Will it all end in tears?

The charm that the men in royal blue exude has an uncanny resemblance to the aura that a certain team wearing Black Caps have fashioned for years on the international cricket circuit. Though Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne might find it derogatory, his team are, at present, the New Zealand of the IPL 8212; a starless unit that manages to be around the podium, all the time making more friends than foes.

But on the eve of the semi-final, comparisons with world cricket8217;s perpetual bridesmaid isn8217;t quite flattering, and it8217;s this dark side of the Black Caps that the Rajasthan Royals have to guard against. It will be tough, considering Warne8217;s boys from small towns are no longer the no-hopers with zero expectations. With the mercury rising, and IPL8217;s final weekend approaching, words like 8216;match temperament8217; and 8216;stage fright8217; are uttered with the prefix 8216;big8217;. The pressure has gone up, and so have the stakes.

Brighter lights

Youthful exuberance and adrenalin charge has seen Warne and his boys enjoy an unparalleled winning streak in the league games. But as the lights get brighter, and with the big Sunday just a day away, doubts do creep in. Is this a fairytale with a conventional ending? Will wily Warne holding the silverware provide the final visual of this mind-numbing cricketing journey?

For that to happen, the 8216;Googly Guy8217; and his merry bunch will have to first deal with a side of top pros led by a man who hasn8217;t lost his hair standing in the sun. Five men, including skipper Virender Sehwag, that are certain to be playing in the XI tomorrow have been part of World Cup finals. Glenn McGrath, Farveez Maharoof and Tillakaratne Dilshan were in Barbados a few months ago playing for a bigger trophy in a longer format. Gautam Gambhir8217;s brush with the World Cup was more recent at the stage that was bigger than this.

Conventional wisdom says crunch situations separate the men from the boys. But the Rajasthan Royals might just prove that this too is a myth, in the same way they ridiculed the theory that heavy spending ensures success.

And that would be another high for the game8217;s newest format. If the likes of Swapnil Asnodkar, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja and Siddharth Trivedi can get the better of veteran Test and ODI stars in the rival camp, T20 will get the legs to stand on its own.

Age of super-speciality

As specialist T20 players emerge, the format will not have to totally bank on the stars of conventional cricket to put up a competitive show.

With the window for IPL still at the discussion stage, the Asnodkars, Pathans, Jadejas and Trivedis of this tournament can inspire other players to choose this super-specialisation and stars who are busy elsewhere wouldn8217;t be missed.

A lot rides on the success of the Rajasthan Royals, and Warne will relish being in the spotlight. He has the chance now to either chart a new course for cricket or garner sympathy as the likeable bridesmaid.

And that8217;s not a tough choice for the true-blue Aussie.