DHONI'S SUPER-MISTAKE

MS Dhoni's choice of bowler for the Super Over during yesterday's tied tie against Victoria was a surprising one. Usually, a captain gives the ball to a bowler who has had a good day. That would have been Murali, given that both Bollinger and Ashwin had had a mixed day.


However, to my mind, the best option would still have been Bollinger. Here is a bit of trivia before I proceed further:


- Cricinfo archives show that there have been 12 recorded cases of Super Overs in Twenty20 matches, including yesterday's.
- Of these 12, I managed to find out who were the bowlers and the scores involved in 11 of them.
- The 1 match that I did not manage to find anything about was the Northern Districts v. Canterbury match at Seddon Park, Hamilton on 18th February 2009.
- On a completely irrelevant note, that day (i.e. 18th February 2009) saw 2 other cases of Super Overs in South Africa - Dolphins v Cape Cobras at Kingsmead, Durban and Eagles v Warriors at St. George's Park, Port Elizabeth.
- Of the 22 Super Overs (11 X 2) I have on record, only 7 have been bowled by slow bowlers.
- Of these 7, only 2 have been won by slow bowlers. Incidentally, both these wins came when the opposition also used a slow bowler for their Super Over.
- So in the 3 cases where Super Over was a slow bowler v medium / pace bowler affair, the slower bowlers have always failed to deliver.


Now, I do not expect MS Dhoni to know these facts. But I would have expected him to learn from his mistakes. Just this year at the IPL, he had faced a Super Over situation where he chose Muttiah Muralitharan to bowl against Kings XI Punjab to defend his team's score of 9 for 2 (which were scored against Juan Theron - a medium pacer). Muralitharan managed 10 for 1 in less than 1 over as CSK lost that match and crucial points.


In the only other case of pace v spin, Ajantha Mendis had fared badly as Yusuf Pathan demolished him during IPL 2009's Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders match. Kamran Khan, the unheralded young Royals pacer had gone for 16 in his over as Mendis conceded 18 in his first 4 balls itself. And I expect Dhoni knew about this match.


Added to this were factors like constant drizzle and the grip on the ball during the Super Over yesterday. So Dhoni's decision to use Ashwin was pretty much a wrong one to me even before he started bowling and conceded those 20-odd runs. The match was effectively sealed then and the points secured for Victoria.

IPL's NEW FORMAT: EXPLAINED AND ANALYSED

Cricinfo's goof-up has made my previous post completely redundant. Here's the new IPL format:

Group A: Team 1, Team 2, Team 3, Team 4, Team 5
Group B: Team 6, Team 7, Team 8, Team 9, Team 10

Now, here's how it will work. Each team in Group A will play 2 matches each (home and away) against the four other teams in Group A. Similarly each team in Group B will play 2 matches each (home and away) against the four other teams in Group B. That makes it 8 matches for each team and 40 matches in all.

In addition, each team will play 2 matches (home and away) against any 1 team (chosen randomly) from the other Group. And finally, that team will also play 1 match each against the 4 remaining teams in the other Group (2 at home and 2 away). So, for example, if Team 1 plays 2 matches against Team 6 from Group B, then they will play 1 match each against Team 7 (say home), Team 8 (say away), Team 9 (say home) and Team 10 (say away). This means another 6 matches for each team... making it 30 matches in all.

Therefore, totally, there will be 70 matches in the league stage... 14 matches for each of the 10 teams (7 home and 7 away). And despite the teams being divided into 2 groups, there will be just 1 combined league table. Then there will be the playoffs. The format for playoffs is also different and slightly confusing.

Play Off Match 1: Rank 1 team on the table will play against Rank 2 team on the table. The winner of this match becomes the Finalist 1.

Play Off Match 2: Rank 3 team on the table will play against Rank 4 team on the table. The loser of this match will be the No. 4 team for the tournament. And the winner will be guaranteed a Champions League spot. But the winner does not enter the finals straight away. The winner will still need to play another match to qualify for the finals.

Play Off Match 3: The winner of Play Off Match 2 will take on the loser of Play Off Match 1. The winner of this match will enter the finals.

Finals: The winners of Play Off Match 1 and Play Off Match 3 will contest the finals of the Indian Premier League.

The format is unique... nothing like this has ever been seen before in the history of cricket (and maybe, other sports as well). But it is confusing. Keeping the essence of this format the same (i.e. 14 matches per team - 7 home and 7 away), I have a better format in mind. It would be much easier to understand as compared to the one explained above. Here it goes:

Each team should be required to play 2 matches (home and away) with every team in the other group and 1 match each with the remaining teams in their own group. This would mean that Team 1 would play 2 matches against Team 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. In addition, it would also play 1 match each against Team 2 (say home), Team 3 (say home), Team 4 (say away) and Team 5 (say away).

See, I did not even require a new paragraph to explain the entire format. Its much easier to understand than the one decided upon by the IPL Organising Committee. If only I were paid those salaries... sigh!

Moving on, I quite liked the new Play Offs format. It is a little weird to read at first, but it makes a lot of sense. Teams that finish Rank 1 and Rank 2 on the table are the ones that have performed consistently throughout the tournament. So, it is slightly sad if they have one bad day on the day of the semi-finals and do not get a chance to compete for the big prize. In the new format, they will get another chance... if they were to lose their Play Off Match 1, they will get another chance to try and win the Play Off Match 3 and still qualify for the finals.

And fittingly, Teams that finish Rank 3 and 4 will have to win three consecutive matches to win the IPL (instead of two consecutive matches as it stands in our traditional semi-final and final format). I will reiterate that I like this Play Off format... it makes a lot of sense to me! The deserving get an extra chance... and the undeserving have to pass an extra test to show that they deserve!

Reports suggest that this new Play Off Format was suggested by Adam Gilchrist as an extra incentive for teams to finish Top 2 on the table. In our current format, once the teams have qualified for the semis, they take it slightly easy and rest a few important guys. In IPL 3, Mumbai Indians played almost a complete new-look squad in their last IPL league match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. They were so depleted that they had to be captained by Dwayne Bravo... the man who himself was not a regular feature of the playing XI.

All in all, I must admit that 74 matches is certainly better than 94... but still quite a lot. It would have been even better had the tournament been even smaller... but alas, that is not to be! Lets hope that the new format, the new auction that will reshuffle squads, and the new teams keep us interested in this marathon tournament for long enough to reach the finals.

KKR'S HAT-TRICK

Yesterday's match 1: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils
My Prediction: Mumbai Indians
Actual Winner: Mumbai Indians

Yesterday's match 2: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Chennai Super Kings
Actual Winner: Chennai Super Kings

Today's Match: Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore

My Score: 5 / 10

KKR is out of the tournament... three consecutive unsuccessful attempts to reach the semi-finals... the only team to not reach the semi-finals of IPL even once in three years! A hat-trick that they certainly did not want to achieve!

I feel sad for Sourav Ganguly - I have always liked his character and had a lot of respect for his fighting abilities. But I am happy that KKR is out - because I do not like Shah Rukh Khan! I hope that he buys all the players that I do not like for the next edition of the IPL - then I can dislike KKR without any guilt feelings!

Finally, KP (I mean Kieron Pollard) justified (to a certain extent) his high-profile bidding! His version of the scoop was baffling! I thought he was all about power... but that scoop just shook me up completely!

The Royals' battle today will be virtually the second successive knockout match in this tournament. Where the RR team will be looking forward to a nice home game, the RCB will be buoyed by the fact that the fortress is not looking as strong as it used to be.

LOVE AFFAIRS OF STEYN AND SEHWAG

Yesterday's match: Deccan Chargers v Royal Challengers Bangalore
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Actual Winner: Deccan Chargers

Today's match 1: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils
My Prediction: Mumbai Indians

Today's Match 2: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Chennai Super Kings

My Score: 3 / 8

DC scored their third consecutive win in this competition and this one was also their third consecutive win over RCB - winning both their matches this season after the finals last year. Needless to say, this result makes the points table even tighter (if that could be possible) and just as everyone has predicted, teams with better NRR will have a big advantage going ahead.

Dale Steyn bowling was magnificent to watch. He has some kind of a love affair with the VCA Stadium (Jamtha), Nagpur. He got a 10-wicket haul for South Africa at the same stadium in a Test against India in February... and his spell today was a timely reminder to everyone that high-quality fast bowling can still work in this format... it's not all about slower balls and cutters! It was sad that he had to end up on the losing side.

Today's first match will see Virendra Sehwag return to the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai for the first time after his whirlwind 293 against Sri Lanka. Even Viru has a love affair with venues that have anything to do with 'M'. Mumbai, Multan, Melbourne, Motera, MA Chidambaram Stadium, etc.

With MI already in the semis, it will be interesting to see if they rest any of their key men. DD is in a desperate search of a win and Gambhir has his wish of playing an away game. A win for DD would more or less confirm them in the semis as well - because of their NRR. But MI would not want to lose their momentum.

The second match between CSK and KKR is a virtual knock-out match (even though both teams will still be in with a chance after losing). CSK look a lot better side... and KKR seem to be struggling with their combinations and belief to win.

What a pity that the two matches that deserved a weekend scheduling are going to be played on a Tuesday!

THE STORY OF A 'TEST' SIDE

Yesterday's match 1: Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings
My Prediction: Deccan Chargers
Actual Winner: Deccan Chargers

Yesterday's match 2: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Actual Winner: Royal Challengers Bangalore

Today's Match 1: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab
My Prediction: Delhi Daredevils

Today's Match 2: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians
My Prediction: Rajasthan Royals

My Score: 3 / 5.

Yesterday, just before the toss before the 2nd match, Sourav Ganguly was asked what was his side's track record on that ground (M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Bangalore). He said: "Played one, won one."

So I tried to recall what had happenned in 2008 between RCB and KKR at Bangalore. And then I realised - the first ever IPL match - the Brendon McCullum 150 - the 140 run thrashing of a "Test" team.

The tables have turned completely. RCB is no more a "Test" team. KKR has forgotten what it is like to win comprehensively. And RCB is more likely to finish 2nd from top in the points table - rather than 2nd from bottom.

With his dismissal yesterday, McCullum now has an IPL average at Bangalore - an average of 203. But he could do nothing this time to help KKR win, which puts them in a precarious position in respect of the semi-final qualification spot.

The second match today will be of great importance for the semi-final race. A win for MI will seal their place and virtually oust RR. On the other hand, a win for RR will not only help them take a huge step ahead, but also cause a lot of anxiety in the MI camp.

Even though I am a supporter of MI, I have predicted a RR win today because of the fact that they have never lost a single match in Jaipur. They have a brilliant record on that ground - and seem to be peaking at this moment.

Still, I will keep hoping that by the end of this day, one semi-final spot will be taken up.

EMPTY STANDS AND LOO

Yesterday's match: Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians
My Prediction: Mumbai Indians
Actual Winner: Kings XI Punjab

Today's Match 1: Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings
My Prediction: Deccan Chargers

Today's Match 2: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders
My Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore


MI has gotten into a losing streak (I know it's only two in a row now, but their next match is against RR at Jaipur - and RR has NEVER lost a match at Jaipur). Yesterday's result is not going to affect the table in any way, but KXIP has issued a warning to all their remaining opponents that they are going to try and upset a few parties.

The afternoon match today between DC and CSK will be played at Nagpur. Who the hell plays in the afternoon at Nagpur? Its 41 degree celcius and DRY out there. It is the most dry part of India and the 'hot winds' that blow in the afternoon over there (called 'Loo Winds') can really knock you out. All I can say is best luck to DC and CSK boys!

I hope Lalit Modi sees this match and realises that the attendance is 'very poor' at the neutral-Nagpur. It might be one of the best grounds in the country with great facilities, but it is very poorly located. It is far away from the city of Nagpur and takes a long time to reach there. Add to that the fact that it is hosting home matches for DC, who do not have a single big Indian star in their ranks. I mean, for God's sake, the Nagpur crowd is not going to come out in this kind of heat to watch a neutral game and support the likes of Rohit Sharma and RP Singh.

RCB and KKR will have much better and 'playable' conditions later in the evening at Bangalore. Both teams need wins for varying reasons - RCB to arrest their loss of momentum and KKR to take another step towards the semis. If KKR manage a win, RCB will truly need to worry about their semi-final spot. Kevin Pietersen must be wondering why his presence affects the RCB squad's performance so adversely!

REPEAT OF LAST YEAR'S FINAL

Yesterday's match: Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils
My Prediction: Delhi Daredevils
Actual Winner: Kolkata Knight Riders

Today's Match: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Deccan Chargers
My Prediction: Deccan Chargers

I hope atleast today my prediction will hold correct. And hopefully, it will be Andrew Symonds who clicks today. He is my trump player in the Cricinfo Fantasy game today.

By the way, if you haven't noticed, this is the first time RCB and DC will take on each other after last year's IPL finals. They haven't met in this IPL yet (this is the only battle that is yet to be played out).

DC have lost 5 in a row, and even RCB have lost a bit of momentum due to their tinkering with the squad. It will be interesting to see which four foreigners feature in both the squads today. I am also hoping for inclusion of Manish Pandey for the simple reason that he deserves the opportunities.

It is an irony that the last time these two teams met, both were in red hot form... and now, they are desperately seeking some momentum. If DC lose today, they will virtually be out of the tournament - and will continue the tradition of defending champs unable to reach the semis.

In the last year's finals, Anil Kumble brought himself on to bowl the first over and got Gilchrist out for a second-ball duck. I am waiting to see this battle again!

APR 25: IPL FINALS - MI v DD

Have a look at this - the IPL Points Table. The RR - KXIP clash has just gotten over, with the home side continuing their golden 'home' run at Jaipur - streamrolling KXIP by 9 wickets with 5 overs to spare.

Now, I just thought of stepping into the shoes of Nostradamus and find out who will win this IPL. So, there you go:

Apr 07 - KKR v DD
Apr 08 - RCB v DC
Apr 09 - KXIP v MI
Apr 10 - DC v CSK
Apr 10 - RCB v KKR
Apr 11 - DD v KXIP
Apr 11 - RR v MI
Apr 12 - DC v RCB
Apr 13 - MI v DD
Apr 13 - CSK v KKR
Apr 14 - RR v RCB
Apr 15 - CSK v DD
Apr 16 - KXIP v DC
Apr 17 - RCB v MI
Apr 17 - KKR v RR
Apr 18 - KXIP v CSK
Apr 18 - DD v DC
Apr 19 - KKR v MI

The top-4 will then look like this: 1. MI - 22 points; 2. DD - 18 points; 3. RCB - 16 points; 4. CSK - 16 points. So the semi-final fixtures will be:

Apr 21 - 1st Semi Final - MI v CSK
Apr 22 - 2nd Semi Final - DD v RCB

Apr 24 - 3rd Place Playoff - RCB v CSK
Apr 25 - Finals - Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils

So there you go... Mumbai Indians will win the IPL this year (something I have been saying every year). But c'mon, what a final this would be! The biggest domestic rivalry in India reignited at a bigger stage! Awesome!

KUMBLE'S SELECTION ERROR

A huge Galye hit the Kings XI Punjab side at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata before Mahela Jayawardene applied a soothing balm to heal the wounds and bruises.

That innings by Jayawardene was not only soothing for the Kings XI side, but also to the eyes of many who, like me, are a little tired of all the slogs and mishits that have been carrying all the way for *** Maximums and being called **** Moments of Success instead of becoming ******* Kamaal Catches.

And thus, IPL III saw another game (two in as many days) where more than 400 runs were scored. This match has given another jolt to KKR in their quest for a semi-final spot. If they do not reach the semi-final this year, they will be the only one amongst the 8 original teams not to have reached the semi-finals ever when they start their campaign next year (I have obviously made a very safe assumption that Mumbai Indians will make it to the final-4 this year).

In the second match, Delhi Daredevils blew away the Royal Challengers Bangalore side. I think that Anil Kumble made a huge mistake by making 3 changes to a winning squad in order to accomodate Ross Taylor. There is no doubt that Ross Taylor is a very good cricketer, but was including him in the squad so important that 3 other players had to be dropped?

By dropping Manish Pandey, Kumble broke a solid opening partnership that has been one of the reasons behind RCB's good performances this summer. By removing Dale Steyn, he not only excluded from his squad the best fast bowler in the world, but also one who has been bowling in the Indian conditions for two months now and has his lengths well-adjusted. If he really wanted to go for Ross Taylor, he should have just dropped Cameron White.

But yes, if you have read my previous blog, you will know that RCB has continued its tradition of losing matches held on Formula One Sundays. Dr. Mallya did all the travelling from Sepang to Kotla in vain.

Today, Nagpur will host its first ever IPL match between Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals, where a loss for the former ('home' team) will almost be curtains for them in the tournament.

LUCK FACTOR

A flight from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi takes about five and a half hours. Dr. Vijay Mallya said in his interview during the last match that he will reach New Delhi to catch RCB's match against DD.

The Formula One race at Sepang starts at 1330 IST. Considering that the race will take about 2 hours, and another half an hour for Dr. Mallya to take his leave and reach the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (just 10 mins from Sepang race circuit), he will not be able to leave before 1600 hrs. That means he will reach New Delhi only by 2130 hrs IST and reach the Kotla some time after that, maybe when the match is in its finishing stages.

But why am I trying to decipher Dr. Mallya's schedule? A very stupid reason, actually! The only other time that RCB played a match this season on a Formula One weekend (their first match against KKR), they lost it. When, they won the next few matches on a trot, I thought at that time that maybe, Dr. Mallaya is the lucky charm for the RCB side. His presence in the stadium inspired an RCB win.

Yes, RCB has lost two other matches after that, which were not held on Formula One weekends! But after 2008 season, RCB has not won a single match that was played on a Formula One Sunday. They lost 3 matches in South Africa 2009 that were held on the same Sundays as the Bahrain, Spanish and Monaco Grand Prix (the last one was the IPL 2009 Finals). They have already lost the match held on the day of this year's Bahrain Grand Prix.

So I have my prediction ready for the result of today's DD v RCB match to be held on the Malaysian Grand Prix Sunday: a win for Delhi Daredevils.

Apart from the very stupid reason stated above, I also feel that Viru is going to click today. Somehow, I also feel that RCB's bowling attack will be exactly what Viru will want in his search for a good form. Praveen Kumar and R Vinay Kumar, though extremely intelligent bowlers, might just provide Viru with the pace and length he would like to feed on. And apart from the bouncers from Steyn and Kallis, I do not feel much else will be a problem for him. He should be able to manage Anil Kumble as long as he keeps his cool.

Lets wait and see... we'll know by 11.30 pm tonight if Dr. Vijay Mallya is indeed RCB's lucky mascot!

KING-SIZE CRISIS

The third edition of IPL is remarkably similar to the first two. By the midway stage, the most likely wooden spooners have been discovered. And guess what, there are controversies in these squads.

2008 - Deccan Chargers, arguably the strongest side on paper, was in shambles at the midway stage in the inaugural IPL. Their performances on the field were just not coming good... and to top it all, there were problems with VVS Laxman's captaincy. Eventually, Adam Gilchrist took over the captaincy as Laxman sat out due to an injury.

2009 - Kolkata Knight Riders was the team in the news everytime... for all the wrong reasons. John Buchanan and his multiple-captain-theory, handing over the captaincy to Brendon McCullum (who isn't even a regular international captain), Fake IPL Player blogging controversy, a coaching squad almost as large as the actual playing staff, and then losing a One Over Eliminator... oh well, one could write an entire book on KKR's African odyssey.

2010 - And this year, with another captain versus star local player controversy, the bottom-placed team is Kings XI Punjab. 1 win in 8 games - that too by way of a One Over Eliminator - is a sorry state of affair. The news floating about rifts within the team, Yuvraj's mother coming out to defend her son, Sangakkara banned for slow over rates... and the dimples have vanished from Preity's face!

KXIP just seem to be lacking the confidence to finish off a game. Just when they hold a slight edge, somehow someone contrives just enough to lose the plot. A 25-run over, a wide down the legside running to the fence, a dropped catch kicked away for a four, a fumble in the deep... the team just seems to be lacking the ability to deliver the killer punch. It seems amazing now that they managed to win that Super Over! May be, Chennai Super Kings did manage to lose it!

Its very clear now - all that KXIP can play for now is to avoid the wooden spoon. Even that seems extremely unlikely in the given scenario!

DUE TO DEW

Talk of Twenty20 being an unpredictable game... and the IPL is proving it! Harbhajan Singh, in an inspired display of his cricketing abilities over 4 consecutive overs (3 while batting and 1 while bowling), completely turned the game between Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians on it head.

The crowd at Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Academy Stadium seemed almost indignant at the fact that they were hosting an 'away' game for Mumbai Indians... so they made their feelings clear at the top of their voices by showing clearly who they were out to support.

However, when I say that IPL is proving the unpredictability of Twenty20 format, I have a few numbers here to prove it. Out of the 26 games played (till yesterday's DD v KKR), 13 have been won by teams winning the toss. If winning the toss can guarantee you a win on half the occasions only, that is an ideal ratio!

Compare it with the ODIs: In the year 2010, 35 ODIs have given a result (matches between Kenya, Netherlands, Afghanistan and Canada excluded from analysis). Out of the 35 matches, 21 have been won by the side winning the toss. That is 60% of the ODI matches are decided at the toss.

In the subcontinent (especially in day-night matches), this percentage rises even higher. Matches are decided at the time of toss itself due to the 'dew factor'. In Twenty20s, since the conditions to both the teams are relatively same, the 'dew factor' does not have a lot of say.

An IPL Twenty20 match gets over in 3.5 hours (an International T20 takes lesser time). That's the time one innings in an ODI takes. So the conditions faced by both the teams remain similar throughout the match.

One captain who is usually extremely lucky with his coin tosses, though not so much in this IPL, is Kumar Sangakkara. However, his luck is not getting transformed into luck for his team. He will be desperately hoping for some luck as KXIP take on the table-toppers MI this evening.

KXIP NEEDS A NEW LEADER

When Irfan Pathan came to bowl the last over of KKR's innings against KXIP at Mohali, his figures read 1 for 21 in 3 overs. And in that one over, he managed to replicate those figures, 1 for 21, and thereby finish with 2 for 42.

I think that KXIP need a good leader. With due respect to Kumar Sangakkara (who is a wonderful batsman and keeper), I believe that he is not inspirational enough to solve the current problems of KXIP.

We saw last year, when Royal Challengers Bangalore team was suffering from problems similar to that of the Kings XI Punjab this time, a new leader in the form of Anil Kumble spelled a reversal in their fortunes. Shane Warne has always had the ability to inspire his Rajasthan Royals side to comeback when the odds have been stacked against them. In IPL 2008, Sachin Tendulkar missed the first 7 matches of Mumbai Indians. But he returned to inspire a turnaround in the performance, which saw them miss out on the semi-final spot marginally by 1 point.

KXIP's troubles this year are similar to those of KKR's cricket-related problems last year (KKR had too many non-cricket problems as well). Despite having a good enough team, there is a lack of confidence that is hindering them in their efforts to land the killer blow. Even in today's match, when KKR was struggling to find momentum in the slog overs, KXIP should have chipped away at a couple of wickets and finished KKR. Instead, they conceded 53 runs in the last 4 overs. In the end, 183 always seemed daunting.

I do not know who is the vice-captain of KXIP. Sanga has already been fined twice due to slow over rates, and there might be a ban looming round the corner.

BLACK MAGIC

Kings XI Punjab will be hosting the Kolkata Knight Riders this evening at Mohali, in a clash that might see an overdose of Bollywood with Preity Zinta, Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla associated with the two franchisees and many others in the film industry pledging their support for one team or the other.

This is the second consecutive Kings XI Punjab match that can be termed as a-bottom-of-the-table clash. In their last game, KXIP (then 7th) lost to Rajasthan Royals (then 8th) at Ahmedabad. Now, RR has climbed to the 3rd position and the 8th-placed KXIP will be hoping that a similar journey begins for them today against the KKR, who themselves are desperately seeking winning ways.

But this post is about something else. I have just discovered the secret behind the success of Mumbai Indians this season. It's lying in my wardrobe - my Black 'Sachin' t-shirt! That is what has been making MI win all this time!

I have discovered that whenever I wear my Black Sachin t-shirt during MI's match, they go on to win. It's Black Magic at work! If I wear the other White MI jersey, they end up losing, like it happenned on 20th March against the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. But despite MI's loss, that match was a wonderful experience due to two reasons. First, RCB is my second favourite team after MI. Second, it was my first experience of watching a cricket match in a movie theatre.

At about 7.30 that evening, a friend of mine and I decided that we will watch the MI v RCB match at the BIG Cinema multiplex (which is located at the other end of Pune from where I live). So by the time we got hurriedly ready, drove in high traffic to the other end, got our tickets and took our seats, MI had already lost Sanath Jaisuriya.

The best part about watching the match in there was - NO ADVERTISEMENTS! Actually, there were commercials during the strategic time-outs, but the fact that there were no commercials in between overs was refreshing to watch. All the fans in the hall were also distributed with whistles and banners indicating '4' and '6'. So it was fun!

I wouldn't go as far as calling it a 'stadium' experience, but it's the closest I have come to a stadium experience in a long long time. I could shout my support for Sachin at the top of my voice without worrying about the neighbours getting disturbed! By the end of it, my throat was tired and aching! All this when MI lost! I am wondering what would have happenned had MI won...

I wish that BIG Cinema's association with sports continues. I would like to see the upcoming FIFA World Cup in there as well. I know that it is not financially feasible to show each match live, but if it's possible, they could broadcast live the finals atleast. That would be enormous fun!

MOTERA AND BRABOURNE - AWAITING CRACKERS

Delhi Daredevils were beaten by 5 wickets with 5 balls to spare, resulting in their 2nd consecutive home loss. And Deccan Chargers finally got their first 'home' win in IPL at their 'adopted home' (Cuttack) against the only team they had not beaten yet in IPL - Kings XI Punjab.

TEAM PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:

DD: Virendra Sehwag went beserk, and DD looked untouchable. He got out, DD looked controllable. Hayden attacked DD's bowling, they looked beatable. Raina played the role of a finisher, the DD team was beaten. This team seems to be going the way Deccan Chargers went in the first IPL in 2008. Both teams are extremely strong on paper, but just as DC did not click at all in the inaugural edition, DD do not seem to be clicking now. They will soon need to get their act back together.

CSK: Despite the win, CSK will know that all questions have not been answered in their camp yet. Their bowling looks extremely susceptible to a good onslaught. But what was visible yesterday was the fact that if Matthew Hayden gives them a good start, their batting looks far more secure and capable (even if Dhoni is absent).

DC: They had a wobble in the middle overs while batting, but overcame it to win in the end. As I have mentioned last time as well, the Indians in the DC squad need to click soon. They have been depending too much on their foreign players, and I doubt such dependence wil be healthy for them in the long run.

KXIP: Three consecutive losses! The change of captaincy does not seem to be working. Infact, little seems to be working for them. Their star batsman, Yuvraj Singh, has flopped in all outings so far. Irfan Pathan led a late fightback against DC yesterday, but late fightbacks usually don't win you the game (ask Irfan's brother - Yusuf). Adrian Barath would do better at the top of the order rather than in the middle order.

MATCHES TODAY:

RR v KKR: In the first edition, Shane Warne was unimpressed when Sourav Ganguly questioned a catch claimed by Greame Smith to dismiss him. It created a controversy. In the last season, Ganguly hit 13 runs of 1 ball from Munaf Patel (a six of a no-ball followed by a six of the free hit) to ensure a tie and then Yusuf smashed Mendis to finish the game. With Chris Gayle available, another cracking performance by the KKR can be expected. I am not sure that RR has the ability or the composure to match them.

MI v RCB: RCB's first ever win in IPL was against MI in Mumbai. This time, both teams are coming off two consecutive wins. Mumbai have a very strong bowling attack. For RCB, Kallis is yet to be dismissed. This one is going one cracking contest. I am really looking forward to this one. Sachin Tendulkar v Anil Kumble. Awesome!

KORBO LODBO JEETBO RIDE STUTTERS

Hayden, please get back into form. I really want to see the Mongoose bat in action, but Haydos has said that he will be using it only in the death overs. If he continues scoring single digit scores, we may never see the 'Mongoose' in this IPL.

TEAM PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:

RCB: Their bowling left a lot to be desired. No initial breakthroughs meant that KXIP raced to a big score and on any other day, this score would have been enough for RCB to lose the game. Uthappa's innings was completely unexpected - and I don't expect a repeat any time in the near future. However, Kallis' form bodes well for the red outfit.

KXIP: The batting looked good... but it was helped by some shoddy bowling by the RCB bowlers. But the real worry is the fact that despite the pressure of a big target, the bowlers could do nothing to disrupt the calmness of Kallis. Despite the bulk, I think that Ramesh Powar is an intelligent bowler and should not be kept out of the squad.

KKR: The dream run has finally ended... at the hands of the Super Kings. KKR started off well, but just could not sustain the momentum for the entire duration of the match. I could not watch their batting, but it certainly can't have been good.

CSK: Hayden needs to strike... and quickly. Dhoni and Badrinath did the clean up act yesterday, but I doubt CSK as enough arsenal to last them through the tournament if their best striking device 'Haydos' fails. Their bowling continues to be a worry despite bundling KKR out.

MATCHES TODAY:

DD v MI: This will be Ferozeshah Kotla's first prominent fixture since the fiasco that occurred in the India - Sri Lanka ODI a few months back. The early indications are that the pitch will be a flatbed. This is a highly anticipated contest... not only because of the domestic rivalry between Mumbaii and Delhi, but also because the MI team has never been better prepared to counter a strong DD side. It will be a cracker of a contest if Zaheer, Malinga and Harbhajan from MI and Sehwag, Gambhir, Dilshan and De Villiers from DD - all play upto their potential. And if Pollard manages to shrug off his jetlag and prove his worth, then it will be a greatly entertaining match.

A DAY FOR SOUTHPAWS

The ides of March came and went... it wasn't as much of a graveyard day for bowlers as I had earlier predicted. It might have been had DD batted first and Sehwag continued for little longer. But the bottomline is that RR team was completely outplayed. And had it not been for Yusuf Pathan at Mumbai, one could have said that they have been outplayed in their second consecutive match.

TEAM PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:

DD: Professionally done by DD. Their bowlers did not allow RR to get away at any time... and then their batsmen, led by Viru, chased down the modest target without any fuss whatsoever. The team looks intimidating, but will they have enough left in their tanks by the time they reach the semis (which I know they will)?

RR: Yusuf did not click today... and RR ended up looking like a club side taking on arguably the strongest side in the IPL. This side looks too dependent on one man and if he doesn't perform, they do not seem to have a backup plan. Shane Warne's bowling looks tired, Munaf is bowling lollies, Tait is confused whether than batsman is right-handed or left-handed, and barring a couple of performances by Jhunjhunwala and Dogra, no lesser known player has performed so far. I know the tournament has just started, but this team does not inspire any confidence in me.

MATCHES TODAY:

RCB v KXIP: Both teams will be looking to open their points tally today at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. If told to do so at gunpoint, I'd place my money on RCB, but it could be a close call. I want to see two southpaws click today - one on either side. Yuvraj Singh and Eoin Morgan. Both are beautiful to watch when on song. It would be interesting to see if Morgan is ready to employ the reverse sweep again.

KKR v CSK: The 8th-placed outfit last year, Kolkata Knight Riders, have taken off quickly this year. CSK has looked ordinary (especially their bowling). So it is the perfect opportunity for KKR to get another win and get themselves comfortably placed on the points table. Two senior southpaws hold the key here - Dada and Haydos. It would be interesting to see if Shane Bond is picked or rested. If picked, then will Charl Langveldt play or be dropped? The only positive for CSK might be the fact that Ashwin and Murali might enjoy the Eden Gardens strip slightly more than the one they had at home. And yes, will we see the Mongoose in action this time... what say?

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH

Two teams began their campaign in IPL 2010 yesterday... both on a losing note. For a change, the result of the matches was decided long before the final over. So I didn't have any regrets about watching Alonso and Massa make in a Ferrari 1-2 at the season - opening Bahrain Grand Prix over KKR's easy chase.

TEAM PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:

KKR: Sourav 'Dada' Ganguly disappointed many Eden Gardens visitors when he chose to field first after winning the toss. He said that he expected the pitch to be slow earlier and pace up in the evening. Take a bow, Dada! Not only did he get it absolutely correct, he also ensured that his bowling changes did not allow RCB to fly to an ungettable total and ensure an easy victory for KKR.

RCB: A disappointing start! I think Vijay Mallaya will soon be pleading with Lalit Modi that RCB should not open its campaign in any future IPL versions against KKR (even if McCullum is unavailable). RCB was playing full strength, yet it was a convincing defeat. May be, they need the boss around them at all times. Vijay Mallaya, who was at Bahrain watching Force India gain some points in the season opener, will have to fly back to India soon to see RCB gain a few points.

CSK: Their play hardly resembled their name 'Super Kings'. I always felt that CSK's bowling would be their weak link... and it showed! MS Dhoni might be thinking why is it that death bowling is a concern in whichever team he captains! And what a sore - after all the 'Mongoose' talk, it never came out of the kit bag.

DC: The defending champions bounced back from their earlier defeat to KKR in a convincing manner. Gilchrist, Symonds, Gibbs and Vaas - the four foreign players all did their bit. They will need more contributions from their Indian players though (no one other than Ojha contributed in the win). They would be desperately hoping that Rohit Sharma regains his last year's form - with bat and ball.

MATCHES TODAY:

RR v DD: The last time when AB De Villiers was at Ahmedabad, he scored an unbeaten 102 in 59 balls. The last Test at Ahmedabad witnessed 6 centuries and 1 double century. So you know what to expect - runs, runs and more runs! Like De Villiers, even Yusuf will be enjoying the prospect of playing on such a flatbed. Both these men have scored centuries in the IPL - will we see another one today? There's only one thing I can say to the bowlers: Beware the ides of March!

WAITING FOR MONGOOSE

A super high scoring thriller followed by another thriller, not that high scoring. If one had the hard hitting performance of Yusuf Pathan going in vain, the other had a sublime performance by a captain called Gauti.

TEAM PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:

MI: The Brabourne stadium erupted when Shane Warne called it wrong at the toss... Sachin Tendulkar had won the first battle... The rest of it did not happen! The recruitment of former ICL stars has strengthened MI's lineup in a big way. And it showed!

RR: For RR, the big issue is that no one apart from Yusuf Pathan seems to be a threat while batting. Greame Smith may get it right some time, but that time needs to come soon.

KXIP: The batting was below par. Mistakes in the field arguably cost them the match. Sanga made an impressive captaincy debut in the IPL though. Atleast he managed to get Dilshan for 0.

DD: Gauti's innings was a throwback to the previous era. Its very rare to see such innings in this form of the game. It included cuts, late cuts, jabs and nudges - a very well compiled knock. With the skipper doing well and other big names due for a big score, DD is a strong strong team.

MATCHES TODAY:

KKR v RCB: RCB will be hoping to kick off its 2010 campaign in a different manner than 2008, when against this very team - they were smashed. The silver lining for them - McCullum is far away in New Zealand right now.

CSK v DC: MS Dhoni's men in yellow will be starting out at home against the defending champions, who would want to fight back from their loss in the first game. Bowling is a worry for both the teams. Hayden's mongoose will be interesting to watch.

SUB - STANDARD

Going into the first match of the Indian Premier League 2010, there were talks about the two teams not being full-strength. So it wasn't quite surprising that the quality of cricket on display at Navi Mumbai yesterday was sub-standard.

KKR was useless in the first halves of both innings, but had the last laugh as DC threw it all away in the respective second halves.

TEAM PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:

DC: The team looked almost sleepy on the field. I think they took the first match as defending champs against the wooden spoon holders too lightly. Gilly would want his boys to tighten their belt soon.

KKR: Soon to face a selection dillema... Gayle, Bond and McCullum will soon join the squad. Owais Shah, Angelo Matthews and Charl Langveldt gave evidence yesterday that they should not be dropped. Will reputations count over performance and form? We will soon know...

MATCHES TODAY:

MI v RR: Wow! Sachin Tendulkar v Shane Warne... A rivalry renewed (even though it is from a past era)! If the match gets over before the last over, then my money is on MI to win it. If the match goes to the last over, then my money is on MI to lose it.

KXIP v DD: Two new captains leading their squads... DD are the overwhelming favourites going by their current form. I will not be able to watch this match because I'll be travelling, but I'd be interested to see Sanga's plans to counter TM Dilshan.

Lets hope that today's matches will match the quality of the names that will be taking the field. Close matches are not good enough, we want good cricket too.