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The IPL 2025 Landscape: Teams in Turmoil and Rising Stars
The latest discourse on the Indian Premier League 2025 unfolds with hosts Benny and Mayank as they delve into the unexpected developments of the tournament thus far. Central to our dialogue is the disconcerting performance of traditionally dominant teams, specifically the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, both languishing at the bottom of the standings. We explore the implications of these teams' struggles, contrasting them with the emerging prowess of younger players, such as Priyansh Arya and Digvesh Rathi, who have captured the attention and admiration of cricket enthusiasts. Additionally, we evaluate the strategic decisions and overall team dynamics that have contributed to the current standings while speculating on future trajectories as the season progresses. Join us as we dissect the nuances of this captivating season, providing insights into the evolving landscape of the IPL.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Last Wicket.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Benny.
Speaker A:Thank you for joining us.
Speaker A: eak down another round of IPL: Speaker A:Hey, Mike.
Speaker B:Hey, Benny.
Speaker A:Hey.
Speaker A: already talking about the IPL: Speaker A:It's a very weird time for me to be following the ipl.
Speaker A:As a CSK fan, I'm in uncharted territory right now.
Speaker A:So we'll.
Speaker A:We'll talk more about that later.
Speaker A:But let's just start with you.
Speaker A:How are you feeling about the tournament so far?
Speaker A:Anything that's been at the top of your mind lately?
Speaker B:No, I mean, I think it's.
Speaker B:It's going pretty interesting.
Speaker B:I found it really interesting that last week they had two games on a Tuesday and not on the weekend.
Speaker B:Yeah, some.
Speaker B:Some things that IPL does or BCCI does rather are so random.
Speaker A:Yeah, I saw that.
Speaker A:That was so unusual.
Speaker A:I was like, why are there two games?
Speaker A:Because last Sunday wasn't there just like one game.
Speaker B:Yep, exactly.
Speaker B:So they do certainly do some random things.
Speaker B:But the other piece that I just realized today was I was looking at the Hyderabad stadium and how it was like.
Speaker B:Like looking, you know, pretty amazing.
Speaker B:In all orange they had.
Speaker B:Obviously they do a good job of like, probably just giving the spectators orange flags because they're, you know, they try to call themselves the Orange Army.
Speaker B:There's a good following of that team, which is why a lot of people buy the jerseys.
Speaker B:So the stadium in general looks pretty orange.
Speaker B: Hyderabad, where it says IPL: Speaker B:All of that was also really perfectly matched in orange.
Speaker B:And the first thing that came to mind is it's really not that hard.
Speaker B:Is it?
Speaker B:Like, why do we need to watch test matches in Indian stadiums which have spawn Bahar in bright red everywhere?
Speaker B:And I was like, man, they've done like.
Speaker B:It's such a simple thing to do.
Speaker B:And they've done such a good job of like, the esthetics in ipl.
Speaker B:I wish they do the same for.
Speaker B:For international matches.
Speaker A:I mean, it's also the matter of private ownership of teams, the IPL teams, where the owners take it upon themselves.
Speaker A:I mean, these are professionally run franchises.
Speaker A:I don't know about csk, but that's for later.
Speaker A:But they're all professional franchises with highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals running everything.
Speaker A:Behind the scenes from marketing to the way things are being promoted.
Speaker A:And so it makes sense that when it comes to something as simple as things that they want to display at their home ground in the stadium, that they're putting in all the effort that they would pretty much in any other line of work that they do same.
Speaker A:I don't know if that can be said about the BCCI because they do whatever they please most of the time it works out so nobody really questions them.
Speaker A:And I think that's where the difference is.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, I definitely think that's a factor.
Speaker B:But, but I will say, like, these franchises, I, you know, I definitely agree with you that I give them more credit than the BCCI because they, they know that their show is a two and a half month show and they do their best to make sure it's on top of everybody's mind in their respective cities.
Speaker B:But which is.
Speaker B:I will.
Speaker B:But I mean, I was going to say like the stadium itself is still run by the association.
Speaker B:There's still some coordination going on between the franchises, BCCI and, and the association to say, yep, Hyderabad's going to look all orange, Delhi's going to look all blue and this shade of blue.
Speaker B:So there is some coordination that's going on.
Speaker B:And it, yeah, to me that's not really that hard.
Speaker B:I think like it's very simple to do in other stadiums and then let's say a sponsor with a bright red banner is trying to advertise while we have the electronic boards which can be used at the bottom, which can be different colors, but at least the rest of the stadium has one aesthetic and it just makes things look so much better than, you know, what we've seen in Test cricket.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I'll go as far as say that I probably will never watch a live match in India, but if it comes to just like a Test match One Day International or T20 International.
Speaker A:But I would definitely want to go watch like an IPL match because I feel they probably are run slightly better than they do with international games hosted in India.
Speaker A:So, yeah, I mean, whenever we watch on tv, like the atmosphere and you get like, you know, really good feedback from people who attend these games compared to when it's like in India versus like in any other team that's touring them.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Let's get into the cricket itself.
Speaker B:Yeah, I wanted to start with young players, uncapped players, ideally, that got your attention over the last week or so.
Speaker A:I mean, there's really, well, two players, one bowler, one batter.
Speaker A: isode that we did for the IPL: Speaker A:Is that Digway?
Speaker A:Digvesh Rati?
Speaker A:Is that his name?
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:The leg spinner from lsg.
Speaker A:He, he, he's obviously done well in his, in his opportunities so far.
Speaker A:But I think what struck me about him most was the confidence and some people would even say the audacity because it, it's quite one thing not just to perform well, but to back it up with your actions after that.
Speaker A:What I mean is like he's been in the news recently because of his celebrations, right.
Speaker A:After taking a wicket, he's had this note taking celebration for which I think the first time he did it, he got fined.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:What would most players do?
Speaker A:They wouldn't repeat it.
Speaker A:But not only did he repeat it, but he did it almost trying to exploit a loophole, I think, where he was like riding it on the ground.
Speaker A:So I think some of, I mean, we've talked about this before, something about the ipl.
Speaker A:What it does for youngsters in the Indian setup is that it gives them confidence.
Speaker A:It gives them confidence to rub shoulders with some of the best in the world, but also be themselves.
Speaker A:Because I always go back to the early years of the ipo.
Speaker A:I feel like in that first three, four years, it was always the overseas stars who shined the most and the Indian internationals.
Speaker A:The first few years didn't really see a lot of Indian youngsters making the leap to like really high quality.
Speaker A: t only probably like in early: Speaker A:IPL was suddenly like a shortcut to display almost like a trailer of their skills and get an opportunity.
Speaker A:I mean, even as recent as Harshitrana for instance, comes to mind.
Speaker A:There's no, I'm not saying that he's not doing well in domestic cricket, but I feel like because of the ipl you get a lot more than just bowling figures, more than just statistics.
Speaker A:And he's a great example of someone who, he almost looks ready for prime time.
Speaker A:The way he carries himself, the way he performs.
Speaker A:And I think along those lines, you have so many other youngsters now to the point where suddenly there's, there's no shortage of quality youngsters who feel like if you put them in the Indian to the senior team now, they're not going to Struggle, you know, from the beginning.
Speaker A:So him, you know, in the last round, he's really like caught my attention more than just for his bowling performance itself, which is already good, but just the confidence that he can pull off some, you know, some would say stunt, but I would say it's just a reflection of this innate confidence that he has.
Speaker A:So he really caught my attention.
Speaker A:But I think the number one young player who I think many people will be talking about for years and years is obviously the young opener with the Punjab Kings, Priyansh Arya.
Speaker A:I wouldn't say I enjoyed his knock against the 10 night Super Kings, but I definitely did appreciate it because there was so much talk about him before the tournament began.
Speaker A:I remember Ricky Ponting talking him up a lot.
Speaker A:And for all his, you know, shortcomings, Ponting has very good eye for youngsters and so I really expect big things of him.
Speaker A:And the thing about that really impressed me about Arya is the way he bats.
Speaker A:And what I mean is his batting stance, the shape, you know, when he plays his shots, he just looks like a player who may go through a bad patch of form here and there, but he seems to have a decent and a very solid technique actually that more often than not he's going to be very consistent and actually get your runs against all sorts of bowling attacks.
Speaker A:So he's really a good prospect.
Speaker A:But again, I was just thinking, man, there's just too many, there's just too many quality openers at the moment, like fighting for the top spot in the T20 International setup that I don't know how he's going to get opportunities.
Speaker A:So he just has to keep performing and keep hoping that his opportunities come along the way.
Speaker A:So yeah, these were the two that caught my eye in the last few games.
Speaker B:Yeah, I couldn't agree more about these two.
Speaker B:I think the interesting thing about Rati was he actually got fined twice I believe for the celebration and the third time is when he decided to start writing on the pitch.
Speaker B:And one thing that's very true, I had not thought of it until you mentioned it was now it's a little more acceptable for people to do that because I remember 15 years back, not just for IPL, but Indian cricketers, somebody like Kohli would divide the opinion all the time because he was aggressive and he was just being out there, you know, doing his thing and, and that was definitely.
Speaker B:A lot of people were like, well, this is no way to behave as an international cricketer.
Speaker B:And, and all that would be, you know, something that would be discussed all the time.
Speaker B:And I feel like that's died down quite a bit.
Speaker B:I think now people are a lot more open to the idea of.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Let people express themselves.
Speaker B:And I think that's absolutely a step in the right direction.
Speaker A:So is it fair to say that it's a Coley effect?
Speaker B:I guess so.
Speaker B:I mean, I definitely think there's an aspect of him and his, you know, large following almost like.
Speaker B:I don't think we need to hide the fact that some of the following is toxic.
Speaker B:But I think what that has done is it's, it's just given people, um, you know, like, people get excited to see things like that KL Rahul celebration, for example, like when he won that game against RCB in Bangalore and.
Speaker B:And when this is my ground, people were pumped to see that.
Speaker B:People were pumped to see KL Rahul, who's generally a reserved guy, you know, calm guy, show that many emotions.
Speaker B:Yeah, I don't think, like, that's something that was, you know, okay, 20 years ago.
Speaker B:And again, this is the IPL.
Speaker B:Maybe, like, if he does it for India, it might be a different story.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:But I do think people are generally more accepting.
Speaker B:And yeah, it's definitely the newer.
Speaker B:Well, now they're old now, but, you know, the generation that started 15 years ago in the likes of Kohli that made that a normal thing.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, I'm all for color and personality as long as you don't get into abusive territory or, you know, we're getting physical, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Kohli is an interesting, you know, case study because for most part, you know, he.
Speaker A:He's very passionate, obviously, but sometimes he does cross the line, as we saw in the recent test series Done under.
Speaker A:And someone like Harshitrana, who's probably like a magnet for this as well because of his kind of celebrations or the way he carries himself.
Speaker A:And now Rati, I think they're not, you know, as long as they're not being abusive.
Speaker A:And this is just displaying a trait, a personality trait that is like, it's just colorful, it's fun and it's what keeps them going.
Speaker A:It's, it's.
Speaker A:It keeps motivating them almost to keep performing well.
Speaker A:Because, yeah, if you don't perform well, suddenly people are going to turn on you and make fun of you and troll you start.
Speaker A:So it's an incentive to keep performing well if you're going to pull stuff like this.
Speaker A:So as long as it doesn't.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Get into that territory where it's just, you know, embarrassing to watch.
Speaker A:I think they're fine.
Speaker A:So in that respect, I appreciate Kohli for inspiring, you know, the new crop of Indian cricketers, the more recent crop, let's say.
Speaker A:Because, you know, when I started following cricket, I remember Rahul Dravid and Sachin and Anil Kumble, you know, they were the role models that our parents wanted to be because they were all known as these gentlemen and, you know, very humble and polite and yeah, that's all great, but they weren't winning any games.
Speaker A:I mean, I shouldn't say winning any games, but they weren't winning a lot of games.
Speaker A:They were not.
Speaker A:The Indian team at that time was not considered a powerhouse like they are now.
Speaker A:So I, I think that's fine.
Speaker A:I mean, you can be who you are.
Speaker A:Like a Pujara is not going to be doing the stuff that Akoli does and they're all performing, they're all champions in their own right.
Speaker A:So just let people be themselves and that's just good for the game.
Speaker A:So I'm, I'm all for it.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:I think one of the things that Raul Dravid was asked right after he gave up, you know, being the coach of the Indian team and was asked about players like Kohli and handling them and that's exactly what he said.
Speaker B:He said, don't try to do what Kohli is doing.
Speaker B:Be authentic to yourself.
Speaker B:If it's something that comes naturally, of course, express yourself.
Speaker B:But moving back to Priyansharya.
Speaker B:Yeah, pretty exciting batter.
Speaker B:I feel like there is so much talent.
Speaker B:Like, I know that various states have done their own Premier League.
Speaker B:So for example, there was the Delhi Premier League, there was a share in Punjab and just the talent coming out of it is just insane.
Speaker B:Like, same with Madhya Pradesh Premier League, Tamil Nadu Premier League.
Speaker B:All of these leagues have honored a lot of quality players.
Speaker B:And it's not just that they've unearthed them, they've given them good match practice, but it's also that, you know, it's a good opportunity for IPL scouts to actually check out certain players because if you think about it, if we only had the, you know, Sayed Mustak Ali Trophy or the Vijay Hazar, it certainly restricts the number of people who can play those games because there's only one stateside.
Speaker B:And so the number of players that scouts can watch across is increased, you know, many folds with these tournaments.
Speaker B:So it's, yeah, it's such a great thing to talk about.
Speaker B:It's such a great thing for like just the talent in India.
Speaker B:But the, the other, other piece that you Mentioned, you know, just the number of people in line to get in the Indian team.
Speaker B:That always makes me laugh because I always, you know, watch one of these performances like Priyanshahrya and then I'm like, surely there's going to be an article next day somewhere which says he must be in the Indian team.
Speaker B:And of course there was.
Speaker B:And I'm like, well, Shubman Gill, Shreya Sayer, there's like so many great talents who are not even close to making the Indian T20 team.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I have no, like, I think it's very early days for these talents and I think they probably realize it too.
Speaker B:Obviously they'll still have dreams of making the team, but I think what's important is they keep working on it and stay patient and you never know, the opportunity might come.
Speaker A:But here's the other side of the coin.
Speaker A:There are so many great batting talents on display from India, but where are the bowlers?
Speaker A:Like, there's the odd bowler here and there, but I have not seen anyone that.
Speaker A:I'm thinking, oh, this, this is going to be an amazing prospect for, to be part of the Indian bowling attack in the years to come.
Speaker A:Do you think it's a reflection of kind of pitches or just the quality of the batting that's gone through the roof or, you know, just very simply put, there's just no good bowling talent?
Speaker B:I, I don't think I agree with that.
Speaker B:I, I definitely think the pitches are not making it easy for many of our bowlers.
Speaker B:Well, not just hard bowlers.
Speaker B:Like, look at, you know, somebody like Marco Janssen and, and these foreign cricketers who are obviously very experienced.
Speaker B:They even, they are going for a lot of runs.
Speaker B:So I don't think it's necessarily the Indian bowlers which are taking a toll.
Speaker B:Having said that, I mean, we think we look at the likes of Varun Chakravarti, we look at the likes of Web of Arora at kkr.
Speaker B:There's Simranjit Singh and Sunrise as Hyderabad, another really good talent.
Speaker B:He's pretty quick as well.
Speaker B:So there's definitely bowling there.
Speaker B:I do think that the, the way the IPL has turned out more and more is it's become more and more batting friendly.
Speaker B:And, and that's why it's, you know, the margin for error for bowlers is so tiny that it's easy for good bowlers to look ordinary every other day.
Speaker B:I mean, if you, if you think about it like Gujarat Titans have Rashid Khan and until the last game he was having a relatively poor season by his standards, like some people might take those, but by his standards he had not picked a wicket in three consecutive games and, and gone for runs as well.
Speaker B:So like it is just stuff out there being a bowler in my mind.
Speaker B:Of course there'll be the odd pitch in Chennai or somewhere where things, you know which are, which is, which are tough to bat on, but for the most part it is, it is really rough out there for bowlers.
Speaker B:I do think there's enough talent though.
Speaker B:I do think like, and one thing I really enjoy doing and this is not IPL related, but I love watching random old cricket highlights.
Speaker B: u watch an ODI from let's say: Speaker B:They're like missing the yoker fairly consistently.
Speaker B:So I think the quality of bowlers has just gone up for sure.
Speaker B:But the power hitting has kept up with it.
Speaker B:They're able to clear the boundaries, you know, even if it's a slight mishit or they'll get an edge and it go past third man and they'll get a four, things like that.
Speaker B:Which is why scoring rate has continued to be solid.
Speaker B:But like the quality of bowling, like I remember seeing Ms.
Speaker B: nd Suresh ran up batting in a: Speaker B:And then I thought about it and I was like, well that's, that would be over pitched.
Speaker B:That would be smacked by every single good youngster in the ipl.
Speaker B:So like I think that the quality is there and it's improving for sure.
Speaker B:Yeah, there's just like, there's not as much scope with, with the pitches that we have.
Speaker A:I'm just disappointed because I remember when someone like Umran Malik came on, you know, everyone is like the next space spearhead.
Speaker A:I don't know if he's even part of any team right now.
Speaker A:He may be, but I haven't seen or heard him.
Speaker A:Then we have Mike, the other great Mike.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:He's injured, right.
Speaker A:I think.
Speaker A:But he's expected to be back for the second half of the tournament for lsg.
Speaker A:So even someone like him who seems promising, he seems to be injured more often than not.
Speaker A:There are a ton of spinners.
Speaker A:I mean someone like Varen Chakravarti, I think made his way back to the Indian team not just by his domestic performances but obviously the last season.
Speaker A:He had a great season but I, I would really love to see some, you know, the way that the, the emotions that someone like Priyansharia evokes.
Speaker A:You know, even if he doesn't have a realistic chance of making breaking into the Indian squad anytime soon, the kind of emotions he was where you, you see him and you think, man, most teams will be lucky to have someone of his potential.
Speaker A:I just don't get that same feeling when I watch a lot of the Indian bowlers.
Speaker A:They, they are at best they're like decent in the sense they can control the, the run rate and take pick up a couple of wickets here and there.
Speaker A:But you never get the sense, oh, this bowler is on, he's probably going to run through the side.
Speaker A:He's got it into a great rhythm.
Speaker A:It's just about negotiating his four overs.
Speaker A:I don't get that and I don't know how much of that is also like the limitations of the format where they don't really get beyond four overs to really build and all of that.
Speaker A:But yeah, it's just a wish, just a wish that there's more to look forward to.
Speaker B:I definitely think it's the format more than anything else because if you think about it, if a bowler took one for 38 and four hours, I don't think we would be writing or speaking about it as we did for Priyancharya.
Speaker B:But that's actually an amazing performance.
Speaker B:If you look at all the 200 plus scores we've had, I think we.
Speaker A:Have to re contextualize these figures.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I think that's one aspect of it.
Speaker B:And yeah, I mean I think it's like noticing the subtleties.
Speaker B:I think that's how Arshad Rana got into the Indian team.
Speaker B:Like he's not played more than two seasons in the domestic league.
Speaker B:But, but yeah, ipl, he like showed that he had pace.
Speaker B:He could bowl up to 145,148and he had a good slower ball, good bouncer.
Speaker B:Like he had all the ingredients and then that's why he went to Perth and was part of a historic test win for India.
Speaker B:But, but yeah, obviously you can't expect that in white ball cricket, especially in T20 cricket.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:All right, I'll take that for now.
Speaker B:Moving on.
Speaker B:The other thing that I found fascinating is we are recording on 12 April after the Punjab and Punjab and Hyderabad match is done and Mumbai and Chennai are dead bottom.
Speaker B:That is not something I had expected.
Speaker B:Mumbai in particular, I had high hopes of Mumbai and in my, in our preview, I, you know, or in our first episode rather, I said, I definitely think they're going to be in the top four.
Speaker B:It's quite a contrast.
Speaker B:So maybe.
Speaker A:Benny, I'll have you see Delhi Capitals are on top of the table.
Speaker A:Four games then.
Speaker A:Fair enough.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:They haven't played like six games like Chennai have, so maybe that'll be a fairer kind of comparison once Delhi played two more games, but still.
Speaker A:Yeah, when we first did the first episode, at least for me, Chennai and Mumbai were in my top four and Delhi was the wooden spoon.
Speaker A:You know, I predicted them to grab the wooden spoon.
Speaker A:Obviously I know nothing because the way these teams are playing, I don't think Chennai is going to win another game this season.
Speaker A:I would be shocked if they do.
Speaker A:And Delhi, I.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I still though they're not the best team this season, but.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So Mumbai and Chennai it is.
Speaker A:Well, I'm gonna lump Sunrise's Hyderabad into this too, just for the simple reason, because there are eight.
Speaker A:So the, the bottom three are sunrises.
Speaker A:Hyderabad, who are 10 till, you know, today's game.
Speaker A:But after their win, they jump to 8.
Speaker A:So sunrise is Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
Speaker A:Sunrises, especially after last season, I really had high hopes for them and I don't think two games from six is what they would have thought they would be.
Speaker A:Especially with the batting firepower they have.
Speaker A:The captaincy of Pat Cummins, they would have definitely expected to be, if not in the top four, at least in the top six.
Speaker A:So that is surprising to me.
Speaker A:Mumbai Indians, again, even though they're number nine at this point, it's only five games.
Speaker A:At no point do they look like they're in a terrible shape because they still have very good players.
Speaker A:They have a top.
Speaker A:They have top quality players.
Speaker A:Even in their defeats.
Speaker A:They're really fighting and are always on very close to winning as well.
Speaker A:So there are some really close games for them.
Speaker A:But Chennai, listen, we'll have to do an entire episode just on what's gone wrong with this team and maybe we do a.
Speaker B:What's gone right.
Speaker B:That'll be a short episode.
Speaker A:Yeah, true, true.
Speaker A:Because, you know, it's so hard for me as a CSK fan to watch this because CSK has had bad seasons before.
Speaker A:You know, a few years ago they were nine, but even then you never got the sense they were terrible because, you know, there's they had injuries and they just had some closed games and you could always make an excuse saying it was just not, you know, it was just bad luck.
Speaker A:But this year it's just everything that can go wrong is going wrong for them.
Speaker A:Their best batter is out injured for the rest of the season.
Speaker A:They're led by an uncapped player who is way past his pride.
Speaker A:And you know when I was watching the today's, today's game earlier with Sunrisers and Punjab Kings, I was thinking man, five years ago like Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, they were like the trendsetters in the ipl.
Speaker A:And teams like Sunrises, Hyderabad and Punjab Kings would have been considered, were considered one dimensional and now they're setting the pace, you know, Punjab King scoring 245 and Hyderabad chasing it with like what like probably like under 2 overs to spare or something.
Speaker A:And I was thinking how the tables have turned where it's more exciting to watch a non CSK game than watch CSK perform.
Speaker A:Because with CSK it's the way they're playing.
Speaker A:They look completely devoid of any kind of confidence.
Speaker A:It seems like they've forgotten how to hold a bat and with the ball they just seem to be just running and bow whatever comes to their mind at that particular moment.
Speaker A:Feeling don't even talk about it.
Speaker A:As a long time fan having seen some of their highs and there have been some really good highs, this is easily the worst that they have performed in the entire history of the ipl.
Speaker A:And so it is shocking at how badly they have fallen.
Speaker A:But it has also exposed all of their faults that actually started way before the season.
Speaker A:You know, the way the squad was constructed.
Speaker A:I genuinely believed the magic of Fleming and the way the team management would somehow extract match winning performances from these players.
Speaker A:But I think unfortunately it's been exposed because they just don't have squad to bring them back into the season.
Speaker A:So I think it's a fair reflection and it will be shocking for fans of Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings to see where their teams are.
Speaker A:But I feel like at least for Mumbai Indian fans, they have a lot more to hope for, a lot more to look forward to.
Speaker A:Whereas with Chennai, I think it's going to be a really rough three year cycle I guess before the next mega auction comes on.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean I was thinking about it and I was thinking every ipl usually the benchmark is eight wins.
Speaker B:Like the moment you get eight wins you're almost certain to be in the top three with seven wins.
Speaker B:Then it comes down to Net run rate, you know, something that RCB specializes in.
Speaker B:So I think from that perspective, if I look at Mumbai right now, the games they've lost, they've not lost them, you know, to your point, they've not lost them one sided.
Speaker B:There were chases where it looked like they were doing okay.
Speaker B:Big chase, they were like 111 overs and they were trying to get there.
Speaker B:They, they lost out, lost a few wickets and couldn't carry on.
Speaker B:And they've had the odd scenario where one game Surya didn't get going, one game Tilak didn't get going.
Speaker B:But overall there's a lot of talent in there.
Speaker B:So in my mind nine games to go, I still see them winning six.
Speaker B:I think there's a turnaround coming.
Speaker B:It's obviously, you know, these things are easy to say but I just think Bumrah's back and as such like they'll start finding some more form and I think it'll work out.
Speaker B:So I do think they're still going to come close to qualifying if not definitely qualify.
Speaker B:And srh, I have a similar feeling.
Speaker B:When I read all the Travis Shake articles about this is the end of Travis Shake and, and all of that.
Speaker B:I was a little circumspect.
Speaker B:I was thinking there's still a very fine squad overall.
Speaker B:You know there's no drill department where they are terrible like Gujarat.
Speaker B:You can say the middle order is kind of missing.
Speaker B:You know, other teams will have an obvious issue.
Speaker B:SRH doesn't feel like that.
Speaker B:So I think it was just a matter of time of their batting to get going.
Speaker B:And granted not every pitch is going to be as flat as the Hyderabad pitch.
Speaker B:They can still like, you know, they can still score and, and chase and, and even, especially the bad first.
Speaker B:They do a really good job of that.
Speaker B:So I, I do think like eight games to go for them.
Speaker B:They have two wins so far.
Speaker B:I don't know if I'll say as confidently about SRH but, but I definitely feel Mumbai is going to be in the, in the fight for the playoffs.
Speaker B:Srh, maybe, maybe not so much.
Speaker B:And then Jenna, Chennai is an interesting one.
Speaker B:I feel like they're gonna, you know like every season the lowest team wins three to four games.
Speaker B:So I think that's four to five is where I would expect Chennai to be.
Speaker B:And again it's going to be like one off wins where somebody performs really well.
Speaker B:But I think what's been interesting is somebody like Rachan Ravindra who was in such great form coming in from the champions trophy, scoring 200s, if I remember.
Speaker B:I, you know, just looking as if he can time the first ball for a boundary like that is how good he was looking.
Speaker B:Has struggled.
Speaker B:Nur Ahmed's been probably the, you know, positive from a Chennai perspective.
Speaker B:But yeah, I do think like they've just done a terrible job from a mega auction standpoint like spending big on Ashwin who's 37 in for a three year term.
Speaker B:Not, not the, you know, not a strategy that people would generally recommend.
Speaker B:And then yeah, of course there's Dhoni and how to, where to play him, how to play him, all of that.
Speaker B:So yeah, it's looking pretty dull for csk.
Speaker B:I, I think there's, I don't know if there's too much of a saving grace there, but Mumbai and srh, I do think that they might still come back.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean I'm just like looking at all the other teams a Chennai Super Kings perspective to see who could they take a win from.
Speaker A:And honestly I don't see it.
Speaker A:I mean Delhi Capitals are in this weird uncharted territory for themselves where they're like, wait, we've won four out of four.
Speaker A:I think what's happening?
Speaker A:But it just seems like batting and bowling somehow just like coming together for them at this moment.
Speaker A:And of course they, they defeated Jedi Super Kings recently.
Speaker A:Gujarat Titans are probably my favorite team to watch because they have a lot of my favorite players in them.
Speaker A:So after Jedi Super Kings, they're like my team and I hope they go on to win again.
Speaker A:But they are obviously in a very good shape as well.
Speaker A:Again, Captain C.
Speaker A:Bad ball again.
Speaker A:This goes back to what I said last time.
Speaker A:I wouldn't say there's any team that has covered all their bases.
Speaker A:So it's just about making up for their deficiency.
Speaker A:So these teams are doing it well.
Speaker A:Same thing with LSG and kkr.
Speaker A:They're not perfect, but they have enough.
Speaker A:And I just don't see CSK beating them.
Speaker A:Rcb, Punjab Kings again, explosive batters.
Speaker A:And I, the bowling for CSK is just not there.
Speaker A:The other names, they just didn't have a bowling unit to beat these sides.
Speaker A:And then there's Rajasthan Royals, who, I don't know, I don't even know how to plays them.
Speaker A:They don't seem terrible, but at the same time they're not inspiring a lot of confidence at the moment.
Speaker A:Maybe Rajasthan Royals, maybe they can, I know they've already lost one game to them, but if they're playing, I don't know if they're playing them again this season, but Maybe that's their best shot.
Speaker A:And then Sunrisers, well if they run into them like how Sunrises were today, then forget about it.
Speaker A:Mumbai Indians was the only win for Chennai Super Kings and might end up being the only win for this entire season.
Speaker A:And like I said, Millenians just seem to have the players and the game that they can kind of, you know their, their luck could turn.
Speaker A:So I just don't see forget a comeback.
Speaker A:I mean even like one win in the remaining games things have to go completely wrong for the other team for Chennai because they just don't have power hitters like you said.
Speaker A:Ravindra who there would have been a lot of expectation of.
Speaker A:He's just not like a T20 player yet.
Speaker A:He's very good in one internationals.
Speaker A:I think he's developing into a good test player.
Speaker A:He just doesn't have the T20 game yet.
Speaker A:Players that I would have expected to do well would have been Shivam Dubey.
Speaker A:He's just been wishy washy.
Speaker A:I mean I can't see anyone else in the top order like who we talked about Tripathi and Huda before.
Speaker A:They are not it.
Speaker A:They're done.
Speaker A:Same thing with Jadeja.
Speaker A:He was never like this amazing T20 batter and he's not going to do anything.
Speaker A:Dhoni is Dhoni in a category of his own.
Speaker A:So there is just no positive to look forward to.
Speaker A:So as a CSK fan you're just going to have to, I'm going to have to suck it up and be like, all right, you know, we had some good times, some glory days.
Speaker A:Now we're going to be wandering in the desert for a little bit and hopefully in the next round there will be better squad construction and they'll put emotions aside and actually be professional about the way they run the team.
Speaker B:I have, I have to say that the only team that's really surprised me from a performance standpoint is Lucknow.
Speaker B:And yeah, I definitely didn't see them winning this, this many games.
Speaker B:And, and the reason was like I just didn't see them having that experience bowling lineup.
Speaker B:But to his credit, you know, people like Digish Rat, he has stepped up and, and done a good job and holy moly.
Speaker B:We have to talk about Nicholas Poron.
Speaker B:What form is this guy in?
Speaker A:Like he's playing golf while everyone else is playing cricket.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I, you know I, I watch him and I'm like okay, I see what the bowler is trying to do like cramping for room.
Speaker B:Nope.
Speaker B:That goes over square leg or mid wicket.
Speaker B:Then the bowler is trying to, you know, not bowl towards the stumps.
Speaker B:Nope, no problem.
Speaker B:That goes down the ground.
Speaker B:I, I just, I don't know what he's doing.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I have been like, trying to watch more closely to figure out if he's, you know, if he's premeditating, but he's not doing that either.
Speaker B:Like he's not doing what Travis Head and Abhishek do, which is move around the crease as much.
Speaker B:He's doing none of that, but he's just got his timing down and oh boy, it is a joy to watch.
Speaker B:Like, I don't even support Lucknow, but it is quite amazing to watch that.
Speaker A:They'Ve got a.
Speaker A:I mean, we talk about the Sunrises, Hyderabad, probably even Royal Challengers, Bangalore.
Speaker A:They have very, you know, destructive batters in their team.
Speaker A:But I mean, look at the way these guys perform.
Speaker A:Markrum, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Porrincha.
Speaker A:Punt has not really kicked into high gear yet, but he's another player.
Speaker A:If he gets going, it's gonna be really hard to catch up with him.
Speaker A:They've got a brilliant.
Speaker A:I mean, they got the.
Speaker A:Again, the IPL is all about the big names, right?
Speaker A:Like every team has a couple of big names here and there.
Speaker A:If they're lucky, maybe three.
Speaker A:But ultimately it's about the performance on the field.
Speaker A:And I think LG are really lucky that all these players are coming through for them big time.
Speaker A:And then their bowlers seem they are doing their job.
Speaker A:Obviously we talk about Roti, but Bishnoi is who should be at this point considered one of the senior spinners, like in the contention for the Indian team.
Speaker A:And like Chahal, to some extent he feels almost like surplus where he's not always looked at as first choice and he's quietly doing his bit.
Speaker A:And so, yeah, you're right.
Speaker A:I mean, a lot of people were pointing out that Rishapan does not a great captain and that's going to affect them adversely.
Speaker A:But he seems to be doing all right.
Speaker A:He seems to be doing enough things to keep them on.
Speaker A:So, yeah, I'm not completely shocked with their performance, but I am pleasantly surprised by how well all their players have clicked.
Speaker A:And I wonder how much of that goes to the coaching staff.
Speaker A:You know, all the work that's put in.
Speaker A:Any captaincy notes on Rishabh Pun, Shreya Sire, Oxford Patel.
Speaker B:I think it's pretty early in the season.
Speaker B:Very honestly, I, I remember like having a discussion with somebody on Twitter where they were saying, oh my God, what is Axer Patel doing?
Speaker B:And in the first game that they played against LSG when they conceded over 200 runs.
Speaker B:And my thought was, listen, it's his first IPL game as captain.
Speaker B:You know, he will take a little bit to get settled.
Speaker B:I, I don't think it's that big a deal.
Speaker B:And it's a pretty flat pitch.
Speaker B:It's a high scoring ground.
Speaker B:They ended up chasing that and then suddenly that, that fan on Twitter was like, maybe I judge structure too quickly.
Speaker B:And so I, I feel like a lot of the way we judge captaincy is results, is.
Speaker B:And that's not always fair.
Speaker B:Like you can be a very good captain and just not have things going your way.
Speaker B:And so I, you know, if you look at Mumbai sitting at number nine, I don't think Hardik Pandya is a bad captain at all.
Speaker B:I think he's a very smart cricketer, smart player, a lot of experience behind him and he has like Surya Kumariadav and Rohit Sharma in his ear all the time.
Speaker B:But sometimes just performances don't click.
Speaker B:So you can, as a captain or a coach, you can only do so much.
Speaker B:Which is why I do think it's early.
Speaker B:I, I mean, I think Shreya S has always been a solid, like calm guy, very experienced.
Speaker B:He's.
Speaker B:He's shown he's done a good job.
Speaker B:But again, like when things don't go, when things don't work, like today when they were easily losing after scoring 245, you could see his frustration and that's expected, you know, so, so I, I think it's pretty early days.
Speaker B:I will just say that I still am not convinced that LSG is a great setup to be part of.
Speaker B:Just, you know, there's been already in the whatever five, six games they've played, there have been a couple where the owner has already come down to the ground after the match and talking to Justin Langer and Rishabh Pant.
Speaker B:Yeah, I, I'm still shocked that that keeps happening.
Speaker A:He clearly believes in micromanagement, so.
Speaker B:Yep, yep.
Speaker B:I was like shocked that that keeps happening after what happened with KL Rahul last season and, and you know, all of that.
Speaker B:So, Yeah, I just don't think it's the best setup to be part of.
Speaker B:Which is why, you know, I will take everything that happens with LSG with a grain of salt when I think about Pun's captaincy.
Speaker A:Listen, that reminds me, I have to say that the performance that I enjoyed the most in the recent round was Cahil Rahul Snock against rcb.
Speaker A:And I could feel like, you know, when he hit that winning shot, the way he celebrated.
Speaker A:And you mentioned that it was uncharacteristic.
Speaker A:You could almost feel that catharsis for him.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because, I mean, not just an incident with lsg, the team owner, last year, but a lot of Indian fans don't give him credit.
Speaker A:And maybe it's justifiable because for the longest time, Cale Rah himself believed that strike rate was overrated.
Speaker A:So he didn't really believe that he had to do anything different.
Speaker A:And to his credit, he was still scoring runs at a respectable strike rate, let's say.
Speaker A:But this year, you know, he's, you know, with a new team, he.
Speaker A:It.
Speaker A:It sounds like he said he doesn't want to be.
Speaker A:He didn't want to be the captain, which is why he was not the captain of the team.
Speaker A:But there seems to be some freedom and clarity of thought which is resulting in a very good season for him so far.
Speaker A:Even before the game against rcb, yet a good knock against Esk.
Speaker A:You can see he is being very intentional in his batting approach.
Speaker A:He just seems to be enjoying his game again.
Speaker A:And that too, that knock was in Bangalore, his state, against former teammates.
Speaker A:And it almost felt like a response to.
Speaker A:It almost felt like a response to rcb.
Speaker A:It felt like a response to Sanjeev Goenka and, you know, his previous team, and to all the people who say that, you know, he's not fit to be in the T20 squad, and he's, you know, he doesn't take strike rate very important.
Speaker A:You know, doesn't consider that very important.
Speaker A:So it seemed very cathartic for him.
Speaker A:And he genuinely seems to be like one of the nicest guys in the Indian cricket setup.
Speaker A:So I was really pleased to see him.
Speaker A:And it, you know, just on its own merit.
Speaker A:That was a great knock.
Speaker A:He just really timed it.
Speaker A:He paced it so well that it was just.
Speaker A:It was a work of a master, the way he played that knock.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And he.
Speaker B:I think he talked about, like, credit to Abhishek Nair for helping him sort of enjoy his T20 batting again.
Speaker B:And that was.
Speaker B:That's great to hear.
Speaker B:You know, like, Abhishek obviously has a lot of great, great batters that he's managed, I'm sure bowlers as well.
Speaker B:But the batters come to mind from.
Speaker B:From somebody as young as Raghavan.
Speaker B:She is now playing for kkr.
Speaker B:So it's.
Speaker B:He's definitely a great person to have in that dressing room, in the Indian dressing room and support people who are going through various phases, whether you're somebody young or somebody like K.
Speaker B:Rahul who's been around, you know, long enough but might be having a couple of odd years or, or something like that.
Speaker B:But on that note, I want to ask the most important question, Benny.
Speaker B:Do you think the Holy Trinity, which is dc, RCB and Punjab, do you think one of them are actually going to win an IPL this year?
Speaker A:I am not convinced about Delhi Capitals.
Speaker A:I mean, I said it earlier in this episode, they got off to a great start.
Speaker A:Obviously four to four they have, they're undefeated at this point, but I just think it's.
Speaker A:The wheels are gonna come off any moment.
Speaker A:Well, because historically Delia's is the side that if something goes wrong, it goes terribly wrong for them.
Speaker A:So I'm not convinced.
Speaker A:Maybe I'll revisit it in a couple of weeks, but at this point, no, I don't think they're gonna get it.
Speaker A:I do like how RCB and Punjab Kings are shaping up.
Speaker A:RCB obviously is a weird thing where they're breaking all the jinx when they're on the road.
Speaker A:And then at home in Bangalore, they seem to be struggling more often than not.
Speaker A:But I still like, you know, Rajas Peridar has impressed me.
Speaker A:You know, like where Captain C seems to sit easy on his shoulders.
Speaker A:He's still performing, he's doing really well.
Speaker A:He's got a great bowling.
Speaker A:Okay, maybe not great, but he's got a good bowling attack to summon, which rcbs historically always struggled with.
Speaker A:They have, you know, between Josh Hazelwood and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, they have, they have like a decent bowling, you know, like pair and yashtail too, I should say.
Speaker A:And then Virat Kohli, I think he's still not unlocked his full potential.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:He's good, but this is an ongoing struggle for him.
Speaker A:It has always been so.
Speaker A:I think they have some weaknesses, but overall they seem to be pulling in the right direction and I think they have a more than a good chance of breaking that.
Speaker A:Punjab Kings too.
Speaker A:I know they had a rough day today, but you still have to look at it and say they scored 245, which is really impressive.
Speaker A:They still have a very decent bowling attack.
Speaker A:You know, they have arshdeep, they have chow.
Speaker A:Like, sure, they had a bad day today, but I want to look at how they do on most days.
Speaker A:And the fact is this was their only the second defeat in five games.
Speaker A:And so when they won, they've looked really comfortable and confident and they seem to be well led and well managed.
Speaker A:So I would Say RCB has probably the best chance among the Holy Trinity.
Speaker A:Punjab Kings are a little shaky.
Speaker A:They do seem in good shape, but something about them that doesn't inspire confidence because I feel teams like these, they get close and then they forget what led them to that stage and almost like the burden of history falls on them and it starts to crush them.
Speaker A:I mean, that's what I think RCB has always struggled with.
Speaker A:But this year they, if you're talking just about these three, I think RCB has the best shot.
Speaker A:The other two, I'm gonna wait and see.
Speaker B:But yeah, I was gonna interesting because I was gonna rate them completely opposite way.
Speaker B:I think D.C.
Speaker B:and Punjab have the better chance than RCB.
Speaker B:And my thought there was, well, one.
Speaker B:To qualify, top two needs eight to nine wins typically and Delhi are already halfway there and they have 10 games to go.
Speaker B:So I feel like, yeah, they have a really good chance of finishing in the top two and, and that just allows them to have that odd game where, you know, things don't work out and, and then they have a, you know, qualifier still available to, to still make it to the final.
Speaker B:So I, I, that's why I, I think they definitely have a chance.
Speaker B:And I think the other aspect of D.C.
Speaker B:is there's like really good middle order.
Speaker B:That middle order is insanely good.
Speaker B:Like if you think about Stubbs, KL Rahul, Akshar Patel, like, that is a solid, solid middle order.
Speaker B:And then you have somebody like Shashank Singh and, and the young Vipraj Nigam who can also whack it.
Speaker B:So like their openers haven't even scored a ton.
Speaker A:Sharma.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:Yeah, sorry I said Shashank, but I meant Ashutosh Sharma.
Speaker B:Uh, and you know, the, their openers haven't even scored a ton yet and they're already doing so well.
Speaker B:So Yeah, I think D.C.
Speaker B:looks very round, very well rounded in my opinion.
Speaker A:Is that the deli boy in you speaking of will them into winning?
Speaker B:Well, if that was possible, it wouldn't, wouldn't have waited 18 years.
Speaker B:But, but I do think like just the way they are, like, I didn't expect them to win four and five for, for sure.
Speaker B:But now that they have, I think it, it'll be pretty hard for them not to qualify.
Speaker B:Like they'll have to have a sudden drop off in form, which seems unlikely considering all the names they have to not qualify.
Speaker B:Top two.
Speaker B:I do like Punjab.
Speaker B:I, I said that in the beginning as well.
Speaker B:I do think they're a good contender for top four.
Speaker B:I think if they don't get in the top two, then I don't think they're gonna make it to the final again.
Speaker B:It's one of those things where they have enough vulnerabilities where they will drop a game.
Speaker B:You know, kind of similar to dc, but DC just looks set for top two at this point.
Speaker B:And then rcb, yeah, RCB again is, is one of those teams that probably wants to be in the top two and I just don't see that happening.
Speaker B:I feel like if you look at Kunal Pandya, UFC mentioned Movie and Hazelwood, their top two bowlers.
Speaker B:But if you look at Kunal Pandya, he has a, I don't remember the exact number, but he takes less than a wicket a game in IPL and he's played a good amount of games.
Speaker B:Obviously he's featured from Mumbai for a lot of years and so is not really a wicket taker and he's been taking three wickets and two wickets and four wickets every game.
Speaker B:I think it's going to come back to normal at some point and suddenly they're going to struggle to take wickets outside of Movie and Hazelwood.
Speaker B:And I think that's where they'll end up being against fighting for the fourth or fifth spot.
Speaker B:And, and, and that's at least my read of it.
Speaker A:Sharma, who's doing okay, I think.
Speaker A:But yeah, I'm trying to look at who else they have and I'm looking specifically at Indian bowlers because obviously RCB likes their foreign batters or their overseas batters.
Speaker A:They have Swapno Singh who has not played a game, but I remember him having some good seasons with the Royals.
Speaker A:Yashdel, I had mentioned there's Razik Salam who I think is too raw at this point to be serious.
Speaker A:You're right.
Speaker A:I mean the bowling does look weak.
Speaker A:I, I just think they're gonna, they will make it to the top four or they should make it to the top four at the way if they can.
Speaker A:If they maintain the way they're playing because they're playing with a lot of confidence, they're playing with a lot of passion, which in most cases should get you there.
Speaker A:Whereas the other two with Delhi and Punjab, their identity has been so swapped because you look at the team from like, just move.
Speaker A:Look at those two teams from like two years ago and it's barely recognizable, I feel.
Speaker A:And so I think they will, they will make it to the playoffs, but then they don't have that extra factor to get them all the way again.
Speaker A:This is coming from a person who said CSK will be in the top four and Delhi will get the wooden spoon.
Speaker A:So I don't know.
Speaker A:I'm not gonna make predictions anymore, but this is just a sense that I'm getting.
Speaker A:And it goes back to what I said earlier.
Speaker A:Like, all these.
Speaker A:All these teams have weaknesses.
Speaker A:Some obviously way more like Chennai Super Kings.
Speaker A:But these teams, these three teams that you mentioned obviously have been around for a really long time and have their own passionate fan bases who are just waiting for the day that this team will get their first IPL trophy.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's.
Speaker A:It's just a matter of all the right pieces falling in place at the right time and going all the way.
Speaker A:So listen, as the ipl, Strange things have happened from time to time.
Speaker A:So what's not to say that Delhi will win their first ever IPL trophy this year?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:If you're.
Speaker B:If you're listening and you're a betting man, don't.
Speaker B:Don't listen to Benny.
Speaker B:He doesn't have a good track record.
Speaker A:Or listen to me and just go for the opposite.
Speaker A:Well, on that note, we'll wrap it up because I'm sure there'll be more to talk about after the next round.
Speaker A:I think in the next round, things will start to crystallize a lot more in terms of who's looking down the barrel and who's heading into the top four.
Speaker A:But we have.
Speaker A:I think there's enough games of pass that we're starting to get an idea of how that just might be.
Speaker A:Already the tournament has thrown up quite a few great performances from some really talented youngsters.
Speaker A:And that's, at the end of the day, that's what the IPL is all about.
Speaker A:Just trying to get those players some game time, some recognition for the public for whom, you know, many of whom just tune in to cricket during the IPL season.
Speaker A:So, Yeah, I feel 20, 25 rolls on.
Speaker A:And so the last week at the last record.
Speaker A:We'll continue to talk about it as the tournament goes along.
Speaker A:So, Mike, thanks again for joining for this quick chat.
Speaker A:And yeah, let's see how the ipl, what.
Speaker A:What the IPL has to throw up next time.
