Page 40 - The Indian EYE 121324

SPORTS DECEMBER 13, 2024 | The Indian Eye 40

A Thrilling Journey from Black Friday to

World Test Championship and IPL 2025

As we savor the Black Friday deals we’ve snagged, the cricketing world offers its own feast of

excitement, with India eyeing WTC glory and IPL 2025 promising a rich season

ARCHAN MEHTA
San Jose, CA
he US just celebrated Black Friday, ushering
in the holiday spirit with its annual shopping
Tfrenzy. Black Friday feels like a high-stakes
game, much like cricket, where you need sharp fo-
cus, quick decision-making, and the ability to adapt
under pressure. Whether it’s snagging deals or
strategizing on the cricket field, both require plan-
ning and bring immense excitement when you suc-
ceed. Similarly, the ongoing World Test Champion-
ship (WTC) race and the recent 2025 IPL auction
mirror the thrill of competition, demanding smart
moves and resilience.
India holds a strong position to qualify for
the World Test Championship (WTC) final, lead-
ing the standings with 61.11% points. Their com-
manding win over Australia in the first Test of the
Border-Gavaskar Trophy has further boosted their
chances. However, to ensure direct qualification
without relying on other teams, India needs to se-
cure a 4-0 or 5-0 series victory against Australia.
The task is far from easy, as Australia boasts a
resilient lineup featuring stars like Marnus Labus-
chagne, Steve Smith, and Pat Cummins, capable
of reversing their fortunes. For India, consistent India holds a strong position to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, leading the standings with 61.11% points (ANI)
contributions from Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, and
Jasprit Bumrah will be critical. To dominate, India maintain momentum and adapt to the pink-ball lower average bids compared to specialist batters,
must deliver top-notch performances in batting, challenge, despite potential selection dilemmas. bowlers, and wicketkeepers, reflecting a shift in
bowling, and fielding, leaving no room for errors While the Test series unfolds with pink ball, team strategies.
against a quality opponent. the colorful 2025 IPL auction brought its own dra- Teams approached the auction in different
Adding to the intensity is the competition from ma. For the first time in over ten years, the top five ways. Mumbai Indians, working with the smallest
other teams. South Africa, second with 59.26% most expensive players were all Indians. Rishabh budget, focused on securing good value deals. Big
points, could leapfrog India even with a 4-1 or Pant became the highest-paid player ever, going names like Sam Curran and Mitchell Starc had to
3-1 series win for India if they win their remain- for INR 27 crore, followed by Shreyas Iyer at INR accept lower bids compared to previous years, al-
ing games. Australia, with 57.69%, also remains a 26.75 crore and Arshdeep Singh at INR 18 crore. though Starc still surpassed INR 50 crore in career
strong contender, needing wins in this series and This was a big change from previous auctions earnings. The Iyers—Shreyas and Venkatesh—saw
their upcoming matches against Sri Lanka. While where overseas players usually got the highest bids. significant pay raises, reflecting their growing sig-
Sri Lanka and New Zealand are still mathemati- Punjab Kings (PBKS) were very active as they had nificance in the game. Overall, with INR 383 crore
cally in the race, their chances hinge on near-per- the biggest bank, snapping up three of the top five spent on Indian players and a strong focus on youth,
fect results. players, including Shreyas, Arshdeep and Yuzven- this auction underscored the IPL’s shift towards
India enters the Adelaide Test with renewed dra Chahal, who became the costliest spinner at prioritizing local talent and planning for the future.
confidence after their Perth win starting on Dec INR 18 crore. As we savor the Black Friday deals we’ve
6. The addition of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Specialist players were in high demand, part- snagged, the cricketing world offers its own feast of
Gill strengthens their batting. A left field sugges- ly because of the Impact Player rule. Teams spent excitement, with India eyeing WTC glory and IPL
tion from Pujara talks about retaining the opening over INR 280 crore on bowlers, while also invest- 2025 promising a season rich in talent and compe-
pair, accommodating Rohit at No. 3, and placing ing heavily in young talent. One standout was tition. It’s the perfect time to sit back, reflect on
Gill at No. 5 to shield Pant. Although that seems 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the youngest the action, and look forward to what lies ahead in
unlikely, KL Rahul will be seen on his familiar spot player ever bought at an IPL auction, showing the this thrilling cricketing journey.
of batting at No. 6 taking Dhruv Jurel’s spot. The league’s commitment to nurturing future stars. At
bowling attack, led by Bumrah, Rana and Siraj, is the same time, experienced players like R Ashwin Archan Mehta is a writer dedicated to telling
expected to remain unchanged, with Sundar pro- still attracted high prices, as teams tried to balance compelling stories about athletes, teams,
viding both batting and spin options. India aims to youth with experience. All-rounders, however, saw and the world of cricket

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