Dhoni and the unparalleled precedent

It's all over the papers, it's on all the news channels. Dhoni has opted out of the Sri Lanka tour citing reasons of fatigue. Had it been a less established player, the media would have been in a frenzy and slautered the player calling it lack of professionalism. Now, Dhoni has been the most played Indian cricketer of the last couple of years. He plays test matches, One Day Internationals and even T20 matches. His IPL team, Chennai also played the most matches in the inaugral IPL tournament.

If I were to make an estimate, I'd say that Dhoni would have probably played 150 days of cricket in the last 365. How I wish I could tell my boss that I have worked 150 days in a year, and now I'm struggling with fatigue. The cricketers all over the world are spolit brats that don't know how to earn a decent living with respect. If we all started complaining about fatigue after working just 150 days, where would the world go? Certainly Dhoni is the most played cricketer in the last two years, but that is no escuse for the lack of professionalism shown by him in asking for a break.

I still hold that the cricketers on tour are always on holiday. They always party and go to tourist destinations when in a foreign country, so whats the complaining about? Dear boss, if you are reading this, my 150 days are up...

Mr. Modi - What do we watch now?

The Indian Premier League तमाशा is finally over! Before the IPL started, there was a lot of debate on whether it would be a success or a failure, or maybe even a moderate entertainer. All those debates and discussions were put to rest on the first night itself. Bangalore Royal Challengers played host to the Kolkatta Knight Riders. It was an entertainment carnival of sorts, with some excellent fireworks (from the bat of Brendon Mccullum). After the first match was over, the voices of the masses were unianimous: The IPL is going to be a runaway success. It's here to stay!

I don't wish to get into a discussion on the monetary aspect, because that has been discussed to death. Instead, I'd like to stick to the entertainment value that the IPL provided to so many households in India and abroad.

For 44 days, every weekday evening from 8pm to mid-night, and every weekend from 4pm to mid-night households in India came to a stand-still. The IPL provided फटाफट cricket to enthusiasts who don't really have the time to labour through 7 hours of boring test match or 50 over cricket.

The tournament provided a lot of entertainment. There were very few of the 53 matches which could be labeled boring. All through the tournament, the teams strived to provide a lot of fun value to viewers in the stadiums and in front of the television sets. Things got so close, that not untill the end did we know for sure who the four semi-finalists were going to be. For that one surely has to thank the cricketers for playing cricket non-stop for 44 days, to entertain us. They surely earned their bread.

Deccan Chargers - Name and fame, but no game
Touted to be one of the best teams of the tournament, everyone already had them in their semi-final line up. Their batting line up boasted of big hitters like Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Shahid Afridi, Herschelle Gibbs and excellent consolidators like V.V.S. Laxman, Rohit Sharma and Scot Styris. Their bowling line up also looked very solid with R.P. Singh, Chaminda Vaas, Scot Styris, Shahid Afridi. However, they never seemed to click as a unit. Rohit Sharma came up with brilliant knocks through out the tournament, Symonds hit one blistering century and so did Gilly. Venugopal Rao came up with some amazing hitting towards the end of the tournament, but all his notable innings came in lost causes. Barring that there was nothing to write home about at all.
Biggest success - Rohit Sharma
Unknown success - Venugopal Rao
Biggest failure - Shahid Afridi

Bangalore Royal Challengers - Suffered a perpetual hangover
They turned out to be what most had expected them to be। A T20 flop unit, right from the start to the very end, they never seemed to have any idea of how to approach the format। Many fingers were pointed, but Dravid chose the team members and all of them seemed to play with his mentality। Nothing was really expected of this team. After all, this team was stacked with aged test players such as Dravid, Kallis, Boucher, Kumble, Sunil Joshi, Wasim Jaffer and Chanderpaul. There were a few exceptions like Roass Taylor, Cameron White, Misbah-ul-Haq, Virat Kohli and Sreevats Goswami who tried to break the shackles, but just did not have the luck to pull it off. Not a single century was scored by this team!
Biggest success - Rahul Dravid
Unknown success - Ross Taylor
Biggest failure - Cameron White/Misbah-ul-Haq/Jaques Kallis

Kolkatta Knight Riders - Korbo, lodbo, harbo
Prior to the tournament, Shah Ruk Khan seemed to be the most active owner in getting in sponsorship for his team. It was a good all-round unit expected to make it to the semis atleast. Their batting line up looked cracking with Chris Gayle, Brendon Mccullum, Ricky Ponting, David Hussey, Ganguly and Laxmi Ratan Shukla. Their bowling line up was equally strong with Ishant Sharma, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Ajit Agarkar, Ashoke Dinda and Murali Karthik. They started off as expected, thrashing Bangalore in the opening match of the tournament. Mccullum's innings of 158* was the defining moment of the entire IPL. However, they struggled the most with the exodus of the Australian and New Zealand players. Shoaib Akhtar never arrived until late in the tournament. Gayle was perpetually injured and played no part in the IPL.
Biggest success - Saurav Ganguly/David Hussey
Unknown success - Laxmi Ratan Shukla/Ashoke Dinda
Biggest failure - Mohammad Hafeez

Mumbai Indians - The perfect Sine wave
The Indians started off in the worst possible manner. So bad was their start that they lost to the Deccan Chargers and the Bangalore Royal Challengers. Pollock took over the captaincy after the Harbhajjan-Sreesanth Slapgate controversy. Sachin was still injured. The Mumbai faithful's patience was running thin. One win against the Kolkatta Knight Riders changed the team entirely. They were now a unit, playing so well that many called them unbeatable. That run continued for 6 matches, after which they began losing again. Crucial must-win matches were being lost, even though Sachin had returned to the team. The team now had the most lethal opening pair on paper, Sachin and Sanath. They still could not make it to the semis and had to settle for 5th position.
Biggest success - Sanath Jayasuriya/Shaun Pollock
Unknown success - Abhishek Nayar
Biggest failure - Harbhajjan Singh

Delhi Daredevils - Dared to crawl into the semis
The Delhi team was to be the best all-round unit, with fielding being the biggest strenght. They picked some bits and pieces players to form what most called a formidable T20 side. A lethal opening pair (Sehwag and Gambhir) followed by a strong middle order (on paper) and a very experienced and stingy bowling unit. All this was good for Delhi. However, the middle order never seemed to be there. It never seemed like McGrath was away from the game for a year. He was still bowling that immaculate line and lenght, which most found difficult to get away. The middle order of Shoaib Malik, A.B. DeVilliers, Dinesh Karthik, Manoj Tiwari, Tilekaratne Dilshan hardly put a foot right.
Biggest success - Gautam Gambhir/Fervez Mahroof/Glen McGrath
Unknown success - Shikhar Dhawan/Amit Mishra
Biggest failure - Shoaib Malik, A.B. DeVilliers, Dinesh Karthik, Manoj Tiwari, Tilekaratne Dilshan

Kings XI Punjab - Oye aaja Oye
The Punjab team boasted of unknowns, but the biggest known was Yuvraj. Much was expected of him. It's another point that he did not quite deliver. But it is not everyday that one can hit six 6's in an over. The team gelled well right from the start and played excellent cricket. Whether they batted first, or they chased, they somehow ended on the winning side. It's quite a big dampener for them that they played Chennai Super Kings thrice, and lost all three matches! Yuvraj captained the side well, and they always seemed the have the confidence that they would win. A very dissappointing semi-final brought their campain to an abrupt and sad end.
Biggest success - Shaun Marsh/Piyush Chawla
Biggest unknown - Shaun Marsh
Biggest failure - VRV Singh

Chennai Super Kings - EM-ASS-DHONI, Mind it
Dhoni's captaincy is improving in leaps and bounds, and when a veteran like Stephen Flemming says Dhoni is a superb captain, then he certainly must be! On paper a very strong unit (as Krish Srikanth would vociferously point out) boasting of the likes of Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, M.S. Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Badrinath, Albie Morkel, Jacob Oram and Stephen Flemming. At the start, their bowling looked weak, with only Muralitharan being a bowler of note. But then they posted such huge totals, that the bowlers had little work to do. Once Hayden and Hussey left, Ntini and Morkel joined the party. Manpreet Gony was a real revelation, and a little more domestic exposure would help him get a call to the Indian team. Joginder Sharma got what he deserved, a real thrashing!
Biggest success - M.S. Dhoni/Suresh Raina
Unknown success - Manpreet Gony
Bigget failure - Joginder Sharma

Rajasthan Royals - Halla Bol
Touted as the underdogs of the tournament, everyone expected them to languish at the bottom of the table. People wondered why Shane Warne agreed to play for them and even be their coach. Through out the tournament they played as one single unit and great spirit. Shane Warne did a fantastic job of speaking to each player individually and also gave each player a specific role. Each of his players played their roles to perfection and thats why they did so well. The leg-spin legend returned to the game and proved a champion in a totally new format. The biggest advantage for the team was that they did not lose any player during the 44 days. They played total cricket, always looked like they would win and entertained the crowds very well. Numerous players stood out, especially young indian players.
Biggest success - Shane Watson/Yusuf Pathan/Shane Warne/Shoail Tanvir/Graeme Smith
Unknown success - Swapnil Asnodkar/Niraj Patel/Siddharth Trivedi/Ravindra Jadeja
Biggest failure - Younis Khan/Mohammad Kaif

Now based on the above, heres my pick for the dream team from the IPL, totally based on performance (without any foreign player constraints):
1. Shaun Marsh (Kings XI Punjab)
2. Sanath Jayasuriya (Mumbai Indians)
3. Gautam Gambhir (Delhi Daredevils)
4. Yusuf Pathan (Rajasthan Royals)
5. Rohit Sharma (Deccan Chargers)
6. M.S. Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)
7. Shane Watson (Rajasthan Royals)
8. Shaun Pollock (Mumbai Indians)
9. Shane Warne (Rajasthan Royals)
10. Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals)
11. Glen McGrath (Delhi Daredevils)
12. Manpreet Gony (Chennai Super Kings)/Piyush Chawla (Kings XI Punjab)

My IPL squad predictions

Here are my IPL squad predictions:
1. Bangalore Royal Challengers:
Bharat Chipli
Shreevats Goswami/Wasim Jaffer (Sheevats should be first choice)
Rahul Dravid (captain)
Jaques Kallis
Misbah-ul-Haq/Cameron White (Misbah would be first choice)
Virat Kohli
Mark Boucher (wicketkeeper)
Praveen Kumar
Anil Kumble
Nathan Bracken
Zaheer Khan

I'd like to see Shreevats Goswami play instead of Jaffer, because he is a fast scorer, and an opener who can make use of the power play overs. Also, he's a talent for the future and should get a chance before the tried and tested and wasted Jaffer. Ideally, Misbah should be able to walk into any 20-20 team, but considering the restriction of only 4 international players, he'd have to keep out Cameron White, an extremely fit and competitive cricketer. I think Bangalore need to look at a permanent replacement for Zaheer Khan, the fitest cricketer ever. He will surely play the first match, but then he would sit out the rest of the tournament due to his injury! What a waste of money. Youngsters should be encouraged, as they could easily replace him anytime!!!

2. Chennai Super Kings:
Matthew Hayden/Stephen Flemming (Hayden would be first choice)
Napolean Einstein
Suresh Raina
S Badrinath
Mahendra S Dhoni (captain & wicket keeper)
Srikkanth Anirudha
Jacob Oram
Albie Morkel
Shadab Jakati
Joginder Sharma
Muttiah Muralitharan

A tough choice between Hayden and Flemming, but considering Hayden's record in India and his free scoring nature, he'd be the first choice in that battle. No other issues in the squad.

3. Delhi Dare Devils:
Virender Sehwag (captain)
Gautam Gambhir
Manoj Tiwari
Dinesh Karthik (wicket keeper)
Shoaib Malik/AB de Villiers (Shoaib Malik would be first choice)
Shikhar Dhawan
Mithun Manhas
Daniel Vettori
Farveez Mahroof
Pradeep Sangwan
Mohammad Asif/Glen McGrath (Asif would be first choice)

Both Shoaib Malik and AB de Villiers are excellent middle order batsmen, but considering the experience that Malik would have garnered in the 20-20 world championships and his very useful knocks throughout the tournament, coupled with his off-spin, I think he'd be first choice. If Dinesh Kartik is unfit, de Villiers would have to play, because he is a good wicket-keeper too. Shoaib Malik could miss out then. In the battle between Asif and McGrath, I think Asif would be first choice because age is on his side. However, I have a soft corner for McGrath and would love to see him play instead. Asif has the experience in 20-20 matches, but McGrath has consistency on his side.

4. Deccan Chargers:
Adam Gilchrist (wicket keeper)
Shahid Afridi/Herschelle Gibbs (extremely difficult choice, would be made on fitness)
Rohit Sharma
Andrew Symonds
VVS Laxman (captain)
Venugopal Rao
Arjun Yadav
Chaminda Vaas/Scott Styris (Chaminda Vaas would be first choice)
Pragyan Ojha
RP Singh
Doddapaneni

This team is stuck with the worst choice, to choose between Gibbs and Afridi! I guess, in the end the choice would be made based on fitness and playing conditions. Gibbs is a stronger batsman, but then Afridi is a much improved bowler and he can single-handedly win any 20-20 match if his batting clicks (and that is a big IF). Honestly, I can't choose between them! Another difficult choice is between Vaas and Styris. Vaas could be excellent in 20-20 with his cutters, but Styris is a better batsman. Based on current form, Vaas would be the first choice.

5. Rajasthan Royals:
Taruwar Kohli
Greame Smith/Younis Khan (Greame Smith would be first choice)
Mohamamd Kaif
Dimitri Mascarehnas
Yusuf Pathan
Kamran Akmal (wicket keeper)
Ravindra Jadeja
Pankaj Singh
Shane Warne (captain)
Anup Revandkar
Munaf Patel

A tough choice between Greame Smith and Younis Khan, but I think that Smith being an opener would have a greater chance of playing. It's a tough call to leave Younis Khan out of the side. Smith is also a better fielder.

6. Kolkata Knight Riders:
Sourav Ganguly (captain)
Chris Gayle
Aakash Chopra
David Hussey/Ricky Ponting (David Hussey would be first choice)
Cheteshwar Pujara
Brendon McCullum (wicket keeper)
Ajit Agarkar
Murali Karthik
Iqbal Abdulla
Shoaib Akhtar/Umar Gul (Shoaib Akhtar would be first choice, if fit!)
Ishant Sharma

How can one choose between David Hussey (the 20-20 specialist from Australia) and Ricky Ponting? However, based on experience (in 20-20), current fitness and 20-20 batting style and consistency, David Hussey should walk into the team in front of Ricky Ponting. Both are excellent fielders, but Hussey having won the player of the series in the 2007-08 KFC Twenty20 Bash (Australia's domestic tournament), should make it over Ponting. Another tough choice is between Akhtar and Umar Gul. Akhtar should make it before Gul, but only if he is fit (don't even get me started on Zaheer Khan)

7. IPL Mohali Team:
James Hopes/Ramnaresh Sarwan (Hopes would be first choice)
Kumar Sangakkara (wicket keeper)
Yuvraj Singh (captain)
Mahela Jayawardene
Tanmay Srivastava
Karan Goel
Irfan Pathan
Brett Lee
Piyush Chawla/Romesh Powar (Chawla would be first choice)
Sreesanth
Ajitesh Argal

Based on the style of play required in 20-20 cricket, I'd say that Hopes would make it before Sarwan, simply because he is a more attacking batsman and also bowls an immaculate line and lenght! There would be a toss up between Chawla and Powar based on the pitch conditions.

8. Mumbai Indians:
Sanath Jayasuria
Sachin Tendulkar (captain)
Robin Uthappa
Saurabh Tiwary
Manish Pandey/Loots Bosman (If Dilhara misses out, Bosman would play)
Pinal Shah (wicket keeper)
Abhishek Nayar
Shaun Pollock
Harbhajan Singh
Dilhara Fernando/Ajinkya Rahane (if Dilhara plays, Manish Pandey would play)
Lasith Malinga

Not much to choose from in the Mumbai squad, but since they have a local wicket keeper it gives them more to choose from the international players. If Dilhara Fernando plays, then Loots Bosman would miss out. But if Fernando does not play, and Ajinkya plays, then Loots Bosman could replace either Manish Pandey or Saurabh Tiwari.