I HAVE been watching IPL on and off. Here’s how I rank the teams –
1. Mumbai – They have depth with guys like Saurabh Tiwari, Tendulkar in form, an excellent bowling unit with Zaheer coming off a long lay off and Malinga bowling well. I picked them initially to win the title and I will stick with it.
2. Delhi – Sehwag is in excellent form. The only real problem is they really too much on Sehwag, Dilshan and Gambhir.
3. Bangalore – A very strong team with depth and quality all the way through. They are favorites for the title IMO even though they are a bit unfancied.
4. Chennai – The bowling is the weak link but over all, a very strong side.
5. Deccan – They are one pace bowler short but a good side neverthless.
6. Punjab – A mediocre team which might surprise on it’s day but lacks the consistency to go far in the tournament.
7. Rajasthan – No really strong batsmen and Pathan, despite his aggressive stroke play, is not a real batsman. He is more of a pinch hitter.
8. Kolkata – The batting is dire. Really poor team.
Each of the top teams have a weak chunk. Mumbai for example have the old Jayasuriya opening. The team which overcomes it’s weakness will win in the end. I have a strong feeling and I hope Mumbai wins the IPL. The only reason I am watching this year is to watch Tendulkar bat. I cherish each time I can see him bat. I will be going to a multiplex tonight to watch Bangalore v Mumbai and I can’t wait to watch Tendulkar on the big screen.
It is semi finals and one loss away from exit from the tournament and as Delhi found last year, you may not win despite being the strongest team in the tournament.
One gripe – The ads in between balls is really irritating. Abroad, they have an ad every 4-5 overs. There is an Advertising Standards Authority which is very strong and ensures the consumers are not exploited. It is about time we had some thing like that in India.