IPL is not like other city-based franchise leagues. What makes it different from the other leagues, is the crowd that it caters to. Cricket is a very serious sport in India and when IPL began in 2007, cricket fans found another way to be in touch with the sport or simply found a way to be attached to it and got more cricket content to watch instead of just international matches and a few domestic leagues. During the grand auction, players from across the globe are purchased by celebrities and businessman who represent states for which the players play the league.

Now, coming to this season’s IPL. One of the most interesting matches of this season happened on 18th May between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The match was very crucial for both the teams as both the teams were racing for the playoffs. Spoiler alert, SRH won the match and qualified for the playoffs along with Gujrat Titans (GT). But what makes the match interesting are not the results, its the unpredictability the match held.

The match began in complete favour of CSK. Their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, won the toss and chose to bat first, knowing that the maximum matches won by SRH are the ones when SRH has batted first, building a strong score in front of the opponents. But the biggest advantage CSK had was that the match was being held at their home ground at Chennai, Chepauk Stadium wherein CSK has won a total of 51 matches out of 77 total since 2007. It was not going to be easy for the Sunrisers to beat CSK.

Nevertheless, the match began and hope emerged in SRH fans when Captain, Pat Cummins took the first wicket and that too of the opening batsman of CSK, Sanju Samson. You see, understanding the pitch and timing makes all the difference and Pat Cummins understands this very well. After just a few overs, he understood that the pitch at Chepauk was very slow. The captain passed this VERY important information to Sakib Hussain who was bowling the 4th over. And here were the results, SAKIB HUSSAIN CLEANED THE BATSMAN UP WITH AN OFF-CUTTER!! Pat Cummins took his 3rd wicket in the 10th over using this very same strategy. Further, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen proved that chasing runs after loosing early wickets is all about right timing. At a point it genuinely felt like the game was slipping from the hands of the Sunrisers’ but lets not forget, slow and steady always wins the race.

Heinrich Klaasen is one of the most finest batsman of all times and he knows exactly, when and where to play a specific shot. After losing the opening batsman everybody thought that the game might slip off of the hands of the Sunrisers’ but Heinrich Klaasen, being the mastermind he is, along with Ishan Kishan brought the match from 90 runs from 60 balls to 40 runs from 45 balls! Ishan Kishan was even awarded man of the match for scoring 70 runs from 47 balls.

This match is a prime example of what REAL IPL matches look like. Matches, where you cannot, at any cost predict what the final results are going to be like. IPL was created so that it could excite people about something and after Gujrat Titans vs Punjab Super Kings which was held 3rd May, this was a match that is know as a true, IPL THRILLER.

“Cricket is not a sport, it is a religion”, is one thing all Indians can proudly say. Cricket has achieved something that people couldn’t achieve over centuries, it united the people of India, regardless of religion, cast and creed because we all accepted Cricket as our one true religion. The sound of firecrackers being burnt, children, even adults dancing wholeheartedly on the streets can still be heard after India wins an India-Pakistan match. This is the power Cricket holds in India.

Therefore, after reading and understanding the sport for more than 2 years, here i am starting my own page where I will be writing articles, analyzing the latest and important cricket matches and players, where I will be sharing my opinions on cricket controversies and giving them a new perspective all together.

Thank you!!