T20 Tales Epiphany India

They used to rule the world. Batsmen would fear them. And they were the pride of their nations. People would travel miles to see their long run-ups, charismatic looks, and the sight of stumps cartwheeling along the wicket after they bowled a batsman through sheer speed.

And then came Twenty20 and fast bowlers became the ones who were replaced by part-time spinners. Often their pace – their biggest asset became their biggest liability. Batsmen who were once petrified of them – advanced towards them and smashed them back over their heads.

It’s seemed Twenty20 cricket had become the graveyard for fast bowling.

This episode of T20 Tales tells the story, the journey, and the return of fast bowlers in Twenty20 Cricket.

The rise of West Indies cricket in a new avatar. T20 brought back to life West Indies cricket in a new form. A high-octane generation of Calypso Cricket superstars – aggressive, explosive, and skillful batters, bowlers, and fielders who sold their skills to leagues around the world and ensured cricket never lost its appeal in the islands and the Caribbean never lost its historic cricketing flair and showmanship.

How refugee camps in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border gave birth to a cricketing craze in the war-torn country. And raised, from the rubble of bombed-out cities, a generation of Afghan cricket stars from Rashid Khan to Mohammad Nabi.

How a new KKR CEO took a decision that changed the IPL from glamour and entertainment to skill and science - by dropping Saurav Ganguly, withstanding street protests and boycott threats, and making Data win over Dada.