If ICL Season-I was an unqualified success. Season-II that ended with Lahore Badshahs emerging worthy champions in the Twenty20 Domestic Championship on Sunday was a notch higher in terms of quality of competition. One more venue (Ahmedabad), one more qualiity team (Dhaka Warriors), roping in of star performer like Mohammad Yousuf and excellent crowd support at venues like Ahmedabad are factors that made the event a truely exhilarating experience.
The best-of-the-three finals and the earlier matches at Ahmedabad saw a scramble for tickets with the cricket-crazy fans jostling among themselves to get into stadium. According to reports the semifinals and the finals were shifted to Ahmedabad by the organisers keeping in mind the heavy spectator turnout at the newest ICL venue. During the star-studded finals the response was so heavy that scores of fans failed to get into the stadium as it was already brimming with fans.
Lahore Badshahs’ opener Imran Nazir’s lusty hitting, which rendered the last final against Hyderabad Heroes a lop-sided affair, was a brilliant effort and sure to linger in the memory of those privileged to watch the heroics for quite some time.
The tournament, in fact, saw plenty of extraordinary performances resulting in nail-biting finishes. While playing for Chennai Superstars in Panchkula against Mumbai Champs, G Vignesh proved why he is such a dangerous customer with the bat. Toying with the rival bowling, he notched up whirlwind 53-ball 88. The entertaining knock included seven hits to the fence and five over it. It was his efforts which enabled his team to cross the 200-run mark as Superstars coasted home by 75 runs. A string of other forceful knocks showed that he was a special talent capable of taking fight to the opposition camp.
The 24-year-old Stuart Binny emerged as the most destructive batsman in the Hyderabad Heroes line up, which includes proven customers like Abdul Razzaq, Justin Kemp, Chris Harris , Jimmy Maher and Nicky Boje. Binny bowls controlled seam bowling, much like his father’s side-on action. He proved that he was as clean a hitter of the ball as any. Binny brought about his second ICL fifty off only 24 balls; laced with 5 fours three 3 sixes. Thanks to Binny blitzkrieg, Hyderabad Heroes posted impressive 214 for 6 in 20 overs and emerged eventual winners over Mumbai Champs by whopping 79 runs.
The month-long tournament saw the emergence of feisty all rounder Reetinder Sodhi as a ‘Finisher’ par excellence. Effervescent on the field, the matches saw former under-15 world cup-winning captain demolish any bowling attack at will. With the ability to bowl controlled medium pace, he proved he was handy with the ball as well.
Sodhi started with a bang in Ahmadabad Rockets’ very first game. Though the side ended up losing to the Delhi Giants, he slammed an unbeaten half-century of just 25 deliveries with the help of 4 sixes and 3 boundaries. In another gem of a knock against the defending champions Hyderabad Heroes, Reetinder executed another blitzkrieg, notching up an unbeaten 41 runs off just 15 deliveries. This included four hits over the fence.
TP Singh has been a proven performer with the bat at all levels of cricket and a consistent performer across all ICL tournaments. The Chandigarh Lions’ opener, who also turns in his useful left-arm orthodox spin, TP has emerged as one of the main batting-stays of both Chandigarh Lions and ICL India side. He has also emerged as a supremely fit cricketer under the watchful eye of ICL's high performance director Jock Campbell (former Australian team strengthening coach).
Left-arm pacer Eklak Ahmid turned a reliable performer for Royal Bengal Tigers and impressed with his control and variations. Bowling with the a lot of guile, he claimed four wickets as Tigers
toppled Chennai in a high-intensity contest.
Former Pakistan seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan staked claims as a genuine all rounder. With 22 scalps under his belt after the tournament, Naved walked away with the Man of the Tournament award. Besides, Naved showed his penchant for batting and came up with some useful knocks at crucial junctures.
Presence of players like Alok Kapali made debutants Dhaka Warriors such a formidable outfit. Former Bangladesh all rounder was at his destructive best and clobbered the first-ever ICL century in the match against Hyderabad Heroes. He slammed a 60-ball century studded with five towerig sixes and 11 fours.
But it was the breathtaking century by former Pakistan opener Imran Nazir that proved to be the icing on the cake. Nazir was simply awesome as he put Hyderabad Heroes bowling attack to sword in the deciding final in Ahmedabad. A full house was treated to an innings of rare brilliance. Sixes flowed like a torrent from the willow of Nazir as the contest turned out to be perhaps the most lop-sided in the tournament. Nazir clobbered 11 hits over the fence as he finished the contest notching up 44-ball 111.
The second edition of the World Series involving the four teams - defending champions India, those from Pakistan and Bangladesh and the Rest of the World - slated to start at Ahmedabad from November 23, a lot of fun awaits cricket buffs once more.
