Quick-scoring batsmen of T20 teams are like guitarists in a rock band. Although a bowler might bowl a great spell and win the match for his team, the focus is mostly on batters who smash those delicious fours and sixes. They earn the loudest cheers — even if they surrender in a losing cause.
History is repeating itself in the Indian Premier League as it heads towards what is known as the ‘business end.’ The popular superheroes, of course, are some established Indian stars. Virat Kohli, who has driven past the 7,000-run milestone in the IPL, is a natural centre of attraction. Suryakumar Yadav’s stardom is evident each time he walks out to bat. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 41, still gives rise to a million hopes of sixes from his bat. He has delivered that much-desired outcome, too — without scoring many because he has been batting too low down the order. Rohit Sharma has not been in great touch, but his followers are hoping to see him at his famous best before IPL ends.
SHOW OF PROMISE
Almost equally exciting is how some promising batsmen have distinguished themselves. Yashasvi Jaiswal, the 21-year-old opener of Rajasthan Royals, has demonstrated his ability to get those big runs with a wide range of strokes on both sides of the wicket.
Jaiswal’s 62-ball 124 against Mumbai Indians in a six-wicket loss for RR was an outstanding solo show against a penetrative bowling attack. However, the young batter might like to remember another knock with more pleasure: his 43-ball 77 against Chennai Super Kings in a tie RR won by 32 runs.
T20 cricket is a format in which few players experience consistent highs. Batters in good touch, for instance, lose their wickets in desperate attempts to step up the scoring rate. Moreover, because world-class performers like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not getting any younger, an increasing need for others who can make an impact at the international level is all too evident.
Shubman Gill’s appetite for big scores is unknown to nobody. Gill, 23, who plays for Gujarat Titans and is possibly the best Indian batsman among those with comparable experience, has been getting his runs with an easy fluency and technical correctness that characterise his batting. When he made 94 off 51 balls in a fine display against Lucknow Super Giants in a 56-win for his team on Sunday, it was difficult not to feel sad because he had failed to reach that magical three-figure mark.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ middle order batsman Rinku Singh, 26, has been entertaining – apart from being a match-winner with a special knock against Gujarat Titans, the highlight of his talent as a finisher. KKR scripted a seemingly impossible three-wicket win, with Singh unbeaten on 48 off 21 balls. He hit five sixes off the last five balls of the 20th over bowled by Yash Dayal to manufacture a seemingly impossible win for his team. Singh’s performance will be observed closely by the selectors. And if he makes it to the Indian T20 squad soon, it will not be a surprise.
THE FUTURE IS IN GOOD HANDS
The sight of the younger lot playing alongside veterans is always a pleasure. Some have already distinguished themselves. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 26, has given good starts to CSK in the company of New Zealand’s Devon Conway. He has scored his runs briskly and attractively, whether he has made a 31-ball 57 against Lucknow Super Giants in a 12-run win for CSK or even a modest 16-ball 30 against Mumbai Indians in a crucial six-wicket win for his team.
NT Tilak Varma, just 20 and a part of the Mumbai Indians squad, has played a few enjoyable and mostly not-so-big knocks. The significant exception was his 46-ball unbeaten 84 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB won the match by eight wickets, but Varma’s knock received ample praise. The youngster has great wrists and many shots in his arsenal, among them the visually appealing, fan-friendly helicopter shot.
Considering Suryakumar Yadav made his debut for Team India when he had gone past 30, others who have made it to the national squad earlier and are still under 30 can be useful – and more – on the international stage. KKR’s Nitish Rana, 29, is one of them. Although he must aspire for consistency in the near future, his 41-ball 75 in his team’s 23-run loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad was something to remember.
The gifted Sanju Samson of RR, 28, has made his presence felt. Samson’s 32-ball 60 against Gujarat Titans, which played a pivotal role in RR’s three-wicket win, was a statement of his well-known capability as a free-stroking batsman. His 38-ball 66 against SRH also revealed his fantastic timing and presence of mind, two key qualities that define his craft as a batsman. RR lost by four wickets, an incredible ending nobody expected. But, Samson did not do his reputation any harm.
KKR’s Venkatesh Iyer, 28, must be wondering why he has not been able to produce more knocks like his 104 off 51 balls against MI in a match his team lost by five wickets. Iyer mistimed a few on his way to the century, but the three-figure landmark was a significant outcome. In the GT-KKR tie, whose highlight was Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 48, Iyer, too played an important role, scoring 83 off 40 balls.
CSK’s Shivam Dube, 29, whose mighty sixes and effortless way of dealing with the spinners are distinctly noticeable, has found ways to counter pressure in typical T20 situations. Dube struck a 27-ball 52 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an eight-run win for CSK, and a 33-ball 52 against RR in a latter’s victory by 32 runs. Can he produce a special knock that will result in an important CSK win in the coming days? He will hope so, and so will others like him who are in good form.
IPL guarantees high visibility. Good performances are being observed, among them that of CSK’s Ajinkya Rahane, 34, who has been teaching a few things about first-rate stroke-filled batting to those a decade younger.
The ongoing season has seen a lot of exciting cricket so far. The good news is that the tournament is far from over.
The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed are personal.
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