Since its inception, the Indian Premier league has not only been about cricket. And, its sixth edition's final between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians scheduled for Sunday will be no different.
While both teams will be fighting it out at the Eden Gardens here in Kolkata, the limelight would be shared by the off-field activities and one can only imagine the bouncers, the hits and the mishits in Board of Control for Cricket in India officials' room as the see-saw for the Board's president's post wears on.
On the ground though, the two top teams this year will leave no stone unturned to be the domestic T20 champions of 2013. In a repeat of the 2010 final, two-time champions and finalists on five occasions (including 2013) Chennai would like to continue their legacy of being IPl's most successful team while Mumbai would aim for their first title and shed their image of being called big-spending yet not winning big, they've lost a final and have been a part of the last-four for three years now but never gone on to lift the trophy.
Both teams have met thrice in the tournament. While MI had beaten CSK in both league matches, the yellow brigade won the first Qualifier held in Delhi to make the game on Sunday their fourth consecutive final. But all that is in the past as CSK's top run-scorer and orange cap holder Michael Hussey said on Saturday. "I don't think so (on a question whether the past matches are relevant). It's a big match and both teams are evenly matched. It could be that one moment, a brilliant catch or something that could be the difference between the two sides," he told reporters during the pre-match press conference.
Thought Saturday was supposed to be a captains' press conference but Chennai's Mahendra Singh Dhoni didn't turn up, his team on the wrong radar might be a reason, and nor did Rohit Sharma. CSK coach Stephen Fleming and his counterpart in the Mumbai camp, John Wright, were present.
As Hussey mentioned, on paper the teams are evenly matched and settled units and as the format suggests the better team on the day would end up winning.
Hussey at the top has been at the top of his game while his partner Murali Vijay has not but he scored a hundred in the final of last year's IPl against Kolkata Knight Riders, though in a losing cause. But Mumbai seems to have answers in their opening slot with Dwayne Smith, who has scored half-centuries in both Qualifiers, against CSK on Tuesday and Rajasthan Royals on Friday, and Aditya Tare who has been in good form scoring brisk runs.
Sachin Tendulkar is set to miss the final as MI coach said that "Call on Sachin would be taken only tomorrow but it is highly unlikely that he plays".
At three, it is Suresh Raina for CSK against Dinesh Karthik, both men among the runs but Raina's unbeaten 82 became the difference against Mumbai in the first Qualifier. Then, at four is a changed and now matured MI captain Rohit and if things go well for CSK, Dhoni comes at four and can change the game at will. So makes for a very interesting contest on cards.
If things do not go as planned, then CSK drop MSD to five and Subramaniam Badrinath bats at four. At five, Dhoni competes with a big rival in Kieron Pollard and perhaps these are the batsmen who give the edge to their respective teams.
But, on a slowish pitch, on Friday it played like that, Chennai have the luxury of stopping Pollard with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja while MI boast of Harbhajan Singh, who can stop the run flow especially with CSK having two-left handers at the top of their order.
And, what adds to a keenly contested final on the cards is that Chennai have the purple cap holder in their stable in Dwayne Bravo, who has been exemplary in the death overs with his 29 wickets in the tournament but on the blue corner, it is IPl's highest wicket-taker lasith Malinga, the only one to be in the 100 wickets column, and the lethal Mitchell Johnson.
A nail-biter is on the cards but what could spoil things is the fact that it rained heavily on the eve of the game and the ground was covered.
It's marred by controversy but time's approaching when all concerned can say thank God its over!
Sharma has done a great job: wright
Praising his side's young skipper Rohit Sharma, Mumbai coach John Wright said that his team's leadership is shared by many people.
"It's a great challenge which he embraced. He wanted to take the opportunity, shown great potential, and has done a very good job. He's a Mumbai boy and we are very pleased with the way he's done it. He's excited about playing in the final tomorrow."
Talking about leadership in MI, he said, "We shared a lot of our leadership. A lot of it come from the players on the field and the way we work together.
"Rohit (Sharma) has done a great job. We try to enjoy ourselves. We represent a big city Mumbai. We have a lot of fans. We try to enjoy our cricket. We try to express that enjoyment through playing."
And asked about Anil Kumble's contribution, Wright said: "Kumble is our team mentor. He's the boss. Ricky (Ponting) was appointed as captain and has not played for a little while. But he is got a very strong leadership in the changing room."
Wright lauded Ponting for his contribution despite being on the sidelines.
"One of the hardest things of the tournament is picking the team. Ricky is not being a part of it. But there are others like him. That's one of the things about managing the group. Even if they are not playing they contribute to the team.
"For everyone who misses out it's slightly frustrating. But we are here. It's our team. It's a big day for all of us. The support for the players will be great right across this world from everybody."
About the mood in the MI camp, he said, "We are pleased to be here. If we did not play well in the last game, we would not be here and wake up to this moment. We are really excited to be here.
"It's a great league. We have had a lot of tough games. Tomorrow will be no different, it will be another just another tough game."