IPL 2....... reviews

IPL 2009 has now reached almost the business end of the tournament. The semifinal slots are almost done, with Delhi Dare Devils & Chennai Super Kings virtually assured of the top berths. Deccan Chargers Hyderabad, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals & Royal Challengers Bangalore are vying for the other two slots, though RR & RCB look to be fighting a losing cause as of now, & only a miracle can bring them back in the reckoning.

Mumbai Indians, on whom a lot of hopes were pinned have proved to be missing the killer punch when it has mattered the most for them. As a team, they have flattered to deceive time & again. The team looks very sound & strong on paper, but in crunch matches, they have just not been able to cross the finishing line. Sachin leadership has been questionable as ever. He seems to evaluate his team strength as per his own individual capability & that sadly is not the case. While, Sachin is almost GOD as far as cricket is concerned, others are just lesser mortals & therefore have to be handled differently. Its sad to miss MI from the semis, but then those are hard realities. On the same lines are KKR who continue to increase their tally of defeats with gay abandon. The team is just not able to fire & has been losing crunch matches one after the other. Looks like they have made losing their habit. McCullum is completely at sea when it comes to Captaincy & proves once again, that good players are not necessarily good captains.

Rajasthan Royals, under Shane Warne continue to create awe amongst cricket watchers, for his sheer brilliance & tactics as a captaion. We need to spare a thought for him, as he continues to pull his team against all odds. A team lacking in depth of quality players & form, the RR men in blue are still a big threat to any opposition. However, one Warne & one Yusuf Pathan cannot win them the tournament. KXIP & DCH are running neck to neck & seem to be losing the plot at the most inappropriate times. However, I personally believe, they should make it to the last four, provided they play to their potential. The focus & performance of key players would be very critical at this stage. The RCB under Kumble have been inspirational on one day & equally insipid on another day. The team lacks consistency in performance to move to the next level.

In any case, we all look forward to some good cricket ahead, as the tournament enters its last leg this week. Entertainment guaranteed..............