It's Tight at the Top

By Gulu Ezekiel

It’s pretty tight at the top at the exact halfway mark of IPL II.
The only sure-shot prediction at this stage is that bottom-placed Kolkata Knight Riders have no hope of reaching the semifinals as they have lost six of their eight games with one ‘No-Result’.
Apart from KKR, all the seven remaining teams must fancy their chances and this will help hold the interest of the fans while the second half of the tournament unfolds.
The big surprise at the start was the resurgence of the Deccan Chargers who had come last in the first season.
This time they began with a bang and shot to the top of the table with four wins in their first four matches.
But the nature of 20/20 is such that fortunes and equations can change with just one game or two. Sure enough, Chargers have lost their last three matches and after crashing to defeat on Monday at the hands of Chennai Super Kings, they have ceded the top position to their southern rivals.
CSK on the other hand had a slow start but have now won their last three matches and with skipper MS Dhoni finally coming good with the bat, last year’s runners-up must fancy their chances again.
The biggest disappointment this season has been the slump in form of title holders Rajasthan Royals who are currently second from last, on equal points with Mumbai Indians but trailing on Net Run Rate.
The absence of last year’s top wicket taker Sohail Tanvir and Most Valuable Player Shane Watson has hit them pretty hard. To add to their woes, surprise packet left arm seamer Kamran Khan is out with a combination of a knee injury and suspect action.
It looks like a fight to the finish this time around and from now onwards, every match will be vital as the teams scramble for a place in the semi-finals.

www.sportshero.com (5/5/09)