Is it necessary to interview the captain whose team has just lost?

Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant during his team’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Lucknow last month. Pic/IPL

This column is being written on the morning of the 68th match of the IPL to be played between Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow. Lucknow are at the bottom of the table currently and so can play without a worry as the result is not going to make much of a difference to them. Yes, they would like a win and hope that Mumbai don't win their last game and so they can end up above the five-time champions on the points table. For Punjab, it becomes a must win game for, if they lose then they are out of contention for a place in the Playoffs. Rajasthan, who play Mumbai at the Wankhede in the penultimate match of the league, know that if they win the game then they qualify for fourth place in the Playoffs and then the last match of the league at the Eden Gardens becomes one of academic interest as Kolkata, even if they win won't go above Rajasthan on the points tally. If Punjab don't win and Rajasthan also lose then the final match becomes the one that could decide who gets to be the fourth team in the Playoffs.

The ‘last place' battle

That the ‘last place' battle for the Playoffs has reached the final day of the league is testimony to how the teams have improved over the years and there's not that much difference between them. Yes, the T20 format is an unpredictable format and games can change in the matter of an over or so, and that's what we have seen in several matches. There have also been matches which have been nothing but six fests, thanks to the beautiful batting pitches that we have seen for the matches. The ball has come on to the bat very nicely and so batters have been able to play through the line and also get under the ball and hit it over the top for those massive sixes. Yes, there have also been sixes which have barely dropped over the boundary ropes and with most grounds in India being on the smaller side, it is immensely frustrating for a bowler to see that it's a six and not a catch.

Boundary must be increased

Why the boundaries are not increased is something that has never been explained. At every ground there's a fair gap between the boundary ropes and the LED advertising board and beyond the LED boards too there's a fair gap till the wires that enclose the crowd. Why this is not narrowed down to its barest minimum is again not known but even if the boundary ropes are pushed back by a few feet, it can make the difference between a six and a catch. Most in the crowd may love the six just over the ropes, but the cognoscenti know that the only real six is the one that goes into the stands. We have seen some massive ones too and that's an indication of how good the bats are today. If the boundaries are not being increased because having a few more LED boards would be expensive, then that can always be countered by the revenue that can be earned from those extra boards.

Give losing skipper time

Rishabh Pant dropping the ‘F' word in his post-game interview does make one wonder whether it is necessary to interview the captain whose team has just lost the game barely minutes earlier. If it's been a last-over finish, then the disappointment for the captain would be even greater and if he is also the wicketkeeper who has been running up and down to the stumps every other delivery and that too in this heat, then it can add to his frustration. It might be a better idea to speak to the ‘player of the match' from the winning team and give the captain of the losing team a little time to splash some water on his face and regain his composure and then come over for an interview. As it is, there will be a bit of time for the presentation party to be ready, so giving the captain of the team that has lost, a few more minutes could well ensure that such things won't happen.

Rishabh Pant is one of the most cheerful guys in the game who loves playing the sport in his own unique way. And the fact that even he lost it does make the case for the losing team's captain to be given a few more minutes to recover his thoughts rather than have the mic shoved in his face even before he has had time to get his breath back.

Is that too much to ask?

Professional Management Group