IPL-9, a success on several fronts

British sports writer Simon Barnes, in his much-acclaimed book ‘The Meaning of Sport’, writes: “Winning is not just about being perfect. It is about being perfect now.” Royal Challengers Bangalore would vouch for it. They were far from being perfect on the day that mattered most. Seemingly at the peak of their game after conjuring up five wins in a row, the RCB was fancied to win the title on paper but then, sporting battles are seldom won on the field of play. That said, if there was an award for best entertainers, Virat Kohli and his team of superstars would emerge winners by some distance. It was a treat for the fans to watch Kohli, A B de Villiers and to an extent Chris Gayle, who only began to fire towards the end, bat the way they did. Kohli fell just 27 runs short of completing 1000 runs in a single season and his record four centuries in IPL-9 made him the toast of the nation. Together with de Villiers, who played some breath-taking knocks, he took the art of T20 batsmanship to another level.

Also, in a tournament where batsmen hogged most of the spotlight, it was refreshing to see a team that prided on its bowling attack bag the top honours. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s maiden triumph emphasised the fact that in a format custom made for batsmen, bowlers still had a big role to play. The team compositions of RCB, who finished runners-up, and Sunrisers couldn’t have been any starker. Where SRH constructed their team around a set of wily seam bowlers, RCB packed their squad with batsmen, including three of the finest T20 batsmen in the world at the moment. It was indeed a tribute to RCB’s much-acclaimed batting that they fell just 9 runs short of winning the final in a chase of 208 but at the same time, it also vindicated SRH’s unflinching faith in their attack. Wiry Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman, who won the emerging player award, amply demonstrated that if you have the craft and composure, you can excel even in a batsman’s format.

It was also the first IPL post the Lodha committee verdict on 2013 edition’s betting and spot-fixing scandal. The absence of former champions Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals was apparent and their replacements – Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants – endured contrasting fortunes. While the play-off teams were decided only after the final league game, reflecting how closely-fought the tournament was, there has been no report on betting mafia influencing the outcome of matches. IPL-9, thus, can be termed a success on several fronts.