IPL’s secret to success: rest and recharge

Dubai: As the Indian Premier League season rolls on with its intense schedule, the players are finding unique ways to recharge. Some head to tropical paradises, while others unwind closer to home, ensuring they’re ready to keep their game at its peak. It’s all about balance — play hard, rest harder.

For Sunrisers Hyderabad, the midseason break couldn’t have come soon enough. After a shaky start to the season, the team snapped their four-match losing streak with a vital win over Chennai Super Kings. To celebrate, the Sunrisers jetted off to the Maldives for a much-needed break. The team, currently sitting in ninth place in the 10-team league, will return from their weeklong holiday to face Gujarat Titans on Friday, hoping to ride the momentum from their rare victory.

RCB’s winning formula

Meanwhile, top-of-the-table Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) took the other route — going on a pilgrimage to Tirumala. After a thrilling win over Delhi Capitals at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Tuesday, some key players — including skipper Rajat Patidar and wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma — took some downtime, alongside RCB Women’s all-rounder Shreyanka Patil.

RCB will host Chennai Super Kings on Saturday at their home ground, Chinnaswamy, looking to maintain their strong position. With seven wins and three losses from 10 matches, RCB are leading the points table with a net run rate of 0.521.

Morgan’s glowing endorsement

Former England captain Eoin Morgan has been impressed with RCB’s aggressive approach to batting, particularly from top-order hitters like Phil Salt and Virat Kohli. He also singled out Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood for praise, calling him a “brilliant multi-format player” who has been key to their success.

“I think RCB have ticked a lot of boxes this season. The pure aggression they’ve shown at the top of the order has allowed them to keep that mentality flowing through the middle. And their bowling, especially Hazlewood, has been very impressive,” said Morgan in a virtual interaction on Thursday.

Hazlewood, with 18 wickets in 10 games, is currently the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. His ability to bowl well at the death has been invaluable, particularly in the last few overs of an innings.

RCB’s investment in experience paying off

Another key factor in RCB’s success has been their smart buys in the last mega auction. Players like Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have all contributed to RCB’s victories at crucial times. With Kohli and Patidar leading the charge, RCB fans have plenty to be excited about as the playoffs approach.

Morgan further lauded the experienced Indian players’ pivotal role in RCB winning six out of six away matches, which stands in stark contrast to just one win in their four home games so far. “As of now it’s working and possibly the biggest surprise for me has been how they’ve gone and adapted on the road.”

“I mean, it’s not an easy thing to do, particularly when a lot of the success of IPL winning teams over the years has been built on their home ground and how they apply themselves. So that’s possibly been the most impressive thing.”

“When you get into a position like they find themselves in at the moment, the first step is after you get off to a good start and in around the halfway stage or past it like we are now is getting into those playoffs, which is pretty much something badly needs to go wrong in order for them not to do that.”

“Then you get to the pointy end of things where that experience that you talk about, that investment should really come through and shine. I think the first step, which is the hardest most of the time, is qualifying for that playoff stage. The next is delivering your skill game on game in which there could only be two or there might only be one, depending on how you go in the playoffs,” he concluded.

— With inputs from agencies