OPINION
Follow UsThe suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is set to lose its English contingent if the remainder of the tournament is rescheduled this year. Ashley Giles, England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) director of cricket pointed out that the possible window for IPL resumption – mid-September to October – will be clashing with England’s tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan. And thus the players - even if they will be rested - won't be allowed to partake in the IPL in October. The absence of several stars will have a big impact on the tournament. We take a look at how the teams will be impacted.
DC well equipped to cope without England trio
Delhi Capitals will lose the services of English trio Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, and Sam Billings in the rescheduled calendar - but unlike most sides, it will not have a significant impact. DC have built a side filled with promising domestic talent, who are self-sufficient on their days.
Despite not playing a T20 in almost three years, Chris Woakes overperformed, with five wickets in three games. His average of 16.40 and an economy of 7.45 was the fourth-best for the Capitals and forced last year’s star performer Anrich Nortje to the bench. When he was dropped for the balance of the team, Delhi realised they never needed him in the first place. On the other hand, Tom Curran had one of the worst performances by an overseas professional while Billings was always a sidekick in a side filled with attacking batsmen.
Can CSK keep winning without Curran and Ali?
If there is one franchise that is bound to be impacted the most by the decision by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), it has to be Chennai Super Kings. Moeen Ali and Sam Curran changed the dynamic of the franchise for good and emerged as the first names on the teamsheet at the halfway mark of the IPL 2021.
Even though Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad set up the base for the team at the top in a very effervescent manner, Ali quickly became the most impactful player for the side, bringing a refreshing change at No.3 position. He batted with a strike rate of 157.25 and was the second-highest run-scorer for the franchise, a trait that allowed Ambati Rayudu to play with more freedom.
While the elder Curran is going through a rough patch, the younger sibling Sam has flourished at CSK. The Surrey all-rounder’s stats might not be impressive on the paper, but the flexible nature of his game became integral to the CSK’s plans. He has been used as a floater adding much-needed semblance to the batting unit while his powerplay bowling has improved big-time which has been used to a great effect by MS Dhoni. Replacing the English duo might prove to be a big task for the CSK management.
Bairstow’s absence could further hurt SRH
Suspension of the IPL 2021 might have come at the right time for bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad as it gives time for the team management to reflect on their torrid season. It came to a point that they had to get rid of talismanic captain David Warner, but results barely changed. In such a scenario, the absence of Jonny Bairstow will leave them in a direr situation than before.
Bairstow not only top-scored for the franchise, but was also the only player to have crossed the 200-run limit in an otherwise disappointing season for the 2016 champions. With a minimum of 35 runs, he had the highest strike-rate for any SRH batsman and his absence will be a huge blow to the side in their attempt to save face.
Salt on Rajasthan’s wounds
Rajasthan Royals was significantly weakened at the very beginning of the tournament when Jofra Archer had to undergo surgery on his hand which was followed by star all-rounder Ben Stokes' departure due to a broken finger. Lancashire batsman Liam Livingstone also pulled out of the tournament due to bubble fatigue without playing a single game.
Jos Buttler, the only remaining Englishman in the squad, struggled to get going in the early stages of the tournament, which left captain Sanju Samson to do the heavy lifting which seldom worked in their favour. After scoring 130 runs from the first six innings, the 31-year old’s season came to life when his explosive 124 from 64 balls led RR to a massive win against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His absence will be a big blow for the team, which has scored the least amount of runs in PowerPlay in IPL 2021 so far. Buttler’s sweet gesture of gifting his bat to young Yashaswi Jaiswal before leaving IPL can now be viewed as a literal transfer of responsibilities.
KKR look for inspirational turnaround
Shifting captaincy from Dinesh Karthik to Eoin Morgan in the 2020 IPL felt like the change Kolkata Knight Riders needed as the team went from being bottom dwellers to playoffs challengers. Morgan’s leadership skills have been far from inspirational this season as the team struggled in all departments reverting back to its early-season rut last season. Morgan has also faltered with the bat, being dismissed for a duck twice, and has only one 30-plus score from seven innings. In his absence, it will be interesting to see if KKR will go back to Karthik or name a surprise candidate to lead the side out of its misery.
Kings’ playoffs push might miss Malan’s help
After being picked up for Rs 1.5 crore in the auction, Dawid Malan had to wait for six matches to make his IPL debut for Punjab Kings this season. His run-a-ball 26 against Delhi Capitals aided stand-in captain Mayank Agarwal’s unbeaten 99 off 58 balls, but it all came in a losing cause. The small cameo wasn’t enough for the southpaw to showcase his talent in the middle-order where Punjab needs an anchor.
Another Englishman in the Punjab squad Chris Jordan has also been used sparingly as the experienced pacer has bowled his full quota only once in the three matches he played. With the likes of Harpreet Brar and Riley Meredith putting in consistent performances, Jordan’s services might not prove to be costly for Punjab.
