Here, everybody has a mask on. This is the area under the spotlight which will be open to the public glare when Mumbai Indians face Chennai Super Kings in the first Qualifier. Here, the spot-fixing shame can be spoken about only in whispers or the occasional sneer, and where the show must go on at all costs come Tuesday.
It's an unenviable task. Ask any of the players, who went about their training routines in the searing mid-afternoon Monday heat, and all talk of corruption, police chasing fixers and bookies, team morale or tournament credibility is likely to be dismissed with a wave of the hand. Here, going by appearances, nothing ever happened to disrupt the big T20 party.
Pretensions, though, can only go so far. For one, there are new Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) officers assigned to the remaining four franchises, as promised by the BCCI. MI and CSK have already been assigned an officer each who will stay and travel with the team and work with its security-in-charge, and the same will go for Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers, who play the Eliminator here on Wednesday.
On the eve of what people are referring to as the "dry run for the final" - the loser here gets one more shot at the title, courtesy the second qualifier in Kolkata - some questions were bound to be raised, no matter how uncomfortable. CSK coach Stephen Fleming, for one, tried to veer the discussion away from the controversies to the cricket as deftly as he could.
"It's very disappointing," he said of the spot-fixing bust, "The standard of cricket in the IPL has been excellent. It's a pity it's being overshadowed...we've got one week now to push aside some of the events. We want the IPL to finish on a high. Forget the rubbish that's being going on."
Fleming admitted every mishit, every no-ball, every change in the batting order and every dropped catch was in danger of facing both scrutiny and ridicule. "It's under suspicion from the outside... you (the players) have to keep in isolation and be the best that you can be. We try to let nothing else crop up in the dressing room. We'd like to win tomorrow."
Purely in terms of the cricket, this is on paper the tournament's most explosive match-up. This is a neutral venue and the teams are hoping the Kotla pitch doesn't upset some plans. MI are desperate for their first title and CSK are the one team which could foul up their plans if they make the final.
MI have also beaten CSK twice this season, the second one by the huge margin of 60 runs, yet CSK handle pressure better and have a bevy of game-changers who can step up a gear. The team that wins will go into the final.
Mumbai Indians
Captain: Rohit Sharma
Coach: John Wright
X-Factor: Dhawal Kulkarni has the knack of getting early wickets. If the young seamer strikes a good rhythm, he can jolt the CSK innings. He can move the ball around and will be hungry to perform on a big stage.
Recent form: Under the stewardship of Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians have been a force to reckon with, having won all their eight matches at home. MI have shown that they have a number of match-winners who can turn a match on their day.
Weakness: Sachin Tendulkar is likely to make a comeback at the top of the order, but the senior batsman hasn't been in great form, having made 287 runs from 14 matches this season at an average of shade over 22. If the pitch is slow, it may aid CSK more.
Key players: Skipper Rohit has again excelled in MI jersey with 526 runs and would only like to improve upon that performance. The big-hitting Kieron Pollard is also a force to reckon with. In the bowling department, Mitchell Johnson (22 wickets at an economy rate of 7.11) and Harbhajan Singh (19 wickets @6.66 runs per over) have been consistent.
36: West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard needs 36 runs (964 at an average of 24.71 in 59 matches) to complete his 1000 runs
in the Indian T20 league.
Chennai Super Kings
Captain: MS Dhoni
Coach: Stephen Fleming
X-Factor: Haryana seamer Mohit Sharma has been one of the finds of this season, having taken 17 wickets so far. It will be interesting to see his temperament in a big-match situation. Mohit had decimated Delhi Daredevils top-order the last time he played at the Kotla with a fantastic first spell.
Recent form: CSK have been as consistent as ever, particularly in their ability to finish off close encounters. They have been very good while chasing down big totals too.
Weakness: The Mumbai Indians might just have a psychological advantage over CSK, having beaten the 'Men in Yellow' in both home and away games this season.
Key players: CSK's bowling depends a lot on how Dwayne Bravo (above) bowls during the middle-overs. With 25 wickets, Bravo has been Dhoni's 'go-to' man in crisis situations and is one of the favourites to get the 'Purple Cap.' 'Mr Cricket' Hussey has been in unbelievable form, slamming 646 runs at an average of nearly 50.
54: Hussey needs 54 runs (646 at an average of 49.69 in 15 games) to become the first CSK batsman to aggregate 700 runs in a season.
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