Dream11 IPL – the trailer to a bigger picture

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We’ve got ‘behind the scenes’ for WCT20 2021!

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Cricket fanatics all over the world are going crazy with the delayed, yet, upcoming edition of Dream11 IPL 2020 which is all set to begin in just 3 days. Well, this must be the greatest news in the year of unprecedented times, but what’s more to come will blow your mind. (Time to flip our calendars!)

We all know that due to upsurge in COVID-19 cases across our country, the Indian Premier League is shifted to UAE (United Arab Emirates). In fact, it’s not just IPL. A lot more tournaments have been either postponed or called off. One of the major cricketing events i.e. ICC Men’s World Cup T20 has also been postponed ‘and shifted’.

Originally scheduled from 18th October’20 to 15th November’20, the 7th edition of the WCT20 was to be played in Australia. However, a change in plans has led to the tournament to be hosted in India! (You heard that right!) WCT20 is likely to commence on 14th October’21 and go on till mid November.

Picture courtesy : Twitter/@ICC

ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said: “We now have absolute clarity on the future of ICC events enabling all of our Members to focus on the rescheduling of lost international and domestic cricket. We will now proceed as planned with the Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in India and host the 2022 edition in Australia”.

Having said that, IPL in UAE will prove to be an interesting contest. The change of host countries will benefit a lot of players. This is one chance for all the players – be it Indian or overseas, to fix their spot in the squad way before the World Cup.

IPL’s 13th edition may look just like any other T20 tournament. Perhaps, avid followers like our team of #30Yards know how crucial this upcoming league will be. We understand the importance of the upcoming events. We see the bigger picture and that’s exactly why we are here today. To share the deets with you! 😉

Let’s take a look at the ways in which IPL in UAE will be very crucial from the World Cup perspective:

1. Climatic conditions : The weather in UAE is hot and humid. The lowest average temperature (as of 16th Sept’20) of Abu Dhabi is 27°C and highest average temperature is 39°C. As per the tentative schedule of WCT20 in India in 2021 (October to November), the average temperatures will more or less be similar to that of Abu Dhabi currently. Playing in UAE in such kind of weather will prepare the players for the World Cup. They will understand their body needs and increase their water intake accordingly to ensure that their performance is unaffected.

2. Pitch : Those 22 yards on the field decide the course of the game. Each pitch has its own nature which tells us whether that rectangular yield will be batsmen-friendly or bowler-friendly. The dusty pitch, which is soft and unrolled is best suited for spin bowlers because it offers extra turn. In the beginning of the innings, dusty pitches are very difficult to bat on. This is the kind of pitch Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will have; very similar to most grounds in India. In comparison to green pitches in England, Australia and South Africa which offer a lot of help to seamers, dusty pitches are a treat to spinners. This is one reason why we have the world’s greatest pacers in the likes of Jimmy Anderson, Mitchell Starc and Dale Steyn coming from western countries. Matches in UAE will be an amusing battle for batsmen as well to know which one will be the most suitable choice for their respective national teams.

R Ashwin and R Jadeja inspecting the pitch at Vishakhapatnam ahead of T20 match with South Africa in September’19

Picture courtesy : The Hindu

3. Last T20 league : As per the schedules lined up, IPL 2020 is probably the last T20 league all the players shall play before the World Cup. Except for the Big Bash League (BBL), Australia’s franchise T20 league, all other T20 tournaments are cancelled due to rise in coronavirus cases around the world. BBL’s 10th season will be played between 3rd December’20 and 6th February’21.

With all due reasons, this might be the last chance for players to mark their names. Cricketers who suffered injuries, were out of form or were dropped out of their national sides have now got the luxury of time to prove their mettle. All national selectors will watch IPL with a keen eye to help them decide the kind of talent they want to nurture for the next 10 months.

Furthermore, there are some notable players which we would like to observe as well. After M.S. Dhoni hanged his boots, India certainly needs a good wicket-keeping batsman. KL Rahul from Kings XI Punjab tops our list. We are excited to see how the debutant captain will play his game for there will be competition with Rishabh Pant from Delhi Capitals. If KL Rahul fixes his spot, he can either open with Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians) who’s a prolific T20 batsman or with Shikhar Dhawan (Delhi Capitals) to create the left-right batting combination. Another problem India has had since a long time is the conundrum with no. 4 batsman but with Shreyas Iyer (captaining Delhi Capitals) stepping into the shoes, India looks ready. Perhaps, with the delay in the tournament, other players might be eyeing that position too.

Picture courtesy : DNA India

Coming down the order, Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians) is sure to book his seat. His brother from the same franchise, Krunal Pandya is a terrific spin – all rounder but Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings) has an upper hand at the moment. Shivam Dube (Royal Challengers Bangalore), pacer all-rounder also has his chances as the 3rd all rounder in the squad. Moving on to bowlers, Navdeep Saini playing for RCB will have to prove himself to get selected for the WCT20 squad.

When it comes to overseas players, Ab de Villiers from Royal Challengers Bangalore looks solid for South Africa. ABD has always been a match winner be it with his magnificent strike rate or top-notch fielding. He was the top-scorer for SA at ODI (One Day International) World Cup 2015 and also had the highest strike rate of 144.31. After losing the 2019 World Cup on a low, the Proteas need a player like him to strengthen their batting order. Dale Steyn also playing for RCB shall need to take some quick wickets to book his seat.

Picture courtesy : The Indian Express

Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see if these players are able to handle their nerves and play their cards right when needed. Time will tell us who will get selected and who will miss out a major opportunity to represent their national sides. There are many more such questions, and if not all, most of them would be answered in the upcoming season of Dream11 IPL 2020.

Which player you feel will surprise us the most this IPL? Let us know in the comments below!