Galacticos are synonymous with a famed club in the Spanish capital, Madrid. They were the most expensive superstars assembled by a Spanish businessman Florentino Perez during his first stint as president of Real Madrid between 2000 and 2006. Name the best footballer of that era, he would invariably have donned the famous white kit. It was also a reflection of the club’s power and its riches. As a concept, Galacticos was not new.
The club’s earlier president Santiago Bernabeu spent fortunes in the 50s and 60s to turn Real Madrid into a domineering club studded with stars. Perez, keen to replicate a similar tale, went about signing one superstar after another in his quest for the big prizes—the Spanish League title and the club title of Europe, the Champions League. Unlike Bernabeu, however, Perez’s Galacticos couldn’t enjoy sustained dominance, winning only two league titles and one Champions League.
Fast forward to 2013. Perez was four years into his second term as Madrid president and with La Decima winning the 10th Champions League title continuing to be his goal, he turned to Carlo Ancelotti to take charge of Galacticos II.
And La Decima arrived 10 months later. In the next five years, Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League four times. Fortunes have changed. There is cohesiveness. It is perhaps fitting, the league in Spain with two of the most expensive clubs (including Barcelona), keeps winning the top prize in Europe. The Spanish national team exude the same confidence and dominance.
The IPL shadow
Uncertainty in sports can be nauseating. More so in a team sport where all need to play as one unit. Superstars don’t always guarantee titles. Best coaches may fail. The system may go awry. What brings results is as random as the universe. Closer home, there is a stark resemblance to the Real Madrid Galacticos in our cricket superstars.
More so with this India team that will embark on a mission Down Under to wrest the title it has not managed to lay its hands upon since the 2007 triumph. They are rich. They are famous.
Above all, they are fearless and ridiculously talented. This bunch of players have the oomph factor too. As the brand IPL keeps growing season after season, we are entering into a world of stars, where players have their own fan base across every possible platform, more so on social media.
We live in an age where players are considered super-humans, and the role T20s, especially IPL, has played in transforming them, is impossible to overlook. The IPL has turned into the factory that is churning out player after player. Sometimes the player may last a season or sometimes more.
Yet the influence this shortest format has on players, especially the younger lot seems to be changing the dynamics of cricket.
Unlike in the past, T20 has made it difficult for players to choose between an IPL side and the national team. There have been instances when players ruled out of a tournament due to injury by the Indian cricket (BCCI), went ahead and featured in an IPL fixture.
The India team which was once seen as the most sacred place on earth for a cricketer no longer evokes the same kind of passion. With the advent of IPL, for young cricketers who are taking up the game, the ultimate dream is not just to be part of the Indian dressing room, but to be part of an IPL team.
There are plenty of reasons too. Apart from the riches it offers, one can play alongside a captain of Australia or England or a former captain of another nation. Or play with or against some of the finest in the game. In short, the IPL, with its glamour and reach, is now giving everything else tight competition.
With more and more T20 leagues coming up, we are entering an era where the player will get richer with well-paying franchise contracts. India is the only country that doesn’t allow its players to play across the world, but how long they will manage needs to be seen.
The T20 World Cup in Australia will be more than just a tournament. It can pave way for more lucrative T20 tournaments that would change the nature of the game. For the larger interest of the game and for international games to stay relevant, economics and otherwise, not just India, but the world will be looking at what Rohit Sharma & Co achieve this time.
Man in charge
If Ancelotti was Perez’s go-to man to fetch La Decima, the BCCI has turned to former India captain Rahul Dravid to bring home the elusive ICC title. From being a captain’s team under Virat Kohli, India has firmly become a coach’s team.
This isn’t to undermine captain Rohit Sharma, but the buck stops with Dravid. The BCCI is banking on his managerial expertise to lift the T20 World Cup in Australia and the 50-over World Cup at home next year.
Like the Real Madrid of 2000-06, consistency is what is missing. As India gets ready to face Pakistan in their opening match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23, there is one quintessential question that is on every Indian fan’s lips: can India win the World Cup? At the moment, it looks a bit out of reach, especially when one factors in the absence of their best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah.
There is no all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja either. And unlike the rest 16 teams, India have reached Australia with only 14 players as against 15.
Such is the importance of Bumrah that the team management is unsure of an apt replacement. A situation far from ideal for a team with the best T20 league in the world. The man Dravid succeeded, Ravi Shastri, feels India has a good team and can win the World Cup.
“We have got enough strength and a good team,” says the former India head coach. “I have always believed if you make it to the semifinals, it could be anyone’s tournament. The endeavour would be to start well, get to the semis, and then have got enough strength to probably win the (World) Cup. Bumrah and Jadeja not being there, hamper the side, but it’s an opportunity to unearth a new champion.”
Role call
The magnitude of the challenge for India is enormous and there is an overwhelming feeling that despite what IPL brings to the table, it hasn’t translated into success with the national side. Even with the talent pool widening every season, there are doubts as to whether the selectors have picked the best 15 for the World Cup. For instance, Sanju Samson, considered a natural fit for the format and the approach India is keen on practising, was not even included in the reserves.
Not too long ago, there were questions over Kohli, KL Rahul and skipper Rohit Sharma’s place in the side. The reason? All three tend to play the anchor’s role for their respective franchises (see P1 graphic).
The selectors stuck to their trusted methods though. While their decisions could have easily been influenced by the players’ performances in the IPL and picked a more daring and energetic side that plays positive but eccentric cricket, they played safe and picked a tried-and-tested team for the World Cup.
And there is a lingering doubt that India is still not completely in tune with T20 cricket. Talking to those who have been part of the IPL and national setup, one thing is clear. For all the talent that the IPL throws up and the competitive edge it maintains, there is still a huge gap between the franchise league and the international arena.
For instance, it is easy to spot a weak link in an IPL side, which will be exposed mercilessly by the opponent. But in international cricket, where the best players play, the margin of error is thin.
Selection is critical, but the roles of players need to be defined. In the past, India has paid the price for picking batters, who play the same role in IPL and end up performing a different role with the national side. This time, they have made a conscious effort in changing it, and more importantly, India is playing a much more aggressive brand of cricket. Experts concur.
“The kind of competition and pressure in IPL is almost like international cricket. Any good performance in IPL is going to be considered for picking the national team. But there still exists a gap in terms of quality,” says MSK Prasad, who was the chairman of selectors between 2016 and 2020.
Franchise T20 has brought in plenty of changes, especially the way cricket is played. There is a wide range of shots and innovations in batting as well as bowling. Fielding has improved. This has transformed national teams.
What is noticeable is the level of competition in international cricket, which is a notch higher when big teams play against each other. When it comes to experimentation, franchise cricket outscores, but in terms of quality, internationals still remain at the pinnacle.
Yet, there is a perception that national teams are not as receptive as franchise teams when it comes to bringing in methods and giving opportunities to role-specific players.
“In franchise cricket, you can throw your hat around a young player, but it is not possible in the Indian team because you are answerable to the country,” says Prasad.
“Questions will be asked as to why a senior player isn’t there. When it comes to the national squad, a lot of things come into the picture. Also, people forget that in IPL, there are weak links with the opposition. But in international cricket, where best players play, that gap gets narrower.”
Prasad believes while selecting the India team, one has to look into the performances of established players. “Through T20 leagues new talents can spring up, but you can’t overlook established players who have been performing for a period of time,” says Prasad, adding that consistency and ability to handle pressure play a role.
“You have space for only 15 and when it comes to selection, it is always about picking the best XI. If you see successful IPL teams, they too pick the best XI at the auction. You will always have backup options in place, but even then the space is limited,” he adds.
Two-team formula
Going forward, this landscape is bound to change. The increase in the number of international cricket in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) means national teams are bound to pick different teams for T20 and other formats.
In an already-crowded T20 calendar, SA20 (South Africa) and International T20 League (UAE) will make their entry next year. The ICC and its member nations have gone about making the calendar even busier, ignoring the red flags raised by the players’ representatives. It is leading to some established players being ready to forego their national contracts so that they can feature in T20 leagues.
The International Cricket Council and member boards are looking at other avenues to stop this, but it appears too late and having separate teams for T20 would be the way forward as it may stop players’ exodus.
Even the BCCI, which doesn’t allow players to participate in other T20 leagues, is thinking of
a separate T20 team. There are plenty of voices from players to remove the bilateral T20s from the calendar and just play the World Cup. With the next FTP cycle locked for eight years, there is no immediate threat.
At some point though, if the best players ignore the central contracts and stop playing for their national team, there is a possibility of quality going down in international cricket.
In such a scenario, teams like India, England and Australia—with a wide pool—will continue to thrive, but the same can’t be said of the rest. The time has come to address these issues and create a robust cricketing ecosystem.
Powerplay bashers
Rohit Sharma
As soon as the new regime wanted the side to undertake a more hedonistic approach, the captain decided to lead from the front. It has led to a stylistic shift in his batting, but there is no other way. He can look agricultural at times because of his different role, but he averages 28.83 at a strike rate of 142.9.
Rishabh Pant
As it stands, Pant won’t start the World Cup, but that doesn’t mean he is a lesser option. He could well be used as an opener against specific teams. If India wants that right-left top-order combination, Pant is a readymade option. Even if it hasn’t worked out for him in the past, it could well be an experiment he won’t shy away from trying if ‘Plan A’ comes unstuck.
Anchor
Virat Kohli
Sure, the former skipper has shown a willingness to adapt to the new management’s mantra, but his primary role in this team remains unchanged. Coming into form at the right time, he’s capable of scoring at over 125 across all phases. He will look to rotate when the spinners are on.
Floaters
KL Rahul
He will begin the World Cup as an opener, but Rahul’s capacity to be carded at
No. 4 or 5 to take down the spinners, if required, makes him a multi-faceted asset. Will not be as aggressive as Rohit because that isn’t his job. That he is a bonafide six-hitter adds value.
Deepak Hooda
Another player who, as it stands, will not start. But is seen as a utility option within the squad, for he can take down spin as well as bowl some off-spinners. Could be used against specific teams, but because he’s coming from an injury, some run rust is expected.
Powerhouse
Suryakumar Yadav
Probably India’s best T20 batter even the world at the moment. He plays high pace and spins well, and does it in a thrilling fast-forward mode. He usually walks in at No. 4 but has the ability to play from the first till the 20th over while striking over 150 in all phases. An invaluable commodity.
Finishers
Dinesh Karthik
The one reason why the wicket-keeper is in the first XI is his ability to manoeuvre the field at the death. If India loses four wickets within the powerplay, he will be carded as low as eight. But if India loses their second in the 14th over, he will likely come in at No. 5.
Hardik Pandya
Playing at a different level to others in his position, Pandya’s slight weakness is hard lengths at a high pace. He’s great at hitting spinners in the middle phase as well as engineering those wide yorkers to the fence. Will also bowl a few overs of hard lengths himself, including one or two in the powerplay.
Wicket-taker
Axar Patel
In the absence of ever-reliable Ravindra Jadeja, another southpaw’s importance to the team has grown. He can bowl two overs in the powerplay and finish his quota in the first 10 overs. He’s also a capable lower-order hitter of pace in the death overs, thus lengthening the batting order slightly.
Anchor
R Ashwin
Against teams that have a bunch of left-handers in the top seven, expect Ashwin’s off-spinners to be picked. Against the likes of SA, it’s highly likely that he will start in place of either Axar or Chahal. He has added pinch-blocking to his status (one who can come at No. 4 to troubleshoot after early wickets to take the team to the backend of an innings at the strike of 115-120).
Yuzvendra Chahal
He’s probably one of the best wrist-spinners in this format, but if India wants to have the strongest possible batting team, he could lose out, especially if the management prefers Ashwin over him. But, perhaps, he will start the first match against Pakistan. One disadvantage is that he rarely bowls within the powerplay, unlike both Axar and Ashwin.
Match-up bowlers
Arshdeep Singh
As he showed against South Africa, he can swing the new ball. But in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, his value is to be found in the end overs. Has different variations of the slower ball, and usually nails the wide yorker but is struggling a bit for form at the moment, especially at the death.
Who'll make it?
Missing ones
India was dealt a huge blow when Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the T20 World Cup with
a back injury. Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja was also ruled out of the event because of a knee injury. In Bumrah’s absence (at the time of going to print), India was yet to name a replacement. Either Mohammed Shami or Deepak Chahar is expected to take his place.
Specialists
Harshal Patel
Another bowler who is a worry. Patel has been groomed as one who will share the bulk of the end overs with his slower-ball bouncers and cutters but has been carted around of late. Has shown previously that he can bowl all four from the 12th over. He’s also adept at pinch-hitting.
Swing-station
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
If there is any swing in the air, he will find it. It’s remarkable how he has come back to be one of India’s best T20 bowlers not named Bumrah in 2022. He can move it both ways and find the stumps through the gate. Will likely bowl two, or even three, of his four overs in the powerplay. If there is no swing, however, he could have a problem.
The contenders
It is perhaps the most open T20 WC in recent years. There are, however, a few teams to watch out for:
Can Oz men replicate the women?
After winning the 2018 edition, Australian women took home T20 World Cup with record attendance at MCG in 2020. The men, who won the title last year, would want to do the same. Given the conditions, they have a good chance of retaining the title.
Gamechangers: David Warner, Tim David, Mitchell Starc
Mott-ball for the win?
England has followed an aggressive brand of cricket in Tests under Brendon McCullum. Here, they are under a new white-ball coach, Matthew Mott. Winning titles is not new for him, and he has one of the biggest T20I batting heavyweights at his service. Gamechangers: Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Reece Topley
Proteas, the dark horses
South Africa does not have the strongest combination in T20Is. Temba Bavuma is probably the captain who is under the most pressure right now. All said and done, the likes of Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, and Anrich Nortje could win games on their own. Gamechangers: David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs
Perth: Optus Stadium
60,000 Capacity
The place is new after undergoing refurbishment a few years ago. Lost out some big events due to Covid. True to its reputation, the surface is likely to be one of the hardest. India face South Africa
in a match that could decide which team will move to the next round.
Adelaide: Adelaide Oval
50,000 Capacity
Has hosted only five T20I games—the last was in 2019. With short square boundaries and long straight ones, angles will come into equation. Spinners usually don’t get much purchase at Adelaide Oval. India play Bangladesh here. It will host six other games, including the second semifinal.
Geelong: Kardinia Park
36,000 Capacity
It has hosted only one international match, a T20I in 2017 (Sri Lanka beat Australia with two wickets to spare). One of the biggest sporting structures in a city that is not big, it’s a multi-sport stadium. In domestic cricket, hosts BBL’s Melbourne Renegades.
At the T20 World Cup, it will play host to all of Group A’s games.
Hobart: Bellerive Oval
19,500 Capacity
A place steeped in tradition and history, it’s the home of cricket in Tasmania, an island state off the coast of the mainland. It will host all the Group B games apart from three second-phase ones. Traditionally, the pitch has something for the pacers before the batters get to have a say.
Brisbane: Gabba
35,000 Capacity
India play both their warm-up games here, a curious choice considering they don’t have a single World Cup game here. Expect lots of bounce from the good-length area and the ball should come on to the bat nicely. The outfield is quick and there is decent value for shorts. Only the other night, David Warner scored a quickfire 75 off 41. Hosts only four World Cup games.
Sydney: SCG
44,000 Capacity
Another of those venues drip with history, including the iconic Pavillion stand. The outfield is fast and the strip favours strokeplay, though spinners may have a larger say than pacers. India has won thrice here. It will also host one of the two semifinals apart from six second-phase games.
Melbourne : MCG
1,00,024 Capacity
A premier cricketing venue and the ground that will unsurprisingly host the final, teams batting first here have struggled to put up meaningful scores, so it will be interesting to see if that trend continues. Curiously, MCG has never hosted a T20I at this time of the year. So one wonders how that may affect teams and the pitches. India play Pakistan here.
Side Stories
As the first round gets underway on Sunday, two teams have had contrasting journeys since the previous edition. A look:
Return of Zimbabwe
A ban in 2019 by the ICC meant the African nation could not play in the 2021 T20 World Cup Qualifiers. As a result, they did not make it to the final event. This time, they have booked
a seat in Australia for the first round of the tournament and will be playing the shortest format in the country for the first time
West Indies conundrum
They were supposed to be ruling the T20 world. After all, it is their stars who travel around the globe winning trophies in franchise leagues. The two-time champions, however, will be playing in the first round and hope to qualify for the Super 12. Things got worse when Shimron Hetmyer missed
a rescheduled flight and was dropped from the squad
Top of the charts
Some of the top performers among current cricketers in the history of the tournament:
Top run-scorer
Rohit Sharma (IND), 847 runs
Highest individual score
Alex Hales (ENG), 116 n.o vs SL in 2014
Top wicket-taker
Shakib al Hasan (BAN), 41 wickets
Best bowling figures
Adam Zampa (AUS), 5/19 vs BAN in 2021
India’s schedule
October 23
India vs Pakistan 1:30pm
Melbourne Cricket Ground
India will meet arch rivals Pakistan in the first match of this edition. India have a 7-3 record with one tied match against the neighbours
October 27
India vs Qualifier (A2) 4:30pm
Sydney Cricket Ground
West Indies and Sri Lanka are among eight teams that can qualify from the preliminary round
October 30
India vs South Africa 4:30pm
Perth Stadium
India would want to ensure they march into the next round with a victory against SA, another tough opponent in Australian conditions. India have a 13-9 record with three no results
November 2
India vs Bangladesh 1:30pm
Adelaide Cricket Ground
Though India are favourties to win this fixture, Bangladesh sometimes can be tricky. India have a 10-1 record and would like to keep that intact
November 6
India vs Qualifier (B)-1 1:30pm
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Matches Forever Etched in Our Memories
Although the Men in Blue haven’t had their hands on the trophy in 15 years, there have been some memorable contests over the years. Here are a few:
India vs Australia 2007 semifinal
Yuvraj Singh’s mesmerising knock. Irfan Pathan’s smart spell. S Sreesanth’s double strike. Take any aspect you want, that game had it all. It was a box-office contest. The semifinal win against that Australian side was a soothing balm to the Indian fans after the heartbreak of the 2003 ODI WC final.
India vs Pakistan 2007 final
If there were ever a game in that decade for India to call it destiny, this was it. At the start of the tournament, no one gave young India a chance and yet in the end, they were celebrating with a trophy in hand, months after the horror of 2007 ODI WC exit. It also earmarked the beginning of a new era that changed Indian cricket forever under the reins of MS Dhoni.
India vs England 2009 (group stage)
The entire tournament seemed like a blur for India. They had several issues since the beginning of the event, starting with Virender Sehwag’s injury. But this game still haunts Indian fans. India let go of the advantage, all of a sudden lost track of the chase, and finally fell short by three runs.
India vs Sri Lanka 2014 final
It was a fairytale finish. Except it was for the Sri Lankan legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, and not India. The MS Dhoni-led side dominated the proceeding throughout the tournament before succumbing to their subcontinental neighbours in the summit clash, missing out on winning their second T20 World Cup title.
India vs Australia 2016 (group stage)
It was not a semifinal or final, nor was it an all-star performance from the Indian side. But it was a one-man show that saved India at Mohali from a group stage exit. What Virat Kohli did on that night must be playing in the minds of James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile. He single-handedly took India into the semis with a 51-ball 82*.