With IPL getting complex and interesting, With 5 teams struggling for 2,3 and 4^th place, it was the “nothing to lose” team KKR had yet another last over finish but fortunately they were on the winning side this time. Apart from 2/3 matches most of the matches for KKR were last over finish and if they were batting first they used to finish it in first few overs itself. ( please do not ask how? ) 

It was great chase by Kolkatta Knight Riders. Macculum played beautifully well for is 81 in 48 balls and Hodge I think played his best innings in IPL so far. Having said this, I know he has also played couple of good innings this season as well but they were on losing side both the times. KKR has been a perfect example of how it is when things are not going your ways. They dropped simple catches, the top edges went to boundaries when they were bowling and then the same top edges or even good shots went directly to fielders when they were batting, few bad decisions against them added something more to it. Frustration was visible on Macculum’s face. 

They say Agarkar is inconsistent but I really feel he also is a damn unlucky man. He was bowling with no fire in first couple of matches but started bowling well later but even for him edges went for boundaries, lower full tosses went for sixers. If you have seen it carefully he has bowled  excellent bouncers this time similar to one he bowled to MS Dhoni yesterday. I think he needed some confidence to be given to him which  Macculum has given and looked pretty active after been dropped twice. He bowled an excellent 19^th over against Deccan Chargers, it was a perfect Malinga over with all the Yorkers bowled on the spot giving away singles on each delivery, had he been with a little luck he would have got atleast couple of wickets. I normally do not believe in luck but incidents like Yuvaraj Singh taking 2 hat-tricks , Rohit Sharma taking one make me believe in luck, fortune etc.

 For Chennai Super Kings it was like they have won the match, half before the match, 25% after the toss and 25% after scoring 188. I heard someone from their team saying it was good enough score to win. ( against Kolkatta J is what actually he meant J ). Dhoni in after match interview perfectly described the match, “ One of the greatest chase in IPL and One of the worst bowling performance in IPL. Dhoni would not have thought even in his wildest dreams that they will lose the match. It really came as shock for them. Now they need to win their last match or at least not lose it with huge margines.   

 I hope KKR to put up another cracking performance against Rajasthan Royals tomorrow and gain some confidence for many of them to claim a position in next year IPL. Let’s look forward to today’s match where I want Royal challengers to beat Delhi Dare devils… this will make it even more interesting

Last week the prospect for the tournament was looking extremely dynamic with 7 out of 8 teams having opportunities to make it to top 4. Unfortunately, this week it does not look that great. Still a plenty of fun in the points table is possible – but may be only theoretically.
Week is set to separate top from bottom. What looks more likely is -
Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings are well set to grab the positions in semis. Kolkata Knight Riders have already occupied an unenviable (:)) position of no-stress and 2 teams Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore depend on others’ failures as much as on own success. They will cherish failures of Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers more than relishing their wins. If KXIP and DC do well in their next 2 games, MI and RCB would soon be fighting for 6th spot. Rajasthan Royals are in a spot of bother too; however I feel they are well equipped with Warne’s cricketing acumen to see them through.
I just had some fun calculating what can happen theoretically. Considered all the remaining matches and gave 2 points per match to the team which is lower in the points table than the other one at the moment – for example, RCB Vs KKR, calculated 2 points for KKR and 0 for RCB; MI Vs DD, 2 points for MI; DC Vs RR, 2 points to DC and so on. With this hypothetical (but not impossible at all) calculations what we may have in the end is – MI and KXIP in the semis and any 2 of DD, RCB & DC will qualify based on Net Run Rate.
Another extreme consideration like, DD & KKR lose all their matches, MI & RCB win all their matches, KXIP win all matches except against MI & RCB and for remaining matches same logic as above, we will see DD, CSK & RR not qualifying for semis.
Hypothesis! Hmm…what if it goes that way.
Can we hope for such scenarios? May be not. But also things are not so clear yet. We may still have a lot of fun hidden in this IPL-2. Let’s wait and watch what actually happens.

Change is the only constant phenomenon in our life. Isn’t it? Obviously this ‘change’ got hit to our IPL team owners as well. But it didn’t hit them as hard as Yusuf Pathan’s whack. It hit them like a silky cover drive of offside’s god. They didn’t made huge changes in team composition. So I tried to analyze whether the big charge of Deccans or knight losers continued way of losing has anything to do about these changes in team composition.

Deccan Chargers: After looking at initial performances, I feel that this team has got the perfect tiny dynamite naming ‘Fidel Edwards’ to get charged if not exploded. Suddenly this team is looking a more balanced pack after the incumbent of Edwards. He is providing them much needed raw pace to send shivers down the spine of opposition.

Mumbai Indians: Exclusion of Utthappa from MI team is the best thing that has happened to MI rather than inclusion of JP Duminy. I seriously have my questions about Utthappa’s utility in ultra short version of the game unless he is not getting his favorite horizontal bat shot. Again the change in pace battery with ‘Matured’ Zaheer in has placed MI in the league of “balanced team”.

Rajsthan Royals: I don’t think any change will impact this team’s fortune till Warne retires from this format. But still the treatment, exposure , confidence shown by Warne on new pace sensation (again “”) Kamaran khan has proved healthy for RR in the absence last year’s pace battery.

Kings Punjab XI: This team is the worst hit because of non-availability of key players. But again the changes in the team composition are providing them to again gear up to fulfill ‘preity’ ambition to fetch IPL title this time. Again the welcome change is Yusuf Abdulla. He is among wickets in every match and what can one say about Ravi Bopara’s knock against Royal Challengers. It was as refreshing as a ‘Nes’cafe cup.

Delhi Daredevils: Last season’s border case but this year’s favourite after first few matches. Again changes in bowling attack in terms of Nannes and Vettori may be the reason. Nannes is giving Delhi crucial breakthrough’s at early stages of the game and Vettori is just mesmerizing batsmen with changes in line and length

Kolkata Knight Riders: What this team could afford was a ‘Veteran’ Sanjay Banger. Can anyone please spy within KKR camp and let me know whose idea it was to have ‘Sanjay Banger’ in the team ahead of many good players?

I am ready to recommend his/her name in Bollywood as a casting director for David Dhawan’s film.

Royal Challengers: This team made some good, logical changes in team structure but bowling attack still remains same. There changes are yet to pay fruits.

After this analysis, I think successful teams like DC, MI, DD, Kings Punjab XI have one common factor, they have done tactical changes in team composition not the strategic one. For KKR and RC they have done strategic changes in team structure like change of captains itself. Tactical changes specifically in terms of bowling attack has been paying fruits for succusseful teams where as KKR, RC are still fighting for the last rank within table. Only exception to the rule is Channai Super Kings. They have done the wonderful change in terms of ‘Freddie’. But it didn’t paid off. (I am firm believer that rule gets established through exceptions onlyJ)

So the key is to ‘Make most out of it’, make the most out of changes done to team composition. This is true for coming seasons as well as to your Vodafone connection.. J What say guys?