Handling of public gaze so very vital

KKR’s Rinku Singh during his unbeaten 48 against GT in Ahmedabad last Sunday. Pic/PTI

Where talent meets opportunity' is the motto of the Indian Premier League and over the years, we have seen how it has produced some top cricketers for India. Being watched by millions can be stressful for some, but it's also a huge platform for some who haven't been even heard of, beyond their city limits and who can become household names in the 14 days of playing in the IPL. Good luck and hard-time stories that follow these performances are such that a person who hasn't even been heard of, becomes the talk of the cricketing nation. Rinku Singh is the story this time around and he has had even those outside of India who follow the IPL talking and asking about him. What he did was mind boggling.

More than five sixes in an over have been hit before most notably by Yuvraj Singh and that too in an ICC T20 World Cup, but to hit five consecutive ones off the last five deliveries in the match and that too when 30 runs were needed to win makes it a fairy tale-like never before. The poise, the balance and the ferocity with which they were struck was jaw dropping because when you see Rinku Singh from close quarters he is not a big-built powerful looking person but an average guy who would not grab attention straightaway.

Support is key

Of course, he will now be the centre of a lot of eyes and will be in demand a lot more than he was a week or so back. How he and his family handle the sudden public gaze will determine how he progresses in his career. There is absolutely nothing wrong in letting success go to one's head for as sure as night follows day there will be a fall. How one picks oneself up after the fall is important, and it's here that the family and genuine well wishers play an important role. They are the ones who lift you up and reinforce the belief that you can do it again. When that happens, the person is not just a better player but a better human being for having seen both sides of the coin and knowing which is the one he should be going after. Many have faded after succeeding simply because there was no backup from family and friends.

Learning for the bowlers

Just as Rinku Singh was being celebrated, there must have been silence around the bowler who conceded the five sixes. To be sure, it was a poor over with wide full tosses and half-pitchers that asked to be hammered away, which was eagerly done by the batter. There is a learning in it and not just for the hapless bowler but all the bowlers that practice, practice and more practice will help in reducing those mistakes if not eliminate them altogether. Having watched loads of the shortest format of the game and not just the IPL, it is hard to understand how bowlers at this level bowl full tosses around knee height. The ones around the ankles are understandable as it's an attempted yorker gone a little too full, but another foot higher does mean the bowler hasn't practised enough. It's not just the bowler but the bowling coach who should be taken to task just like they should for the no-balls for overstepping. That by a spinner is simply not acceptable because it is penalised by a free hit which can not only spoil what has been a good over but also allow the shackles to be broken by the batter.

Last-over finishes

The last over finishes in the last few matches tell how well-matched most teams are and that's why this IPL is likely to be the one with the most last ball finishes in its history so far.

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