IPL 4 - day 24 : CSK Vs DC

The IPL is too unpredictable.  After day 24 [1^st May 2011]– the toppers are yet to crystallize.  As of now,  Rajasthan Royals, Kolkatta Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are above the rest of the six teams.  All of them have won 5 matches.  RR has a No result and has 11 points, the other 3 have 10 points; but RR have played 9, KKR & CSK 8 – MI 7 matches of their 14 matches.

The concept of IPL has provided platform for some young players to rub shoulders with some great International players.  Manish Pandey, Sourabh Tiwari. Valthaty have all surfaced out of IPL by their heroic knocks, which they otherwise might not have got.  Yesterday, Sunny Sohal threatened to join that elite list though he eventually displayed that he lacks the temperament to be up there.  His knock was described in one premier cricket sites as ‘a millionaire spending the last night of his life in Las Vegas’.  An attractive innings of 30 ball 56 was extravagant as he stormed the chase where CSK prevailed in the final overs to win.  Chennai master minded by Dhoni is displaying consistency, form and sanity in approach.  After hitting 6 fours and 4 sixers, he perished repeating the unsuccessful reverse stroke against Jakati.  One of the bowlers that followed bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin was a marvel.  Deccan Chargers failed to capitalize the head start and succumbed to the pressure.  

Sure you would not have heard much of this man earlier – he is Sunny Sohal born in Nov 1987 at Mohali – bats right handed and bowls leg break.  Hopefully we might see more of him and that he does not fade in to oblivion as a one match wonder.

Earlier Chepauk was on fire due to a cameo of Albie Morkel off the tall and impressive Ishant Sharma who had on the other day pulled the rug under the feet of Kochi Tuskers.  On 27^th April, Kochi chasing had lost their first wicket without any run on the board to Steyn and then came charging Ishant.   Off the first, Jayawardene ambled for a single (leg bye); of the second he had Parthiv Patel caught behind, cleaned up Gomez.  Brad Hodge survived the hat-trick ball and but was out soon bowled again.  Yesterday it was a different experience as he was carted in the 19^th over by Morkel  and conceded 21 runs over all in that over.  

At the end of over 18 CSK were 136/3  - the first 2 were singles and no run off the third – a good over at the halfway stage.  Next was a no ball due to height and off the legal fourth Morkel hoisted over long on for a 6.  the next one disappeared over the bowler straight for the longest 6 off the tournament 109 meters and that did not last a minute.  The last ball of the over was sent over the high roof of the stadium for a big 6 – 114 meters.

Ages back in a Ranji match, Thirumalai Ananthan Pillai Sekhar touted to be the fastest at that time was carted around by Surinder Khanna which included a flicked six.  Then Kirti Azad hit a couple – one off Venkat Raghavan hit the parapet wall near the commentary box with a thud and bounced back nonchalantly almost to the bowling run up.  The effort of Morkel was more than that.

Regards – S. Sampathkumar.