Difficult targets

Over the next 44 days, the IPL will have to first attract, and then hold the interest of a cricket-crazy nation. It’ll have to break the mould of national sentiments and make room for regional support that has been non-existent. Come Friday, organisers will be hoping that Kolkata’s Ishant doesn’t get too many cheers if he bowls out Bangalore’s Boucher. Both Dravid and Ganguly stress it won’t be a problem. “I strongly believe that it’s going to be about the quality of cricket, eventually,” Dravid says. “Talking to the boys in the dressing-room, I can see they’re all geared up to give their best.”

Ganguly, always more forthright, adds: “The players have their own reputations to consider, and the fact that there’s a lot of money in it if they do well. The bigger the player, the bigger the responsibility — if the team has bought Ponting for a certain price, he has to deliver. All the players understand that.”

It’s apparent that the onus to make something out of the IPL lies on the players alone. India Inc has done its bit, perhaps even overdone it. Now it’s at the mercy of its multi-million dollar acquisitions.

Key battles

Ganguly vs Dravid

Two former Indian skippers have plenty in common to prove— their style of captaincy and their competence in this format of the game. Will it be Ganguly’s aggressive style or Dravid calm self that will win the day?

Zaheer vs Ishant

... contd.