The league stage of the IPL 10 is nearing its halfway stage. Some franchisees are happy, while some are not. Some teams have fared well as expected while a few have disappointed badly. The story has now panned out in the manner most of the people anticipated.
Two teams – Gujarat Lion and Royal Challengers Bangalore – who reached the knocks out in the 2016 season are currently the bottom two teams in the Points table. However, Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergiant, the two underperformers last have started off reasonably well and promise better results as the tournament progresses.
With such interesting outcomes unfolding at the close to the half way line of the league stage, the guessing games have already begun. The fans have already placed their bets (not literally, of course) on their favourites. The curiosity surrounding the top four qualifiers to the playoff has gathered steam now.
The two safest bet at the moment appears to be Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians.
These two, considering their current form, are likely to make their way right into the eliminators.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
It sometimes appears that KKR as a team is a direct reflection of their skipper Gautam Gambhir. They carry a very simple motto – Go for the gold. Since the loss to MI in their second game, KKR is unbeaten with three back to back wins.
The team has not allowed the absence of Chris Lynn affect them much. In fact, the confidence level seems to be so high in the camp that skipper Gambhir is experimenting with pinch hitter Sunil Narine as the opener.
The bowling attack is also in good form, although there are problems with the seam attack combination. But to cope with the issue, they have good alternatives on the bench. These men may be taking the field in coming matches if Gambhir decides to fiddle more with the XI (which is very likely).
Mumbai Indians:
There is a beauty in destruction. And, as far as, the IPL 2017 is concerned, Mumbai Indians can be credited for spreading such beauty all around the cricketing sphere. This season has seen a continuance of the Mumbai franchise hugely benefitting from the presence of talents that belong to the next generation.
The manner in which the team has pulled off victories from certain losing position speaks for the balance they have on their side. Almost everyone is in top form and look unstoppable on some occasions.
The other two hopefuls are Sunrisers & Delhi Daredevils. These four teams also occupy the top four position in the points table at the moment. But, that’s not the reason there have made it to the list.
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
3 wins and 2 Losses; both these losses came in successions after starting off with two victories at the start. This might seem to be a pretty ordinary record as the ‘defending champions’. But, don’t let the numbers fool you in assuming that they might lose the steam. SRH has a team that is only better and dangerous that the unit which won the trophy last year.
But, their recent win over Kings XI Punjab is an example that they are not here to just let opportunities slip away. The bowling attack is sharper and can be defeated only if lady luck appears to be sitting the opposition camp. batting has been dependent on skipper David Warner but overall has managed to put up impressive shows. Looking at these facts, there is no doubt SRH will end up as one of the top four teams at the culmination of the league stages.
Delhi Daredevils:
They have been the most inconsistent team in the history of the IPL. The fact that they happen to be the only team to no reach the finals in any edition of the league tells about their sad state as challengers.
However, this year might be different. Known for picking teams that are only good ‘’on paper,’ DD seems to be enjoying a fruitful time as the young guns seem to be filled with intent and are performing well.
They clearly have all the ability to bounce back and again and achieve better consistency to reach the playoffs pretty easily. The question will be whether they will directly reach the eliminator or not. This seems tough as other contenders also seem to be in top notch rhythm.
Dark Horses:
Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore are the other two teams who look to be good contenders. These two teams have contrasting stories so far with KXIP possessing better tally than RCB.
But, RCB promises to fight back, thanks to the presence of Virat Kohli and others stars; not to forget their last season heroics. Whereas, KXIP has shown a refreshing approach towards placing a claim as contenders with their team managing to put up collective efforts.