Durban, South Africa: Finally, 1 of the three Indian team entered the semifinal of the 2nd Champions League Twenty20 tournament. More than the winning team, or the team fans, it is the organizers who will celebrate the most. Does one need to explain why!!
Royal Challenger’s Bangalore has become the first Indian Premier League team to qualify for the coveted Champions League Twenty20 tournament. The first edition saw the Indian teams out in the league stage. Their performance, Royal Challenger’s Bangalore, Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils was awful and they deserved to be placed at the bottom in the first edition played at their home, India.
Now, in South Africa RCB is shining again, as they did in 2009 when they won the 2nd IPL held in South Africa. Kumble has achieved, what Mumbai Indians could not, despite being hyped as the strongest team of the tournament. Chennai Super Kings will decide their fate tomorrow. If they win, Kumble will have company of another Indian team in the final, and unfortunately they will meet in the semifinal too. It will assure one final place for one of these Indian teams. But, for that Dhoni’s IPL team must win their last match of the league against the leaders Warriors.
Indian team, even if it is IPL team, playing means business at best in Cricket. Location is no more a barrier. TV rights, advertisements, viewership is run by Indians in Cricket, like it or not. Thus, the organizers were praying for at least one Indian team to reach the semifinals. Royal Challengers Bangalore deserves special bonus from organizers. If Dhoni’s luck does not fail him (His IPL team has reached all the semifinals, they played so far), his team will meet RCB in the semifinal too.
A game, where none of the national sides of any team are playing, which has very less international players and which is being played at an alien land for almost all the teams, except the 2 South African team, the organizers need that support in terms of cash to feel motivated for further such tournaments, and they do deserve it for their diehard approach to make Cricket popular across the globe. The absence of IPL teams in the semifinals in first CL Twenty20 tournament last year did affect tournament’s success despite being organized in India. Kumble has made sure, this tournament does not share the same fate.
Organizers will pray for Dhoni’s luck now.
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