Delhi make capital gains but Chennai not quite mint with Dhoni-shaped hole: IPL 2019 talking points

Even as we near the business end of the Indian Premier League season, there is a side story playing itself out involving three former cricketers. The issue of ‘conflict of interest’ has haunted cricket for a long time, but one that has arguably become more rampant since the launch of the IPL in 2008. Prominent names have been dragged into some controversy or the other, including those of former India players Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Anil Kumble. The big daddy of all conflict cases had at its centre N Srinivasan, who for a period of time presided over the Board of Control for Cricket in India while being owner of the Chennai Super Kings franchise. The issue has reared its head again in 2019, with three more ex-India players – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman – in a pickle over multiple affiliations. A complaint was filed to the BCCI last week, citing Tendulkar and Laxman were violating the board’s conflict of interest rules by being a part of its Cricket Advisory Committee while working for different IPL franchises. But even as BCCI ombudsman Justice DK Jain is investigating the matter, some members in the board are already protesting against upcoming hearings. One unconfirmed source told Indian daily Hindustan Times it is unfair to make soft targets out of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman – all national treasures – when there are offenders with far greater power within the establishment. But two wrongs do not make a right – assuming the trio is deemed guilty, of course – and Justice Jain should be allowed to do his job, which is to determine whether there are indeed conflicts of interest in any of these cases. It doesn’t mean the source doesn’t have a point. If the BCCI is serious about tackling this issue, it must start to go after the big fish. David Warner and Hardik Pandya may have little in common aside from being world-class cricketers with obvious character flaws. Warner, Australia's combustible opening batsman, has had run-ins with players and authorities. Pandya, the effervescent Indian all-rounder, is open about his fondness for bling and women. Both players got into trouble in the space of a few months – Warner for ball tampering and Pandya for making sexist comments on a television show – and they both faced punitive measures. But they have both also received a chance to revive their careers, which meant the ongoing IPL was in for a treat from the duo. Warner is topping the batting chart at the moment, having scored 692 runs, while Pandya has scored more than 300 runs and taken 10 wickets thus far. They have both been electric on the field and have taken their respective sides – Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians – to within touching distance of the play-offs. Mercurial players are so much fun to watch when they are hungry and on song, and the current season has been better for it. What’s in a name? Apparently everything if you are a Delhi Capitals fan. Delhi have reached the play-offs for the first time since 2012, much of the credit for which should go to the new owners for strengthening the squad and sticking with coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer. The got Shikhar Dhawan back and assembled one of the best bowling attacks, including Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra and Sandeep Lamichhane. Whether the name change led to a mental reboot of sorts is yet unclear. But in the lead-up to the new season, the management was criticised for replacing Daredevils with Capitals. Why change a good name, many asked. One Twitter user was prompted to write, “Waiting for Mumbai Indians to change their name to Mumbai Financial Capital.” Whatever be one’s attitude about it, 'Capitals' is likely here to stay – especially if Delhi go on to win the title this year. There was a time, back in the 90s and noughties, when urban Indian youth could not get enough of Polo Mints. Each peppermint was designed in the shape of a ring and the tagline was ‘Polo, the mint with the hole’. In other words, it had a hole but was still mint. This season, like in every season, Chennai Super Kings have proved to be the team to beat. They have a set roster of players who have represented Chennai for a good many years. While other franchises have tended to bring in youngsters from elsewhere, Chennai have normally chosen to keep the flock together: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu, to name a few. But if there is a chink in the Chennai armour, it is the tendency to lose their way when Dhoni, their captain since 2008, is not playing. They were especially found out by Mumbai Indians, the only side with the kind of depth comparable to Chennai. Dhoni has had back problems in recent times and he must have been looking to rest up ahead of the play-offs, but the impact the wicketkeeper-batsman’s absence has on his side should be a little worrying. Call it Dhoni Dependency or whatever, the management must really wonder if the CSK line-up is all that mint whenever it has a Dhoni-shaped hole.

Delhi make capital gains but Chennai not quite mint with Dhoni-shaped hole: IPL 2019 talking points

Here are four points of discussion on Season 12 of the Indian Premier League as the race for the play-offs hots up