Did Delhi Daredevils lose to Bangalore Royal Challengers intentionally?

Before you judge me with anything, I am a resident of Bangalore and a fan of RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore). But thinking about the quality of the RCB team and the batting line-up of Delhi Daredevils, I am not convinced that RCB “restricted” Daredevils to 135. I am talking about the 52nd match of IPL Season 2 between Bangalore Royal Challengers and Delhi Daredevils held yesterday, on 19th May 2009. Come to think of it, if you were Delhi Daredevils team, who would you rather want to play in semi-finals amongst the following teams? – RCB, CSK (Chennai Superkings), RR (Rajasthan Royals – Defending champions), DC (Deccan Chargers – Best Team on Paper). Do remember that, Daredevils missed IPL 1 crown by losing to champions Rajastan Royals in Semi-finals.

The bigger question to me is, “Is it fair to forego a short term success for a long term one?”. You might take a moral high ground and say that you will never do such a thing but in the bigger interest of the team and the fans, don’t you think it is acceptable to certain degree to play with a relaxed frame of mind? Virendar Sehwag mentioned that players were in a relaxed frame of mind and that it did not matter much to his team or his personal form. This statement of his made me think that they might have lost the match loosely on purpose. I say loosely here because, if I put myself in Delhi Daredevil Team’s stratergist’s shoes, I would give a chance to younger players play a weak team, ask my batsmen to take big risk and hit DLF maximums do not care about big partnerships and play some weak bowlers. I would say to my team (hypothetically ), If we can make a meagre total of 135 then it’s all fine. I am throwing the match at my opponent and from here on, it is for him to grab it. If you are an optimist, then yes, RCB did still grab the oportunity and to that extent, they did play well!

Do you remember that big win of Daredevils in Bangalore against RCB last season where, you know that big score …, Oh O! that one where Gambir hit …, (Do you?). But you certainly remember that big loss of Daredevils against Rajastan Royals which shattered Delhi’s finals berth in IPL Season 1. This brings me back to my big question. Should you play Cricket like a gully cricket – plain and simple or play it the Buchachanan’s way (As Shane Warne called it) – like Chess – with a lot of strategies? Or should you balance both and play it like what “I Think” Delhi Daredevils did?

Well lastly, I must say that circumstancially IPL2 – 52nd match looks fixed to me. There is no way that we can confirm this or we can conclude on it based on just 2 observations that I have pointed out. Nevertheless, fans should consider and be aware of this possibility, in my opinion. Also, I know that RCB is not through to semis of IPL 2 because of this one match but now that 5 teams – CSK, KX1P, RR, RCB, DC are fighting for 3 positions, like a musical chair, if you are not on the recieving end, you don’t really mind throwing in a hat to see the fun as a spectator; do you?

P.S:- I really hope that Indian television media does not come to know anything about such a fixture. I also hope that none those brains morons realize eve nthe slightest possibility of such a thing as I have mentioned. Not only they will ravage everything in IPL 2 like a blood thirsty shark in atlantic ocean but literally they will bombard us, Indian citizens, with the same news by 20 different anchors on 20 different channels in a horrendous accent and language, and eat our tiny brain molecules, just 1 molecule at a time for a really long time.

P.S – 1:- Do checkout Fake IPL Player blog, if you have not. He claims to be an anonymous player part of KKR squad currently placed in South Africa for IPL 2 but I personally do not think so. Don’t believe him entirely but do check out his comments and opinions on Sreesanth. Fake IPL Player calls Sreesanth, Appam C****** . It’s the most deserving and well-suited name ever for Sreesanth!