IPL 2019: Age is trumping over youth in the tournament
"Buddha hoga tera baap!"
The filmy dialogue of Amitabh Bachchan has come alive this month, and how. IPL 2019 has witnessed the dominance of 35-plus cricketers over the young breed, in a way that nobody could have expected.
They have demolished bowling attacks, triggered batting collapses and taken acrobatic catches. At no point of time have they looked old or fatigue-stricken. Rather, they look more aggressive and just as agile as all the 20-something players in the tournament.
Chris Gayle at 38 and MS Dhoni at 37 have set the IPL on fire with their controlled aggression and explosive batting prowess. The way Dhoni chased RCB’s 161 from a hopeless stage was one of the most memorable sights in the history of the IPL.
Gayle’s approach to the game, on the other hand, is like a crocodile. His victims hardly notice that Gayle is coming close to them until he attacks with all his ferocity.
Gayle continues to hit sixes with effortless ease. And it is only a batsman with great skill who can do that. In one incident, Yuzvendra Chahal embraced Gayle on the field in recognition of his shot. It looked as if a mouse was embracing an elephant.
This season, we have also seen the 36-year-old Yuvraj Singh dispatching Chahal for three consecutive sixes, all on the strength of his superb timing. Yuvraj has shown that he still has enough punch in his bat to hit sixes with precision.
The way AB de Villiers is playing right now, one can't help but feel he has been born again. Dhoni, De Villiers and Gayle have together amassed 1172 runs this IPL tournament.
The 20-plus brigade can’t beat the 35-plus coterie in enthusiasm and zeal either. Look at the 40-year-old Imran Tahir's thunderous appeals for LBW; their echo can even put the umpire on the back foot.
Tahir ranks second in the Purple Cap list with 16 scalps, and he is still going strong. Dale Steyn at 35, Harbhajan Singh at 37 and Lasith Malinga at 35 are also feasting on young batsmen.
Tahir, Malinga, Harbhajan and Steyn have together bagged 37 wickets and influenced the results of many matches with their superb line and length. They are not slowing down, and are showing the full value of experience.
The 35-plus players are proving to be the star attraction of IPL 2019. Who saw that coming?