VIVO IPL 2018 - time to eat crow!!

Apropos my previous post on this year's IPL where I crystal gazed (or so I thought)! Turns out , so far, I have been partially right and largely wrong!! This is how I am reading the IPL now!!
1. Mumbai will be lucky not to end up at the bottom of the IPL pile (Luck and DD might help them actually).
2. DD will be in the bottom 2 (that's where I am slightly right).
3. RCB has some scope of making it to the top 5 (DD and MI will help keep them off the bottom rungs), but very little of making it to the top 4.
4. CSK and SRH will be in the top 4.
5. KXIP will not fare as badly as I thought - they are on top and are likely to finish on top (Gayle must be credited for giving them wings).
6. I guess between KKR and RR, it will be former that rounds off the top 4.

Hopefully, I am reading it better now....though, I am also hoping that I am horribly wrong with my Mumbai prediction and that they replace KKR in the top 4!

Here's to miracles....

VIVO IPL 2018 - the fun begins

So, finally, the biggest cricketing event of any year (even if it is a World Cup year) has begun! Biggest in terms of excitement, money , sponsorships etc. etc - the VIVO IPL. The English counties are figuring out how to stem the flow of players , but will in all probability not find a solution.
Anyway, back to IPL. 5 matches played so far and some trends are beginning to make themselves evident:

1. Chase to win - even if the chase is looking improbable to pull off! So far, teams have won the toss, elected to field and won! The pattern was the same for almost half of IPL 2017 , after which suddenly, teams chasing started to lose!! Wonder if it will be the same this year. CSK won the inaugural match chasing , when it seemed impossible (Bravo won the day). Again, they won yesterday against KKR when they had to chase 203. Which brings me to the second point.
2. CSK have a very very very good chance of winning - they are higher on average age (several players in their 30s, more than any other team), but they have matchwinners.
3. MI, SRH, KKR and maybe KXIP will be the other teams who have a chance of making it to the top 4. Actually KXIP might be replaced by DD too.
4. RCB and RR will in all probability not be in the top 4. I still have some hopes from RR, but practically none from RCB (it's a bit of a tragedy that the first ever IPL match I am watching at a stadium will be between the two this year).
5. RCB has great batsmen at the top, but has both middle order and bowling problems; RR need someone like Klassen in the team.
6. Of all the teams, SRH continues to have the best bowlers. Not sure how well their batting can perform when needed (Dhawan and Williamson are good, but still..).

But hey, despite CSK having the best chance to win, as a diehard MI fan, lets hope Sharmaji ka beta walks away with the trophy this year too.