It feels that the Indian Badminton League has just begun now and there is a team which has completed all its league stage matches already! This game of speed is also speeding up toward the semi final clashes of the league. If there can be any major upsets of the tournament they usually happen towards the end, as a loss here in a must win tie for team can mean an ouster. And for the other team, if it is already out of the semi final race, it's like an giant-killing opportunity to play to lose nothing. I hope we get to see such today between KDS and BB. KDS has nothing lose here and BB under pressure in front of the home crowd. It's 1 on 1 at the moment.
PP v/s BB and AW v/s MM
Earlier this week end Anup Sridhar caused a major upset for the BB winning against Hu Yun. He played one of his finest matches so far. There after Pune Pistons showed no mercy to win the rest of the three matches of the tie. However, the win in the mixed doubles by BB was a consolation.
The next day Awadhe Warriors stormed to a much needed victory against the tired-looking Mumbai Masters. Sindhu has come in to form at a right time. She won the match for her team and much needed confidence for herself. Tine Baun appeared restless on the court. Well, on the other side of the court Sindhu continued to dominate. Srikanth played surprisingly well against the world number one, Lee. That's what happens when you forget the rest and play as if nothing to lose. I wish everyone of us can live our lives as if there is nothing to lose! Tougher to do. Well done Srikanth. Markis Kido is my new favorite player. I didn't much see him in action earlier. IBL has made me love his game. The way he covers the court and the way he takes the whole responsibility of the court, of his partners, of the game has mesmerized me. He and his sister and mixed doubled partner Pia have done it just at the right time for their team, Awadhe Warriors, to keep them very much in the contest.
Commentary!!! a lot need to get improved!
One area where the IBL needs a much more improvement is it's commentary box! It must be about analyzing the game, players and along with that it must also be about keeping the personal choices apart, like supporting a specific player or team. I hope they will improve as earlier as possible. I must mention an example. Commentator praises the judgement of the player at the receiving end of the service for leaving the shuttle thinking that it's a wrong serve. The chair umpire gives it to the serving team as that's correct serve. Immediately commentator starts praising the player's serve that it's a superb one! All it needs is to take some time and speak out and not to say it for the sake of it. Well, its understandable that it's just the matter of time that the commentary box gets improve; as I'm writing about it here, it's my responsibility to be bring it out.
Watching the matches late night...
Another point that I would like to make is the timing of the matches. Take the case of today, now its already 11'o clock and we are just at the third game of the men's doubles match! Two more matches to go of the tie! Yes, we watch cricket even if it goes till late night or if it starts pretty earlier to the dawn. And that's because of the way the players, teams have made the audience helpless over the years by performing their best on the international stage and because they have made their audience feel proud of their teams. Watching them play has become a pleasure, an honor at times. Audience will watch the matches but it's the primary responsibility of the players to bring the audience to the matches and that can be done only by performing well in their respective sport. Badminton is cruising well in India at the moment. But it will at least take a couple of years from now to become an anytime-watcher sport, provided the heroics of the players continue at the international level. Hopefully, by the time of next league, either audience would stay back late to watch the matches or the IBL schedule gets modified. I hope and wish the former becomes true.
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