Today new writer Jack Swaby discusses Sam Curran’s IPL performances and asks whether he can break into England’s ODI team … This year’s Indian Premier League has had the same headlines, the form of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, the six young men who are apparently the new superstar of Indian cricket, Rohit is a better captain than Virat and so on. Behind the headlines however, Englishman Sam Curran has made waves in the world’s premier t20 competition with some impressive all...
Is It Time To (Finally) Embrace The IPL?
Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m not an avid T20 watcher. I enjoy it sometimes but I’m a first class cricket bod first and foremost. However, in these crazy Covid times our cricket watching options have suddenly become rather limited. England wrapped up their home summer schedule on Wednesday, and there won’t be any county cricket next month, so what’s left to look forward to? The answer – although traditionalists won’t want to hear it –...
White Ball Bowlers: An Endangered Species
News just in: Ben Stokes has been bought for the astonishing figure of $2.16 million USD in the IPL auction. The team that has paid this eye-watering figure, the Rising Pune Silly Nannies, obviously didn’t watch the World T20 final, when poor Ben was absolutely slaughtered by Carlos Brathwaite. Needing an unlikely 19 off the final over, Stokes’ first four balls disappeared into the stands … 6, 6, 6 and then 6 again. It was an absolutely chastening experience for the Durham all-rounder that...
Knight Riders’ Fast Start – IPL Roundup
Here’s a general rule of thumb when it comes to T20 cricket: don’t make predictions and don’t have any expectations. Who would have thought that England and the West Indies would contest the World T20 final a few weeks ago? Perhaps only Darren Sammy at the backend of one of his team’s notorious three-day party binges. Thus far the IPL has been equally perplexing. The big teams are underperforming while three relative minnows occupy the first three spots in the league table … or ladder, or...
2016 IPL Survival Guide
It’s here again. It’s unavoidable. No sooner had the World T20 finished than this year’s IPL commenced. Although it’s weird that some saw the former as an appetiser for the latter, a quick look at the star-studded rosters reveals why: all the best T20 players in world, plus Farhaan Behardien, are there. If you love big crowds, a carnival atmosphere, razzmatazz, and commentators going off their collective faces, you’ll be in heaven. The IPL is an anathema to some but I actually got into it last...
