Manoj Narayan, a writer for Wisden India, provides a review of the recently concluded Indian Premier League, won by David Warner's Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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Captain David, Leader Warner
All the talk following the conclusion of the IPL 2016 is about David Warner. Formerly of boisterous and aggressive disposition, in-your-face and always up for a fight, this tournament witnessed Warner in a different light. When Praveen Kumar walked towards him seeking a fight during Qualifier 2, Warner merely smiled to himself. In his post-match chat after winning the IPL, one of the first things he did was congratulate Virat Kohli: “He’s set the benchmark for batsmen throughout this tournament.” He has taken the leadership role at Sunrisers Hyderabad with maturity, and has played a big hand in the side coming together as a team; the spirit in the side was tangible. Tactically, he was spot on as well, doing his bit to help their fine bowling attack reach its potential. Such has been the transformation post marriage and fatherhood, Australia have a potential Twenty20 captain in him.
Where Bangalore went wrong
Bangalore were a juggernaut in the second phase of the IPL, plundering all before them to reach their third final. A lot of that was based on the might of their batting, especially with Chris Gayle finding some semblance of form in the business end of the season, to join Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers among the runs. However, while the bowlers did improve a tad as the season progressed, the feeling that it was their weak link was never quashed. It came back to bite them in the final. Shane Watson, their go-to bowler this season, returned figures of 0 for 61 as Bangalore conceded 208. Now, if they are to end their pursuit of a first IPL title next year, the first order of business is to address balance, and shore up the bowling, even accounting for the return of Mitchell Starc.
And to sum it all up
After 60 matches spanning over a rapid seven-week period, certain trends become evident. One of the major ones this tournament was the affinity of teams to opt to chase. In all, 39 matches were won by the chasing side, nearly two thirds of all the games played. Another feature was how normal defiant catches at the boundary seem these days. It’s no longer a novelty; the catches are pleasing on the eye, so frequent are they that it’s no longer memorable. In fact, what was memorable was Suresh Raina’s effort in the slips, which was eventually awarded catch of the tournament. MS Dhoni came up with another innovation – the karate kick – wherein he would anticipate the edge and outstretch his legs to stop a certain four. All in all, a mini-IPL, which has been a topic of discussion recently, would not entirely be unfavourable if more of these are on offer.
Star performance
Ben Cutting played just four matches this season, but he showed his value in the final with an all-round performance. His 15-ball unbeaten 39 ensured Hyderabad's innings, which was on the slide, had a late boost – he took 24 runs off Watson's final over – which proved imperative. He returned 2-35 as well with the ball, and was the undisputed star of the final.
Worst display
Shane Watson has been Bangalore's go-to bowler all season, and he has delivered more often than not. But when it mattered most, in the final, he was hammered 0 for 61, the most expensive figures by a bowler this season. It helped Hyderabad accumulate 208 runs. Then, with the chase dwindling, he was unable to make amends too, dismissed for a nine-ball 11. For him, it was a memorable season, but a day to forget.
Best shot
Facing a full toss from Shane Watson in the final over, Ben Cutting swivelled and pulled that high over square leg. So high, that it went outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Electric.
Best quote
“Told the boys to cancel flight tickets tomorrow. We’re going to celebrate. Have lot of juices, milkshakes, coconut water ...” – Yuvraj Singh after winning his first IPL title.
Key statistic
During the course of his 38-ball 76, Chris Gayle became the first batsman to cross 9,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket. He currently has 9,066 in 254 matches at a strike-rate of 150.14.
