roll then; Tuesday night will usher the first finalist of the season but the vanquished will live to fight another day.