Something isn't 'Right' about the IPL

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They made their mark in the inaugural Indian Premier League.

And the impact they had on the competition was something that couldn't be ignored.


So while Shaun Marsh (Kings XI Punjab), Gautam Gambhir (Delhi Daredevils) and Sanath Jayasuriya (Mumbai Indians) finished as the top three scorers in season one with 616, 534 and 514 runs respectively, Graeme Smith (Rajasthan Royals, 441), Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers, 436) and Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings, 421) also finished among the top 10 batsmen.


Among the bowlers, Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals) took the purple cap for the most wickets in the competition with 22 dismissals.


Nothing much has changed in the IPL's second season.


On one hand we have Matthew Hayden (Chennai Super Kings, 426), Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings, 309), J P Duminy (Mumbai Indians, 297) and Yuvraj Singh (Kings XI Punjab, 296) as the top four batsmen. Gilchrist again features in the top 10 list with an aggregate of 265 from 10 games so far.


On the other hand, we have bowlers like R P Singh (Deccan Chargers), Ashish Nehra (Delhi Daredevils), Yusuf Abdulla (Kings XI Punjab), Shadab Jakati (Chennai Super Kings) and Pragyan Ojha (Deccan Chargers) featuring among the top bowlers in the competition.


If you haven't guessed it as yet, we are referring to the army of left-handers, the southpaws, who have made such a big impact in the competition.


With more than half the tournament concluded, rediff.com analyses the performances of the top 'lefties' in the IPL who happen to be very much on the right track.

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Matthew Hayden
Matches: 9
Runs: 426
Highest: 89
Average: 47.33
Strike Rate: 151.60

Australia's loss has been a huge gain for the Chennai Super Kings. He may have quit international cricket but the hunger for runs remains.


If bowlers thought Matthew Hayden make take it just a bit easy in the IPL, they were in for a rude shock. The left-hander has been virtually unstoppable in the tournament and has taken every bowling attack to the cleaners.



Last year, he didn't play the full IPL due to international commitments, but this year he is taking part in the full tournament and following a big break has given full value for money.


His most dangerous shot has been the one when he calmly walks down the wicket and dismisses the bowler, whether a pacer or spinner, high into the stands.
At 37, the left-hander can put to shame many of the young fielders around the world. His power-packed batting has been a major influence on the Chennai Super Kings who, after a slow start, are looking one of the top favourites for the title.


So far, he leads the batting charts with 426 runs from nine matches at 47.33, with three half-centuries; the next best batsman is team-mate Suresh Raina, but he trails by more than 100 runs.



Not surprisingly, he has hit the most sixes and boundaries so far in the tournament -- 17 sixes and 49 boundaries and boasts the highest strike rate too.

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Matthew Hayden
Matches: 9
Runs: 426
Highest: 89
Average: 47.33
Strike Rate: 151.60

Australia's loss has been a huge gain for the Chennai Super Kings. He may have quit international cricket but the hunger for runs remains.


If bowlers thought Matthew Hayden make take it just a bit easy in the IPL, they were in for a rude shock. The left-hander has been virtually unstoppable in the tournament and has taken every bowling attack to the cleaners.



Last year, he didn't play the full IPL due to international commitments, but this year he is taking part in the full tournament and following a big break has given full value for money.


His most dangerous shot has been the one when he calmly walks down the wicket and dismisses the bowler, whether a pacer or spinner, high into the stands.
At 37, the left-hander can put to shame many of the young fielders around the world. His power-packed batting has been a major influence on the Chennai Super Kings who, after a slow start, are looking one of the top favourites for the title.


So far, he leads the batting charts with 426 runs from nine matches at 47.33, with three half-centuries; the next best batsman is team-mate Suresh Raina, but he trails by more than 100 runs.



Not surprisingly, he has hit the most sixes and boundaries so far in the tournament -- 17 sixes and 49 boundaries and boasts the highest strike rate too.

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Suresh Raina
Matches: 9
Runs: 309
Highest: 98
Average: 34.33
Strike Rate: 147.14

The 22-year-old has matched team-mate Matthew Hayden stroke for stroke. When the two left-handers have got going together, the Chennai Super Kings have looked on a different planet altogether.


Suresh Raina was unlucky to miss out on a century when he fell for 98 against the Rajasthan Royals, an innings which comprised 10 boundaries and five sixes in 55 deliveries.


He stands behind Hayden in the orange cap standings with 309 runs in nine matches at 34.33.

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J P Duminy
Matches: 10
Runs: 297
Highest: 59*
Average: 49.50
Strike Rate: 114.23

Jean Paul Duminy has been Mumbai's saviour.


Everytime Mumbai has been in trouble, the South African has come to his team's rescue. The left-hander has hit four half-centuries, the most in the tournament.


Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya have been patchy at best and Duminy has had to anchor Mumbai's ship in turbulent weather.


His 297 runs have played a big part in keeping Mumbai's hopes alive.