'Buttler, Billings and Jordan can be proud of IPL debuts'
Tuesday 31 May 2016 18:56, UK
Matt Floyd reflects on the 2016 Indian Premier League, as Sunrisers' attack came up trumps and the English debutants made their mark...
So after another intense season of big hits, Bollywood and Bhangra, the latest edition of the IPL has come to a close.
No other tournament does glitz, glamour and ground atmosphere better than the IPL and they all combine to make it what it is - a truly unique event in the world of cricket. Nothing compares.
But the main reason it is still head and shoulders above the rest is the standard of cricket, and the theatre it provides.
The astonishing feats of Royal Challengers Bangalore pair Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers was T20 batting at its very best - their incredible 229-run partnership against a more than capable Gujarat Lions attack will live long in the memory, and Kohli's 973 runs (average 81, strike rate 152) in a season may well never be bettered.
David Warner, Andre Russell, Mustafizur Rahman, Quinton de Kock and Chris Morris also produced moments of real quality and anyone who doubts the standard of the competition need look no further than the list of those who hardly featured for their franchises.
Dale Steyn and Corey Anderson didn't play a single game, while Trent Boult was picked just once for the Sunrisers, and Martin Guptill (Mumbai Indians) and Mitchell Johnson (Kings XI Punjab) made only three appearances each, despite Johnson's side finishing bottom.
The final proved a fitting send-off for the year, with 408 runs scored and Sunrisers Hyderabad managing to pip the mighty Royal Challengers to the trophy.
It was a brave decision by David Warner to bat first as not many would fancy defending a total at the Chinnaswamy against such a star-studded batting line-up, but he backed his side and they duly delivered.
It was set up perfectly with the best batting side in the competition trying to chase 209 against the best bowling side, and the latter came out on top. Another reminder that it's often bowlers that win you tournaments.
You can have all the batting in the world but if you can't stem the flow of runs yourselves, it's very hard to go all the way. The fact that RCB have never won the IPL, despite a policy of regularly purchasing the most wanted batsmen at auction, supports this theory.
Hyderabad's Mustafizur played his part in the final and was the find of the season with the ball. Unfortunately, he decided to return home briefly for a break after the IPL so we won't see as much of him in the Natwest T20 Blast for Sussex as initially hoped.
This highlights the one problem with the competition - it's too long. Like the 50-over World Cup, it could do with trimming down to keep fans interested and to avoid overkill.
It was a disappointing season for the two experienced English players, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, with a torn calf and non-selection respectively curtailing their seasons, but the three IPL debutants can take real positives from their experience.
Jos Buttler arrived with the biggest reputation and price tag and while he never hit the heights English fans are accustomed to seeing, he did play a number of eye-catching cameos. Surely next year he can take the next step and be an important match winner.
Chris Jordan probably leaked more runs than he would've liked, but he was having to bowl on the flattest pitch in India (not to mention tiny playing surface) and helped RCB get to the final.
Sam Billings probably gained the most from his India trip - he only played five times for Delhi, but that was an achievement in itself, given the big money spent on the other overseas players in the squad - and he announced himself to the IPL with a sparkling knock against KKR that demonstrated his range of shots and innovation.
We had him in the studio towards the end of the season, and he spoke really well too - I see a potential career in the media beckoning once he hangs up his gloves.
In the studio, we had another stellar line-up of pundits, with Shane Warne, Kumar Sangakkara, Shaun Pollock, Mahela Jayawardena, Ross Taylor and Carlos Brathwaite among the others that popped in. Brathwaite is huge by the way - I can see where he gets his power from!
Warney won his bet with Pollock and Nick Knight that the Sunrisers would take the trophy. Unfortunately, they weren't able to get him the Hawaiian pizza he wanted, so he went hungry!
Next up for me is a summer on the road with the Blast. To be honest, I'm really looking forward to getting out and about after a busy winter at Sky Studios and the Pod will get us closer to the action and the spectators.
While the IPL still sets the bench mark, let's not forget that the Blast has a lot going for it too - this year, it will feature the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Sangakkara, Jayawardena, Kane Williamson, Taylor, Mustafizur, Brendon McCullum, Kagiso Rabada and Aaron Finch.
The show goes on!
Watch coverage of the NatWest T20 Blast on Sky Sports 2 HD, including Sussex v Somerset (Wednesday from 6pm) and Worcestershire v Yorkshire (Thursday from 5pm).
