The Mid Year Uncertainty
Time flies by very quickly but not so fast that one would not realise that 4 months of 2023 are already over. It’s still heydays of 2023 but a lot of things in the world of sports are nearing their mid-point or heading towards a deterministic state. As we enter May, 3 sports are heading into 3 different states. While one is midway through the tournament, the other is reaching its culmination and the last one is heading towards a mid-year break after some hectic upcoming weeks. All this is interesting for a sports buff coupled with uncertainty on who will emerge victorious.
The Mid Tournament Hustle: IPL (Cricket)
The Indian premier League has just gone past its mid-way stage and there is still no firm favorites to win the tournament. The league table is log jammed with all teams hovering around with 4–6 wins. Stalwarts Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals seems to have set the pace with their aggressive batting, but defending champions are not far behind with their methodical play. Initial tournament laggards like Mumbai Indians also seem to be picking up some steam and the top 4 will still take some time to be decided as the tournament enters the business stages.
Verdict: There is too much uncertainty to determine a clear winner but the defending champions (Gujarat Titans), Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Superkings look the best of the lot and probable to make the playoffs
The End is Near: English Premier League and Champions League (Football)
The English premier league started off last year with Arsenal setting up some serious pace and going well clear at the top. As we enter the business end of the tournament, tables have turned with Pep and Haaland led Manchester City now leading the table with a game to spare. Manchester City look like firm favorites to clinch the EPL crown, but football has seen weird things happen to greatest team earlier as well. At the same time, Champions league is entering its semifinal leg with Manchester City again trying to rule the roost. However, their path is not easy as they have the magnificent Real Madrid in their way.
Verdict: While EPL has a sure shot winner (almost) in Manchester City, the Champions league will be a tough thing to bet on with Real Madrid holding the aces owing to legacy and form of their top players. The level of uncertainty is low as we head towards the end of these tournaments.
Can’t wait for the mid-year break: Formula 1 Championship
While Formula 1 is just done with 4 races and has a long way to go before the mid-year break comes, there seems to be a runaway winner in constructor and driver championship. Red Bull and Max Verstappen look all set to repeat their performance from last year. They are dominating the races even more comprehensively as compared to last year and their pace is relentless with no team coming close. Things can drastically change in Formula 1, but early sign indicate an encore of 2022.
Verdict: The certainty of the champion is very high in this sport despite, ironically, being very early.
Mid-season uncertainties are a common sight across sports, but the 3 sports talked about reflect how different phases of the tournament throw up surprises and the level of uncertainty can vary every year depending on the sports and team profiles. Till then, let us enjoy the gripping contests and root for our favorite teams.
