It was another crazy, topsy-turvy week in IPL with some lower-ranked sides in the table beating teams placed at the top. The Net Run Rate has become all the more important as the business end of the tournament approaches. So, all teams need to keep a close eye on the same because it is going to be crucial in the end. Almost all the top four sides are in the positive as far as NRR is concerned while other sides are in negative. It is very congested in the middle now with Rajasthan Royals not taking the opportunities to win the last couple of games. This coming week is going to be so pivotal for several sides.

Watch out for MI vs RCB contest this week

There is a big game coming up on Tuesday between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The game will be at Wankhede as two big sides of this league battle it out with more than just the reputation to play for. There are two crucial points at stake, and it adds so much context to this marquee clash. From Mumbai’s standpoint, I would like to see Jofra Archer open the bowling and set the tone. He is probably the bowler opening batters would least like to face and MI must ensure they use him well.

The competition to reach the top two spots is getting tighter. Gujarat Titans have looked strong as they have done throughout the tournament. They had an interesting week. GT lost to Delhi Capitals earlier in the week before they chased down 119 easily against RR. They pulled off another win against Lucknow Super Giants to maintain their winning run.

Hardik’s honesty as captain reflects team culture

I interviewed Hardik Pandya this week after GT’s loss against Capitals where he was very honest about his own performance. By saying that it was him who messed up the chase, he gave a strong message to the dressing room. He admitted that he was not able to finish the game. The point is that he was so honest about his own performance even in front of the camera. His character reflects the character and culture of the dressing room. The players see their captain leading in  a very honest way. These honest admissions create a healthy environment in the dressing room. It means that even the captain cannot hide after a poor show. Apart from the ability, talent and resources, such a culture is also key to the success that Titans have seen since making their debut last season.

It is good to see Wriddhiman Saha come back to form. He struggled for runs right from the start but in the game against Rajasthan, he stormed back to form. Looking back, that was a crucial game for the Titans. One, because that win came at the back of the loss to DC. Two, the final piece in the jigsaw was the form of Saha and he came good against RR in that match. Saha’s form is a big encouragement for Titans going forward.

RR vs SRH was full of drama but don’t write off Royals yet

The game between RR and SRH was another crazy game from this season. At first, it seemed Sandeep Sharma had finished it brilliantly again for RR as the home team began to celebrate the win before the no-ball siren went up causing an anti-climactic end to the game. In the end, Abdul Samad finished off the match with a six for SRH. In a span of three minutes, RR went from winning 2 points to losing them. Some of the last-ball finishes have been extraordinary in this IPL and this game was no different.

Despite three losses on the run, I am not writing off Rajasthan Royals yet. They clearly had a poor week. They were outplayed by Gujarat earlier as they batted very badly that day. At the same time, there have been some positives for them too. The form of Jos Buttler has been a big positive. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been excellent, and Samson too has had a good IPL. Some of their major players are beginning to show signs of form again. I still think that they may still get through based on their NRR.

Tushar Deshpande impact on CSK’s campaign

CSK, as I have said before, are one of the strongest sides in the competition. One player I would like to pick out is Tushar Deshpande. While Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad and spinners have been some of their top performers, it is important to also mention Deshpande’s contribution with the ball. He has been giving them good starts with the ball. He is at the top end of the Purple Cap list, which sums up his IPL 2023 so far. The job he is doing with the new ball has been very helpful for MS Dhoni and Co.

Don’t write off RCB too

One cannot write off RCB yet either. I think Josh Hazlewood’s return is a huge boost for them. The Aussie pacer is key member for them and will play a huge role if RCB are to qualify for the playoffs. RCB’s next match vs MI is a huge game as both sides will be looking to get back to winning ways.

The teams at the bottom – SRH and DC – can become very dangerous, at times. That is proving to be the case right now. SRH pulled off a brilliant win against LSG on Sunday night and DC have won 4 out of last 5 games. They may have taken time to raise their game, but they are not quite yet out of it.

The quality that DC have is there to be seen. Anrich Nortje had to leave midway and go home for personal reasons. We thought his absence would make it a lot tougher for DC to get through, but they found a hero in Ishant Sharma, who finished a couple of games for them with the ball.

Philips was brilliant against RR

SRH were understandably backing Harry Brook in the XI after his hundred at the start of the competition. His big wage could also be the reason why the franchise would want to play him consistently. But they did well to replace him with Glenn Philips in the game vs RR. Philips is a terrific player and turned the game on its head with some brilliant strokes in the end. For Brook, his first IPL season would be full of lessons, and I am sure he will emerge out of it as a better player.