IPL 2018: The captains speak in the final press meet ahead the finals
What's the story?
A few hours later, thirty thousand odd fans at the Wankhede and several millions in front of their televisions and smartphones will be witnessing one of the most hotly-contested events of the world, in the quest for the coveted IPL trophy. At the end of what was a very satisfying season to us viewers, teams that were almost equally matched in terms of strength and rapport contested in 56 group matches, each team playing the other seven teams twice each - and the two south-Indian franchises are all that remains now. Here we take a look at the press conference conducted on Saturday, as both captains gave us small ideas on what to expect as the big event unfurls tonight.
The details
As mentioned, it was the IPL finals that is happening tonight, and the press conference conducted was supposed to be the last one before the encounter. However, the event took one and all by surprise, as we got to see nothing that we expected - as people loving hotly contested games, let us admit that we were a tad disappointed to see no cheeky jibes at each other' expenses, and there were no mind games either. But at the same, when one specifically mentions that it is MS Dhoni and Kane Williamson who are facing each other, we can't really expect those to happen either, them being the coolest captains around in the cricketing business right now. The duo traded compliments, tributes and jokes aplenty as they, along with coaches Stephen Fleming and Tom Moody, fronted the press ahead of the final of IPL 2018 in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
As expected Rashid Khan stole a lot of the limelight despite his not being present on the occasion. When speaking about Rashid Khan, Fleming, jokingly hoped Rashid could not put in two match-winning performances on the trot. At the same time, Williamson made it evident as to how much they will be dependant on the mystery, consistency and guile of Rashid Khan to make the big difference in the all-important game. His impact on the tournament was underlined when both Dhoni and Williamson were asked about why legspinners have done so well. Dhoni bounced the question off to his rival captain, saying SRH had the best legspinner so it would be fair for Williamson to talk about it.
In response, Williamson said, "I think it's been a really consistent thing throughout a number of IPLs, probably not just the skill-set but the quality of those leg spinners is very, very high. Obviously, having the ability to take it away from both (left and right-handed) players on surfaces that offer a little bit of turn is definitely an asset to have. We are very fortunate to have Rashid Khan in our team. He's been outstanding throughout the whole campaign and hopefully tomorrow night he can do it all over again."
"The thing with leg-spinners is you never know how their googly will turn. Sometimes it even looks like a googly, but it is a top-spinner. Also when you miss a googly as a right-hand batsman you are getting out, whether it's LBW or bowled." Dhoni sided with Williamson for one single time.
In case you didn't know...
Dhoni returned to CSK after the team spent a couple of years outside the IPL setup. After just one long-awaited game at home in Chennai, they were sent away to play in Pune due to the various political issues that happened over the weeks. However, at the end of what was a remarkable run, the captain led his beloved outfit to the finals, the seventh for them, after winning nine out of their fourteen matches in the group stages, and by defeating table-toppers SRH in the first Qualifier.
At the same time, Williamson has his own share of stories to tell. He probably wouldn't even have made the starting XI if David Warner was in the squad. Just like Dhoni, he turned his team into world beaters, as his SRH stood first after the group stage.
CSK and SRH have already played three games this IPL. CSK have turned out winners in all three, although two of those including the qualifier, were very closely fought, with the momentum shifting to either side occasionally. However, coming into the final both teams knew that the past games would matter for very little, and both captains would definitely be looking to align their cards in a way best suited to knock the opposition down.
Author's take
The final press conference of this season's IPL easily represented the sort of game that will be showcased in a little less than nine hours. It is definitely not going to be the kind of game which pushes both teams to try and put the opposition beyond its comfort zones. Rather, this could turn out to be a game of nerves, and a matter of who can hold theirs. Both Dhoni and Williamson are known to be cool operators. There won't be a much of an emotional outflow, and both teams, as reflections, are more than happy soaking in the pressure before going for the kill.