Sri Lankans shine, sick bay's busy
Injuries, comebacks, hyperbole, bouncers - it's all there in Cricinfo's look at the highs and lows of the first week of the IPL
Cricinfo staff
19-Mar-2010
No one could get Jacques Kallis out in the first week of the IPL (file photo) • AFP
The performer
The star of the first set of matches comes from Kolkata Knight Riders. In Twenty20 atmosphere, Angelo Mathews is pretty hard to keep away from action. In the first match he rescued his side from 31 for 4 with a 46-ball 65 and also took Rohit Sharma's wicket while defending a modest total. In the second he took four wickets to keep Bangalore to a paltry 135, and was mighty unlucky to not win the Man-of-the-Match award again. With the bat, with the ball, he has won his team a match each, and a match-turning blinder at the boundary can't be too far away either. All in all he has made sure that when Chris Gayle arrives, he won't be the foreign player making way.
The star of the first set of matches comes from Kolkata Knight Riders. In Twenty20 atmosphere, Angelo Mathews is pretty hard to keep away from action. In the first match he rescued his side from 31 for 4 with a 46-ball 65 and also took Rohit Sharma's wicket while defending a modest total. In the second he took four wickets to keep Bangalore to a paltry 135, and was mighty unlucky to not win the Man-of-the-Match award again. With the bat, with the ball, he has won his team a match each, and a match-turning blinder at the boundary can't be too far away either. All in all he has made sure that when Chris Gayle arrives, he won't be the foreign player making way.
Stat of the week
Infinity. Jacques Kallis' average. In the first week of the IPL, no one could get Kallis out. And if, in his third match, Rajasthan Royals had given him a big enough target, he would have got his third half-century in a row. That he wears the orange cap is no surprise, the purple cap too is only two wickets away.
Infinity. Jacques Kallis' average. In the first week of the IPL, no one could get Kallis out. And if, in his third match, Rajasthan Royals had given him a big enough target, he would have got his third half-century in a row. That he wears the orange cap is no surprise, the purple cap too is only two wickets away.
Indian domestic star of the week
Saurabh Tiwary, the MS Dhoni clone from Jharkhand, with long hair and left-hand version of hits not quite as big but big enough, surprised Rajasthan and Delhi Daredevils with quick fifties in the two matches Mumbai Indians have played. And nods don't come bigger than one from Sachin Tendulkar, who promoted him ahead of Keiron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo in the match against Delhi.
Saurabh Tiwary, the MS Dhoni clone from Jharkhand, with long hair and left-hand version of hits not quite as big but big enough, surprised Rajasthan and Delhi Daredevils with quick fifties in the two matches Mumbai Indians have played. And nods don't come bigger than one from Sachin Tendulkar, who promoted him ahead of Keiron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo in the match against Delhi.
Sick bay
An injury a day almost. Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Ashish Nehra, JP Duminy, Gautam Gambhir, Charl Langeveldt, and MS Dhoni all suffered injuries that made sure they would miss at least one game. Smith and Mascarenhas, both from Rajasthan, were ruled out for the whole tournament. It could easily have been worse: Yusuf Pathan recovered from his shoulder injury, and Virat Kohli was fortunate to survive a nasty fall when he landed on the side of his foot when bowling.
An injury a day almost. Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Ashish Nehra, JP Duminy, Gautam Gambhir, Charl Langeveldt, and MS Dhoni all suffered injuries that made sure they would miss at least one game. Smith and Mascarenhas, both from Rajasthan, were ruled out for the whole tournament. It could easily have been worse: Yusuf Pathan recovered from his shoulder injury, and Virat Kohli was fortunate to survive a nasty fall when he landed on the side of his foot when bowling.
Sri Lankans come to party
While the IPL waited for the West Indians, the other islanders lit up the tournament. Apart from Mathews, Chaminda Vaas holds the purple cap, Farveez Maharoof dismissed Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh in one over to set up Delhi's win, Sanath Jayasuriya has done his bit with the ball, Lasith Malinga has been impossible to score quickly off, and Mahela Jayawardene showed some class in striking at 200 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
While the IPL waited for the West Indians, the other islanders lit up the tournament. Apart from Mathews, Chaminda Vaas holds the purple cap, Farveez Maharoof dismissed Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh in one over to set up Delhi's win, Sanath Jayasuriya has done his bit with the ball, Lasith Malinga has been impossible to score quickly off, and Mahela Jayawardene showed some class in striking at 200 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The one that got away
The man expected to be the best of the lot, Tillakaratne Dilshan, is yet to get his IPL off. Two ducks in first two innings, followed by getting bowled for 12 in a big chase against Mumbai Indians, is not quite what is expected of him.
The man expected to be the best of the lot, Tillakaratne Dilshan, is yet to get his IPL off. Two ducks in first two innings, followed by getting bowled for 12 in a big chase against Mumbai Indians, is not quite what is expected of him.
The comeback
Ambati Rayudu came and evoked the promising young stroke-maker who not long ago was seen as a future India player. R Sathish, he of the magical catches in the ICL, suggested he could well be the best fielder in India. Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Ali Murtaza and Amit Uniyal found a role in their teams. They had earlier all closed doors on their official careers by making a business decision of playing in the ICL. Welcome back boys.
Ambati Rayudu came and evoked the promising young stroke-maker who not long ago was seen as a future India player. R Sathish, he of the magical catches in the ICL, suggested he could well be the best fielder in India. Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Ali Murtaza and Amit Uniyal found a role in their teams. They had earlier all closed doors on their official careers by making a business decision of playing in the ICL. Welcome back boys.
Missing in action
Delhi have been preferring AB de Villiers to David Warner, one of the most exciting openers in Twenty20 internationals. With Gambhir's injury, though, Warner is likely to get a game soon. Also Eoin Morgan has got only one chance to bat so far: Bangalore won the other two matches by eight and 10 wickets respectively.
Delhi have been preferring AB de Villiers to David Warner, one of the most exciting openers in Twenty20 internationals. With Gambhir's injury, though, Warner is likely to get a game soon. Also Eoin Morgan has got only one chance to bat so far: Bangalore won the other two matches by eight and 10 wickets respectively.
Various sides of Yusuf Pathan
In his first innings of the IPL, Yusuf just smashed everything he saw, scoring a 100 off 37 balls, bringing Rajasthan back into a match that they looked set to get pummelled in. In his second innings, he was done in by a slower one even before he could score. The third innings, though, was the most representative of the man. Bangalore's bowlers sent down a barrage of short ones, almost embarrassing him as he tried in vain to upper-cut, pull and duck. The man is stronger than that, though, and when the bowlers pitched up for the first time, he wasn't caught on the backfoot. The first ball in his arc flew into orbit before landing over wide the wide long-on boundary.
In his first innings of the IPL, Yusuf just smashed everything he saw, scoring a 100 off 37 balls, bringing Rajasthan back into a match that they looked set to get pummelled in. In his second innings, he was done in by a slower one even before he could score. The third innings, though, was the most representative of the man. Bangalore's bowlers sent down a barrage of short ones, almost embarrassing him as he tried in vain to upper-cut, pull and duck. The man is stronger than that, though, and when the bowlers pitched up for the first time, he wasn't caught on the backfoot. The first ball in his arc flew into orbit before landing over wide the wide long-on boundary.
Unexpected captains
Dinesh Karthik and Suresh Raina wouldn't even have dreamed they would be captaining their IPL sides in the second week of the tournament. Yet they will be, thanks to injuries to Gambhir and Dhoni. Karthik still has some experience of having captained Tamil Nadu and South Zone, but Raina has only captained Uttar Pradesh in Mohammad Kaif's absence. While Karthik was the only choice given Virender Sehwag's reluctance to captain, Chennai Super Kings still had Matthew Hayden in their ranks.
Dinesh Karthik and Suresh Raina wouldn't even have dreamed they would be captaining their IPL sides in the second week of the tournament. Yet they will be, thanks to injuries to Gambhir and Dhoni. Karthik still has some experience of having captained Tamil Nadu and South Zone, but Raina has only captained Uttar Pradesh in Mohammad Kaif's absence. While Karthik was the only choice given Virender Sehwag's reluctance to captain, Chennai Super Kings still had Matthew Hayden in their ranks.
The quote
"I've played cricket for 21 years and I have seen Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman against whom I have played as he has murdered attacks and hit them all over the park. But today was the best innings I have ever seen."
Shane Warne on Yusuf's 37-ball 100 against Mumbai Indians. Must we say more about the knock?
"I've played cricket for 21 years and I have seen Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman against whom I have played as he has murdered attacks and hit them all over the park. But today was the best innings I have ever seen."
Shane Warne on Yusuf's 37-ball 100 against Mumbai Indians. Must we say more about the knock?