IPL 6 HALF TIME

1) ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (6 wins out of 9 with 6 home games) 

They have had a great start. Although, all their six wins have come in home games, they would be looking to continue the momentum gathered in their away fixtures. Having Chris Gayle in the ranks, a batting super hero, he could take on as many players as you think having the same expression on his face and your left speechless much like Sunny Deol during his the peak action. Skipper Virat Kohli too has been very consistent. They have a reasonable bowling attack. Their weakness is the lack of a quality all rounder and a shortened batting line up. The strong batting line up makes them serious title contenders. 

2) CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (6 wins out of 8 with 5 home games) 

The perennial title favourites were inconsistent to start with, but now they seemed to have gathered the steam. Despite the few injuries, the team looks to be very well balanced and has excelled as a unit. The consistency of Michael Hussey at the top, MS Dhoni in the middle and the never ending big hitters in lower middle order has been their biggest strength. With lot of allrounders, their bowling attack looks balanced. Their only weakness is at times they leave the acceleration of runs a little too late and love taking most games to the final over. Like most seasons, CSK look favourites. 

3) RAJASTHAN ROYALS (5 wins out of 8 with 4 home games) 

You can call them the underdogs or the dark horses, RR are one unit who thrive on team performance. This is a rare franchise where we can safely say resources are used to above potential. Rahul Dravid’s captaincy has made their team punch above their weight. With some noteworthy performances from James Faulkner, Shane Watson, Kevon Cooper, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny & the skipper himself the team looks at possibility of reaching the next level in the tournament. 

4) MUMBAI INDIANS (5 wins out of 8 with 3 home games) 

They are an all star unit with an abundance of talent. After a good beginning, they seemed to have somewhat lost their way, but they appear to be back on track. Finally, in Dwayne Smith they seemed to have found an opener. The consistency of Rohit Sharma & Dinesh Karthik in the middle order seems to be their biggest strength. The duo of Lasith Malinga & Mitchell Johnson seems to be lethal with the ball. Can MI be consistent and take their campaign a notch higher is one question a Mumbai Indian fan will definitely not want to answer. 

5) SUNRISERS HYDERABAD (5 wins out of 9 with 3 home games) 

Nobody gave the new franchise a chance at the start of the tournament. They have been living their dream considering the limitation of resources they have. Winning and losing both are habits, and they have seemed to have developed the good habit of winning close games. Their biggest strength is their bowling attack which has won them games from hapless situations. Amit Mishra & Dale Steyn have been their go to men. Despite the return of Shikhar Dhawan, the batting looks fragile.  

6) KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 wins out of 8 with 3 home games) 

If they take one step forward, they soon take one step back. Consistency is one thing they would be desperate to strive for. The leadership of Adam Gilchrist along with some glimpses of individual brilliance has still kept them alive in the hunt for the next stage. Mandeep Singh, David Miller & Praveen Kumar have been among their most consistent performers. 

7) KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (3 wins out of 8 with 5 home games) 

The defending champions have been living on oxygen supply. They have been on the losing side in a lot of close encounters. Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan, Jacques Kallis & skipper Gautam Gambhir have been the most consistent performers. Yusuf Pathan has become a liability more than an asset. They really need to pull up their socks to be in contention for the defence of their title. 

8) PUNE WARRIORS INDIA (2 wins out of 8 with 3 home games) 

They have been the biggest disappointment. It’s difficult to imagine the kind of situations they have lost games from. As a result of changing captains and too many bits and pieces cricketers, they have not been able to make appropriate use of their resources. Michael Clarke's replacement, Aaron Finch has been their most consistent performer. They need a miracle after the Gayle onslaught to make a comeback. 

9) DELHI DAREDEVILS (1 win out of 8 with 5 home games) 

Handicapped by the absence of key stars, they have had a nightmarish start to their campaign. Virender Sehwag's resurrection came a little too late in the day. With just one win in eight games, they seem to be out of contention for the playoffs.