Indian Premier League - General Discussion

[Bigby Wolf]

I do think I've been consistent on my stance about this and personally, I've barely had any interest in this edition with everything happening in life and know plenty of people who aren't interested in terms of interaction, banter or fantasy participation.

This was my first match in quite a while and I only followed it via irregular updates.

Its been the same with me and many others I guess as well mainly due to the reason because of the whole covid situation got worse last week across the country.

Came through some really unnerving videos and news where people are suffering and dying on the roads due to lack of facilities available in the country.

It does put you off emotionally, mentally and can put in a very distressing mood when you see your fellow countrymen and people go through such horrendous phases.


Coming to match somehow talking to some friends helped as some of them are a CSK fan and being a MI fan that rivalry somehow ignite the inner hardcore MI fan in me and made me watch the game.

 

[abbhishek kumar]

Mate the ipl guys are entertainers don’t you enjoy it

 

[abhi_jacko]

The only thing that justifies a sporting event in these conditions is the players being absolutely fine with it, and comfortable in the conditions in which they have to play. We can say that they are taking a risk due to the financial incentives, but that's their personal decision and should be respected, as long as the public at large isn't harmed, just like if some players leave the IPL early, that should be respected too. The public isn't short of entertainment options, is it? This "you are playing for the people" line is just a PR strategy. They are playing for the money, we all know it, but we are all enjoying the IPL, me included, so if the players are fine with it, i have no problem, again, as long as there isn't a burden put on the public.

Indirectly public is being harmed as I had shared in my previous post

There are ambulances at stadium ready to serve the players in case of an emergency. Several cops and security are deployed at the entrance of the stadium when matches take place. There are doctors, oxygen cylinders and medicines reserved for the players in the event of something unfortunate happening

And a few kms away thousands are unable to get basic medical attention or ambulance transport or oxygen. People (common man and vip alike) are literally begging and dying to get even half empty cylinders.

Then there're indirect employees who are not in the bubble. The groundsmen, the cleaning crew. They won't be supported by the emergency medical reserves for the bio bubble folks. There are journos who have to throng the airports and team hotel to take pics of the team because that's their livelihood.

So the whole playing for humanity and putting a smile on people's face is just an ego massage for the show runners and nothing else. Its okay to watch the cricket if it's on. I hold the organizers accountable for being so thick skulled and I am sad to see the players being mute spectators for such a long time. Good to see them being a bit more vocal in the last week.

 

[abhi_jacko]

I do think I've been consistent on my stance about this and personally, I've barely had any interest in this edition with everything happening in life and know plenty of people who aren't interested in terms of interaction, banter or fantasy participation. I did come across these words in the SA Cricket Magazine and they were poignant.







And that last line I think sums up my feelings well enough.

These excerpts are bang on target really.

Olympic qualifier events have been postponed and many of our Indian contingent are unable to participate in overseas events because flights from India are suspended. And that's their once in 4 yr opportunity gone. But only #IPLlivesmatter

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Can you please tell me as a MI fan why he and Hardik bat below Krunal at any stage?

That question is as good as asking you why doesn't RCB win the title.

It's been 6 years since I am calling out for Pollard to bat up the order. (Strongly disagreed by Sanjay Manjrekar )

 

[Ashutosh.]

How can the best batsman of IPL be dropped after 5-6 failures?

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

How can the best batsman of IPL be dropped after 5-6 failures?

It's Covid times and you are astonished about this?

 

[Ohm]

Well, I feel matches like these justify need for a sporting event amidst a pandemic. Large portion of world's population is stuck at home, facing issues like anxiety, depression, fear, pain, insomnia, etc. because of an incredibly prolonged detachment with the routine world. If 4 hours of sports does put a smile on their faces, I honestly believe they deserve that much.

When I said this, I did not mean events like IPL should happen at cost of anyone's life, at all. That will be epitome of insensitivity. Situation in our country is really critical and I concur with most of the people around here who say that tournament organizers are absolutely not allowed to advertise these leagues as a humanitarian cause. Better they work in silence and stop being stupid by thirsting for credit. It's people who make professional sports successful.

Although, there are bunch of angles to how we can view this, how we compare pandemic and professional sports happening at the same time. There are 1.3 billion people in India out of which 2 cr cases have been detected in past year. I know that number doesn't depict the real situation because testing is not up to the mark. So let's assume there have been around 3-5 cr cases over last 12-14 months. Now it's not like all of the 130 cr people are at a risk at the same time, it's not possible. But, am I right to assume that nearly half the population has been harshly affected by this as they have to be stuck at home? People call this a new norm, it's for our own safety though, but are we accustomed to living like this? No. So I understand situation is really worse out there for frontline workers, patients and their families, but it's also not that damn easy for people who have accepted the new way of life. In these regards, a sports event gives people a sense of normalcy. Even though not everyone is infected, the news, getting to learn someone close being affected by the virus, not being able to help them, not being able to distract our minds like we used to before all this leaves us in state of helplessness. You can not just be sitting at home and working and studying and ignoring ongoing crisis at all hours to stay positive.

Again, BCCI or FA or UEFA, nobody gets to seize credit here for keeping the professional sports running and people being happy because of it; it's because they choose to watch these sports, organizers are able to go on. But imagine if these events are shut down and entertainment industry is also shut down, and people who have been trying to stay true to their social responsibilities by following protocols decide to pretend nothing is going wrong and just try to live like normal as the way of handling depression. It will be utter chaos then I'm afraid!

 

[Bigby Wolf]

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Very sad to see SRH gone!

 

[Aalay]

So this is a little weird one. Warner has been SRH's best player ever since he was brought into the SRH franchise. He has led them very well and has been loyal to the franchise. This is the reason I found it weird when they decided to drop him altogether as a captain and also as a player. It is quite clear that Warner is not the same player he once was or hasn't shown that thus far in this tournament, but this is when I think the franchise should show some faith in the player. I know they have some very good foreign players in the dugout, but I was hoping to see them back him a little more.

I guess this is what happens when you have an overseas captain who hasn't played the best to his ability in the tournament. It is difficult to say whether he has a difference of opinion with the support staff since most of them are Australian and people who he is pretty close to, such as Brad Haddin and Trevor Bayliss. Last season for Warner at the franchise?

I was excited for SRH this season but everything has gone wrong for them so far.

 

[Umair7]

Faccckkkkk

 

[Bigby Wolf]

Is Warner ruled out just due to form or some fitness related issue as well ?

Ever since he injured his groin during the 2nd ODI against India last November hasn't been the same Warner at all even played the last couple of test matches despite not being 100% fit.

 

[SaiSrini]

Oh damn! Huge blow that for Punjab with KL Rahul almost done for the tournament. Surgery should take 2 weeks plus some days to regain full fitness and by that time PBKS would be likely out of the tournament as their chances of qualifying without Rahul is almost 'none'..

Hope he recovers soon.... Just when I wished that the tournament got interesting, things get deeper and dire for certain teams.

Dropping Warner is a mistake and SRH have done the wrong thing. Yes, Williamson is the better captain and I agree with the decision to make him the captain even if it is midway. But dropping Warner is stupid. He is still a great batsman at the top in T20's. I just hope we've seen the end of the likes of Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav in IPL. With the mega auction next year, I hope these fellows go unsold. Such highly overrated fellows.

 

[AliB]

I feel when he called dropping Manish Pandey is a harsh call by the selectors, the things started going south for him. It's really unfair for him to be dropped altogether. He's the one with Dhawan who literally built the team that'd finish 6-7 to the consistent top 4.