FB Group

Share the Passion

To exchange links with me, please send mail to madhusudan (dot) gr (at) gmail.com.
Session-dashboard - Tracking Test Matches as they progress.
Tracking T20 run-chases in an innovative manner - See here.

Monday, March 15, 2010

IPL3 - First 5 matches

MUMBAI, INDIA - JANUARY 19:  (L-R)  Manoj Bada...Image by Getty Images via Daylife
After the first 5 days of the IPL, the excitement has (re)started!!! Last over finishes in the first 3 matches meant that the games were truly on.

What one noticed that, as usual, T20 and that too IPL is very hard to predict. Front-runners for this version have lost (Chennai SuperKings, Deccan Chargers in their first match) whereas last year's "wooden-spoonists" have come back to win the first 2 matches (I can say with modesty that I was not surprised).

The T20 specialists have made their mark already - check Angelo Matthews in the first 2 matches, Yusuf Pathan's century (another of my prediction came true), Gautam Gambhir's knock (though he no longer is just a T20 specialist) - in the first few matches.

KKR seem to have got their strategy right even though it is early days to form any opinons - Ganguly and Akram together seem to have brought about a change with the attack that promises (and delivers) more.

Deccan Chargers have their stars at the top of the order but they seem to depend a lot on Adam Gilchrist (who seems to start well but his body seems to pull him back). Gibbs and Symonds seemed to struggle but stayed at the crease to score runs quickly. Chaminda Vaas is another veteran who has impressed this year with his incisive bowling.

Delhi Daredevils are looking formidable thanks to the top-order (filled with stroke-players like Viru, Gauti, Dilshan, AB de Viliers).

RCB has the domestic stars in their team but still have to get their composition right - give them 1-2 games and they will show their mettle.


CSK will be looking forward to the forthcoming matches to get their act straight. MS Dhoni has the domestic stalwarts as well but they seemed to be overawed by the occasion.

Rajasthan Royals - Yusuf Pathan won the match for him (almost) but the others should also carry their weight and come to the game.

Kings XI Punjab - one feels for the effervescent Preity since she has a weak team and does not know how she will win. Lack of bowling firepower is clearly evident.

Mumbai Indians - Good knocks by the youngsters (Tiwari, Rayudu) was just enough to stall the heroics of Yusuf - their bowling looks good but needs tightening still.

PS - Check the venues and the home-towns of the MOM recipients here.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i very adore your own posting style, very interesting,
don't quit and also keep creating due to the fact that it simply just truly worth to read it,
impatient to looked over even more of your current articles, thankx :)

Lipstick said...

Happy to see this discussion about IPL, i never thought that IPL is so popular now a days.