World T20 semis, Ind vs SA: Why is the buzz missing?

It’s the semi-final of one of the biggest cricketing events, the ICC World T20. It’s a thrilling format that has captivated the minds of billions. There is a No. 1 T20 side locking horns with South Africa but still there seems to be no excitement in the air. India has one of the largest cricket fan base in the world, forget the knock-out stages, there is always excitement in the air every time they play. But this time there seems to be a lull. [caption id=“attachment_1465825” align=“alignleft” width=“512”]  India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni walks to the nets during a training session ahead of their ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup semifinal. AP[/caption] Very few former cricketers have come out and spoken about the big semi-final clash. The media coverage seems to be sedate. Is the ongoing Srinivasan saga one of reasons that has distracted the fans? Has it got something to do with poor marketing of the tournament or the fact that IPL has become more popular than an ICC event? Is the fact that the rains may play spoilsport in today’s match a factor or do we simply have too much cricket being played with the same teams facing off over and over again? In 2007 when underdogs India were doing well, the enthusiasm was palpable. The atmosphere in the country was fantastic during the ICC Cricket World cup 2011. Last year, the semi-finals of IPL had created more buzz than this. The fact that India have had a smooth run in the tournament might be a factor. They haven’t been challenged so far and all their games have been lop-sided. Or is it the fact that after Sri Lanka’s win over West Indies, people are bracing themselves for another boring India-Sri Lanka affair? There are lots of questions to be answered. With the final just one match away, the response to the tournament has been surprising. It’s the enthusiasm and the excitement that drives the game and there is a hope that the final does create that buzz that we have witnessed all these years.