Gulf News looks back at this week's action of the T20 cricket showpiece now underway in the UAE. Chirag Suri, UAE’s opening batsman who was a part of IPL 2017, will be chatting with our cricket pundits.
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00:00And you have that depth in your squad, you know, in terms of, you know, they have spinning all-rounders, they have fast-bowling all-rounders, they have leg-spinners, both these teams.
00:08So, you know, it's very, very important to have that good group of players.
00:13Hello, a good day to all of you. We are back again with our weekly roundup, you know, IPL 2020 in the UAE, a player review with Chirag Suri, the UAE opening batsman and a former IPL player.
00:35With me is also my colleague, Shyam Krishna. This is our, you know, the third week that we have got into the chat. And we are actually looking at, you know, the halfway mark of the IPL.
00:46We have something a little more tangible to discuss about now that things are kind of falling into place.
00:51Chirag, you see, we are, as I said, in another week we will be approaching the halfway mark. And slowly, you know, we are getting there. We are kind of getting a hang of what the top four possibly are going to look like.
01:05There is still time for the third and the fourth position. There could still be, you know, like a lot of permutations and combinations will go on.
01:15But what is it that Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals are doing right so far to be where they are today?
01:24Hello to everyone, firstly. And I would say that these two teams have really stood out and they have really adapted to the conditions well.
01:32They have been very, very... They have been quick to, you know, change things out. You know, you have seen the Mumbai Indians changing the batting order so often.
01:40They have been very open to adapting. And they have been very flexible. These sort of conditions, like we know, it's very important to be flexible.
01:48And as a squad, when you have that depth in your squad, you know, in terms of, they have spinning all-rounders, they have fast bowling all-rounders, they have leg spinners.
01:57Both these teams. So, you know, it's very, very important to have that group of players around. And I feel that these two are very, very balanced squads.
02:07Even before the tournament started, you know, we spoke about this. They have a good mix of youth and experience, both these squads.
02:13Delhi Capitals, still, I would say, still a bit more inexperienced. But, you know, the players that have had to step up, you know, the Shreyas Iyers, the captain himself, leading from the front.
02:23You know, so this is a very good sign for any team. And you know, I feel this is very pivotal for any team doing well.
02:29You know, when the senior players step up, the junior players and the lesser experienced, you know, the youngsters, they really feel proud and they really feel confident.
02:37They want to do well as well. So, this is very exciting to see with the Delhi Capitals franchise.
02:41With Mumbai Indians, well, they are a really well-oiled outfit. You know, we know that for the last, you know, 10-12 years of the IPL now, the way they have gone about their business.
02:51You know, the way they are finishing off their last five overs. The way they are finishing off their innings, I think they really know how to set the platform.
02:59You know, when they are batting first or even when they are chasing, they are taking games deep into the last five overs.
03:04And in the last five overs, they are getting 70, 80, 90 runs consistently. So, when you are finishing games that well, it's very difficult to be on the losing side.
03:12Because, you know, they look like they are 130 in 16, 17 overs. And then they end up getting on 90. Because of the firepower they have.
03:20So, it's amazing to see both have extremely good fast-bowling attacks. You know, we have to focus on this.
03:28Andre Nortje, Kagiso Rawada, Trent Boulds, James Pattinson, they have been consistently doing well at the top.
03:37Very good power plays for both the teams. So, they are not leaking runs where other teams have been leaking runs.
03:42So, this is very, very crucial. Extreme, you know, Delhi especially, very good. Very fast-paced attack.
03:49They are surprising batsmen. You are seeing that it's not easy for the batsmen to straightaway come and start getting behind these guys.
03:55We saw David Warner struggle against the Delhi Capitals. We saw Jonny Bairstow struggle against the Capitals.
04:02So, it's not only the Indian players. We are seeing even the overseas players. Who should be used to playing this pace?
04:08But because they are bowling at 150, close to 150, and the Delhi Capitals, two bowlers bowling more than close to 150 kilometres an hour.
04:16So, it's not going to be easy for any team. And I guess the other teams need to learn from this.
04:21This is what I thought of asking you. You see, people have been discussing about how the wickets in the UAE will be progressively getting slower.
04:31How it's going to be a spinners' IPL. But what is really refreshing, you know, two and a half weeks down the line is,
04:37if you look at the purple cap holders, I mean, there are so many fast bowlers. This does bring about, you know, the talk about T20 being a killing field for fast bowlers.
04:49But if you are genuinely quick, and also you have the adaptability. I mean, when this Trent Boult was bowling in Sharjah,
04:57the other day we saw, you know, how much of slower balls he had been using. Slower balls in your case, he had been using.
05:03So, that was really fascinating. I'll come to Shyam on this note. Shyam, I seem to be getting a feeling that if you look at, you know,
05:12historically, the most successful of IPL teams, the secret of the success seems to lie in that strong core of Indian players.
05:21And then, filling up the gaps with the right kind of players. If you look at CSK before, you had, you know, MS himself,
05:29you had, you know, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, this whole gang. Along with that, they had a Shane Watson, they had a Faf little later.
05:39They had a Dwayne Bravo little later. Same with Mumbai. Delhi, it's still early days to say. I mean, they haven't tested a success.
05:46It's very good to see them finally, you know, kind of coming of age. So, what do you make of that, Shyam? Does the buying have to be right?
05:54It has to be right. Simply because if you look at each team, only four overseas players are allowed, which means the bulk of the team is Indian.
06:02So, you need to have very good Indian players in the squad to be successful. There is a limitation to how much a foreign player can contribute,
06:13in the sense like, see, four players can win the game, but they can't consistently win over a longer period of time.
06:20So, this is precisely the success of Chennai and Mumbai. Actually, this was originally started by Chennai. Chennai was the one who came up with this formula.
06:29And Mumbai bought into that idea. Not just bought into it, they built on it. And they have such a… You look at their domestic players on the side.
06:37Each of them are so good. And you have even better ones sitting on the benches. So, this has been the template for the success of Chennai and Mumbai.
06:47And now I feel Delhi is following them. We have Ajinkya Rahane sitting out, the vice-captain of the Indian Test cricket team.
06:55You have players like Ishan Sharma sitting out. So, they are definitely packed as Indian players.
07:00You are seeing them do well because you are seeing the Indian players in their team also do well.
07:05Yes, a Marcus Toinis is coming. And people can say, wow, what a great buy he is. But it wasn't for sure.
07:11We didn't see him do well for RCB. We never saw that. But Delhi has backed them. And he has given him a role.
07:18And I guess he is taking a liking to the UAE conditions.
07:21Chirag, I would have come to you about that. And that's why I asked. I brought up the subject of the Indian players.
07:27You see, there are two franchises in particular. I am talking about Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.
07:34I mean, maybe it's still early days to talk about it. I mean, they can always have a turnaround because each of them have got 2-2 wins.
07:41But Royals, having started so well in Sharjah, there seems to be a perceptible lack of depth in batting as well as bowling.
07:51And in batting, this is a line-up which has got Steve Smith, one of the best batsmen in the world.
07:57You have got Josh Butler. And you have got Sanju Samson.
08:01But Samson, after those two Sharjah innings, things are not coming together.
08:06Similarly, with Kings XI Punjab, you have got two of their openers sitting on top of the race for the orange cap.
08:13But they haven't been able to pull it off. So what exactly is going wrong with these two teams?
08:20I would like to take up Royals first. And then if you can talk us through about Kings XI also.
08:27I feel, like you said about the Royals, it's very, very important to have depth in the batting.
08:33You are not going to expect a Sanju Samson to come to the party every single game.
08:37But the middle-order, where they are playing Mahipal Lomrar or they are playing Riyan Faraj, these guys haven't really come to the party.
08:44Yes, you are getting a Jofra Acher come and score runs at the bottom as well.
08:48You know, the way he is hitting the ball. But you still need a strong middle-order.
08:53Like we spoke about, the Indian players have to fire. Right now, there is only a Sanju Samson we are talking about.
08:57The pressure is on Steve Smith and Joss Butler every game to score the runs.
09:00You know, it's not going to happen every single time. And especially, it's okay when you are chasing 160-170.
09:06But the moment you chase above 180-190, that means other people have to contribute and step up.
09:12So which is what's been lacking in that RR outfit?
09:15The day these two guys are coming to the party, a Sanju Samson or a Smith in Sharjah, they have chased even 220.
09:22These teams really have to strategise, I feel, going forward.
09:26I think, maybe even play an extra batsman if they are feeling the top four is getting too much pressure.
09:31Maybe play some all-rounders. You saw Rahul Tiwati pull it off in one of the games.
09:36But it's very unlikely that it's going to happen again. These are one-off situations.
09:41He is coming out. Yes, he will be given the opportunity.
09:45No, that was extraordinary.
09:46Exactly. I mean, it's not going to happen every single game.
09:50These guys are predominantly bowling all-rounders. Rahul Tiwati, from my angle, is a bowling all-rounder.
09:57They have given him because we have heard from the RR camp that he has been doing really well.
10:02He has been hitting the ball really well in the nets and everything. So he got a chance.
10:06He got promoted in the order. To be honest, the first 15-20 balls, he had struggled even in that innings.
10:11We are not seeing that consistency from that RR line-up.
10:15We are not sensing that they are not comfortable chasing higher scores.
10:19Maybe a team like RR would benefit in batting first. Especially if these conditions do get a bit slower.
10:28Right now, teams have still preferred bowling first because the dew comes on and the ball tends to come out to the bat better.
10:35But maybe a team like RR might want to bat first. So they know that the top 4 or top 5 batsmen don't have any pressure going in.
10:41They can go and take their time and play their own games. Maybe this is the way forward.
10:44But let's also not forget. I will ask Shyam. A gentleman called Ben Stokes is going through his quarantine phase.
10:52So, the last day of his quarantine is actually Friday. And subject to passing of all tests, he will be available.
11:01The thing about him is, since August, he hasn't played any cricket. And we will also have to see what kind of mental space is he in.
11:11So, Shyam, Ben Stokes. You don't have a better match-winner in world cricket than him. He can turn around things on his own.
11:19Yeah. But like you yourself said, there is a huge question mark because of this lack of prior match practice.
11:25See, let's say he was even working out on his fitness. But he might have had some net practice.
11:33But I think that will be grossly inadequate. But what you cannot discount here is his talent.
11:38He is such an amazing talent. He may not need full practice. But the thing is, can he come and start firing straight away?
11:47No. Maybe as a batsman, maybe. Maybe if he gets a good hit in the middle, if he's got enough time to put back to ball, maybe he might get going.
11:55But bowling, I think it's still a matter of match practice. You need to bowl. Consistently bowl to hit a tidy length and to get all your variations in.
12:05So, I'm not betting on Stokes, the bowler here. But as a batsman, yes. And Rajasthan Royals badly needed it because their middle order is absolutely spineless.
12:15So, he could be an asset there.
12:18Chirag, I'd like to come back to you about the report of local intelligence that we have been getting.
12:27I think not too many people know that the UAE captain, Ahmed Raza himself is part of the RCB squad, giving his expertise on how to possibly on the type of wickets, how to marshal your spin bowling resources.
12:42Your baseball, as Zahoor is helping out the Mumbai Indians team. So, how much do you think this local inputs?
12:51Because it's not that. The Indian players especially have got a fair idea about how the UAE wickets behave.
12:58What do you think, how much of a help these local inputs can be with this interaction?
13:06I think definitely, these guys have been playing in these conditions. And they know these conditions extremely well.
13:13And I think whatever conversations we've had, they definitely give their best to advice or even give their inputs on if they are asked and that set-up.
13:23So, they've gone into those set-ups. Obviously, they are going to learn so much more.
13:28And the fair bit of experience that they are going to get and they are going to bring back to the UAE squad, which is also very exciting for us.
13:35So, it's definitely a good prospect for both. And for even Ahmed, Zahoor, and there's a boy like Spinner, Karthik Mayappan. He's also involved with the RCB squad now.
13:47Ahmed has actually returned now. But Karthik is still involved with the RCB squad currently.
13:52And I think it's definitely amazing. I was speaking to him as well. And he really enjoyed his time.
13:58Just watching those guys go about their jobs and how professional they are. Whether it's on the field or off the field.
14:06Whether it's diet, nutrition, everything is so well in check. And it's amazing, the experience. I've been part of it as well.
14:15And working with these guys closely, you tend to learn things and adapt to things. And you try to put it in your own routines.
14:23I think it's very exciting to see that. And definitely, I think we know the conditions out here quite well.
14:31And if we can even add even a percent advantage, I think it's huge when it comes to these super-low finishes we're getting.
14:38So, even small margins that you can add to, I think it's amazing.
14:42Before we round up, couple of things from Chirag. One is Virat Kohli. Still a bit of blow-hot, blow-cold. What do you think?
14:52Look, I feel that in the 72, he looked like the Virat Kohli of four. Yes, he took some time in the middle.
15:01And this is what we're saying. Virat Kohli needs those 15-20 balls up front. He needs to bat it out.
15:07In the previous IPLs, he has been opening the batting. But now he's giving Devdutt Palikkal that opportunity to open the batting.
15:13And go out there with… So, he's not doing… I feel that it's a big move from him.
15:20In fact, he's really trusting Devdutt Palikkal. Giving him his space. Because in IPL, we've seen Kohli go out there in the power play.
15:26Gets a few runs. And especially with the fielders up, he pierces the fielders. He gets boundaries.
15:32He's not a big six-hitter. He's more of a boundary hitter. Rohit Sharma is more of a six-hitter.
15:37So, you see Rohit, even in the middle overs, when he's taken that role as a one-down or two-down for Mumbai Indians, he's done well.
15:44But I still feel Kohli's pace is at the top in T20 cricket. Open number three as well.
15:49Yes, he is getting that opportunity now. He's starting to look of the Kohli of old.
15:54But I feel the rest of the RCB team really needs to step up. Especially their bowling attack.
16:00I feel all these years, they've been a great batting side. And the bowlers are just giving away too many runs.
16:07When you're chasing 200-odd, 190-odd, you don't really have time. You start making average bowlers look good.
16:15And that's what's happening because of the pressure that's been created when you're chasing.
16:21So, it's not always easy. Especially on these new wickets. This is not like a Bangalore wicket or something where you can go in and really throw your hands through the ball.
16:31Especially in Dubai Stadium, I'm talking about. But I do feel I'm sensing a Kohli 100 in Sharjah.
16:36So, I'm waiting for him to walk out in Sharjah. I think he'll set it all straight in Sharjah.
16:40We leave our viewers with that. And till next week, when things will take a more formal shape, we'll pick Chirag's brains.
16:48Till then, wishing you happy watching for the IPL. Thank you so much.