Chennai Super Kings- The men in yellow started off rustily only for immediate course correction. Hayden and Morkel don't look like being as consistent and destructive as they have been in the past; the bowling is a definite area of concern and they have once again brought aesthetically unappealing cheerleaders to the tournament. However, with the tournament's most astute captain-coach combination at the helm, CSK are favourites to reach the semis. Injuries to Kemp, Flintoff and Oram will deprive them of that second quality all-rounder and hence further progress. Watch out for the emergence of Ashwin and Vijay during the course of this tournament
Delhi Daredevils - Undoubtedly, the most thrilling batting unit in the IPL but a bowling unit that leaves a lot to be desired. Delhi have epitomised lacklusterness and have been particularly hurt by the approach of arguably two of the finest T-20 batsmen in the game: De Villiers and Dilshan. Gambhir and Nehra returning from injury will be of paramount importance and Dan Vettori joining them will lend much needed teeth to their bowling. Hard to see Delhi not entering the semis with a Warner, Sehwag, Gambhir, De Villiers batting lineup
Kolkata Knight Riders - They are everybody's favourite team to watch because of one man who is unfortunately proving to be the wrench in the works again. Kolkata's best chance lies in Ganguly spending as little time at the batting crease as possible for his T-20 record in terms of strike-rates is abysmal for somebody batting at the top of the order. Gayle and McCullum will add lots of muscle to the KKR batting, but expect them to be shackled by the extensive use of spin by the opposition. Undoubtedly, Ganguly has done a good job in getting a potent squad together, but KKR don't bat, bowl and field well enough for this format. Will not end up with the wooden spoon but that is about as good as it will get.
Rajasthan Royals- Everybody's second favourite team but you just sense that their magic is a thing of the past. Warne's tactical acumen, one just feels, has taken this team as far as they could have gone and the lack of quality in the squad is hurting them. Warne's propensity to get on board former Australian cricketers has to be criticised and you reckon that even if Shane Watson turns up, they will still have to be content with the Wooden Spoon. Have been unfortunate with injuries and bans as well.
Deccan Chargers - The Chargers are on a roll just like last year and seem to have this knack to close out tight games. Once again, their bull run has been powered by its foreign contingent and the lack of quality in the squad is bound to hurt them. Expect a lot of spin to be used against the Chargers as the wickets start to aid slow bowling but backed by a good start, and the presence of Andrew Symonds, my T-20 MVP, they will be there and thereabouts. Will just miss out on the semis.
Mumbai Indians - With a new coaching staff at the helm, Mumbai have re-structured their team much to the envy of all other teams and have started playing fearless cricket. Pollard and Rayudu have been excellent additions and with the tournaments's best 1-2 punch in Zaheer and Malinga, they will be tough to stop especially if Jayasuriya starts firing at the top. However, Tendulkar's propensity of being a little bit too cheeky with the batting order could come back and hurt them. Last year, it was Harbhajan Singh and this year it seems to be the turn of wicket-keeper Tare. MI will be difficult to beat if they keep it simple and face no injury concerns. They should finally break that semi-final jinx
Royal Challengers Bangalore - My sentimental favourites because of the presence of timeless legends like Dravid and Kumble. RCB have done a phenomenal job in turning the franchise around with some astute strategy in the bidding and transfer market. It all looks hunky-dory right now but RCB have never been good at setting totals and all their wins so far have come chasing. The batting with Pandey and Uthappa firing looks formidable but the bowling, though aggressive, can come unstuck against good batsmen. Will also face selection issues once Pietersen and Taylor join the squad. Will be in a shoot-out with the Kings XI for the final semifinal spot.
Kings XI Punjab - They are once again a team built around some very skilful T-20 cricketers most of whom are missing. They have had a bad start but expect them to go on a run once Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Katich and James Hopes return. They might regret having made Sangakkara the captain for he seems to have very little batting form but they will still be encouraged by Irfan Pathan's spunk. Yuvraj has by and large disappointed in the IPL, and with questions being raise about his training methods, he has a few critics to respond to. Will stake a claim for the final semi-final berth but the poor start might just come back to haunt them.
