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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is nearing the halfway mark with the tournament being more or less a batting friendly edition. Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), however, have found it hard to get going and be part of that six-hitting spree.
The other five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have also not been able to win their games but they now have Jasprit Bumrah who is back after suffering a back issue in January earlier this year. It’ll be important to manage Bumrah’s workload with England Test tour scheduled right after the IPL.
One other name who could make a comeback in Indian team is Karun Nair – he’s been sensational in recent times in domestic cricket and scored a brilliant 90-odd in his first IPL innings after three years.
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WION had a chat with former India women’s team skipper Anjum Chopra regarding all those things and here’s what she had to say:
What do you think that’s been ailing Chennai Super Kings this season?
Well, obviously they’ve not been able to finish the matches in their favour and that is the only thing. The matches that they are playing, if they had won, two or three of those matches, they could have won or normally, when the Chennai team plays other than losing, they win. So, we always say that there is experience in that side. But because those matches, they have not ended up as a winning team.
So suddenly, one after another, when the losses happen, you start asking questions. What is happening? Nothing is happening. It’s just that that opening combination did not start well for them then the middle order has not been able to capitalise. So, small, small areas which they have been missing out, or in the fielding, or small areas in the bowling. And small areas, we’ve seen, you miss on those and opportunity arises for the opposition to utilise those areas. And that’s how the matches have been getting slipped from their side to the opposition side.
Also, do you feel like Chennai Super Kings do not have as much power hitting options as other teams?
I think the very fact that Shivam Dubey was such a star attraction when he started hitting last season or the year before that as well and he is still doing the same. So, if he is missing anything, is just somebody else hitting at the other end who is also striking the ball like that. The last couple of seasons, Ruturaj has been giving them such good starts. But Ruturaj, change of batting order, then him picking up an injury has not helped. Now, he is batting at three. So, even if you bat at three, it means obviously few deliveries unless you walk in on the second or the third ball of the match. So, everything changes.
They tried changing the opening combination. It didn’t work. The effect was that in the middle order also, somebody apart from Shivam was not able to capitalize. And that start was also not helping. So, few areas, it’s not that they are missing out. Once you start winning those matches, then things change and people say, oh wow, Vijay Shankar is such an asset. Deepak Hooda hasn’t done well for them. Devon Conway in the last few matches, yes, he is there but, you know, it’s not been that kind of a start or an impact. Even Rachin Ravindra. So, small, small areas. Again, if the players are not utilizing their opportunities, then what can the captain do or anybody else do?
Talking about the captains, how good has been Shreyas Iyer this season?
You know, when you win an IPL, obviously the confidence is high. Number one is that also he, in any case, has been a very good captain. And it’s not only that he has to prove his captaincy coming into an IPL team. I’ve seen him, you know, he is one of those, he likes the responsibility. He likes those tough situations and he thrives on them. So, when he is captaining an IPL side and they’ve ended up winning, it’s not a surprise.
It’s also not that for the first time he has suddenly become captain. He has been around from domestic cricket side and he has been groomed for it as well. So, yes, the confidence is there after winning an IPL.
Every year IPL throws up some stars, uncapped or capped players. This season has been really about Digvesh Rathi and his celebrations. How do you think that he’s going about his bowling after being picked up from local leagues?
Very good. I think it’s about talent meets opportunity. If IPL is throwing up such talented cricketers, I mean, we should feel very happy that the way our domestic cricket is structured or is being run over the past so many years. IPL in its 18th season is actually showcasing that you don’t need four international players to win your contest. More and more franchises or captains, they’re seeing that, you know, their Indian domestic players are performing better than international players.
So, it’s obviously talking about the depth of Indian cricket, which is very good. And as I say again, it’s not that overnight things have changed. If in the 18th IPL season, we are seeing a Priyansh Arya come through and he’ll be back in the nets it’s not overnight that things happen. Again, it goes back to the depth and opportunity that, you know, our cricketers have, and they’re making the most of it.
There may be so many more Digvesh Rathis or Priyansh Aryas in the system all over our country, who have not got the opportunity, who are unable to show skills. They might be even better at their skills, but we do not see them or we have not seen them. But those that we have seen or we are seeing, I think it’s a great moment of pride to say that, you know, we as an India has such talent in our country.
Karun Nair – he was sensational in his first innings for DC and there’s been chatter around him that he might have a chance at India comeback. Where do you see him, if he continues to perform like that?
Anybody has a chance of an India comeback. As long as they’re playing cricket, any and everyone has a chance. Nobody’s gone, I mean, again, of course, till the time you say that you are not looking to play international cricket and you just want to participate in leagues and whatever.
But thing is, Indian cricket doesn’t say or international cricket doesn’t say that, you know, we will only pick players from this bracket or that bracket. That is not there. People who are performing can go on and play for the country. Country requires match winners and champions. So whether he makes a comeback or he doesn’t make a comeback in the Indian League, that is for time to tell. But if he has come back and started performing well in domestic cricket and we saw what he did in that innings, it’s brilliant, you know. He was always a very good player. 300 runs scored in a Test match does not happen in a fluke. Obviously, he has had that talent before also. But now he has realised his potential or he is realising his potential again, which is very nice. So it’s good. Whether he comes back in the Indian team or not, we’ll see.
With England series just right after the IPL, how do you think that IPL or BCCI should be managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload given that he is just back from injury?
That’s for the doctors to decide. I mean, you and me or anybody else, we are not aware as to what is the injury, how is he after managing that workload since come back. So obviously, they would have seen that he is fit to bowl. The doctors have given him a clearance that he is fit to bowl and he is participating, he is travelling.
People in the system are well aware of the fact that what is coming up, what is the kind of workload that not only Jasprit, but anybody else also, whether it’s Mohammad Siraj or Arshdeep or anyone, is managing. So they will manage it. It’s not that today you just wrap him in cotton wool and keep him. No. Human body needs to train as well. So his workload is definitely getting managed. I’m sure it is getting managed and being watched as well. How much is he bowling, whatever. So there is a proper system to it and that system runs for everyone. So for Jasprit also, that system is up for monitoring how he is doing.
With IPL reaching its near half stage, what are your top four picks if you’ll have it?
I mean, it’s difficult to say because we’ve seen how matches can go up and down. And that’s the beauty of it. It’s not only this season, even in the last few seasons, we’ve seen that the teams who have started at the top don’t end up at the top. So it’s about maintaining that combination, that form. It’s a very long tournament.
If you look at Chennai, they have probably rotated almost 18-19 players? For Punjab, they would have rotated about 13 or 14 players with injuries. Teams who have won matches right at the start have not looked to rotate many players around.
And those who, like Chennai, whenever Chennai wins, they hardly change the combination. So it’s difficult to say right now. We certainly have teams who have been winning. We say, wow, they’re looking very good. They’re looking very good. But we can only have one winner.
We’ll see. Right now, that’s why we talk about the net run rate being so crucial. Even if you have a slump or a slide on that points table, there is a net run rate which can save you and allow you to come back.
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