The first leg of the IPL, which was held in UAE due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in India, is over. Here’s a recount of the top three teams in the event so far.
Kings XI Punjab: Without an iota of doubt, Kings XI Punjab have been the best franchise in the tournament. They have played a total of five games and have won all of them. One of the key reasons behind Punjab’s supreme run in the tournament has been the exemplary form of Glenn Maxwell. He was completely unstoppable in the first three matches, and almost single-handedly pulled Punjab to victory out of improbable situations. His scores of 95, 89 and 95 in the first three games tell a story in itself. All these knocks came in super quick time. Maxwell failed in the last two matches held in the UAE, so he would be raring to get back to form in the second leg.
David Miller is another player who has had a major impact on the team’s fortunes. He made two brilliant half-centuries in the first two games, which made sure that Maxwell’s wonderful efforts did not go in vain. Although, he failed in the next couple of matches, his cameo of 26 against Royal Challengers Bangalore was very important in Punjab getting home in a very tricky chase. Virender Sehwag hasn’t managed a single half-century so far, but he has registered three scores of 30 plus in the event. While their batting won them the earlier games, their bowling came to the fore in the last two matches. Medium pacer Sandeep Sharma has been especially impressive, picking up three wickets each in the games, to play a major role in the team overcoming KKR and RCB.
Chennai Super Kings: Chennai have normally been slow starters before picking up speed towards the business end of the event. But, this year they have been firing right from the start. They have lost only one out of five matches, and that too was down to Maxwell’s brilliance. In the other games, they have been right on top of their game. The opening partnership between Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum has been one of the chief reasons behind Chennai’s excellent run in the event. Smith in particular has been consistency personified. The others have also chipped in when needed – Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round effort against Rajasthan Royals being a case in point.
Rajasthan Royals: As always, Royals have been competent without being exceptional. They have managed to win three out of five games. They went down to Chennai and Punjab in tough matches. Their most dominating performance came against Royal Challengers Bangalore, whom they shot out for 70. Rajasthan have had the going tough in the other two matches, but have somehow managed to pull through. Ajinkya Rahane has tasted success at the top of the order while James Faulkner ensured a win against Kolkata with an exceptional bowling performance.
--By A Cricket Analyst
