Mumbai: In an exclusive series on JioHotstar called ‘Power Play’, TATA IPL experts Aakash Chopra, Anil Kumble, and Suresh Raina shared their insights on key clashes of the TATA IPL 2024, the league’s contribution in the journey of players who have made a name for themselves
SPEAKING EXCLUSIVELY ON JIOHOTSTAR, AAKASH CHOPRA COMMENTED ON HOW BATTERS DOMINATED IN TATA IPL 2024, AND HOW SUNRISERS HYDERABAD AND MUMBAI INDIANS LED THAT NARRATIVE:
“TATA IPL 2024 was dominated only by the batsmen. We have seen a small trailer of the future as to where exactly this T20 game is going. They are hitting sixes on sixes; whoever comes, hits. 277—that was unthinkable at that moment. But the Sunrisers did it, setting up a massive challenge for Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. It was either going to be an absolute thriller or an uphill battle. 277 was on the board, and winning didn’t even seem like a possibility at first. But then Rohit took his stance, and Ishan started from the other end. As they began striking the ball cleanly, the game took a bizarre turn. Suddenly, it felt like anything was possible!”
“Keep hitting sixes, keep going, keep smashing. One batter gets out, another comes in and starts hitting. Then he falls, and another takes his place, continuing the onslaught. They just didn’t stop. At that point, you had to accept that this was turning into a six-hitting fest. Ironically, in my opinion, the team that hit more sixes actually ended up losing the game. Mumbai hit 20 sixes, while Hyderabad hit 18. Yet, the team that hit 20 sixes lost, and the team that hit 18 sixes won.”
“Six months ago, such high scores were rare in one-day cricket. We even had a World Cup in India, yet the game wasn’t played at this pace. Suddenly, batters have realized their immense potential. The pitches are good, the impact player rule is in place, and teams have more flexibility in their approach. However, the real transformation has happened in the mind. The skill set hasn’t changed, but the mentality has. This shift in mindset has completely changed the way batters approach the game. When you play with a fearless attitude, the sky is truly the limit.”
SPEAKING EXCLUSIVELY ON JIOHOTSTAR, SURESH RAINA COMMENTED ON HOW TATA IPL HAS GIVEN CONFIDENCE TO PLAYERS TO EVOLVE AND GAIN SELF-CONFIDENCE: “In 2008, we had a meeting with Kepler Wessels. Matthew Hayden was there, along with Michael Hussey and Stephen Fleming. Kepler suggested a cautious approach—aiming for 40 runs for the loss of two wickets in the Powerplay, reaching 41 by the end of it. But Haydos said, “No, let’s go for it. Let’s aim for 80 runs.” The question was—how do you score that many runs in just six overs? The mindset shifted towards domination. Slowly, the approach evolved, the belief changed, and the players’ self-confidence became truly remarkable.”
SPEAKING EXCLUSIVELY ON JIOHOTSTAR ANIL KUMBLE COMMENTED ON INDIAN UNCAPPED PLAYERS PERFORMANCE IN TATA IPL 2024: “I’ve been very impressed with some of the young, uncapped Indian players last season. Whether it’s Ashutosh Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Mayank Yadav, Riyan Parag, or even Abhishek Sharma, these players have truly been standout performers. Seeing these uncapped players step up and showcase their talent, often stealing the limelight from established international stars, is a great sign for the future of Indian cricket.”
