The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) officials were nervous after the thunderstorm on Saturday. Thankfully, the front window of the Eden Gardens press box was only shattered when a 90km/hr storm hit. The damage has been repaired quickly. Sujan Mukherjee’s level head helped to keep the pitch and outfield safe.
The Eden curator planned ahead of time. “As heavy clouds formed, we covered the pitch and outfield with huge stone chunks thick enough to withstand the wind.” “It worked,” Mukherjee stated.
The pitch and outfield looked excellent a day before the Indian Premier League Qualifier 1 match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals. “Batsmen will be able to play on the up, quick bowlers will gain purchase upfront, and spinners will come into action later,” Mukherjee said about how the surface will benefit everyone. The bounce will be good.” The curator has followed his standard procedure for preparing athletic surfaces. Under his leadership during the past seven years, the Eden surface has rarely failed.
The Royals team bus came in front of Eden around 5.15 p.m. on Monday. A few minutes later, the Titans’ coach arrived. Fans in front of the stadium started to shout ‘RCB, RCB’ without knowing who the players were. Then came a Kohli ditty. The Royal Challengers Bangalore flight was landing in Kolkata at the time. According to the reaction, the Eliminator on Wednesday would be a box office hit, with Virat Kohli providing star power. But make no mistake: Qualifier 1 on Tuesday will likewise be sold out, with the authorities permitting a 100% turnout. This change of scenery was necessary for the IPL. Near the end of the group phase, monotony began to set in. To some level, familiarity had begun to generate contempt.
Both teams have excellent fast bowlers. Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph, and Lockie Ferguson are Titans. They should be excited to bend their backs on the Eden pitch. Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Sen are the Royals’ counter-punchers (if he plays). In terms of batting, the Titans would like to see Shubman Gill be more consistent, while Jos Buttler, despite three consecutive single-digit scores, remains the Royals’ talisman with 629 runs from 14 matches. In terms of spin, the Royals have a tiny advantage over Rashid Khan thanks to the Chahal-Ashwin combination. Wriddhiman Saha, who is playing on home soil and has a difficult relationship with the CAB, provides an intriguing subplot.
But there’s a bigger picture — Hardik Pandya and Ravichandran Ashwin, the Gujrat Titans’ and Rajasthan Royals’ biggest takeaways in this IPL, respectively.
Hardik comes into the IPL with a fitness problem. Chief selector Chetan Sharma had sent out the message that it was bowl-or-bust for him in the Indian team. In the run-up to the playoffs, Hardik has bowled 24.3 overs. He’s bowled with the new ball and batted with the old, and although only taking four wickets, he’s had a very good economy rate of 7.79. In addition, the Titans’ skipper has scored 413 runs. He was a formality in India’s T20I team for the home series against South Africa.
Ashwin would be disappointed that white-ball cricket at the international level has avoided him. At the same time, no one has used him in this format quite like the Royals have this season. The Royals’ head coach, Kumar Sangakkara, and his team have maximized Ashwin’s batting ability by utilizing him as a batting floater. The 35-year-old has thrived in his current role because of his confidence. His match-winning 40 not out off 23 balls against Chennai Super Kings only three days ago demonstrated his talent as a shortest-format batsman as well as how inventive and ambitious he can be when given the freedom to express himself.
Ashwin stressed the importance of clear communication at the post-match presentation. “The communication about what I needed to work on before the season was obvious.” My role had been clearly established by management.”
“I have a good understanding of the game and am innovative,” he remarked of his batting. I don’t have adequate strength; Rajamani (Prabhu, strength coach) and Zubin Bharucha deserve recognition (head of cricket). They understand my personality and the fact that I don’t bat the same way every time. They have encouraged me and I have put in a lot of practice time. For every franchise I play for, I want to bring my A-game. It’s a sign of deference.”
In 14 games, Ashwin has 183 runs and 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.14. With 26 wickets, Yuzvendra Chahal leads the wicket-taking standings.
Coming back to the Eden pitch, Mukherjee does not want to change the Eliminator between RCB and Lucknow Super Giants. “One pitch should be enough for 80 overs.” In a first-class match, 90 overs are played per day.”
The curator praised his ground staff for working through the night to combat the elements, as thunderstorms are expected in the coming days. On a lighter note, Mukherjee said, “They deserve heavy sleep for 10 days after the IPL matches are over.”
