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Each team has played at least two matches till now, so this would possibly be a good time to look at how much of the pre-tournament perceptions and ideas have actually come through and how many have fallen flat.
It would also be a good time to look at what new information has come to light and see what it means for the markets and for your investments.
Now please note that while we have made very specific and obvious efforts to be ambiguous and stay safely on the fence (while still…errr.. sincerely giving useful information) there may be several occasions, especially in the ‘Points to consider’ column where we may have inadvertently stuck our necks out and given specific advice.
Please keep in mind that these are just suggestions or recommendations and not guarantees of performances. If things don’t go exactly the way they are predicted to go, it will be classified under the ‘glorious uncertainties’ of the game, and we can’t be blamed for it. We have very cleverly and slyly introduced a little clause to that effect in the terms and conditions.
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Team/Company
|
Overall
evaluation so far
(as
on 24th April, after each team has played a minimum of 2 games)
|
Points
to consider
|
|
Bangalore
|
Had a
down and then an up. Looks like a team that will deliver consistent
performances, but will need to really stretch itself to reach extraordinary
heights.
Book
values may have taken a tumble after a dismal first match against Kolkata,
but would have steadied somewhat after a win against Mumbai.
|
A few
serious hitters like Cameroon White and Misbah-Ul-Haq haven’t come to the
party yet. If they get going stock prices could zoom.
Dale
Steyn, ranked the number 1 fast bowler as per the Holdingwilley T20 rankings,
also hasn’t played yet, which is another point to consider.
|
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Kolkata
|
A high
profile team which has had two wins in two games.
Book
values have soared on account of a massive victory in the first game against Bangalore with McCullum scoring a 150 and
the team crossing 200.
One of
the stronger teams in the mix
|
With
Chris Gayle unlikely to play, the sheer power, 7th gear hitting
will depend almost entirely on McCullum. Ganguly, Ponting, Hussey &
Hafeez provide stability in the middle order, but can either of them score a
60 ball hundred? Think about it….
McCullum
is set to miss the tournament from early May onwards, when he leaves for England to play for the New Zealand
National side
The
bowling, already looking good, could improve once Umar Gul, who has fantastic
T20 records, joins the squad.
|
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Delhi
|
So far
the most dominant side of the tournament with two massive wins.
An
expensive stock to own but book values ought to have already soared.
One of
the early favourites to win the tournament.
|
The
batting middle order after Sehwag, Gambhir and Dhawan is untested, though it
needs to be borne in mind that the three mentioned players have delivered
high returns and look good to get more.
As a
corollary, key assets such as AB de Villiers, Dinesh Karthik and Shoaib Malik
haven’t been tested yet.
Daniel
Vettori, the chief spinner, is set to leave in early May to play for New Zealand.
|
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Jaipur
|
An
underdog, young start-up-like company with a low IPO price and limited
promise to begin with, but has impressed in its last venture.
Is not
a pre-tournament favourite, and is not expected to deliver too much, but
after a good last game, things may be different.
|
A lot
of solid reinforcements, many of them deemed to be the company’s true
strengths, are yet to come. These include players such as Graeme Smith, Morne
Morkel, Younis Khan, Sohail Tanvir and Dmitri Mascrenhas.
On
paper the stock does not have the depth that some of the other teams have,
and does not have the ‘stars’, but it is low-priced, which could nullify that
factor, and in fact, may push Jaipur as an over-performing asset.
|
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Mohali
|
The
team had started out with a lot of promise. But has since failed to deliver.
It has
had two defeats in a row, with the second falling to the supposed minnows
Jaipur.
The
batting hasn’t been the primary problem; it is the bowling that has failed to
deliver.
Book
value is not expected to be very high, salvaged from hitting rock-bottom
thanks to a 200+ innings against Chennai in the first match.
|
The
bowling resources are already stretched, the team has played most of its key
bowlers already and there are no noted reinforcements to come.
However,
Sreesanth, Lee, Chawla and Pathan, their current crop, are established
international names and a rejuvenated comeback cannot necessarily be ruled
out.
|
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Mumbai
|
Mumbai,
again, started out as a team with lower expectations. It had a bad first game
but has come back strongly in the second.
The
team has lost two games, but has put up a fairly competent performance in
both games, scoring, in fact, over 200 in its last match.
As
things stand it is not expected by most pundits to be a semi-finalist, but
there is reason to speculate otherwise after the previous match.
|
A local
talent or two has been discovered which is a very prized commodity. Abhishek
Nayar looks capable of having a good run in the tournament.
Two
potentially significant contributors to the NAV, Tendulkar and Loots Bosman
are yet to play.
|
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Hyderabad
|
Another
team which hasn’t lived up to the pre-tournament billing, an underperforming
asset.
The
batting has been down, owing significantly to a treacherous pitch that they
played their first game on. The bowling is the real concern, as it has looked
to be without bite for two games now.
|
There
is still a lot of pedigree and there are a lot of established reputations in
the batting line up. It can be said that these can be counted on to come good
at some point and not keep up a run of poor scores for too long.
The
bowling remains a concern, as there are no known quantities left in the tank.
|
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Chennai
|
Another
heavyweight. Touted by some to be a potential finalist alongside Delhi.
Comes
with strong batting muscle, and some decent bowling, atleast on paper.
Book
values would be on the rise on account of two 200+ scores and two wins, and
on account of having taken a lot of wickets.
|
Matthew
Hayden, Mike Hussey and Jacob Oram won’t be available for the complete
tournament, with Oram leaving sooner while the Australians are likely to
stick around for a bit longer.
Albie
Morkel, Makhaya Ntini and Stephen Fleming, three key assets, are yet to play.
Suresh
Raina, a new asset not included in the IPO price, has done well and shown
potential to keep the show up.
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