Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra
Bhubaneswar, April 8: Like last year, IPL-IX will again be sans Oriya players this time also in spite of cricketers like Biplab Samantray, Govind Poddar and Basant Mohanty doing well in the recently-concluded domestic season.
When Mumbai Indians mentor John Wright visited Orissa during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, he was all praise for Govind Poddar and had even said that ‘the batsman may be considered by MI’. Sadly the IPL auctions have come and gone and not a single Oriya player has been picked up by the eight franchisees leaving them frustrated and heartbroken.
“I really do not understand the criteria of selection for the IPL,” stated Biplab, who got a century in the T20 domestic format this season. “You are talking about Oriya players, but imagine the fate of MP player Jalaj Saxena. He scored close to 600 runs and picked up 49 wickets in the domestic season. Compared to him, our performances are nothing and yet he remained unsold,” added Biplab.
The Orissa batting all-rounder said that he along with Govind Poddar was expecting to get a team. “But then again we really do not know what basis the selections are done,” pointed out Biplab. He seemed lost in thoughts when he added, “I really don’t know what needs to be done. As long as Ranjib Biswal was chairman of the IPL governing council, we had a chance. Now there seems to be no takers for us.”
There have been only two players from Orissa who have played in the IPL so far – Haladhar Das and Biplab. The former was in Deccan Chargers (now defunct) in the inaugural edition in 2008 and managed to play one game. Biplab, however, was a bit luckier. He played for DC in 2012 and then in 2013 was also a part of the newly-formed Sunrisers Hyderabad. But in spite of some good shows, he did not have any takers in 2014.
Basant’s case has also been sad. Year after year he has performed brilliantly in the domestic circuit, this year he was sixth in the wicket’s tally with 41. But even then he has been a no-no as far as IPL is concerned.
OCA secretary, Asirbad Behera, like he does every year washed his hands off the matter citing the same old reason of ‘they have to be more consistent’. The fact however, is that the Oriya players lack the backing of their association and there is no one to push their case in the IPL corridors. Till they have a godfather, they will continue to be ignored.
