The final four for the semis were decided with just one league match remaining in the tournament. That itself tells you how competitive the matches and the teams have been.
All tournaments have their ups and downs and so did this one. But you could not ask for a better last week with four teams trying their best to get a place in the semi-finals which are have been relocated to Navi Mumbai due to unavoidable circumstances.
We’ve seen many tournaments and series where teams are forced to play inconsequential matches, which is neither good for cricket nor for fans. Many of these matches, not surprisingly, fail to attract a good response in terms of fans coming to the stadium. It is heartening to see that with just two league matches to go, we still don’t know who the fourth semi-finalist will be.
The tournament has been on for over a month now and full of surprise victories and sudden failures. Changes in team form, player form and pitches have kept the tournament alive. What is interesting here is that teams that were struggling earlier did find some form and those who started off extremely well are now finding it difficult to book a place. Mumbai Indians are the exception here, impressive for their consistency. They have won 10 of their 13 games so far and qualified for the semis with three games in the kitty.
Delhi and Chennai are the ones who started well, fluttered in the middle and now are back to roaring form. Deccan Chargers were the strugglers who have now suddenly taken the tournament by the scruff of its neck and have gone on to win five matches on the trot.
The Delhi pitch has improved from a few matches ago while the Chennai track has started providing a lot of turn and bounce. M Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bengaluru is not as quick as it was at the start of the tournament. And the ground at Dharamsala has been a welcome entry to the IPL. It has lived up to expectations which is no mean achievement considering it was being compared to the Newlands cricket ground at Cape Town famous for its backdrop of the Table Mountain.
The three strongest teams have made it to the semis – Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Mumbai Indians seem to be the strong favourites to win the title, yet on their day, Chennai and Bangalore too can trounce the side led by the little champion.
This is what makes IPL even more interesting and has the entire nation on its feet. Every match from now on will be watched even more keenly and it will be interesting to know what team fans will support, especially those whose favourite team has been ousted from the tournament.
Whoever wins, one thing is for certain, its been one hell of a journey. And the IPL Awards are the perfect conclusion to a highly engaging series.
I back Chennai Super Kings to take the championship.....
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