Four possible semi-finalists in IPL this season

May 3, 2016 at 11:36 PM

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Four possible semi-finalists in IPL this season

After a busy season of T20 cricket on the international scene, many predicted that the Indian Premier League this season might not find attract as many viewers as it did in the past.

And though the numbers do not help the cause, the amount of excitement and entertainment that the tournament has provided over the few weeks has seen the entire cricketing fraternity stand up and take notice.

With almost half of the season gone, the points table has already taken shape and we may be a bit closer to knowing who will qualify for the knock-out stage of the competition.

However, if the sport has taught us anything over the years, anything can happen in the remainder of the group stage this season.

But let’s take a close look at the teams that are in a strong position and have shown signs of having it in them to go all the way.

Here are 4 teams who are in with a chance to win the competition this season.

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  1. Kolkata Knight Riders:

Arguably, the most popular team in the competition, the Kolkata Knight Riders have been superb under the guidance of the experienced Gautam Gambhir this season.

Having missed out of a place in the final last season, the two-time IPL champions have been one of the most consistent sides this season. They are currently in the second place in the points table after 8 games and have a superb balance to their squad. The openers Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa have been in sublime form while Yusuf Pathan showed what he can do in the recent victory over RCB.

They have shown a slight weakness in the bowling department but with the momentum on their side, they can easily go on all the way to the final and lift the trophy for the 3rd alternate time.

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  1. Gujarat Lions:

The newly instilled franchise based in Gujarat, the Gujarat Lions are soaring high in their debut season in the competition.

With the likes of Smith, Finch, McCullum, Raina, Bravo, and Faulkner all contributing to the team’s cause in almost every game, the Lions find themselves at the top of the IPL points table after 8 games with 12 points. They have shown that importance of team effort in the shortest format of the game and look a formidable side that is hard to beat.

Surely, Raina will hope to lift his first IPL as a skipper of a franchise and become the 2nd team to lift the trophy in their debut season after the Rajasthan Royals way back in 2008.

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  1. Mumbai Indians:

The Bollywood town franchise has not had the best of the starts to the tournament but have found some superb consistency in recent times.

They are now unbeaten in their last three games and have seen the likes of Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard find some form in the last few games. The bowling department has been superbly managed even in the absence of the star from Sri Lanka, Lasith Malinga.

Mitchell McCleneghan and Jasprit Bumrah lead the wicket-takers list with 13 and 11 to their names respectively showing the amount of quality in both departments of the side.

Standing in the 3rd place in the points table after 9 games, MI need just 3 more wins in their next 5 games to make it to the qualifiers and if they can go all the way, they will become the second team to retain the IPL title.

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  1. Delhi Daredevils:

A much-changed franchise from the last season, the Delhi Daredevils have been as superb with man management as they have been on the field.

Rahul Dravid as a mentor and Zaheer Khan as a captain can give any team a number of advantages in the Premier League and the Delhi franchise seem to have excelled with the combination in their dug-out. With 4 wins and just losses in 6 games, Delhi are currently in the 4th place with 2 games in hand over most other teams and look a strong contender for the IPL title.

They have the experience in their squad to help them through tough times but consistency will be key and it will be important for them to stay in form until the end of the season if they are to lift their first IPL trophy this season.

Who do you think will lift the Indian Premier League title this season?

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