We are now past the halfway point of this year’s Indian Premier League, and there’s a tight battle at the top of the ladder.
Only two points currently separate first and seventh on the table, with the top four sides progressing through to the finals — so every match over the coming three weeks is crucial.
Eleven Australians have featured in the IPL so far this season, and each of them have contributed at some stage with either bat or ball, including several Player of the Match performances.
Daniel Sams and Matthew Wade have yet to appear for their respective franchises, but could be required later in the tournament.
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Kohli BLOWS UP after clash with Gambhir | 00:53
CAMERON GREEN (MUMBAI INDIANS) — B+
266 runs at 44.33, SR 150.28
Five wickets at 51.00, ER 10.20
After a nervy start to his maiden IPL campaign, Green is beginning to discover his mojo in India.
The West Australian’s record-breaking $3.15 million contract came under scrutiny after registering scores of 5 (4) and 12 (11) in his first two outings for the Mumbai Indians.
But since then, Green has been one of the competition’s most consistent batters, smacking 249 runs at 62.25 in seven knocks, including back-to-back fifties against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings.
However, he has proven expensive with the ball, leaking more than ten runs per over despite a few handy top-order breakthroughs.
Green stunner not enough to edge Kings | 01:05
ADAM ZAMPA (RAJASTHAN ROYALS) — B
Five wickets at 19.39, ER 8.81
Zampa has only made three appearances for the Rajasthan Royals this year, with Indian tweakers Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal keeping the Australian on the sidelines, but the Royals are yet to lose a match with Zampa in their starting XI.
The talented New South Wales leg-spinner snared 3-22 in last week’s 32-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur, removing both openers in an impressive three-over spell.
Zampa’s haul leads Royals to victory | 00:46
MATHEW SHORT (PUNJAB KINGS) — C
117 runs at 19.50, SR 127.17
Short has fallen victim to making decent starts but not going on with them throughout his maiden IPL campaign.
The Victorian, picked up by the Punjab Kings as an injury replacement for England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, turned heads with explosive knocks against the Lucknow Super Giants (34 off 22 balls) and Gujarat Titans (36 off 22 balls) last month.
But despite getting half a dozen chances to prove his worth at the top of the order, he’s still searching for that elusive half-century.
However, Short has put together a few handy spells with the ball during the Powerplay, conceding only 6.25 runs per over across the tournament.
Short’s cameo not enough to save Kings | 01:01
MARCUS STOINIS (LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS) — B
235 runs at 26.11, SR 145.06
Five wickets at 16.00, SR 8.13
It’s hard to fault Stoinis’ efforts this season with the Lucknow Super Giants, who are once again hovering near the top of the IPL ladder.
The West Australian’s explosive half-centuries against the Punjab Kings (72 off 40 balls) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (65 off 30 balls) helped the Super Giants clinch crucial wins, while he earned Player of the Match honours for his spell of 2-28 against the Rajasthan Royals last month.
But Stoinis’ consistency remains a source of frustration, dismissed for 15 or less in half of IPL knocks.
Stoinis helps Super Giants defeat Royals | 01:02
DAVID WARNER (DELHI CAPITALS) — B-
308 runs at 34.22, SR 118.46
Despite being one of the IPL’s eight leading run-scorers this year, Warner’s sluggish strike rate has drawn plenty of criticism over the past five weeks.
The veteran opener has registered four fifties in the tournament to date, repeatedly scratching his way towards fifty as wickets tumble at the other end — but because the rest of Delhi’s top order has struggled, captain Warner has felt obliged to play more defensively in the middle overs.
He has only cleared the boundary rope once in nine knocks, and his Capitals are currently reeling at the bottom of the IPL with three wins in nine matches.
Warner’s half century helps Capitals win | 01:40
GLENN MAXWELL (ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE) — A
262 runs at 32.75, SR 183.21
Two wickets at 38.50, SR 10.04
He’s called ‘The Big Show’ for a reason.
Maxwell has been in vintage form for the Royal Challengers this season, boasting the tournament’s third-highest strike rate among players with at least 150 runs. The Victorian has smacked 23 sixes across the tournament, only bettered by Faf du Plessis’ 28 maximum.
Maxwell has scored three fifties thus far, headlined by a jaw-dropping 76 (36) in last month’s eight-run loss to the Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru.
Maxwell plays all the hits in unreal 77! | 02:15
NATHAN ELLIS (PUNJAB KINGS) — B+
Nine wickets at 22.66, ER 9.27
Ellis has only made half a dozen appearances for the Punjab Kings, some of which as a substitute, but the Tasmanian has rarely let the franchise down with the ball.
The crafty right-hander was named Player of the Match during last month’s five-run victory against the Rajasthan Royals after claiming 4-30 in the run chase, also taking two crucial scalps in Wednesday’s six-wicket loss to the Mumbai Indians.
Ellis has arguably been Australia’s best bowler in this year’s IPL campaign to date.
Ellis makes statement with 4-wicket haul | 01:40
JOSH HAZLEWOOD (ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE) — B
Two wickets at 7.50, ER 5.00
Hazlewood has only played one match for the Royal Challengers Bangalore since recovering from his Achilles injury, taking 2-15 during Monday’s 18-run victory over the Lucknow Super Giants.
“It has been a long while,” Hazlewood, No. 3 on the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings, said in the post-match press conference.
“I was excited more than nervous. It is great to be back here in front of some good fans.”
Hazlewood makes successful return in IPL | 01:11
TIM DAVID (MUMBAI INDIANS) — A-
177 runs at 44.25, SR 171.84
Is Tim David the best finisher in the IPL?
The Singapore-born Australian has kept the Mumbai Indians’ season alive with his powerful striking in the middle order, guiding the marquee franchise to victory on several occasions throughout the tournament.
Only one IPL player has more runs at a higher average and better strike rather than David this season — Chennai Super Kings’ Ajinkya Rahane.
David’s trio of sixes in the final over of last week’s thrilling victory over the Rajasthan Royals in Wankhede remains a tournament highlight.
David SMASHES 3 6s in a row for victory | 01:03
MITCHELL MARSH (DELHI CAPITALS) — C+
96 runs at 15.66, SR 130.55
Seven wickets at 15.71, SR at 8.35
Somewhat surprisingly, Marsh has contributed more with the ball than the bat in India this year.
After dominating India’s bowlers during March’s ODI series, the West Australian all-rounder started his IPL campaign with scores of 0, 4 0 and 2.
But Marsh bounced back during last week’s nine-run loss against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Delhi, named Player of the Match after smacking 63 (39) and taking 4-27, becoming just the fifth cricketer to score a fifty and take four wickets in an IPL match.
Capitals lose again while Kings soar | 02:42
JASON BEHRENDORFF (MUMBAI INDIANS) — B+
Eight wickets at 24.87, ER 9.95
Despite often finding himself watching from the sidelines, Behrendorff has been the Mumbai Indians’ second-leading wicket-taker of the tournament to date with eight scalps in six matches.
The West Australian claimed three wickets in an over during last month’s six-wicket victory over the Delhi Capitals, including the crucial dismissal of David Warner.
However, he has proven expensive during the Powerplay and at the death, leaking nearly ten runs per over this year.
