Aishwaryaa H is a writer for Wisden India contributing IPL commentary to The National for the 2016 season. Here, he offers his talking points after the nine days of matches.
Read more: 2016 Indian Premier League: Updated results, analysis and fixtures in UAE time
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
Place displace
After the Bombay High Court ordered that 13 matches scheduled for Maharashtra from May 1 be moved out of the state due to severe drought, the BCCI had to look for other options. The final, originally scheduled in Mumbai on May 29, is set to be shifted to Bangalore, according to Rajeev Shukla, the Indian Premier League chairman. "After speaking to the franchises, we have given them four options: Raipur, Jaipur, Kanpur and Visakhapatnam," said Shukla on the options available to franchises for league matches. Rising Pune Supergiants opted for Visakhapatnam as their new home, while Mumbai Indians have chosen Jaipur. Kings XI Punjab, who were scheduled to play three home matches in Nagpur, will now choose between Mohali, their original home, and Dharamsala.
Chennai Super Kings reunion
The match between Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions was a reunion of sorts, both teams replete with stalwarts from the erstwhile Chennai Super Kings. After playing together for eight years, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni played against each other for the first time in the IPL, with the former ending up on the winning side. Batting first in Rajkot, Pune could not capitalise on a good start, thanks to some disciplined death bowling by Gujarat. Even after Dhoni took Dwayne Bravo for 20 runs in the final over, Pune could manage just 163 for five in 20 overs after being 87 for one in the first 10 overs. An 85-run opening partnership in 8.3 overs between Brendon McCullum and Aaron Finch took the game away from Pune, even as Raina and Bravo came up with useful contributions that helped Gujarat chase down the total in 18 overs. On social media, fans labelled this the #CSKDerby and even Ravindra Jadeja said he felt he was part of a "CSK practice match".
Fantastic Finch
IPL 2016 got its much deserved thriller after a cluster of one-sided games when Gujarat Lions played against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Gujarat had done well to restrict Mumbai to 143 for eight after opting to bowl. The total didn't look intimidating when Aaron Finch and Suresh Raina were together, as both batsmen made sure that the required rate was well under control. But once Raina fell, a mini-collapse ensued, leaving Finch holding fort. Struggling with a hamstring injury/cramps, Finch saw wickets fall around him but continued to play his shots undeterred. Requiring 11 off the last over and limping on one leg, Finch sealed the match with a four off the final delivery after Dhawal Kulkarni had scored a timely boundary earlier in the Jasprit Bumrah over. The result made it three out of three wins for table-toppers Gujarat, and it was also the third straight man-of-the-match award for Finch.
Star performance
Chasing 192 in 20 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Quinton de Kock notched up the first hundred of IPL 2016. De Kock looked at ease right from the first delivery he faced. His 51-ball 108, with three sixes and 15 fours, helped Delhi Daredevils chase down the target in 19.1 overs, with seven wickets remaining. De Kock became the second youngest player, after Manish Pandey, to score an IPL century. With this win, Delhi climbed up the points table and are currently placed third with two wins in three matches.
Worst display
Pune's performance against Punjab. Opting to bat first on a good surface, Pune posted a below-par 152 against the home side. Barring Faf du Plessis, who also seemed to slow down towards the end, none of the Pune batsmen could get going after getting starts. Pune's bowling did not help their cause either, as they let the opening pair of Murali Vijay and Manan Vohra take the game away with a partnership of 97 runs in 12.2 overs. Though leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin did give Pune a ray of hope by picking up three vital wickets, Glenn Maxwell made sure of Punjab's first win of the season with an unbeaten 32 off just 14 deliveries.
Best catch
One of the bright spots for Bangalore in their loss against Delhi was the relay catch involving Shane Watson and David Wiese. Watson ran back from mid-on to long-on to pouch the catch offered by Shreyas Iyer, a brilliant effort even in isolation. Sensing that the momentum might carry him over the boundary, he threw the ball back in the field of play. Wiese, running all the way back from mid-off, dived to his right and caught the ball, sliding to a stop just millimetres from the boundary rope. The catch of the tournament, easily.
Best quote
“Virat [Kohli] chasing is very dangerous, so is asking them to bat first.” – Zaheer Khan, the Delhi Daredevils captain, after winning the toss and electing to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Key game
Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhede Stadium. A batting beauty with two teams which are dependent on their strong batting line-ups could make it a cracker of a match. Bangalore, not the best travellers, will be playing at a venue where Mumbai have lost both their matches this season.
Key statistic
Amit Mishra, the Delhi Daredevils leg-spinner, played his 100th IPL match when he turned out against Kings XI Punjab, and Virat Kohli reached 1,653 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium – the most by a player at a venue in Twenty20s – but it was the Pandyas, Hardik and Krunal, who caused the most excitement by becoming the first brothers in IPL history to play for the same side.
