IPL 2020 in UAE: Player review with Chirag Suri - Episode 2
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00:00With the two line-ups that we have, I feel that today, it will be a bit of a change for the Royals.
00:04You know, played a couple of games in Sharjah. You know, coming to Dubai Stadium, I feel that they'll have to have different strategies.
00:19We are back again for the second episode of our IPL 2020 in UAE.
00:25A player review with Chirag Suri. Our weekly dose of the IPL with Chirag.
00:30He is the UAE opening batsman. A former IPL player with the Gujarat Lions.
00:34I've got Shyam Krishna, my colleague.
00:37I think we are kind of still recovering from a dose of first Rahul Teotia.
00:43Then came the next day, it was Ishan Kishan.
00:46And after that, I was a little relieved to see Sanity returned in yesterday's match,
00:51when we were chasing pass scores, spinners coming into play, etc.
00:57So, it's been a great week for IPL.
00:59What happened was, in the afterglow of Rahul and Ishan Kishan's innings,
01:08a few splendid innings have got a little unrecognised or overshadowed.
01:12For example, Mayank Agarwal's century.
01:14My first question is, what? Are you still recovering? Were you expecting something like this?
01:20I think, firstly, nobody can expect something like this.
01:23You know, the way the tournament has gone so far.
01:26I think these first 10 games have been nothing short of…
01:29You can say that this is all like…
01:32We could have never imagined something like this.
01:34This is what the doctor had ordered.
01:36Cricket coming back. IPL coming back to the UAE.
01:40Finally, guys get to see some competitive cricket.
01:43I think this is exactly what the doctor ordered.
01:45I think it's been unlimited excitement.
01:48You've said it all. We've seen everything this past week.
01:52The Dubai wicket and the Abu Dhabi wicket on one side.
01:55Let's take the RR Kings XI game on one side.
01:59And the Sharjah wicket on another side.
02:02So, Sharjah, the 200 or even 220 is turning out to be the par score.
02:08So, the next game, when it comes up there…
02:10I mean, you have played enough of your cricket there to say what could be the way to win matches there.
02:15Because you cannot go on like…
02:17If 216 was the highest chase, that was overall the other day.
02:22So, where do you stop?
02:23You still have got about 10 games to go in Sharjah.
02:25And then there may be one or two other play-offs also.
02:29So, what ought to be the bowler's strategy?
02:31Because that day, you see, after Cottrell got hammered, when Shami came back,
02:37a bowler with those two lovely…
02:38You know, the two overs that he bowls in the opening spell.
02:42He came and he was digging it in short.
02:45So, what should be the solution there?
02:47To be honest, in Sharjah, the room for error is very, very small, Gautam Sir.
02:52I think it's very, very important for the bowlers to realise,
02:55look, we are going to go for the run.
02:57As long as we stick to a plan.
02:59I feel, Yorkers is the best way out for fast bowlers.
03:02I think the boundaries in Sharjah are very short.
03:04Especially square and behind the wicket.
03:06So, if you are going short, even you are seeing top-edgers go for six in Sharjah.
03:09So, I don't feel with that kind of pace, you want to go short.
03:12Maybe Yorkers, I think that's the only way.
03:14Or just try to get the guys out.
03:16I think that's the best way.
03:17If it hits that bad, it's most probably going to go out of the stadium.
03:20I think a lot of the guys have been saying,
03:22we all hope that 2020 is pulled off like a Rahul Tevatiya.
03:26That the year 2020…
03:29Doing a Tevatiya.
03:30Yeah, we want 2020 to do a Rahul Tevatiya as well.
03:36Because the way the guy…
03:37You know, he was struggling.
03:38He was finding it so hard to put bat on ball.
03:40And then, for his first 20 deliveries,
03:42over the course of the next six balls,
03:43you know, the game just completely changed.
03:45He got five sixes.
03:46So, I think in cricket, like everybody we have been hearing,
03:50you never know with cricket.
03:52I think you just got to back yourself.
03:53You got to keep believing in yourself and back your abilities.
03:55I think it was…
03:57You know, we have seen commentators telling everybody that,
04:01we hope that Tevatiya should just get himself out.
04:05He should just hit wickets, run himself out.
04:07And there was all that kind of chat going on.
04:09And they said, what is he doing?
04:11After those six balls, I think everything changed.
04:13That's how life is.
04:15You know, you see 10 people pointing fingers at you.
04:18And then suddenly, when you do well,
04:19everybody is going on the same trumpet that,
04:23oh wow, he has done a Rahul Tevatiya.
04:26We hope 2020 does a Rahul Tevatiya and stuff like that.
04:28So, this is a prime example of how you become from a zero to a hero.
04:33This is IPL for you.
04:34This is IPL.
04:35One day, you are there.
04:36One day, you are there.
04:37So, it's very important for these players not to be involved in the emotion of the game.
04:41Because otherwise, you will be fluctuating so much.
04:44You know, we spoke about those guys like West Indians.
04:46They don't care about results.
04:47Today, they are doing well.
04:49Tomorrow, they are not doing too well.
04:50Their emotions are very, very similar.
04:52They are enjoying themselves either way.
04:54This is what these youngsters in the IPL…
04:56You know, we have seen so many people do well.
04:59Even, you know, like the Paul Valtatis in the old age.
05:01Oh yes.
05:03So, you know, those guys have done so well.
05:04And then, their emotions have been way up there.
05:07Popularity, you know, the fan, the craze, all these things.
05:11And then, now you see Rahul Tiwari emerged the same way.
05:14When you watched that Paul Valtatis century, how old were you?
05:17You were a real cricket nut that time.
05:20Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:21I think it's very important as a cricketer.
05:23You know, we analyse these things.
05:24Because you get to learn a lot.
05:26Because, you know, he was a one-season hit or a two-season hit.
05:29And then, he was forgotten.
05:30You know, what was the reason?
05:32It was obviously that, you know, the lack of consistency in his approach.
05:35Or, you know, fluctuation in emotion and these kind of things.
05:38Because you can't consistently go on every single year.
05:41You know, we know that.
05:42You know, you see the Virat Kohli's at the time right now.
05:46You know, there's debate.
05:47You know, what is the role of a Kane Williamson or a Virat Kohli in an IPL format?
05:52Is it, are they going to be playing an anchor role?
05:54Or, you know, are they getting confused?
05:57You know, because the wickets are so good.
05:59And they are chasing 200 runs.
06:01So, they have to go from ball number one.
06:03So, you know, yesterday you saw obviously Kane Williamson come back in the side.
06:06And I think that was a great change by Sunrisers.
06:08I think it worked in their favour.
06:10Even leaving a specialist T20 player like Mohamed Nabi.
06:14I think it worked in their favour.
06:16Because the runs he got were very crucial.
06:18They got them to that 160 score, which was…
06:20To be honest, I still believe was a chaseable target.
06:23I felt that Delhi were a bit slow out of the box yesterday.
06:27And my man Rishabh Pant really needs to step his game up.
06:31With the pressure coming from Sanju Samson and Ishaan Kishan.
06:34Ishaan Kishan is a terrific wicket-keeper as well.
06:37You'll see him.
06:38I feel in the next few games, Quintin de Kock as well might be switched for Chris Lin.
06:43I am sensing that.
06:44I think that could be a good change.
06:45Because Chris Lin knows these wickets very well.
06:47So, if Chris Lin comes to the top of the order, you know, get some quick runs for Mumbai.
06:51I think that's what is lacking.
06:53I think Chris Lin as well, in the T10 and these leagues, he's done superbly well.
06:58Even last year when I was playing him, he was hitting the ball for fun.
07:00So, I feel that you should definitely bring in Chris Lin and Ishaan Kishan with the gloves.
07:05So, you got Kishan doing well.
07:06You got Sanju Samson.
07:07Gotta see Rishabh Pant, you know, carry on.
07:10I think he's smiling.
07:11He's enjoying his cricket, which was good to see yesterday.
07:13But he's got to take some responsibility with, you know, likes of Ajinkya Rahane and sitting out in the Delhi Capitals dugout.
07:18This is one question.
07:19I'd come back to Shyam for a while.
07:22When you are looking at wicket-keeper batsmen, you've got a problem of plenty.
07:25As Chirag pointed out.
07:27You've got Samson.
07:28You've got Ishaan Kishan, who, in fact, he's been sidelined in the Bombay squad a bit after the initial promise.
07:36So, that he served a reminder to everybody.
07:40So, you know, now with this problem of plenty, Shyam, do you think...
07:44I mean, just a little moving out of the IPL, but I think still a relevant question.
07:50Do we still need to put that kind of pressure on KL Rahul?
07:56To multitask? Or you pick and choose from one of these guys?
08:00We don't have to.
08:01When you have a specialist wicket-keeper, why would you go in for somebody who is doing a stop-gap job?
08:07I mean, finally, maybe a T20.
08:10But still, you need a specialist to do a specialist job.
08:12See, everything is fine till Rahul makes a crucial drop.
08:18And then you pile on him and say that that is not the way to go.
08:22So, I still think you need a specialist to do a specialist job.
08:26I know Rahul Dravid did that for a while.
08:28Because that's out of sheer necessity.
08:30We couldn't lose out on a good batsman like that.
08:32But here in the case where we have equally good batsmen and much better wicket-keepers, why not?
08:39So, I would look at KL Rahul as a wicket-keeping option.
08:43Also, Shyam sir, that Rahul Dravid, he also wanted to keep.
08:47Because he was trying to have his place in the one-day soil.
08:49You have to see that as well.
08:50He wanted to have that extra thing.
08:54Because it was a time when the one-day side was getting competitive.
08:57And for Rahul Dravid to make the side, he had to do that.
09:00So, I think if KL Rahul is not in that position, and we can look at a wicket-keeper, like you said, a specialist.
09:07I think, why wait for him to make a mistake and then jump on him?
09:11Do it before.
09:12We have the options right now.
09:14In the past, we have not had the options.
09:16We clearly have the options right now.
09:17So, I think, you weigh it up.
09:19And there is a lot of talent coming through.
09:22You should give them an opportunity.
09:24Over these two weeks, we have been talking about all the batsmen and their exploits.
09:28Now, as the tournament is into its second week, I think, the role of the spinners is also kind of getting defined.
09:36I mean, you had the other day, Kolkata Nitride, they kind of followed very much, what I feel was Eden Gardens template for them.
09:45I mean, play three spinners, bring in Varun Chakravorty.
09:49How did you find him?
09:50I mean, he was a bit of an enigma.
09:51When Kings XI Punjab picked him up for a prohibitive sum, he came in for a bit of criticism.
10:00I think he didn't get a match there.
10:01Here also, he had come in as a kind of gamble.
10:05It worked.
10:07He picked up Warner's wicket.
10:08Then, yesterday also, we saw.
10:11So, as the tournament progresses, which are the spinners who have kind of impressed you?
10:18You don't have to talk about Rashid Khan.
10:20We know a lot about him.
10:22But about others, what's your take on that?
10:25The usual suspects are there.
10:26The likes of Yuzhinder Chahal.
10:28He's been doing really well with the ball.
10:30I think a couple of balls, Paul Arnott has got under him.
10:34But you can't take away the way he's been bowling, I think, throughout the tournament.
10:38Getting guys bowled through the gate and things like that.
10:40So, he's definitely done well.
10:42See, the likes of Varun Chakravarti and these mystery spinners, you like to call them.
10:48The fact that they have this sort of a mystery to them, it's very difficult to line them up from the first delivery.
10:54Because nobody really knows much about them.
10:56They haven't played much against each other.
10:58So, it's always difficult to line them up initially, I think.
11:02Especially in the first few games.
11:03But as you see these spinners go, we've had Ajanta Mendeses.
11:07They were really good initially.
11:09But to last and to be consistent, I think, only Rashid Khan has really been able to do that.
11:14We still haven't seen some of the mystery spinners be consistently performing season after season after season.
11:20Maybe it's about work, I think.
11:21Maybe it's just about strategy.
11:23Maybe it's just naturally so talented.
11:25It could be a mix of many things.
11:27But I'll definitely like to see some more spinners coming through.
11:31I think I would have thought that Dubai Stadium, because of the size of the ground, that the spinners would be a bit more effective.
11:36Because they could toss the ball up more.
11:39But the way Shahin Kishan and Polhadar batted, they made every boundary look small.
11:43They've been clearing the field with ease.
11:45So, we really don't know.
11:46Is this a spinners' tournament? Is this not?
11:48Because UAE, in the past, I've spoken to guys like Shreyas Iyer and the buddies of mine.
11:54And I said, boss, these are usually slow-turning wickets.
11:57Because this is what we get in the UAE.
11:59Whether we've seen series in the past.
12:01Dubai Stadium, Shah Jahan, the ball does turn grip.
12:04So, spinners come into play.
12:05But I feel, with the way these guys are batting currently, and the wickets that have been prepared, I think they're batting really good wickets.
12:13So, I think the spinners will take some time.
12:16I think maybe as the pitchers get a bit tired, as the tournament goes, you'll see a bit of tiredness in the wickets.
12:21So, they'll slow down a little bit.
12:22So, I think the spinners will start to come in on their own after that.
12:27I think, yesterday, Natarajan, for example, superb at the depth.
12:31Sandy, superb at the depth.
12:32They've just stuck to simple plans.
12:35They've gone in and tried to hit a Yorker.
12:36Just keep things simple.
12:37When people have given length balls, I think the best of the best have gone out of the park.
12:42So, you've got to learn from these things.
12:45And the faster the teams learn and adapt, I think the easier it's going to be for them.
12:50And we've got to see that in the last few games.
12:54Shyam, it's still early days.
12:56We see Rajasthan Royals with two wins from two games.
13:00They're at the top of the table.
13:01Now, then, they're followed by Delhi, now, who have lost a game.
13:06Now, Royals, of course, the rundown that day, thanks to Mr Tevati, that has helped them to be where they are.
13:14So, what's your take?
13:16How do you see the next week panning out?
13:18Will it be any different?
13:19What are your expectations?
13:21You're already seeing a little bit of change, if yesterday's game is any indication.
13:26Yesterday, we found a power score of 160 was good enough to defend.
13:29But provided you defend well, when they had early wickets.
13:32And it was almost like a textbook game for Hyderabad.
13:37But, Sharjah, we will continue to see this same kind of high-scoring game.
13:42But I'm beginning to get the feeling that, especially Dubai, the pitch is slowing down.
13:48And yesterday, Rabada was saying, the pitch they played was two-paced.
13:52So, when a pitch is two-paced, the scoring becomes difficult.
13:56Which is why Delhi ran into trouble there.
13:59At no point, they could accelerate.
14:01Rishabh Pant struggled all along.
14:02So, we might see the scores of that in the coming weeks, especially in Dubai.
14:09But Rabada may be going the same way.
14:13And also, Sharjah.
14:15Sharjah, we'll continue to see lots of runs.
14:18Chirag, I think the viewers would like to get a final word from you about today's game.
14:24A bit of an intriguing game.
14:25Kolkata Nitraters, they have travelled.
14:27They'll be travelling to Dubai.
14:29Or as we speak, they're possibly travelling.
14:31They're the first game in the Dubai Stadium with Royals.
14:34Royals are on a high.
14:35What's your take on this game?
14:37Look, I feel, with the two line-ups that we have, I feel that today, it will be a bit of a change for the Royals.
14:44Played a couple of games in Sharjah, coming to Dubai Stadium.
14:48I feel that they'll have to have different strategies.
14:51Maybe some of the batsmen will have to take some time to get set and things like that.
14:55KKR are also a very balanced team.
14:58And they're starting to get things together now with their line-ups and everything.
15:03So, I don't want to take any calls.
15:05But I feel that, I think these conditions better suit to a KKR line-up than a Rajasthan line-up.
15:12So, I think I would go with the KKR today.
15:13Stop the Rajasthan win streak.
15:17Drag him out for a while.
15:19Yeah. They've absolutely come to the party, I think.
15:22Rajasthan Royals, what a great start they've had to the tournament.
15:25Their top players are stepping up.
15:27I was speaking to a couple of the guys and they said, when you're living in this bio-bubble sort of a situation,
15:32it's very important to be… You have to gel with your own team.
15:37Because, to be honest, you're not interacting with many people outside.
15:40It's not like the usual IPL where you're interacting with thousands of people outside.
15:45We've seen in the past, teams like Rajasthan Royals, they don't have those star players.
15:50They don't have those Virat Kohli's or Rohit Sharma's.
15:55No. But they've got the big four.
15:58I mean, now there are reports of Stokes joining this squad.
16:02Yeah. But at the same time, with those Indian stars, you know, the hybrids.
16:08Yeah. Those Indian stars are definitely the superstars, like we know.
16:13So, I feel that this team always gels well.
16:15And in a bio-bubble situation, for the next two months, they're going to be together.
16:19So, I feel the team that gels well off the field as well is going to be very, very crucial.
16:24So, this is why you'll see the likes of, you know, the Delhi Capitals, Punjab, Rajasthan Royals.
16:29I think these teams, I feel that they're going to be going into the top four.
16:34It's their time.
16:35It's their time. Exactly.
16:42Yeah.