Four weeks into the 2013 Indian Premier League and the knock-outs' picture is beginning to take shape. If you compare it with 2012, it isn't a close run thing.
At this stage last season, there were seven teams vying for four spots. A year later, things have evolved a little bit more, with only five teams in the fray now and a sixth with an outside chance.
Rajasthan Royals continued their unbeaten streak at home, spanking Pune Warriors by five wickets in a high-scoring match at Jaipur. It kept the Royals in contention for a knock-out spot, with 14 points from eleven games. The Warriors, already knocked out, continue to languish in last spot with only four points from twelve games.
Even a change of dressing room couldn't inspire Pune Warriors to victory as they succumbed by 17 runs to Royal Challengers Bangalore, who managed their first away win of Indian Premier League 2013.
Half-centuries from Saurabh Tiwary and AB de Villiers helped Bangalore post 187 for three and although Robin Uthappa replied with 75 in 45 balls, Pune only managed to close on 170 for nine.
Chennai Super Kings extended their Indian Premier League winning streak to six with a comprehensive 37-run victory over bottom side Pune Warriors.
Two-time champions Chennai scored 164 for three as Suresh Raina hit an unbeaten 63 and then restricted Pune to 127 for nine in reply.
Delhi Daredevils registered their second win of the 2013 IPL season, beating Pune Warriors by 15 runs at their new home in Raipur. This win lifts Delhi off the last spot into eighth, with four points from nine games, mathematically keeping their chances alive and relegates Pune to the bottom of the points table with as many points.
Ideally this headline should read as 'Royal Challengers Bangalore Lay Down The Marker', having taken an early lead in the Indian Premier League 2013. Despite Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals pushing towards the top, Virat Kohli's side has stayed at the top consistently. Chetan Narula rounds up the latest IPL 2013 action as we approach the halfway stage.
Chris Gayle smashed a new world record Twenty20 score of 175 not out to propel Royal Challengers Bangalore to a world leading score of 263 for five and a 130-run win over Pune Warriors in Bangalore.
Gayle's fourth IPL century saw him surpass Brendon McCullum's long-standing record of 158 and included 17 sixes - another record - as Bangalore returned to the top of the Indian Premier League 2013 table when Pune could only reach 133 for nine in reply.
In a game of high hitting, Kings XI Punjab beat Pune Warriors by seven wickets at Mohali. This win lifts Kings XI to fifth in the table, just above Mumbai Indians, both teams having six points from six games. Pune Warriors are second from last, with four points from seven games, and now will have to watch their backs as Delhi Daredevils got off the mark earlier in the day.
Amit Mishra took his third Indian Premier League hat-trick to bowl Sunrisers Hyderabad to an 11-run win over Pune Warriors as they successfully defended a score of 119 for eight.
Mishra finished with figures of four for 12, dismissing Buvneshwar Kumar, Rahul Sharma and Ashok Dinda to bowl the home side out for 108 after they lost their last six wickets for just seven runs.
In a tournament that has already served up its fair share of upsets, Pune Warriors produced another big one by beating Chennai Super Kings in game 19 of the Indian Premier League 2013 by 24 runs.
Australians Aaron Finch and Stephen Smith played key innings to help them make 159 for five before Chennai lost a wicket without scoring a run and eventually closed on 135 for eight.
In their latest series of Indian Premier League 2013 podcasts, John Pennington and Chetan Narula discuss a number of topics, ranging from Delhi Daredevils' struggles to the form of Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
Two weekends in the 2013 Indian Premier League have come and gone, almost as a wind. The cricket on show has been enticing, at times a little slow and at other times the supposed entertainment took over.
The one assured aspect that came out on top though, and will continue to do so, is the ebb and flow of different teams as fortunes will change daily. Chetan Narula runs the rule over the start of the 2013 tournament.
Mumbai Indians rose to the top of the Indian Premier League 2013 table with a commanding 41-run win over Pune Warriors at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
It was a local derby of sorts for the two teams from neighbouring cities and Mumbai came out on top as Pune suffered their third defeat in four matches.
The return of Yuvraj Singh and Aaron Finch's debut helped Pune Warriors taste victory for the first time in the Indian Premier League 2013 with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals.
Finch, in the side as a replacement for the inured Marlon Samuels, blasted 64 at the top of the order, and Yuvraj Singh hit the winning runs as Pune closed on 148 for three in reply to Rajasthan's 145 for five.
Cricket World TV looks back at the opening week of the Indian Premier League 2013 - IPL 2013 - IPL 6 in India, which at the time of recording saw four times level on two points at the top of the table.
After seven matches of the 2013 Indian Premier League, John Pennington and Chetan Narula discuss the start of the tournament, which has seen outsiders Sunrisers Hyderabad hit the top of the table.
Kings XI Punjab made a winning start to the Indian Premier League 2013 with a crushing eight-wicket win over Pune Warriors, who have now not won in 11 IPL matches.
They could only post a pathetic 99 for nine after winning the toss and choosing to bat and Kings XI raced to victory in 12.2 overs.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad made a winning start to their Indian Premier League career with a 22-run win over Pune Warriors in a low-scoring match in front of their home fans.
Batting first, the Sunrisers made what appeared to be a very modest score of 126 for six before dismissing Pune for just 104 in reply.
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) will combine for the sixth successive year to ensure that the 2013 IPL tournament is played in the right spirit.
The sixth edition of the IPL starts today, when 2012 winners, Kolkata Knight Riders, host Delhi Daredevils at Eden Gardens.
A number of Indian Premier League 2013 matches have been rescheduled to avoid clashes with assembly elections in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka players are set to be given the go-ahead to play in the tournament but will not feature in any matches in Chennai.
Australia captain Michael Clarke faces up to 10 weeks on the sidelines with back and hamstring injuries but they are not expected to compromise his Ashes preparations.
Clarke missed the fourth and final Test in India after suffering back pain and scans in Australia have confirmed injuries to both his lower back and hamstring.
With the start of the 2013 Indian Premier League now just 41 days away, teams are finalising their line-ups for the sixth edition of the Twenty20 competition.
Chief among them are 2011 runners-up Mumbai Indians and 2009 champions Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have appointed new captains in Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli respectively.
Australians Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson and James Faulkner were among the big winners as the auction for IPL 2013 took place in Chennai. Maxwell fetched the biggest amount of the day when he was sold for $1 million (five times his base price) to Mumbai Indians. Faulkner and Richardson also fetched more than expected, with the former selling for $400,000 to Rajasthan Royals and Richardson going to Pune Warriors for an incredible $700,000.
The auction for the sixth season of the Indian Premier League will be held on 3rd February in Chennai, according to reports and social media posts.
IPL Chief Executive Officer Sundar Raman tweeted the following: "Pepsi IPL auction will be held on 3rd Feb in Chennai starting 11am IST."
