It has been a week filled with the weird and the wonderful in IPL.
Let’s start with one of the most extraordinary things you’ll ever see on a cricket-field — a 14-year-old old who makes his debut in the biggest cricket tournament in the world and hits its first ball in six!
When Vaibhav Suryavanshi was signed by Rajasthan Royals at the auction, while still 13, he did not expect many people that he would do the start XI – it seemed more likely that he would spend the year being acclimated to IPL’s intensity.
But with Sanju Samson out injured Rahul Dravid threw him into the deep end, and he didn’t just swim, he took to the water like Michael Phelps!
It wasn’t just that he hit an international bowler (Shardul Thakur) for the first six ball, that’s how he did. This was not a top edge that flew over the wicket holder’s head, he made space and crushed thakur over extra cover with complete contempt.
If there was ever a moment that shone a limelight on IPL’s influence on the Indian cricket, this was it.
Young Indian players are now bred to be on the biggest stage, and when they get there, they are founded and clear, even if they at an age when they don’t even have to shave.
All they know is IPL – the competition had already gone for three seasons when Suryavanshi was born.
Suryavanshi is younger than IPL, with three editions played before he was even born
It makes you wonder if we in UK Sport should start looking a little different at age. In India (and Pakistan for that matter), the attitude has always been ‘if you are good enough, you are old enough’.
Are we sometimes guilty of assuming that players are not up to the brand based solely on their young age? Suryavanshi is admittedly an incredibly talented nature, but it is food for thought.
Classic nair back with a smell
As always in IPL, there are good stories involving both young and old.
As a 33 -year -old, Karun Nair is hardly ‘old’, but he came very close to being forgotten. Eight and a half years ago, he scored a fantastic test in triple century against England in Chennai. Three test matches later he was dropped and never seen again at that arena.
Delhi Capitals’ Karun Nair has launched his career in IPL
A chronic loss of form and confidence followed, culminating in being dropped by his state team (Karnataka) and a famous tweet in 2022 reading ‘Dear Cricket, gives me another chance’.
After a resurgence in shape as he switched states to Vidarbha, this chance duly came this season for Delhi Capitals. After not being picked up at the IPL auction in the previous three years, he hit a sparkling 89 in his first lap and has looked like Nair of Old – a fantastic hour on the ball with a simple, stubborn technique.
It seems that IPL is a great place to launch your career, but it is also the perfect platform to relaunch it.
Why on earth did Kishan go?
It was the wonderful thing, the strange thing was Ishan Kishan, who decided to get off the field thinking he had edged the ball to the wicket holder when the replays showed he had not done so.
De Deepak Chahar, who played against his old side Mumbai for Sunrisers, bowled him an harmless delivery that swung down the leg as Ryan Rickelton took nonchalant.
No one appealed or even fought an eyelid. Except for Kishan, who duly turned around and went back to the pavilion.
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The umpiret was left the flummox after Sunriser’s Hyderabad Bater Ishan Kishan Waled Off despite not hit the ball!
The appearance of the judge’s face was invaluable – he was signaling wide, but when he saw Kishan walking off, a sudden look of panic over him washing and he ended up making a signal that I can only describe as 50 percent wide, 50 percent out!
It was a completely bisar moment and I can’t imagine that Kishan will make the same mistake again in a hurry. In fact, I expect him to go to full Stuart Broad in his next lap and refuse to go, even if he edges the ball directly to First Slip!
Mumbai on the indictment
Mumbai ended up winning the game comfortably and is now officially on a prosecutor after winning four on rejection.
Suryakumar Yadav has helped turn the shape of the Mumbai Indians
Jasprit Bumrah’s return has given the bowling attack pioneering, Trent Boult finds its shape, and Suryakumar Yadav looks a world beat again with bats.
Less than two weeks ago, the Indians looked out of the pace and you were wondering where their next win came from – that’s how fast things can change in a T20 tournament.
With only two points that are currently separating top from the sixth in the table, we could be in a very tense and exciting ending to the group stage.
See each match from 2025 IPL LIVE at Sky Sports CricketUp to and including the final on Sunday 25 May.