Game changing cameos by power hitters major reason behind CSK, DC, MI's success formula in IPL 2019

The IPL is no different and season after season we have seen matches being turned around their heads with some explosive starts at the top off the order and the well timed late flourish towards the end

Talk about T20 cricket and one can’t help but think about fours and sixes being toked by some belligerent hitters to every corner of the park  in those nail biting encounters which keep fans at the edge of their seats. The IPL is no different and season after season we have seen matches being turned around their heads with some explosive starts at the top off the order and the well timed late flourish towards the end.  Season 12 of the IPL which is coming to its business end has also witnessed some scintillating performances with the willow by some explosive stroke makers.

While the opening salvo provided by swashbuckling openers in David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Quinton De Cock to name a few, has helped team notch up herculean totals, power hitting has very much been the success mantra for teams to chase down daunting targets in nerve wrecking situations with relative ease . It is a no brainer that teams at the top of the table and vying for a place in the play-offs had their power hitters in full fury in the first half of the tournament.

Talk about Delhi Capitals and we have Rishabh Pant who has played some breath-taking cameos to take his team across the finishing line. The diminutive wicket-keeper has once again showcased his match winning ability with the willow with some lusty blows and lent good support to the in-form Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer at the top of the order.

Table toppers Chennai Super Kings who are once again looking a formidable force to win yet another title have been provided the impetus in their batting by their cool and calm skipper and dependable finisher MS Dhoni. With CSK’s top order of Faf Du Plessis, Ambati Rayadu, Suresh Raina and Shane Watson not at their prolific best, it has been Dhoni who has stepped up the acceleration button coming down the order

MS Dhoni , the old work horse has come to the party with some punchy knocks towards the end of the innings. Dhoni has been a thorn in the flesh for the opponents with his uncanny characteristic of taking the game deep and then unleashing his fury just when it is required.

Mumbai Indians equipped with arguably the deadliest trio of finishers with the Pandya Brothers and Keiron Pollard, have played some whirlwind knocks to take the ‘Blue brigade’ home in some nail bitters. It has just not been that one off innings but a sustained effort by the MI power hitters to help the three time champions pull off stellar wins in some close encounters.

Apart from Quinton De Cock, Mumbai’s top order of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav has been in somewhat a sea-saw kind of form. However, their hard-hitting finishers have come to the party time and again to bail them out of trouble.

However the biggest story of this IPL season so far has been that of Jamaican powerhouse Andre Russell who has been the game changer for the Kolkata Knight Riders in otherwise a lacklustre campaign by the ‘Purple Brigade’. The stocky built Windies all-rounder who is having arguably one of the best comeback seasons in the Indian Premier League, has been at his menacing best with the willow, dealing the opposition with some meaty blows with his swashbuckling stroke play. The hard hitting Russell is batting on another gear in the IPL, helping his team pull of some unbelievable chases smoking 40-odd sixes on his way.

On the contrary, the teams at the bottom of the table have not fared in their finishing act. While RCB struggled big time initially with both their batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and AB De Villliers failing miserably with the bat to put up decent scores, it also exposed their middle and lower order which was way below par. Marcus Stoinis has played some breath taking knocks but it could well be too late with the Aussies all set to leave the tournament in wake of the Australia’s World Cup preparations.

On similar lines, Rajasthan Royals who had some terrific performances by Jos Buttler, Steven Smith and Sanju Samson up the batting order haven’t had the firepower towards the end to close out games. The much talked about and highly priced  Ben Stokes who was en-tasked with finishing off games had a horrid run in the season so far.

With all teams having played 10 games each, the race for getting into the play-offs shall heat up in the coming week. With CSK having already qualified  and Delhi Capitals having one leg in the playoffs, the other two spots are up for the taking.

Teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings Eleven Punjab which are currently lodged in the middle of the table would look for their finishers in David Miller (KXIP), Deepak Hooda (SRH), Vijay Shankar (SRH) and Yusuf Pathan (SRH) to get their act together and come out with some power packed innings in games which could go down the wire.