The IPL touch to the CLT20 took a beating when defending champions Mumbai Indians crashed out in the qualifiers. Only teams from the Indian league attract eyeballs in a competition struggling for survival.
With the Chennai Super Kings on the brink too, the organisers will be on the edge of their seats, as will be the fans, when they battle the Perth Scorchers on Saturday.
Chennai's abandoned game against the Lahore Lions after Thursday's downpour means the loser of Saturday's contest will go out. The sun hid behind the clouds for most of Friday, and if the showers stay away on Saturday, Chennai's fate will depend on how their pacers fare on a flat Chinnaswamy Stadium track in Bangalore, which is surrounded by short boundaries.
HAPPY PERTH
The prospect had the Scorchers licking their fingers. "We have all heard very good things about the wicket - short boundaries and a quick outfield," remarked Craig Simmons.
The experienced Ashish Nehra is the best-equipped to counter the conditions heavily loaded in the batsmen's favour. It is the tact with which the young Mohit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey, if he is played, bowl that will be crucial.
{{/usCountry}}The experienced Ashish Nehra is the best-equipped to counter the conditions heavily loaded in the batsmen's favour. It is the tact with which the young Mohit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey, if he is played, bowl that will be crucial.
{{/usCountry}}After the Super Kings amassed 242 against the Dolphins, the South Africans had threatened to pull off the chase. They had raised their 50 in 2.3 and 100 in 8.5 overs, and had it not been for a collapse, CSK would have already been out.
Sharma and Pandey are the next breed of pacers vying for permanent national spots. While the former scalped four against the Dolphins, skipper MS Dhoni did not trust the latter with the ball despite the cushion of a massive total.
Saturday presents the duo with an opportunity to reassure the captain of their ability to soak in pressure.