After a month-and-a-half of thrills and spills, the Indian Premier League came to a grand conclusion on Sunday.
Curtains came down on a concept that has arguably changed the face of cricket forever. The much-anticipated competition was not without its moments that left cricketers spellbound.
CNN-IBN picked the 20 most enthralling moments that defined the cash-rich league. The panel included CNN-IBN's editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai, former India pacer Javagal Srinath, former India cricketer Anjum Chopra, senior journalist Anil Dharkar and a man who lived it through all, co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab, Ness Wadia.
Following are the top 20 moments that probably defined the IPL and would be remembered for time to come.
Number 20: Gautam Gambhir
A man who got India off to brilliant starts in the company of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, who enhanced his reputation. The belligerent southpaw displayed why he is considered one of India’s most exciting new talents as his willow did produce some daredevilry.
Number 19: Golden oldies
They say T20 is a game for the old but there were some golden oldies who made the stage their own. They say T20 is a game for the old but there were some golden oldies who made the stage their own. The likes of Shaun Pollock, Sanath Jayasuriya, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist showed why age should not be a concern.
However, Javagal Srinath though impressed with the veterans still believed that the young blood dominated the IPL T20 tournament.
"Age should not matter but it all depends on the kind of cricket, you play. Shaun Pollock was a great success, Sanath Jayasuriya found his bearings a bit late in the tournament and McGrath was as good as ever. All the golden oldies stuck to their jobs though some of them like Dravid struggled and even Tendulkar was not at his best. Experience did have a role to play but the fresh legs made all the difference in the tournament," stated Srinath.
Number 18: Hat-tricks strike thrice
And there were the bowlers who were supposed to provide cannon fodder for the batsmen but there were three of them who picked up hat-tricks to disband that theory. Makhaya Ntini, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Amit Mishra took three in three in a format that is known to be ruthless for the bowlers
Number 17: Cheerleaders
When it came to the cheerleaders the opinion was split through the middle. Some said that they would add to the glamour of the T20 format while others believed this would take away from the game.
"At the start of the tournament, there was excessive focus on what was happening off the field and the cheerleaders, unfortunately became part of the excessive focus on events off the field. I think at one level cheerleaders are part of the sporting extravaganza and the spectacle. It happens in the west with the NBA and NFL because once sports becomes part of the entertainment industry, then along with it comes off the field activities including the cheerleaders. At the start of the tournament, there was too much focus on them but by the end of the tournament the focus went back to the game of cricket and the cheerleaders became incidental and I found that the clothes that they were wearing were a lot more. So there was a shift in the tournament from the cheerleaders to cheering for the cricketers," said Rajdeep Sardesai.
Former India captain of women's cricket team, Anjum Chpora agreed that everybody got more serious with the tournament progressing and hence the cheerleaders were left alone.
"I think that everybody got involved more because inherently it is cricket all throughout than anything else. There were lots of Bollywood icons and corporate honchos involved but cricket was the real hero from ball one till the end of the tournament. Whether it was cricket that was driven with Bollywood or vice versa but it was cricket that was the real winner. There were a lot of apprehensions about IPL but at the end looking at the grand success, it is cricket all the way," stated Anjum Chopra.
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Number 16: Sohail Tanvir
A fiery left arm pacer under a maverick skipper won the purple cup in the IPL. Sohail Tanvir bowled everybody over. He was a pillar for Rajasthan and stood tall when it mattered. Leading the Royals attack, Tanvir proved to be captain Warne’s most potent weapon.
Number 15: Brendon McCullum
The man who started the tournament with a bang. His blitzkrieg hundred will be one of the most lasting impressions of the IPL.
"One thing is very clear that twenty20 is about impact players and players who can change the course of the game in about 12 balls. You had Yusuf Pathan and Brendon McCullum do that and Sohail Tanvir did that with the ball. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid need time to get in. That's the lesson we have learnt and McCullum is certainly an impact player. He changed the game completely by hitting 158 in 20 overs, which many people thought was impossible,” said Sardesai.
Numer 14: Vijay Mallya's histronics
So are the players in the newest avatar of the game under constant pressure of 'perform or perish?'
"I think as the tournament progressed, I think the franchisee owners realised that winning really matters and from there they really started to pinpoint what went wrong. It took a while before they realised what went wrong and with all due respect to the Bangalore, I think they got the team wrong. Nobody understood the intensity with which the tournament would be played and once the tournament took off they were caught on the wrong foot. There were too many old players in the side and they could never match up with the other side. The boys need to come in terms with all that because this is the way the tournament would be played from now on," said Srinath.
Number 13: SRK miffed
He danced his way into trouble as the owner of the Knight Riders was asked to stop sitting in the players dugout.
Anjum Chopra thought that privacy for the players on the ground is vital and the sanctity of the dressing room is sacrosanct.
"Anybody be the co-owner they have the rights over the team and they can be around the boys all the time but probably when you cross over the boundary ropes and you are in the arena of your sport, you don't want anybody apart from the players or the supporting staff in the dugout or the dressing room area even if that means that the selectors have to be kept out of the dressing room. It is the players arena and that is where the players need to be around each other rather than any external influences around them," said Chopra.
Though Sardesai agreed that Shah Rukh Khan should not have been in the dugout area but he believed the Bollywood icon buying the Kolkata team was one of the most defining moment of the IPL.
"Shah Rukh Khan went all the way to buy a team like Kolkata, which is the last place many believe is the last place you should invest. No foreign investor goes to Kolkata today but here we have Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood's biggest icon, going to Kolkata. That for me was one of the most defining moments because Kolkata embraced Shah Rukh Khan and that set the tone because at the start of the tournament the concern was will the cities connect with people from different cities and people like Shah Rukh brought that emotional connect," explained Sardesai.
"He should not have been in the dugout but he certainly he did make that emotional connect and that is why the Knight Riders have been the most successful team in terms of the money they have made, " he added.
Ness Wadia, owner of the Kings XI Punjab said that investing money and time was not about just being around the big players of the team. Joining in the discussion he said: As I said when we won at the auction, it is about promoting cricket. I am a sports fan and for me it is about promoting sports at the grass root level and frankly speaking India has been lagging behind the western countries.
However, Wadia opined that it was important for the players to be left alone, especially when the plans and strategies are being discussed.
"We were clear from the beginning that Tom Moody was the coach and Yuvraj was the captain and with the senior players they would have strategic meetings during the entire tournament. Our involvement was only at the end and we used to cheer them on," stated Wadia.
Number 12: Music videos
Whether it was Kodbo, lodbo jeetbo from SRK or Hrithik Roshan donning a Mumbai jersey and dancing on the streets of the city or it was Preity Zinta shaking a leg with Daler Mahendi, the idea of promoting teams through the song and dance routine worked like a charm.
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Number 11: Shoaib Akhtar
He came in the middle of Kolkata's IPL stint, bowled a magical spell and limped off. But the Knight Rider in his debut in the IPL was a spectacle, blowing the entire Daredevils team with his speed.
"I think Shoaib is a crowd puller, he just came, bowled and conquered. The way he came in and bowled against Delhi, it was not just Shoaib Akhtar it was the entire Eden Gardens backing him up and bowling against Virender Sehwag and the likes of Gautam Gambhir. So it was not the eleven Knight Riders, it was the entire stadium," said Chopra
"I think Shoaib's presence demands a lot, leave alone the controversies but he has a great command, he has a great presence and he demands attention, which IPL is all about. So he was a definite revelation," she added.
Number 10: Sachin Tendulkar
Some said the big Indian players won't make it make it big in the IPL but Sachin Tendulkar disapproved the theory, he was in full throttle.
Srinath believed that if Tendulkar had made an entry in the IPL at the onset, the Mumbai team's story might have been a different one.
"I expected Sachin to come early in the tournament because he was a crucial member for the Mumbai side and he made a huge difference as soon as he got into the side. He connected to the format and you could see the intensity in him. He is one guy who never likes to lose the game. If he made an early entry in the IPL, it would have been a different story for Mumbai. Nevertheless his batting was not at the best. We see a little bit of Sachin but hopefully we will see a better Sachin," said Srinath.
Numer nine: Flying Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh flew to break the stumps against Mumbai and jetsetted his team to the semi-finals and then lashed out at the Mumbai crowd for their ‘one-sided support.’
Sardesai, however though that Yuvraj's jibe on the Mumbai crowd was uncalled for and he must understand the difference between playing for your country and representing your IPL team.
"Yuvraj Singh should have realised that when he was playing that game that he was playing for Punjab, not India and in Mumbai. Players also will have to realise the city loyalties. Ishant Sharma plays for Kolkata even though he plays for Delhi and that it is something that the IPL needs to look at. Maybe the players should play for their home sides from next year," said Sardesai.
Number eight: Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta made sure that she made her players comfortable and egged them on in every game from the sidelines. And Zinta's co-owner Ness Wadia said they had decided that the owners would ensure that their team kept their spirits high.
"Preity took the role of staying at the ground as she was the only one who could take time off, me and Mohit Burman did quite a bit as well. And as I said before we all are one big happy family
Number seven: Mumbai Indians choke
They were on a surge after a disastrous start and when it really mattered Sachin Tendulkar’s troops choked and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory more than once. They finished fifth when they could have easily climbed higher mountains had they held their nerve.
Number six: Shane Warne, a captain fantastic
The man who made all the difference, Shane Warne brought a group of young man and built them into a winning machine who eventually not only conquered the IPL but also millions of hearts with their spirited show.
Number five: India's young guns shine
Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma and Swapnil Asnodkar made merry and the world took notice. Playing on a big stage, these youngsters proved their mettle and ensured a bright sparkling futute for themselves.
"I wish I was a youngster. IPL has given youngsters like Shaun Marsh, Asnodkar, Yusuf Pathan such a big platform," said Wadia.
Number four: Closing ceremony
It finished in style with big names like Salman Khan and Dia Mirza performing in front of a capacity crowd at the DY Patil stadium as the mix of Bollywood and cricket proved to be a winning formula.
Number three: Shane Watson
The most valuable player in the IPL, who was almost forgotten in an injury ravaged career, Shane Watson decided to make a statement about his stunning talent. The Aussie all-rounder was awarded the man of the series as he sparkled like a diamond throughout the 44-day tournament with both bat and the ball.
Number two: Slapgate controversy
After Harbhajan Singh slapped S Sreesanth after a game between Mumbai and Mohali, the slap gate incident dominated the news and the headlines writers had a field day. It was a day which was a blot on cricket.
"Though Harbhajan deserved a punishment it was disproportionate. I think Sreesanth got away with nothing at all Farukh Engineer as a judicator did such a shoddy job that I think he should have been slapped. But if you look at it another way this was also entertainment and I think we talked about the incident for so long that these are some of the off the field moments that are not desirable. I think they add to the whole drama of the IPL," said Dharkar.
Number one: A Royal end
Rajasthan Royals proved that opinions really don’t matter. Tagged as the weakest side before the tournament, Shane Warne's men have decimated all teams.
"It was a spectacular victory for the Royals and they played like champions through out. They hardly lost any games and in the finals the way Shane Warne led the side aggressively, it was a spectacle. We got to see some great cricket from the Rajasthan Royals," said Srinath.
Sardesai had an insightful observation about the Rajasthan team.
"They had two things going for them. One, most of their foreign players were there throughout the tournament and they had not played too much cricket leading to the tournament. People like Shane Warne and Shane Watson had a point to prove. Plus, Sohail Tanvir and Graeme Smith did remarkably well. For me what really summarised Rajasthan's victory was Swapnil Asdnodkar. Coming from a small state, hugging Shane Warne, who is a legend of the game; Goa meeting Australia, what better example of cricket's uniquely democratising credentials," opined Sardesai.
Sardesai believed that IPL in a lot of ways changed cricket forever.
"National boundaries were broken during the IPL. The Jaipur crowd embracing Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir 24 hours after the city saw serial blasts. To me IPL proved that all barriers can be broken by the game of cricket. I am a Test cricket purist but if it requires T20 cricket to democratise it," he concluded.
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