team india's performance appraisal at ipl...

shared by straight point on Tuesday, April 20, 2010

now that every team has played 14 games and semifinal spots are sealed... like last time... its time to see how team india performed in ipl this season...here's the appraisal...

virender sehwar and gautam gambhir... poor...
strictly going by t20 form they should feel lucky that the team for t20 world cup was announced a month before... if one threw his wicket for reckless... random shots... another threw it for his reckless running which is threatening to become his hallmark... still gambhir managed to play some crucial knocks despite him not being in great form and but for his running would have played more... i would suggest, like last time, rohit sharma should open along with gambhir for team india there... leaving sehwag to either warm benches or play a finisher role in middle order... on current form...

suresh raina... good...
it should be attributed to his immense potential that even after being the highest scorer in ipl history... we look at him as still-in-finishing-stage batsman... though he seems to have listened to my advice... and now have started playing shots on off side too which makes him double dangerous now... the only question remains... will he be able to carry his ipl form to t20 world cup...? i think he will...

rohit sharma... good...
when he could not do with bat did it with his fielding and bowling in this ipl... developing into an all-round player... and a good finisher... seems to have taken his batting more seriously and also seems aware of the competition he is facing from his peers... i have this feeling that he will come out from this world cup with credit to his reputation...

yuvraj singh... poor...
from being the most agile fielder, his knee injury notwithstanding, he is fast becoming another player who needed to be hidden in the field... showing glimpses of his destructive powers here and there without looking threatening... the biggest challenge for team management will be to keep him motivated and focused as 'ghar ka khana' will not be available there...

dhoni... average...
despite him taking csk to semifinals with his sensational hitting... he has been average at best... he seems to have taken the burden of self-imposed responsibilities upon himself... i wish he just unleash himself and play with gay abandon he used to play... we might be in for a surprise...

yusuf pathan... hopeless...
its time he should be left alone and allowed to do what he does best... play nice cameos for rajashtan royals and when ipl is not happening... for baroda...

dinesh karthik... pass...
selectors are knocking the wrong door... its time they should move on and look at other budding good wicket keeping batsman talent... the guy just cannot see beyond his nose...

harbhajan singh... good...
apart from his ugly send off to some of india's upcoming talent... i must say... his bowling has been good... seems to have struck nice balance between wicket taking and run containing as per the demand of situation and when stars align perfectly in sky... can play blinder of an innings... explosive package i would say... will keep his team as well as opponent on its guard...

piyush chawla... lucky...
he has neither kept runs in check nor taken enough crucial wickets... he managed to have kept batting skills, on which he seems to edge out ojha and mishra, hidden to a place where even he can't fetch it when he wants... perhaps his selection can be best explained by the statement of dhoni when he said... "rather than best side the challenge is to select best balanced side..."

zaheer khan... good...
with experience he has understood his body dynamics... knows when to go full throttle and when to bowl within himself... but as i have been saying... will be under tremendous pressure as he is not given adequate support in seam bowling department... this will keep dhoni and team management praying for his fitness...

praveen kumar... average...
though he started well but fizzled out as the tournament progressed... could not make his presence count... praveen comes across as very impatient bowler... if he let go his experimentation itch with line and length can be a difficult bowler coz he can swing ball both ways from the same spot... there was one over to ganguly that explains (my stance)... after bowling three good dot deliveries that beat ganguly fair and square... he decided to come round the wicket and went for runs...

ashish nehra... good...
could not play most of ipl coz if his injury and when he looked fit and raring to go... his team ensured that his outing curtailed to few matches... but whenever nehra played he made his presence felt... looks in good rhythm and bowling with good pace... his fitness will be crucial too... coz he along with zaheer will be key bowlers who will share each other's load...

vinay lumar... average...
despite pitches suiting his bowling in the ipl... he failed to justify his selection for the caribbean party... i don't think that he will be playing in final xi anyways... barring injuries...

ravindra jadeja...
unfortunately we could not see him in ipl this season... but of what i saw before that he was bowling in good rhythm and in right areas...  seems to have improved his batting...  the pitches in caribbean will suit his kind of bowling and if he bowls the way he was bowling lately will turn out to be an attacking option for team india... jadeja should be the preferred all rounder...

to conclude... my preferred eleven will be in following order...

rohit, gambhir, raina, yuvraj, sehwag, dhoni, jadeja, harbhajan, praveen, zaheer, nehra...


update:
sehwag is out of t20 worldcup and murali vijay is going instead... though i adore viru... but i think this is blessing in disguise...

8 comments:

Anil Singh said...

I seem to more or less agree with the appraisal except of one thing; I feel if you choose to play Sehwag in the playing eleven; he should open the innings; otherwise drop him straightaway.

Regarding Yuvraj, I still say he should not have been chosen for the WC squad; and instead some fit player be included. And if the selectors have chose to see beyond the well this time; they may have set a precedent.

straight point said...

thanks anil... when there are so many players involved one is bound to have different opinion about a player or two...

but most of sehwag's reputation and fear, as i said in one of my post earlier, comes from what he has done in tests... i do not recall any of his t20 innings... and as one of tweet (i do not remember who's) said... the shorter the format the more un-sehwag he becomes... hence instead of opener i think he can play more impact innings down the order...

Srini said...

Uthappa should have been a better choice instead of Murali Vijay...I agree Murali Vijay is an opening batsman, but in T20 it doesn't matter much who opens...

straight point said...

i agree with you sv... in t20 who opens does not matter much... but if you are getting a proper opener who is also in cracking form... then why not...?

Ankit Poddar said...

i hate it when i have nothing to disagree with a post's content...

good job here sp!

straight point said...

cheers ankit... :)

acommonfan said...

The bowling looks really thin. Hope we don't catch an early flight again.

straight point said...

welcome acommonfan...

indeed... i just pray for zak and nehra's fitness... more than sehwag's absence... these two players fitness will be crucial for india's chances...

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