REBOOT
| Date :21-Sep-2020 |
HOW much the coronavirus-induced stoppage on sports had its effect on the players could be gauged from some of the waistlines appearing in the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi when the annual carnival of Indian Premier League (IPL) rebooted India’s cricketing activity. The transformation of cricket from virtual to real in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) starkly showed the perils of lack of outdoor physical activities as the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Saurabh Tiwary, Piyush Chawla and some others struggled to keep the extra bulge under wraps. ‘Weighty’ debate aside, cricket is back on the ground and has given a much-needed relief to the sport’s lovers in these testing times.
The holding of 13th edition of IPL itself is an achievement amid the raging pandemic. Assembling large groups of players and franchisee entourage at one place in a bio-secure bubble is a tricky challenge for any organiser. At the first look of action in the desert, a pat on the back for BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly and the UAE authorities is definitely in line. It is the next part of sustaining the momentum for an incident-free tournament that will be the real test for BCCI, the franchisees and local administration. While there will be critics of the IPL for its glitz and glamour, the tournament is a high-stake event and provides a right mix of sports and entertainment to millions around the world. How much the cricket lovers craved for restart of action is amply reflected on the boisterous timelines on social media.
It was a welcome departure from the nasty trolling over politics and crime and the filth paraded with impunity by anonymous handles who are ever-ready for character assassination of celebrities. The same timelines discussing the return of Dhoni on the field after more than a year was a big solace for the precious few lovers of a civilised social discussion. Judging by the solid start the IPL has got off to with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defying the script yet again under the mercurial leadership of Dhoni against the Mumbai Indians (MI), a power-packed dose of thrillers is absolutely in the offing for the next one and a half months.
The thrills of Twenty20 cricket and the unpredictable nature of the tournament given the rustiness of players coming from a long lockdown make an interesting combination of mystery and action for T20 lovers. Even otherwise, the sports-starved nation is ready to hog on to the fast-paced, slam-bang version for a welcome detour. And the healthy waistlines on display in Abu Dhabi have added more intrigue to the tournament! Cricket, in India, possesses the power of lifting gloom and pumping energy even in ordinary lives. The game is a bandwagon of dreams that the fans seek to jump upon to get away from the daily rigours. In the current times gripped with fear and anxiety due to the surging COVID-19 cases, the IPL action (or entertainment!) is actually a timely distraction from everyday worries. If the game could hold its sway on the spectators for the entire duration of the IPL, then it can be a blessing in disguise, for, staying home is the only way of staying safe. The start of IPL should be seen from this context too.