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Mumbai Indians (MI) have played eleven games so far. They lost four of their first five but have won all of their next six, so their early-season woes are a memory now. They have fourteen points next to their name, three games remaining to be played, and a dynamic form rallying them. Gujarat Titans (GT), too, have fourteen points in their kitty, but their campaign isn’t as contrasting when divided into halves. They lost one of their first five games and two in their next five. This does point towards a dwindled form, but there isn’t anything too worrying waiting…

Delhi Capitals (DC) sit at the fringes of the top four. They began very strong, stronger than most other teams, in fact, with a four-match winning streak, which, frankly, is what’s keeping them in the loop. Since that streak ended, DC have lost four out of their last six games. Ironically, these figures are the same for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), whom DC will play in their next game. They, too, have won only two of their recent six. But DC would not want their hard-earned wins going down the drain just because they lost the plot in the middle of…

Karachi Kings (KK) and Lahore Qalandars (LQ) share a rivalry that has stayed intense, even when one or both teams weren’t at their best. The banter between the two cities was what always added fuel to the rivalry. However, this season, both teams are sharp enough to finally bring cricket into the equation. Currently placed in second and third positions, both sides have identically won four games and lost three, with Lahore slightly ahead thanks to a washout that gave them an extra point. Both sides have religiously avoided consistency, but Karachi have been more mercurial of the two, alternating…

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are sitting at the bottom of the top four, but their current form is such that they shouldn’t worry about dropping out of the safe zone. Like most of the teams, they haven’t seen much of a home advantage, having won two and lost as many at their home ground in Mullanpur. For the last stretch, they move to their second home in Dharamsala. But if they expect home woes to stop tailing them at the new venue, they need to have a look at their stats. The last time they won a game at the venue…

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hang by a thread, with their playoff chances demanding too much of them. They did not have an ideal title defense campaign. In fact, for the most part, the side seemed at sea. But if there ever were a time for them to get the fog out of their mind, this is it. Even if they gear up to face Rajasthan Royals (RR) at their home venue, where they have only won one out of four games this season, in a day game, which will be their second this season, with the only other being against…

For Quetta Gladiators (QG), this decade hasn’t been kind. They lifted their maiden PSL trophy in 2019, following which they made friends with the bottom of the table. Finishing among the top four in a competition with only six teams isn’t exactly an arduous task, but QG failed to do even that. Before they nearly missed reaching the playoffs in the last season, Quetta had finished their previous four seasons in 5th and 6th positions. But times seem to have changed for them, or so they would hope. They currently occupy third position in the table, albeit with the highest…

For the past few years, every Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fixture has come with the backdrop of the same question: Is this the last Kohli-Dhoni showdown? The question gains more traction in the reverse fixtures. While every year fans hope to witness both players share the field once again next year, simply on sentimental grounds, this time, though, they would want the same to happen to give MS Dhoni the farewell he deserves, which is certainly not one where his team is stuck at the bottom. CSK have had a season to forget. They have…

On a surface that didn’t offer much in terms of fireworks, and where Islamabad United’s (IU) power-packed lineup couldn’t put up their usual show, Peshawar Zalmi came armed with something far more lethal: control. Like a hot knife through butter Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, United began with puffed chests, looking like they might uncork something vintage. 57 without loss in seven overs heralded an incoming storm, which, if it had occurred, wouldn’t have been shocking, given how Islamabad has fared this year so far. But the storm came and passed without breaking so much as a…

It was hot in Ahmedabad. The sort of heat that doesn’t make you sweat, it questions you. It reasons with you as to why you even turned up. And with that subplot, Sunrisers Hyderabad faced a team like Gujarat Titans, who showed up with a solid plan and stuck religiously to it. Somewhere between Sudharsan’s lovely strokemaking, Buttler’s pristine form, and Gill’s surgeon-like accuracy, SRH were laid bare. Not in a dramatic way. But, in a quiet, slow tragedy of being outdone at every phase, as if they were drowning without a splash. A blistering poetry in motion Being asked…

Peshawar Zalmi (PZ) have two wins in six games and are on the brink of becoming the other team besides Multan Sultans (MS) to have their campaign done and dusted within the group stages. If it happens, it will be the first PSL playoffs without Zalmi. Of all teams, PZ have oscillated the most. The results haven’t followed any pattern. It just seems to be a matter of what mood they’re in. If they’re not up to it, they collapse like a house of cards. If they are, they can take even the Goliaths down. And Goliaths they are, who…