Indian Premier League Cricket: Poor Scheduling May Have Cost Super Kings

I accept that the Indian Premier League has been an unprecedented success. I also accept the fact that it was being held for the first time, and so glitches were bound to be there.

But one thing I cannot accept is the poor planning of the finals by Lalit Modi and the IPL Board. For a tournament of this scale and following, there should have been at least one "rest-day" given to the players playing the second semifinal between the Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings.

For whatever reason, the final was played on the next day. I'm sorry, but that is shambolic to say the least.

The fact is that twenty-20 is a demanding game for the players. The fielders have to be on their toes for a 120 balls and the batsmen and bowlers alike have to concentrate 150 percent for their time at the crease or for their quota of overs.

I don't think that the IPL Board would have had a major issue playing the final one day later or do something to give a level-playing ground to both the teams competing in the final. The Royals got one day off and the more importantly, the Super Kings got none.

After all, it is a game played on the international stage and not some joke.

The Chennai Super Kings would have, as MS Dhoni said, gone back to their hotel rooms after the semi-finals and slept, woke up the next day morning and expected to be fit for a final.

How exactly is that possible after playing a high-octane semi-final?

In a test match, players wouldn't field and bat on the same day (at least, with the same level of intensity or duration). They might do nothing in one day as well. So, to come out the next day and perform is normal.

If a batsman has played a long innings, he can even rest for a part of the next day with a substitute fielder on for him during that period.

So, the question, "how can players do it in a test match and yet not in twenty-20?" is not valid.

Chennai's fielding was quite obviously sluggish in the final and the effort that they had put in the previous game (in this case, the previous day as well) seemed to be telling on them.

Had the game been played with a day's break for Chennai, my feeling is that it would have been played on a level playing field.

Although the IPL has been a resounding success, there will always be a doubt in my mind as to why Lalit Modi and the others planning the schedule of the IPL couldn't use some common sense and plan the Final—the most important game of the tournament—in a better manner.