We are at the business end of the IPL 2012 round robin stage now and it’s do or die for both the Kings XI Punjab and the Chennai Super Kings who meet in Dharamsala in the first of Thursday’s matches.

Competition for a top four finish is proving fierce and although the Super Kings currently hold one of the play off positions, their current total of 17 points will look pretty vulnerable if they lose here. This is CSK’s last game of the round robin stage but Kings XI Punjab have one remaining after this and they need to bridge a three point a gap with their own opponents here as well as overhaul any two of the the Knight Riders, Royal Challengers and Rajasthan Royals. That looks a really tall order for KXP who will host Delhi here in their final match but whilst the play offs remain mathematically possible, they are sure to give it a go.

This is the latest in a sequence of must win games for CSK who have won their last three matches against the Royals in Jaipur, the Daredevils in Chennai and most recently, the Knight Riders in Kolkata. Monday’s win over KKR went right down to the last ball with Dwayne Bravo hitting the maximum needed to get Chennai up.

Kings XI were in action in Delhi on Tuesday where a five wicket defeat blew a major hole in their play off hopes. They had won four of the previous five to put themselves in contention although only two of their seven wins in total arrived at their usual home venue at Mohali. With that home record in mind, KXP won’t mind the change of surroundings for there final two matches and in one of their games staged at  Dharamsala last season they smashed 232 runs in a 111 run win over RCB at this most beautiful of venues. On a more cautionary note, they were taken for an 82 run hiding by the Chargers on a subsequent outing at this ground last season.

The first meeting between the teams came back in Match 37 in Chennai and although the Super Kings started as 5/10 favourites, Kings XI came out on top, successfully defending 156/8 for a seven run win. The Super Kings still dominate the head to head results with six wins to Kings XI’s two and there has been one tie.

In the betting, the Super Kings opened up at 4/7 and Kings XI can be backed at 11/8 to win the match. If the track is as good for batting as it was at the tail end of last season we should be in for a high scoring game and to that end, CSK are 17/20 to hit the most sixes with KXP trading at 11/8 and it’s 6/1 the tie. Many more markets are available before we go “in play”.

Conclusion:
This is our first look at Dharamsala in IPL 2012 and it’s worth bearing in mind the side batting first in the two games staged here at the end of IPL 2011 went on to make huge, match winning totals. A pitch report will therefore be worth looking out for but given a fair batting track and short boundary ropes, the Super Kings big hitters will take some holding here.

Prediction: Most match sixes, Super Kings, 17/20

The second of Thursday’s matches in the IPL is a mouthwatering clash as the Delhi Daredevils host the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The Daredevils are already assured of a place in the top four and one more win from two remaining games will also ensure they remain in the top two. The significance there is that the two top sides will meet in the first qualifier for the final and the loser of that game will still get a second chance by contesting a subsequent qualifier against either the third or fourth place finishers. That extra insurance of a top two finish means there is still plenty at stake for Delhi who will visit the Kings XI in their final round robin match, but for RCB, the situation is far more precarious.

For the Royal Challengers, two wins from their two remaining matches, here and away at Deccan Chargers would see them finish with 19 points. Even then, RCB may be sweating on net run rate to determine their fate and surprisingly for a team with some awesome hitting power, they are still in negative territory in that respect.

Defeat at home to the Mumbai Indians in their most recent outing leaves RCB with plenty to do. The Royal Challengers were in trouble early against Mumbai on Monday with Gayle and Kohli back in the pavilion with the score barely in double figures. Although they recovered to post 171/6 and then had Mumbai struggling at 19/3, they let things slip and were overhauled with two balls remaining. If RCB can win here they will certainly fancy their chances of following up at Deccan at the weekend but defeat will probably end their hopes of reaching the play offs although we will have to see how matches involving other contenders pan out.

The Royal Challengers beat the Daredevils by 20 runs in Bangalore earlier in the tournament way back in Match 5 however overall in the head to heads, the Daredevils edge it 4-3.

In the match result betting, the opening show sees both sides priced at 10/11, the proverbial “choice game”.

Bear in mind we have Gayle (RCB) and Sehwag (Delhi) in opposition here and the most sixes market will be the subject of huge interest. Delhi are 12/10 to clear the ropes the most times, RCB are even money and the tie is 11/2

If you fancy a bet in the highest six over total market, Delhi are 4/5 whilst RCB can be backed at even money to outscore their opponents in the powerplay overs.

Delhi have been the most successful team when it comes to running out their opponents. Under 1.5 run outs is 4/7 here and it’s 7/5 for two or more batsmen to fail to make their ground. Remember many more pre-match markets are available before we go in play.

Conclusion:
It’s pretty much last chance saloon time for RCB and whilst this game is far from a dead rubber for Delhi, the Daredevils will have another chance to make sure of a top two finish.

RCB get the vote to take qualification right down to the wire.

Prediction: Royal Challengers to win the match, 10/11

vWednesday’s IPL action features a meeting between the teams second and third on the log as the Mumbai Indians host the Kolkata Knight Riders.

This is a cracking match up with both sides looking to seal a top four, and preferably, top two finishing position in the next few days but whoever loses here could in theory still be caught by the chasers and miss out on the play offs completely. Mumbai have 18 points to KKR’s 17 and after this, they will both have one remaining game in the round robin stage.

The first meeting between these teams took place in Kolkata as recently as last Saturday and Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 109 in Mumbai’s total of 182/1 proved too much for the Knight Riders who came up 27 runs short despite 79 from Kallis. There was more heartbreak for the Knight Riders on Monday when they lost at home to the Chennai Super Kings with CSK’s Dwayne Bravo lifting the final ball of the match over the ropes for a six. The Knight Riders still have to visit struggling Pune Warriors in their final game and their net run rate at the moment is the second best in the tournament, a criteria which could yet prove crucial in determining the finishing positions.

Mumbai are seemingly timing their run perfectly. Inconsistent throughout the first half of the tournament they have now won five of their last six to force their way into the top two. Two of those five recent wins have been decided from the final delivery of the game and in their most recent match, Mumbai got up to overhaul the Royal Challengers 171/6 in Bangalore with just two balls remaining. Mumbai will finish their round robin matches away at Rajasthan Royals so this is their final home game and they have won three and lost four of their previous seven in front of their own supporters.

The highest total chased down at this ground in IPL 2012 is the 173 of the Super Kings which Mumbai conquered when Dwayne Smith crashed 14 off the last three balls of Match 49. We have seen some really low scoring games as well but back in Match 12 Mumbai posted a winning 197 against the Royals.  Despite their rise to second place on the log, Mumbai still have a negative net run rate which illustrates how many close matches they have edged.

Overall in the head to heads the Mumbai dominance continues, now reading 8-1 in their favour.

In the betting, Mumbai open up at 8/11 to win the game with the Knight Riders available at even money. Mumbai won the most sixes contest when the sides met at the weekend and they are evens to clear the ropes more times than KKR (12/10) with the tie trading at 11/2. Remember there are a number of alternatives for a pre-match punt before the markets go “in play”.

Conclusion:
The momentum is now with Mumbai and the head to head stats make scary reading for Kolkata backers. Mumbai’s habit of being involved in close finishes means they remain something of a risky proposition but their uncanny habit of winning when all seemed lost means they get the vote to seal a play off spot.

Prediction: Mumbai Indians to win, 8/11

The Delhi Daredevils are in action in the one match taking place in the IPL on Tuesday and the Kings XI Punjab provide the opposition.

With nine wins from 13 matches, the Daredevils are in really good shape overall but they have lost two of their last three outings. In their previous home fixture, Delhi were beaten by the Kolkata Knight Riders, going down by six wickets as their 153/9 total was overhauled pretty comfortably.  They returned to winning ways by hammering Deccan Chargers by nine wickets in Hyderabad thanks to a David Warner century but they were on the receiving end in Chennai on Saturday as the Super Kings restricted them to just 114/5, a target CSK chased down with 28 balls remaining and nine wickets in tact.  With Delhi having set the pace from the early stages of the tournament their points cushion should mean there is little reason for panic, but you would imagine they want to be entering the play offs without losing the momentum built up in some dominant early performances.

The Kings XI Punjab come into the game third from bottom on the points table but they have played at least one game fewer than many of the teams above them and they are still very much in the mix for a top four spot. One concern is that their net run rate is still in negative territory despite winning four of their last five matches. They have triumphed in earlier away matches in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad (Deccan) despite starting underdogs in the first four of those games. KXP have just completed back to back wins over the Deccan Chargers, the most recent of which went right down to the last ball. After this, KXP finish with two home games against the Super Kings and then a return with Delhi.

Overall in the head to heads, the teams have met eight times with Kings XI boasting five wins to the Daredevils three.

In the betting, Delhi are 8/15 favourites to win the match whilst Kings XI can be backed at 15/10 to pull off another win away at a powerful franchise. Delhi also dominate a number of the exotics such as the most match sixes and highest six over total for which they are 8/13 favourites and don’t forget the option to bet “in play”.

Conclusion:
When you look at the squads Kings XI should be no match for Delhi but they have made a regular habit of upsetting the big guns, especially away from home. This is a really big ask though as Delhi will be pushing for a top two finish which means they would have the added insurance of two chances to make the final.

This might just be a bridge to far for the Kings XI and backing the Daredevils to hit the most sixes makes arguably more appeal than taking a shorter price for them to win the game.

Prediction: Most match sixes, Delhi Daredevils, 8/13.

The first of two mouthwatering games in the IPL on Monday sees the Roy

These teams are separated by just a single point on the log with Mumbai in third spot and the Royal Challengers in fifth.  After this, both sides will have just two remaining matches in the round robin stage so this becomes a vital game in the race to secure a play off spot. The first meeting between the teams this season took place last Wednesday in Mumbai and after restricting the hosts to 141/6, an unbeaten 82 from Chris Gayle helped the Royal Challengers coast to a nine wicket victory. Mumbai now lead the overall head to heads 7-5 and Mumbai also won last season’s match on this ground by nine wickets although RCB went on to win a later meeting in the play offs.al Challengers host the Mumbai Indians in Bangalore.

Both teams have been in action since that first clash and RCB completed another routine victory beating the Warriors by 35 runs in Pune. Meanwhile Mumbai went to Kolkata and they came away with a 27 run win after Rohit Sharma (109 off 60 balls) and Herschelle Gibbs (66 off 58) starred in a total of 182/1. Last weeks loss to RCB is Mumbai’s only defeat in their last five outings whilst RCB are putting together what looks to be a well timed run as they go looking for their fourth successive win.

At the time of writing, Chris Gayle was the top run scorer in the tournament with 572 runs in 11 knocks with Rohit Sharma’s heroics in Kolkata making him top Mumbai bat with 402 runs in 13 outings.  With the ball, Mumbai Indians star performer Malinga is vying with Delhi Daredevils Morne Morkel in the race to be the tournaments top wicket taker with 20 victims and an economy rate of 5.46. Vinay Kumar has 13 wickets for RCB but they have come at a price as he is going for almost nine runs over. Murali’s spin has played a big part in some improved RCB’s bowling displays of late, he has 12 wickets in seven matches and is going for a shade more than a run a ball.

In the betting, The Royal Challengers are 8/10 to complete the double over Mumbai who can be backed at even money. There are a number of other markets available before we go “in play” including the most match sixes where RCB are 4/6 Mumbai are 7/4 and the tie is 13/2.

In the most recent show in the outright winner market, Mumbai were 7/2 third favourites with RCB a 4/1 chance.

Conclusion:
Although Mumbai have four wins from their last five matches their overall batting displays are still hit and miss but there was plenty to admire about the way they handled an excellent Kolkata bowling attack last time out. However, Chris Gayle destroyed them in the first meeting and unless Malinga and co can take his wicket early doors, Mumbai could well be up against it once again.

Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore to win, 8/10

The second of Monday’s IPL fixtures sees the Kolkata Knight Riders entertain the Chennai Super Kings and there is plenty of pressure on the visitors to come away with a win.

The Knight Riders come into the game two points better off than the Super Kings even though they have played one game fewer. KKR have eight wins and just four defeats but their seven match unbeaten run (six wins and one no result) came to end on Saturday when they lost by 27 runs at home to the Mumbai Indians. This is the first of three remaining round robin games for Kolkata and the last at Eden Gardens. They will go to Mumbai next and then finish at the Pune Warriors and whilst one more win will make a play off spot certain, a top two finish will be the target as that will give them two bites at the cherry when it comes to making the final.

Meanwhile the Super Kings participation in the play offs remains in some doubt but their hopes have been revived after back to back wins away at the Rajasthan Royals (4 wickets) and a most impressive nine wicket demolition of the table topping Delhi Daredevils in Chennai. The Super Kings haven’t managed to string three successive wins together in IPL 2012 and defeat here could prove disastrous as they have just one round robin match remaining, away from home at Kings XI Punjab.

The first meeting between the sides took place in Chennai in Match 41 and KKR came out on top, restricting the Super Kings to 139/5 and reaching the target with two balls to spare, thanks mainly to 63 runs from the bat of Gambhir. The Super Kings lead the overall head to heads 5-3.

In the match result betting Kolkata open up at 19/20 whilst the Super Kings are favourites, trading at 17/20. When it comes to clearing the ropes, KKR are 12/10 to hit the most sixes, CSK are 21/20 and it’s 11/2 the tie. Remember there are a number of other options available before we go “in play”.

Taking a look at the outright winner betting market, Kolkata were trading at 3/1 in the most recent show with Chennai a 6/1 shot.

Conclusion:
There is real pressure on Chennai here but they have responded positively in their last two games and were most impressive in their wide margin win over Delhi last time out.

KKR look as though they will be safe enough as far as the play offs are concerned and whilst they will still be going full tilt to clinch a top two position position, the do or die predicament the Super Kings find themselves in might just tip the scales in the visitors favour.

Prediction: Chennai Super Kings to win, 17/20.

The first action in the IPL this Sunday sees the Rajasthan Royals host the Pune Warriors and it’s a game the Royals simply have to win to keep their play off hopes alive.

The Royals go into this game with 12 points from 13 matches and they need to win at least two and quite possibly all three of their remaining matches to make the top four. Given they face an ailing Pune Warriors side here and then visit bottom of the log Deccan Chargers, they certainly have a shout of hauling themselves back into contention before they finish the round robin stage at home to Mumbai. The Royals lost to Chennai on this ground in their most recent outing where their total of 126 was very much on the low side for Jaipur. They still made the Super Kings work hard to chase it down, taking six wickets in the process but they ended up a beaten side with 11 balls remaining. One concern is that the Royals have lost three home fixtures in a row with CSK, Delhi and RCB all taking the points in their recent visits.

The Pune Warriors have been chopping and changing and even skipper Ganguly sat out  their most recent match, a 35 run home defeat at the hands of RCB on Friday. That made it seven defeats in a row for Pune who still have yet to find a place for Bangladesh opener Tamin Iqbal, despite their desperately poor run. They have caused a couple of big surprises in winning in Mumbai and Delhi earlier in the tournament but that win in Delhi was the last time they tasted success and it came back in Match 27. There would appear to be a degree of experimentation taking place judged on team selection against RCB and it could be Pune are already looking towards next season, although avoiding the wooden spoon this time around may give them an additional incentive here.

The first meeting between these teams took place as recently as last Tuesday in Match 52. Pune won the toss and chose to bat on home soil but they managed just 125/6 in their 20 overs and Shane Watson’s 90 off 51 balls for the Royals brought about an early finish. When the Warriors visited Jaipur in IPL 2011, they were beaten by six wickets.

In the betting, the Royals are clear favourites to win the match at 13/20 whilst Pune are priced up at 5/4.  As far as the betting for the most match sixes is concerned, the Royals are priced up at 9/10, the Warriors are 11/8 and it’s 11/2 the tie.

Remember there are many more markets available before we go “in play”

Conclusion:
The respective log positions of these sides dictate that the Royals are justifiably the favourites to win the game and should they do so, it will make the race for a top four finish even more interesting. Shane Watson took the Warriors bowling to pieces when the sides met in Pune recently and Jaipur usually offers a deck on which plenty of runs can be scored. The Royals to hit the most sixes in the match gets the vote

Prediction: Most match sixes, Rajasthan Royals, 9/10