The second phase of the India Premier League has just begun with the whole tournament being shifted to the UAE after covid issues in India earlier in May. As the tournament was suspended mid-way and is now set to resume again, let us look at all the teams, their form & combinations in detail. This is going to give you a lot of insight as to how these teams will fare going further into the tournament.
Mumbai Indians – Well, we should always start with the champions first. The mighty Mumbai Indians are looking to do a historic – ‘three peat’ i.e winning the trophy three times in a row which no team has done before in the history of the IPL. They started the campaign in their typical Mumbai Indians trademark style. Mumbai Indians are at the 4th position – winning 4 and losing 4. One thing that would give them a lot of confidence is the form of skipper Rohit Sharma. He was their highest run scorer in the first half of the tournament. His impressive run in the test series in England will also give him a lot of confidence. Mumbai Indians however have some woes of their own. Their renowned middle order has not been firing at all and they need that to change and change very soon as we approach the business end of the tournament.
Kolkata Knight Riders – What happened to ‘KORBO LORBO JEETBO’? They have forgotten the last part of their slogan and have hardly won anything. KKR have had a season to forget so far in the IPL. They are at the 7th spot in the points table with just 2 wins and 5 losses from their 7 games with 4 points only in the bag. If they are to make it to the playoffs they really need to be firing on all cylinders and hit the ground running from the start of the tournament itself. Nitish Rana was the only player who seemed to be in a good nick and was also their highest run scorer. They need to fix their batting woes as apart from Rana, nobody seemed in the mood to bat. They will be hoping their big man Andre Russell gets back in his groove. And well know, if Russell the Muscle is in form, KKR fans might be in for a special treat.
Delhi Capitals – ‘Delhi ab itni bhi door nahi hai’. This is what the Delhi fans might be saying to each other as they are sitting pretty well placed on the top of the points table with 12 points from 8 games. Their batsmen are batting well, bowlers are taking wickets, fielders are contributing. The coach, the camp & the fans – everyone seems optimistic and happy and maybe this is finally the year when they might clinch their maiden IPL title.
Chennai Super Kings – After a rare failure of a season which they had to experience last season, CSK are back to being their own self this season. They have been terrific in the season so far. They have 12 points from their 8 games where they have won 6 and lost only 2 games. It’s just like the old times now and most teams now fear playing against CSK. And as the business end of the tournament gets a little more closer, CSK are now looking like a force to be reckoned with. Normalcy has been restored in the IPL.
Royal Challengers Bangalore – ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde’. We know you have been buzzing such chants for many years now but this just might be the year RCB go on to make history. They started the tournament with a bang and have looked pretty settled in all departments. Their batting has been firing like anything and this time even the bowlers have joined the party. They have also brought in Wanindu Hasaranga from Sri Lanka as Zampa’s replacement
With AB de Villiers, Maxwell, D Paddikal in some great form, RCB are one of our favourites to win the tournament.
Sunrisers Hyderabad – If someone gave all the teams a refresh button to start the season again, the first ones to jump at this opportunity would be SRH. They have had the worst possible start to the season winning only a single game out of the 7 that they have played in. This is why they are placed last at the 8th spot. A few changes that they were forced to make will also make their task all the more difficult. J Bairstow will not be joining them for the rest of the tournament which makes SRH’s boat all the more unsteady. However, they will take some positives from their heroics of last season. They managed to make it to the play-offs after a bumpy ride and this is what they will be looking to do even this season.
Punjab Kings – Punjab have blown hot and cold this season. Three wins and five losses from their 8 games has left Punjab Kings with a lot of work to do for the remainder of this season. While the top order has been performing well, the middle order has been struggling quite a bit and that has to change if Punjab want to get forward into the tournament. Their bowling woes have also not helped their cause. They will certainly be looking towards K.L Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and the Universe Boss – Chris Gayle to show some magic with the bat. And if Nicholas Pooran can join the party, it will be all balle balle for the Punjab Fans.
Rajasthan Royals – 6 points from 7 games with 3 wins and 4 losses. There were chants of ‘Halla Bol’ all the way through the season but they have not done that so far. However the good thing is that they have not done too badly either and are placed 5th at the points table where they can easily make it to the playoffs if they win even some from all of their games. They would however be missing the services of their key players Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler just to name a few. They have roped in Evin Lewis, Glenn Philipps and Oshane Thomas as their replacements. The great thing about these replacements is that they have all been in sublime form in the recently conducted Caribbean Premier League which spices up things a bit.
Who do you think will win?
Put on your predictor’s hat and let us know.
It’s gonna be a great tournament ahead. And you can have even more fun times with Fun88 where there are a lot of prizes to be won this cricket season.
