‘IPL is a different beast altogether, it is cricket on steroids’ – Chris Lynn’s massive praise for India’s premier T20 tournament [Exclusive]

Chris Lynn didn’t have a long international career as he played just four ODIs and 18 T20Is for Australia. However, the right-handed batter became a household name in franchise cricket with his explosive batting at the top of the order.

He gave fans some memorable moments during his Indian Premier League (IPL) career, representing teams like Deccan Chargers, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Mumbai Indians. However, none can come close to his phenomenal catch to dismiss AB de Villiers in a match between the Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2014.

During an exclusive interview with CricTracker, Lynn reminisced about the epic catch, explained how big a tournament the IPL is, revealed what he learned from Phillip Hughes’ tragic death and much more.

You became one of the first global T20 freelancers. Do you think franchise cricket has redefined cricketing success more than international caps ever did? 

Oh, that’s a tough question straight off the bat. I think T20 cricket has brought a fresh energy to the game. In many ways, it’s the ultimate test of skill, no doubt about that. We’ve seen two-day and three-day Tests, and we’ve also seen thrilling five-day Tests that have been incredible to watch. As for one-day cricket, is it still alive? I believe it is. Should there be less of it? Yes, I reckon so, to make way for T20 cricket. As cricketers, or rather as entertainers, we’re here to grow the game, and I believe the best way to do that is through T20 cricket. That said, the purest form of the game, Test cricket, will always remain alive and strong.

If given a choice now, why would you pick? a long IPL career or a short but iconic international one, and why?

I think it’s got to be a long IPL career. I was fortunate enough to spend ten years in the IPL. I started at the Deccan Chargers under Darren Lehmann for two years, although I only played one game there. Then I had six amazing years at Kolkata Knight Riders, one of my favourite franchises I’ve been part of. After that, I spent two years at the Mumbai Indians, where again I only played one game. But that’s okay. The IPL has gone from strength to strength. When we talk about growing the game, the IPL is the backbone of that growth. The standard of cricket there is the best in the world. We’re now seeing 14-year-olds scoring hundreds. What better way is there to announce yourself than scoring an IPL hundred? To do that at 14 years of age is truly special.

The IPL is a different beast altogether. It is cricket on steroids, in my opinion. I had a relatively short international career, and I don’t believe I played my best cricket at that level. But I have no regrets. Looking back, I wouldn’t change anything. Playing for your country, even for one game, is incredibly special, and I was lucky enough to play a few more than that. Putting on the green and gold cap is something I’ll always cherish. Right now, we’re at a World Cup, with Australia coming off a heavy defeat in Pakistan. They’re up against Ireland in a couple of nights. For us, it’s all about bouncing back. As Australians, we love big games and we love World Cups, and we have the big-game players to match that. You look at the batting order with Mitch Marsh, Travis Head, and Glenn Maxwell, who is coming off a world-record double century in the last World Cup. It’s shaping up to be an exciting contest.

Tell us about that amazing AB de Villiers catch in the IPL at the start of your career.

Well, to be honest, it probably all started in my first game for Kolkata. I was nervous, mainly because I was batting with Jacques Kallis at the other end. He’s the GOAT in my eyes, the best cricketer the game, and the world, has ever seen. I was more nervous batting with him than anything else. To make it even tougher, I had Muttiah Muralitharan bowling at me. I had faced Murali twice before. The first time, he got me out first ball. The second time, he got me out second ball. So I was definitely on edge. I was a bit nervous, but I managed to get around 30 or 40.

I remember that game clearly. Virat Kohli was fielding at short cover, putting pressure on a youngster back then. I hit the ball, it took the edge of the square, and because there was a small bump between the pitch and the outfield, it kicked up and hit Virat on the cheek. I remember him going off with a split cheek, and I was thinking, oh no, first game for Kolkata and I’ve taken out the King. I was pretty nervous heading out to field after that, especially standing on the boundary and copping all sorts of sledging from the crowd. I remember they needed a few runs in the final over, with Vinay Kumar bowling to AB de Villiers. It was a really dewy evening in Sharjah. Anyone who’s played there knows how wet it gets. When the ball travels across the outfield, it’s like water sprays off it.

The ball went high into the lights, and as I moved to stop, I slipped. Suddenly I was on my backside, searching for the ball. In that moment, everything slows down. All I could think was that I had played my first and last game for Kolkata. Then the ball came out of the lights, and somehow, while still on my knees, I managed to go for it. I knew the boundary was close behind me, so once I got my hands around the ball, it was all about staying inside the field. I probably added a more spectacular dive for the cameras than was necessary, but it turned out to be a pretty cool moment. It’s one of those career defining moments you look back on and think, yeah, that was something special.

What’s the secret behind hitting sixes against Shaun Tait when he was bowling at 150 kph?

Get him before he gets me. No, look, I’ve always had the theory that the best form of defence is offence. Hold on a second, darling, Daddy’s on the phone. The best form of defence is offence. They call him the Wild Thing. He’s fast, he’s furious, and believe it or not, when the ball hits you at 150 kilometres an hour, it hurts. So my theory was simple. Go out there with a big bit of wood in your hand and use it. Be aggressive. If I could knock him off his length early, he might start bowling wide and give me a few more free hits. That’s something I enjoyed doing as a kid, taking on fast bowling. I was always happy to get stuck in on a quick, bouncy pitch. That’s the wild thing.

Looking back, how did the tragic loss of Phillip Hughes change your perspective on your cricket career?  

Yeah, look, I think not only for myself, but for the wider cricketing community as well. Looking back, someone I’ve always looked up to is Darren Lehmann. He always used to say, the sun will come up tomorrow. That really hit home when Hughes passed away. At that time, cricket was everything to me. It was the be all and end all. But when you see a close mate go through what he did and then lose him, you realise that cricket is just a game.

It might sound strange, but I think I’ve actually had some success because of that realisation. I still train hard and work hard, but if I have a bad day, it doesn’t affect me the same way anymore. There are far worse things happening in everyday life. I get to play cricket, something I genuinely love doing. What happened was a horrible moment for everyone, but the way Hughesy could put a smile on people’s faces was incredible. No matter the time of day, morning or lunch, he was always so positive. He was all teeth, as he used to say, with that big grin on his face. From that moment on, cricket has just been a game for me.

In 2022, you mentioned that the MI side looked like “11 individuals” rather than a team. Looking back now, what did you mean by that, and what was missing at that time?

That was the last season, the second year after COVID. Look, the Mumbai Indians franchise is one of the greatest and proudest franchises in the world, not just in cricket but across any sport. I have a lot of respect for the Ambani family for the time, effort, and genuine care they show to every player, past and present. That’s something you can never fault. In T20 cricket, though, sometimes it just doesn’t click. Every team goes through that, and Mumbai in particular have always had eleven superstars in their lineup.

Not only that, they consistently produce young superstars. We’ve seen some incredible talent come through the system. As I said, in T20 cricket, we just couldn’t gel quickly enough to become that dominant Mumbai Indians side that Rohit Sharma has led to multiple titles. These things happen. There’s no criticism of the coaching staff or the players. Sometimes it clicks, sometimes it doesn’t. And sure enough, they go on to win another trophy. It almost feels like every team Akash Ambani is involved with ends up being the first to lift the cup.