IPL excitement is here! the Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament finally saw the light of the day when the umpires called play at the Abu Dhabi Stadium in the UAE on Saturday.
This money rich tournament, the brainchild of the lucrative Indian Cricket Board which is conducted yearly to packed spectators and contested with much fanfare in many venues in India had to be shifted because of Covid 19.
When everything pointed to a postponement of the tournament or most likely a cancellation for the first time, the United Arab Emirates took up the challenge of hosting this much craved for tournament. The cricket crazy sheiks who are proud owners of an unbelievable Sports City World in Abu Dhabi and who possesses two of the eye catching cricket stadiums in the world in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in addition to the Sharjah Stadium are now watching the tournament unfolding with much delight and pride. The Dubai Stadium is known as the Ring of Fire.
The international star cricketers had arrived in UAE unheard and unsung and only after skippers Mahendra Singh Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings and Rohit Sharma of reigning champions Mumbai Indians walked out to toss that the galaxy of franchise players were noticed.
When the two teams Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings lined up without much fanfare because there no wildly cheering, noise making cricket crazy Indian supporters to shout their voices hoarse, that the man who lit up this tournament from the time he sported the Mumbai Indians jersey was extremely noticeable .
And that was Sri Lanka’s ace slinger the one and only and will never again be LASITH MALINGA with his tinted curly hair and swaggy walk. When he takes the field and when Sharma throws the ball to him to commence proceedings the crowd brings the rafters down with their noise making.
But with MALINGA deciding to skip this year’s tournament the gloss and the glamour is sadly missing and even those cricket crazy fans watching the action on telly must be disappointed. But that is how the game goes.
The cricket crazy Ambani Brothers would I am sure have stretched their influence to the maximum to lure MALINGA. But MALINGA knew better and so a star is missing from the cricketing firmament.
I still vividly remember glued to the TV soaking in the heart stopping action that was last year’s final. It was just like yesterday. With two to win and one for a tie, skipper Sharma nervously yet confidently tossed the ball to MALINGA to deliver the last over.
MALINGA has a reputation for bowling the death over and bringing many victories for his country. With all eyes focused on MALINGA he confidently ran in and delivered the death ball of the batsman, a spot on deadly Yorker and the batsman was struck right in front and the umpire had only to raise his finger and did not all mayhem and celebrations break out. MALINGA the cricketing magic man had done it again.
Sadly Mumbai Indians the defending champions lost the opener of the tournament to Chennai Super Kings that would have been disappointing to the team but also former Sri Lanka cricket captain, super star and coach of MI Mahela Jayawardena.
But losing a game would not matter because there are many more games to be played and they have the cricketing artillery to shoot down the opponents and retain the title and Jayawardena the master strategist will show them how.
When this edition of this Indian Premier League ends it will also see the end of the career of an Indian Legend MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI who will quietly fade way leaving a void that will never be easy to be filled or replaced or even be made or seen again.
From the moment he stepped into the Indian team as wicketkeeper, batsman and then rightly as captain he gave Indian cricket a never before seen approach and his brilliance kept rubbing on every player who came under his captaincy and the cricketers respected and played from out of their skins to take Indian cricket to a new high and a different level.
Like the Indian super star the one and only Sachin Tendulkar Dhoni is another demi god in Indian cricket and will remain that way till the end of time. We wish Dhoni a happy retirement and may he not be lost to Indian and world cricket and that he would help the game to go from, strength to strength with his rare ability and expertise.
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