ArpitGarg's Weblog

We are at the fag end of IPL and still the top four are not decided. Even the table toppers can still get eliminated with just two games left to play. Have all the teams suddenly started competing or have all become equally bad?

Well the answer is not as straight forward. It lies in the end of Srinivasan era. Srini, a master at quid pro quo. He knew how to keep people happy and keep them shut up. Ever since he grew in stature in BCCI and bagged the IPL team, courtesy Pawar power, he kept Chennai Team head and shoulder above the rest. How? Well there have been auctions after auctions after the first one. Remember the 4 player retainer rule; it was there as Srini had a good team. Had his team ended bottom of table first 3 IPL, do you imagine the retainer rule ever being there.

Then during subsequent auctions, players that Chennai wanted were put in later rounds of auction, as by then others have lost their purse. Everybody knew that, some raised their voices, none listened. There were these small things that added to Chennai Superpower and never let it diminish.

Who would take Srini on? Even Subroto Sahara was helpless and had to exit IPL.

An open IPL bodes well for the tournament. I wish it remain that way in future. But given the ills of BCCI I suspect some other Srini to emerge from the gravel.