The IPL 2010....Third Time Lucky?

By Bigjoe

Commences Friday 12th March 14.30 GMT

Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders kick off this year's edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It’s back on Indian soil after being moved to South Africa last year due to the Indian Elections being held at the same time and the government unable to guarantee security.

Sadly the security issues remain and some oversees players may decide to give it a miss, but the event goes ahead as planned and it should be another extravaganza of the highest calibre Twenty20 Cricket.

In both the previous two editions of the IPL, I favoured two sides. Delhi Daredevils and Kings X1 Punjab. In 2008, it looked as if I was justified as both seemed to be cruising towards the final, only to be dumped out at the semi final stage. Last year, Delhi looked to be coasting again, but fell at the penultimate hurdle again. I will be sticking with these two again and hoping it’s a case of third time lucky!

The biggest factor this year is the fact that its being played on Indian pitches again. The South African pitches on which it was staged last year were unfamiliar to most of the Indian players, especially the lesser knowns and they struggled to come to terms with the extra life and bounce on those pitches. The Indian pitches will be more predictable and as a result, I believe the likely outcome is more predictable.

Talking of unpredictable, the two teams that contested last years final in South Africa, Deccan and Bangalore, had finished the previous edition as the bottom two teams. That previous edition was in India and the move to South African pitches obviously suited their players more. Conversely, the switch back to India for this edition will suit the other teams better and I am very happy to give both Delhi and Punjab the benefit of the doubt and expect them both to perform better.

My main reason for siding with these two teams is that they posses the perfect balance in their squads for this format of the game, especially on the slower, lower pitches in India. They both have attacking, aggressive batsmen backed up by a perfect balance in the bowling attack of pace and, critically, class spinners.

Delhi Daredevils, arguably, have the most potentially destructive batting line up. Master blasters Sehwag, Gambhir, Warner and Dilshan at the top, backed up by De Villiers and Karthik. This line-up is capable of posting, or chasing any total and it’s difficult to find a weak link anywhere. On the bowling front the pacers Nehra and Nannes were amongst the top wicket takers in previous editions and they are backed up with a mouth watering spin pairing of Vettori and Mishra.

This Delhi side undoubtedly has the perfect blend of experience, balance and potential to go all the way in this tournament. They have flattered to deceive in the last 2 years, but I believe this time they will not disappoint and they are destined for the final.

In my opinion, joining them in that final will be Kings X1 Punjab. I believe they, of all the teams, found the South African pitches difficult to cope with. Those pitches were a million miles removed from the batting paradise they used to their beloved Mohali ground. The return to this venue will do wonders for them and their chances of lifting the trophy.

One thing of concern though will be the recent injury problems of two of their big stars. Yuvraj and Marsh have both been out of action recently for their respective countries and it’s likely that they will miss a few games. However there is still a wealth of talent and experience in this side. On the batting front you do not get much classier then the Sri Lankan pairing Sangakarra and Jayawardne. Also in the line up are Ravi Bopara and latest West Indian sensation, Adrian Barath. On the bowling front the pace of experienced Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan is complimented by the wily spin twins Chawla and Powar.

Overall, this Kings X1 Punjab has what it takes to go all the way this year. They have underperformed in last couple of years, but as the old saying goes, form is temporary, class is permanent. I believe this side has the class to finally do themselves justice in this event and I see them as the most likely challengers to Delhi this year.

Therefore my suggested bets on this year’s IPL are:

In The Outright Win Market:

BACK Delhi Daredevils for 5 points @ 5.5 at Expekt

BACK Kings X1 Punjab for 3 points@ 10.0 at VCBet

In The Tournament Top Batsman Market:

BACK Gautam Gambhir for 1 point@ 19.0 at Sky Bet

In The Tournament Top Bowler Market

BACK Pyush Chawla for 1 point@ 41.0 at Stan James

Join me as I truly believe it will be a case of third time lucky.

Bigjoe