IPL Play Offs
IPL season 4 – after 44 days of non – stop cricket has finally found out the 4 top teams to play the play – offs. It was almost an event in which the 4 top teams where a foregone conclusion in the middle of the league but the interest was which team would finish where to take the advantage of the newly made pathway to the final. As it panned out, KKR lost a crucial contest to Mumbai to end up at 4th place which would have been a different story had they won it!
RCB – a team which has found a new lease of life after the induction of Chris Gayle (the bullet train) who with his brute force and clinical hitting has brought the entertainment to the league. It was most fitting that RCB emerged as table toppers as Chris Gayle also took the “Orange Cap” for the highest run getter of the tournament after 14 matches but effectively as per his record, 9 innings. He has scored 511 runs and it’s almost amazing to view that RCB has won all the matches in which he scored. As we analyze the strength of the entire team, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli almost make up the entire batting line up and the team also possesses some decent bowling options to emerge as the ultimate winners.
CSK – arguably the most consistent team of all the four seasons of IPL will look to defend their title as they now have two chances to have a go for the final. CSK would ideally like to win the qualifier 1 and make it to the final in the direct route. But even if they lose to the RCB, they will have the home advantage when they play the winner of the eliminator at “HOME”. The team has won 7 out of 7 games at home this year. So it’s almost a given that Chennai has to perform very badly (the worst till date) to miss out on May 28th. Dhoni, Hussey, Badri and Raina make the batting nucleus which is revolved around by Vijay and Morkel. Bollinger and Ashwin have been most economic bowlers of the tournament.
MI – the team which has the GOD is yet to stamp its authority as they enter the play off with a nail biting finish against KKR. The team of Mumbai has all the potential to emerge as the winner of 2011 which would be the fitting gift to Sachin after the world cup triumph. Sachin, Rayudu and Rohit have done the bulk of the scoring and Malinga has been the “bowling Gayle of the tournament”. The purple cap has been firmly fit on his head (though not a perfect fit) which has made him hit a purple patch!
KKR – the reformed team of the season would like to emerge victors as they reach the semis and finals for the first time in the history of IPL. The team is well balanced with the likes of Gambhir, Kallis and Tiwary aided by the power hitting of Pathan. Bowling is well covered with the likes of Lee, Balaji, Abdulla and Shakib. If they can eliminate Mumbai at home in the eliminator, that will give the much needed confidence to win the qualifier2 and the final!
May the best team win! I tip KKR to win this year due to their all round strength and ability!
