KOLKATA: Another season in the sultry Indian summer. Another round of a cocktail of cricket and entertainment, with its unique spicy garnish. Another edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has redefined the game in less than two decades of its existence. Even as its original founder Lalit Modi grapples with uncertainties over his nationality, the IPL has firmly shown that it is here to stay.
On Saturday, the T20 tournament starts yet another two-month journey of breathless excitement. Plenty of runs, cheerleaders dancing to blaring music, some nail-biting late finishes, maybe some rain. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders take on perennial pretenders Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening match at the Eden Gardens, with the inaugural ceremony peppered with some Bollywood-style frolic, weather permitting.
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Shreya Ghoshal, Karan Aujla and Disha Patani are among the entertainers to have been lined up for the gala event. ‘Host of honour’ Shah Rukh Khan could well shake a leg or two. The possibility of rain and thunderstorm has been a mood dampener. Fingers crossed.
Battles within the battle have always been the top draw in the IPL evening (and a few matinee) shows. How about a Virat Kohli vs Varun Chakravarthy for starters? As much as the teams, the IPL is also about individuals.
Loyalties change with the colour of the jersey. In the blink of an eye, forever friends become foes on the field. Take Phil Salt, for example. The Englishman was so crucial in KKR’s triumph last year. He will be there in Saturday’s opening show, but in the rival camp. Ask him how he feels coming up against Harshit Rana, and he’ll have mixed feelings.
Fellow Englishman Jos Buttler was surprised when Rajasthan Royals let him go, even penning a heartfelt farewell to the Jaipur franchise. Clearly, emotions have no place in the IPL auction, where only practical logic works. Buttler now has an opportunity to showcase his power for Gujarat Titans.
And Kohli has another chance to grab the trophy missing from his cabinet even after 17 years of toil. With questions on his longevity abound, age doesn’t seem to have dimmed his enthusiasm. Eyeballs will still follow him wherever he plays: Those animated celebrations; those death stares. Although Kohli will be playing under Rajat Patidar, the India star in all likelihood, will have a major say in decision making.
Patidar, incidentally, made his IPL debut in 2021, by which time Kohli had already played 192 matches. Ditto for Chennai Super Kings where Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of the shrewdest cricketing brains, could be the guiding light for Ruturaj Gaikwad.
KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis would assist skipper Axar Patel in the leadership troika at Delhi Capitals. Mumbai Indians have both the current India skippers, but none of them will lead the team.
Hardik Pandya will draw on Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav’s acumen. The last mentioned will stand in for Pandya in their opener.
Decision making could also be a split operation in KKR, who will be out to defend their title without Gautam Gambhir’s Midas Touch. Ajinkya Rahane’s leadership qualities are well documented, but Venkatest Iyer, heir apparent to the throne, could well be tested for that role with a match or two.
Even Rajasthan Royals’s Riyan Parag will be put on captaincy perch in their first three matches. Two of those games in his hometown, Guwahati, a clear indications that the franchise is looking at him as a long-term prospect.
Talking about Royals, it will be interesting to see how Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who will turn 14 next Thursday, shapes up. Of course the question remains whether the hard-hitting batter from Bihar will get to play a game.
Hitting hard is the launchpad on which T20 innings are built and one team capable of it is Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Heinrich Klaasens, Travis Heads, Abhishek Sharmas love the pitches in India and are quite capable of erecting skyscrapers. However, slam-bang batters are spread out evenly, like Jake Fraser-McGurk (DC), Shashank Singh (PBSK), Rishabh Pant (LSG), Devon Con -way (CSK), Sunil Narine (KKR)…the list just goes on.
Let’s spare a thought for the bowlers too, who often go into an IPL contest with the head coach telling them, “don’t be afraid of getting hit”.
It won’t be easy to hit KKR spinner Chakravarthy though, whose mystical magic has mesmerised many a batter. Rashid Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal have repeatedly reminded that spinners play a big role too. However, it will be pacers like Jasprit Bumrah (when he is fit), Mohammed Shami, Mitchell Starc, Jofra Archer and Arshdeep Singh whose opening and closing statements could be the difference between victory and defeat.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.