‘King’ before Kohli: Why Viv Richards would have ruled IPL if he were still playing
Picture him walking in at No. 3, behind the imaginary opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle, two of the most destructive white-ball batters of all time. Okay, scratch that – not walking in, but striding so. Strutting, with a swag all of his own. As if he owned the place, as if all the others were mere serfs out there to do his bidding. The bat an extension of his muscular, strong, powerful arms. The cap in place, rakishly (what’s that you say about a helmet?). Chewing gum furiously, as if wondering ‘What the heck is it doing inside of my mouth?’ when he is one who actually put it there.
Picture him taking guard, settling into his stance after a casual look to spot where the gaps were (not the fielders, never the fielders). Not that it truly mattered to him. Gaps, no gaps, whatever. Bowl me the ball, maan.
Picture the crowd standing up to welcome him to the middle. Roaring in approval and approbation and awe and reverence, the energy in the stadium going through the roof. Imagine him surveying them dispassionately, then telling himself that he must not disappoint them. That he must entertain. Yes, score runs, sure, but entertain – always.
Picture him in the Indian Premier League. Picture Viv Richards, proud Antiguan, destructive Antiguan, charmer of the cricket world. Oh, picture him already.
This is the man who, in an era where four runs an over in One-Day International cricket was de rigueur, boasted a strike-rate of 90.20. Allow that to sink in. 90.20 runs per 100 balls faced. When the rest were going at 66.67. What was he made of?
Of steel and grit, of course, but also of belief and skill. Of ability and confidence, of a supreme arrogance that only comes to the truly great and that only the even greater can pull off with impunity. The modern-day cricket world talks of showmen – Virat Kohli, Gayle, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya. The King; well, he was the showman of all showmen, the first among no equals.
Richards stories are legendary. Such as his extraordinary career-best in an ODI in Manchester against England in May 1984. West Indies were tottering at 166 for nine when Michael Holding joined him in the middle. They finished on 272 for nine. Holding’s contribution was a princely 12 off 27. Richards? 189 not out, thank you very much, 21 fours, five sixes. Bob Willis and Ian Botham and Geoff Miller and Neil Foster and Derek Pringle had ensured that no one else made more than 26. But him? Well, they couldn’t out him, could they?
In the end, Richards defeated England by 21 runs. He also got rid of David Bairstow and Miller with his off-spinners, ending up with two for 45. Was there anything he couldn’t do on the cricket field?
He couldn’t keep wickets to his own bowling, but he could catch. And he could field. India’s chairman of selectors MSK Prasad once referred to Vijay Shankar as a 3D player. Wonder what the MBA graduate would say of Viv Richards?
Why Viv Richards would have been the perfect foil for the IPL
The IPL loves nothing more than a character, the complete package. Fours and sixes will be quite nice, thank you, but how anout enthralling us? How about bringing us to the stadium just to watch you? How about letting us know that we are in the presence of cricketing royalty? How about leaving us gasping at the audacity and the imperiousness, the chutzpah and the commanding presence? How about Viv Richards, anyone?
There is this great story of how, during a county game between Glamorgan (for whom he was then playing in 1993, towards the autumn of his career) and Hampshire, Richards stopped his West Indian mate Malcolm Marshall from delivering the ball at practically the last nano-second. Raging and fuming, he charged past Marshall, charged down the ground and stopped near the sightscreen, just above which an unsuspecting fan was quietly reading a newspaper.
“You,” he thundered. “You’ve got David Gower and Robin Smith at slip; you’ve got Malcolm Marshall, the greatest fast bowler in the world, bowling to Vivian Richards. And you reading the f***ing newspaper?” Perhaps, the gentleman in question never laid his hands on a newspaper again.
That’s Richards – bristling at slights perceived or otherwise, a strong advocate of causes that resonated with him. An icon, a genius but above all a relatable entertainer and the consummate limelight-attracter. The Kohli cam has been a constant at cricket grounds across the world for a decade now. Had he played today, Richards would have had a dozen ‘Viv cams’ following his every move. He would be richer for playing the IPL, of course, but imagine what the IPL would have become. Just imagine that.
