By Javagal Srinath
IPL 2014 resumes after a two-day break, allowing teams to catch their breath and work out final strategies as several teams eye a late push for the playoff berths. Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings are assured of places in the next phase, Rajasthan Royals are almost there but not quite, and might need a win or two to get the knockout stage.What it effectively means is that including Rajasthan, five teams are in the fray for two spots, and I am sure the next 10 days will make for exciting cricket.
The challenge ahead of Chennai and Punjab will be to maintain their rhythm and ensure that they keep their winning runs going. It is a long tournament, and it is therefore important not to take the foot off the pedal. Cricketing logic might dictate that with qualification guaranteed, it is time to give the bench a go, but in Twenty20 cricket, I don’t think that thought is a very prudent one. You have to look to win every game. It’s a three-hour game and despite the travel, there is enough recovery time. I don’t feel there is any room for experimentation. If you get into a losing habit leading in to the knockout games, it is not an ideal scenario, so teams will have to put out their settled, winning combinations and not afford to take a chance with their playing personnel.
For those trying to somehow make it to the knockouts, the situation is the exact opposite. Apart from Rajasthan, the other four sides will need to win nearly all their remaining matches to have a realistic hope of progressing to the next phase. The seniors have shouldered the burden thus far, and some of them have not succeeded for various reasons. Now is the time for these teams to unearth new champions in their sides, when the chips are down and the teams have been pushed to the wall. This could be the chance for the youngsters to stand up and make themselves counted, the situation is calling out loud for course correction. Coaches will look into the bottom of the bag to identify the resources they feel will do the job for them. One or two good knocks, a few good spells at this stage, they could be career-changing performances, so I won’t be surprised if, given the desperate times, some of the teams will look for all kinds of combinations and possibilities. Most of the coaches would border on talking less so that They don’t put pressure on the players. Sometimes, the need to win four matches in a row can weigh down teams. By the same token, the nothing to lose approach could be just the spur players and teams require. At the end of the day, it will all boil down to how positive the teams are, how deeply involved and cohesive the players are. Teams will talk liberally about taking it one game at a time, and in the past, we have seen CSK and RCB string together three or four victories in a row towards the end of the league phase to advance to the knockouts.You have got to take some risks but then again, it is the team chemistry that will have the final say.
One of the notable things about the way Chennai and Punjab have gone about their job is that they have made sure they have big hitters with experience at the end to finish off an innings. It is not about power, you must also have the tactical nous and the experience that will stand you in good stead in the death overs. Punjab too are blessed with several such batsmen, especially with Bailey batting in the lower middle order.
The presence of genuine batsmen towards the end of the innings has been the success story in this IPL.