Does momentum really matter?

Momentum: force or speed of movement; impetus, as of a physical object or course of events.

11 days into the competition, the eight teams in DLF-IPL have displayed a varying understanding of this word going by their performances on the big stage and consistency over a period of time.

Teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils started off on a high, but slipped mid-way to lose the momentum.

Then there are teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians who have kept up the winning pace. At the other end of the table, teams like Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals started off slowly, but are still to completely snap out of the losing streak.

Both Deccan Chargers and Chennai Super Kings are lodged somewhere in between.

'It is important for teams to combine well as a unit. If you lose back to back games, then the momentum goes for a toss. So one has to be consistent and needs players who can raise their hand on different occasions. Teams should try to win at least four or five matches of the first seven to brighten their chances of making it into the semi-finals,’ opined Ravi Shastri, former India captain and a member of IPL’s Governing Council in a chat with iplt20.com

The men with an onerous task in such situations are the team coaches because a lot depends on how they condition the mind of their wards in such high-pressure situations.

Take Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming, for example, who is looking for someone to fill in for his regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is injured. But till that happens, Fleming is keen that the absence of Dhoni does not affect the fortunes of his side.

"We know from experience that momentum helps down the track. You are going to have periods in this competition where you will lose two or three, it’s just the nature of this type of competition, so the games you can put away early on certainly help,’ he feels.

One man who understands what’s going through Fleming’s mind is Kings XI Punjab coach Tom Moody. The tall Western Australian has seen his side go through three heartbreaks before one narrow win, that too in the Super Over. And Moody has a longer list of injured stars to manage than Fleming.

Moody knows his job has only has just begun as he worked to improve the morale of the side after their three early losses.

"In this form of the game, you need to get momentum, which gives you confidence to play with a free spirit. The most successful players in the format are the players who play without the fear of failure. And when you have had a couple of setbacks as a team, you know it is a battle to re-capture that momentum and that fear of failure,’ summed up Moody in response to a question by iplt20.com.

Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Ray Jennings, though, as always, begs to differ. His side is on a roll and now has a better view of the matter from the top.

"I think momentum is about the guys and how they feel during the course of the day, how they are at net sessions. It is about the respect factor among the guys, a happy side with a fighting spirit - that is momentum. It is not about final performance or wins or losses. If win or loss does not mean anything, then there is really no momentum," says Jennings.

As the debate rages on and the first fortnight of the tournament draws to a close, it is time for the leaderboard to change as well.

Whatever a side’s take on momentum, entertainment reigns supreme in every closely fought contest. All eyes trained on week three.