India vs Pakistan | India's 'IPL bubble' finally comes to an end

Playing in the times of bio-bubble is taxing even if one gets paid in millions for that. Some have left that million for mental health reasons, while others have been part of it for reasons of their own. India stars, the top-15 ones, selected for the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021, have also dreaded the bio-bubble. They walked out of it around two weeks ago but the overall 'IPL bubble' for them came to an end on Sunday, October 24 and took away one of India's most glittery and boast-worthy records. 

Four years later, another left-arm pacer from the country wreaked havoc, contrastingly in the first game of the two sides this time. Shaheen Shah Afridi sent India openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul packing in his first spell before returning to hunt Virat Kohli, emulating Amir's feat thoroughly. India again could not recover from the blow. 

The build-up to the match was rare. So rare, that it looked unreal and strange at times. Even the legends of the game from Pakistan were not ready to believe that mighty India could be beaten. Reasons were very obvious - India players playing under the same conditions in the UAE since the start of IPL 2021 second leg from September 17, the form of their fresh-from-IPL batsmen including absolute stars of the format like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy -- and the fact that Pakistan was publicly humiliated just ahead of the showpiece in the UAE and Oman. New Zealand arrived in Pakistan for white-ball matches, enjoyed the hospitality, and then took a chartered plain just before the toss of the first fixture and left due to security concerns. England took note of the event and ditched their Covid-time friends by abandoning their tour to the country neighboring a turbulent Afghanistan. 

On the flip side, India came to the UAE for IPL 2021 after the highs of the England series. Players acclimatized to the conditions before testing themselves against the best in the world. Later, in the warm-up games ahead of the Super 12s, the team registered two thumping wins against teams as strong as England and Australia. 

Till this time the 'IPL bubble' had reached its epitome, India looked unbeatable. There comes a blip after all the blasts - It's like the rule of the universe. Everyone would have wanted that to come after rejuvenating while watching the trophy in Virat Kohli's hand on November 14. After the perfect farewell for the 'unlucky' outgoing captain of India in T20Is. 

But their players did not give up, they took a step backward and fell in the lap of their domestic cricket. Played a bunch of matches with 'Made in Pakistan' talents. Pakistan defeated West Indies and fought bravely against South Africa in the warm-ups. The players were also pep talked by their board chairman Ramiz Raja and Prime Minister Imran Khan. Pakistan were set to strike hard and that has been their nature. But alas, India did not pay heed to the past patterns of their arch-rivals, and neither did they peep out of the soaring 'IPL bubble'. 

KL Rahul, IPL 2021's third-highest run-getter with 626 runs got out in the third over, and Rohit Sharma on a golden duck on the fourth ball of the innings. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who was unreadable days ago, was smashed for multiple sixes. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled very short, as if they had their clowns playing in the IPL 2021 or vice-versa. 

But all is well that ends well. Let's consider it as a 'timely blip' and let's back our players who we believe are out of the 'IPL bubble' and finally feeling the real heat of the UAE. And yes, international players in IPL cannot make IPL matches match the intensity and pressure of international matches.