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IPL: Who's paisa vasool and who's not?
Bangalore Royal Challengers
Top four| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Anil Kumble | 8 | 66.7 | 10 | 5.6 | 7 | 211 | 500000 | 1186 | >5000 | 38 |
| Rahul Dravid | 144 | 135.8 | 0 | -- | 4 | 175 | 1035000 | 2711 | 2870 | 36 |
| Praveen Kumar | 44 | 133.3 | 8 | 7.3 | 6 | 174 | 300000 | 836 | 1084 | 22 |
| K Pietersen | 93 | 109.4 | 4 | 6.5 | 6 | 160 | 1550000 | 4145 | DNP | 28 |
We have picked the four players with the highest 'most valuable player index' (MVPI). Kevin Pietersen did sufficiently well by making a contribution equivalent to scoring 160 runs, but his high price tag meant that each Pietersen 'run' cost $4145.
Anil Kumble looks a more determined captain than Kevin Pietersen and has returned strongly after his IPL 2008 disappointment. Kumble has taken 10 wickets with an excellent economy rate of 5.6 (in this IPL, bowlers are on the average conceding 7.5 runs per over). Dravid has scored a lot of runs at a healthy strike rate and Praveen Kumar has so far provided good all-round value (his IPL 2009 PVI of 836, his better than his PVI last year of 1084).
Disappointing four
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Jesse Ryder | 34 | 117.2 | 3 | 6.9 | 4 | 92 | 160000 | 793 | DNP | 24 |
| Robin Uthappa | 57 | 81.4 | 0 | -- | 6 | 57 | 800000 | 6817 | 2564 | 23 |
| Ross Taylor | 67 | 109.8 | 0 | 13.0 | 4 | 52 | 100000 | 875 | 188 | 25 |
| Dale Steyn | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 6.9 | 3 | 36 | 325000 | 4026 | 1194 | 25 |
Jesse Ryder seems unable to survive even the first over, although he's still a handy player to have because he bowls a bit and fields well too. Ross Taylor is coming in to bat at a wrong time, and getting out when things get even worse. Dale Steyn isn't valuable enough on slow pitches. In fact, single skill foreign players will always find it hard to make it to the final eleven. Robin Uthappa has so far been a complete disaster with an unacceptably poor strike rate. He played much better for Mumbai Indians last year (his PVI this year is 6817; last year it was 2564).
Chennai Super Kings
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Suresh Raina | 232 | 145.0 | 3 | 5.1 | 6 | 349 | 650000 | 905 | 1237 | 22 |
| M Hayden | 246 | 160.8 | 0 | -- | 6 | 317 | 375000 | 575 | 527 | 37 |
| L Balaji | 2 | 66.7 | 10 | 7.6 | 5 | 157 | 30000 | 90 | 197 | 27 |
| M Muralitharan | 3 | 60.0 | 5 | 5.7 | 5 | 120 | 600000 | 2352 | 2419 | 37 |
Chennai Super Kings are currently heavily dependent on a handful of players for their success. Suresh Raina has been outstanding; it isn't easy to have a PVI below 1000 after being so expensive. Matthew Hayden is an incredibly good buy; any fair assessment would double his price of $375000. Balaji's wicket-taking ability, and Muralitharan's guile and good economy rate have offered good value. M S Dhoni (MVPI = 123; PVI = 5935), Albie Morkel (MVPI = 117; PVI = 2613) and Jacob Oram (MVPI = 99; PVI = 3117) haven't failed, but they haven't done enough. Dhoni, in particular, seems more valuable off the field at the moment; on the field he costs $5935 for every run scored.
Disappointing four
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| A Flintoff | 62 | 117.0 | 2 | 9.5 | 3 | 81 | 1550000 | 4088 | DNP | 31 |
| J Sharma | 20 | 111.1 | 2 | 8.1 | 4 | 43 | 225000 | 2392 | 1762 | 25 |
| M Gony | 6 | 300.0 | 4 | 10.1 | 4 | 43 | 30000 | 323 | 79 | 25 |
| Parthiv Patel | 49 | 87.5 | 0 | -- | 5 | 32 | 325000 | 4788 | 1332 | 24 |
Poor Andrew Flintoff could get nothing right! He batted at No. 4, but he's really not a good enough batsman to be up there. His bowling should have delivered more value, but Abhishek Nayar ruined his figures and his spirit. Joginder Sharma and Manpreet Gony haven't found pitches to be helpful and Parthiv Patel simply can't get going - every Patel run has cost $4788 this year; it was just $1332 last year.
Deccan Chargers
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Adam Gilchrist | 210 | 155.6 | 0 | -- | 6 | 295 | 700000 | 1018 | 1423 | 37 |
| RP Singh | 6 | 75.0 | 12 | 6.3 | 6 | 224 | 875000 | 1674 | 3383 | 23 |
| Pragyan Ojha | 1 | 33.3 | 10 | 5.6 | 6 | 193 | 30000 | 67 | 151 | 22 |
| H Gibbs | 148 | 122.3 | 0 | -- | 6 | 176 | 575000 | 1398 | 3464 | 35 |
Deccan Chargers have worked out their plans rather well so far: they have batsmen like Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs and Rohit Sharma (MVPI = 172; PVI = 1869) scoring a lot of runs, and bowlers like R P Singh and Pragyan Ojha taking a lot of wickets, with some help from Fidel Edwards and Scott Styris. It's working nicely at the moment but one fears that the Chargers will be in trouble the day Gilchrist can't fire. Gibbs has made a remarkable comeback, with every Gibbs 'run' coming cheaper this year at $1398, instead of $3464 last year. R P Singh seems well-rested, and that's showing in his performances.
Disappointing four
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| VVS Laxman | 19 | 73.1 | 0 | -- | 4 | 10 | 375000 | 15789 | 2568 | 34 |
| Venugopal Rao | 34 | 89.5 | 3 | 9.3 | 6 | 49 | 30000 | 265 | 99 | 27 |
| Harmeet Singh | 0 | -- | 1 | 9.6 | 3 | 8 | 30000 | 1446 | DNP | 21 |
| Shoaib Ahmed | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 7.8 | 3 | 32 | 30000 | 364 | DNP | 21 |
It's disappointing to see V V S Laxman getting nowhere; he should try to fit into the 'can-reliably-hold-one-end' slot that Tendulkar and Dravid are excelling in. Venugopal Rao must somehow find the aggressive streak in his batting - but perhaps the pitch movement is defeating him. One hasn't heard enough about Harmeet Singh and Shoaib Ahmed - and clearly they don't belong to this league. The Chargers have too many good foreign players and too few good Indian players. That's really their big problem.
Delhi Daredevils
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| AB de Villiers | 228 | 139.0 | 0 | -- | 6 | 302 | 300000 | 426 | 2903 | 25 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 127 | 139.6 | 0 | -- | 6 | 190 | 525000 | 1186 | 2309 | 23 |
| T Dilshan | 142 | 134.0 | 0 | 8.4 | 6 | 163 | 250000 | 657 | 1566 | 32 |
| Daniel Vettori | 29 | 103.6 | 7 | 8.4 | 5 | 145 | 625000 | 1792 | 4252 | 30 |
It must seem a surprise that both Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir don't figure in Delhi Daredevils' Top four. But this is really an indicator of the team's tremendous potential. A B de Villiers is scoring a lot of runs, and taking great catches on the boundary line. Every de Villiers 'run' costs a mere $426 this time - it was $2903 last time. The chief reason is that de Villiers is not 'on the bench' this year. This also explains Daniel Vettori's greater value this year - apart from the fact that left-arm spinners are extremely precious in this IPL. Ashish Nehra (MVPI = 142; PVI = 1167), Dirk Nannes (MVPI = 128; PVI = 234), Amit Mishra (MVPI = 105; PVI = 115)and Pradeep Sangwan (MVPI = 88; PVI = 146) are providing sufficiently good support without being match-winners themselves.
Disappointing four
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| G Gambhir | 69 | 101.5 | 0 | -- | 6 | 61 | 725000 | 5094 | 1275 | 27 |
| M Manhas | 49 | 140.0 | 0 | -- | 4 | 58 | 30000 | 206 | 2500 | 29 |
| V Sehwag | 87 | 167.3 | 0 | -- | 5 | 117 | 833750 | 2965 | 1462 | 30 |
| Manoj Tiwary | 9 | 69.2 | 0 | 11.0 | 2 | 13 | 675000 | 18922 | 5887 | 23 |
Sehwag and Gambhir appear in this list simply because they have indeed been disappointing so far - compare their PVI this year with their PVI last year - besides being two of the team's most expensive players. Mithun Manhas seems capable of more, but is not quite able to deliver; one would have expected him to play the role of Shikhar Dhawan this year. Manoj Tiwary sadly continues to be the team's biggest white elephant.
Kolkata Knight Riders
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Brad Hodge | 160 | 105.3 | 5 | 7.9 | 6 | 202 | 100000 | 241 | 1406 | 34 |
| Chris Gayle | 154 | 122.2 | 1 | 7.8 | 6 | 180 | 800000 | 2156 | >5000 | 29 |
| Ishant Sharma | 16 | 123.1 | 7 | 6.1 | 6 | 156 | 950000 | 2953 | 7002 | 20 |
| MN van Wyk | 75 | 107.1 | 0 | -- | 2 | 79 | 50000 | 273 | DNP | 30 |
So abject has the failure of Kolkata Knight Riders been so far that it is hard to pick out even four players who have been sufficiently successful; only Brad Hodge probably makes the list easily. Chris Gayle might well have been listed among the failures in some other team's list! Ishant Sharma is bowling with some spirit, but his partner Ashok Dinda seems to have lost it this year.
Disappointing four
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Sourav Ganguly | 82 | 101.2 | 2 | 8.0 | 6 | 87 | 1092500 | 6082 | 2502 | 36 |
| B McCullum | 31 | 73.8 | 0 | -- | 5 | 52 | 700000 | 6346 | 777 | 27 |
| Murali Kartik | 10 | 100.0 | 1 | 6.3 | 4 | 41 | 425000 | 4797 | 4505 | 32 |
| Ajit Agarkar | 14 | 127.3 | 1 | 13.2 | 4 | 1 | 330000 | 201143 | 1758 | 31 |
These numbers are real shockers! In particular, Ajit Agarkar is in the most terrible possible form with an economy rate of 13.2 spread over 4 matches. Ganguly is faring poorly too, although one does expect Dada to return strongly sooner rather than later. Brendon McCullum is a shadow of the person who plundered runs at Chinnaswamy Stadium last year and it's a real surprise why Murali Kartik can't get wickets when an unknown left-arm spinner called Shadab Jakati is capable of taking wickets.
Kings XI Punjab
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Irfan Pathan | 96 | 126.3 | 9 | 6.8 | 6 | 250 | 925000 | 1586 | 1975 | 24 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 146 | 137.7 | 3 | 6.6 | 6 | 221 | 1063750 | 2063 | 2371 | 27 |
| Yusuf Abdulla | 0 | -- | 13 | 7.7 | 6 | 192 | 50000 | 112 | DNP | 26 |
| K Sangakkara | 182 | 106.4 | 0 | -- | 6 | 162 | 700000 | 1849 | 1716 | 31 |
Irfan Pathan has rediscovered his confidence and form, and is playing well; every 'run' by Irfan Pathan costs just under $1600 - which is good value, given the player's high price. Yuvraj Singh has managed to stay in the Top four without really exploding with his bat - although that hat-trick featuring three top-notch batsmen was a significant achievement. Sangakkara has been remarkably consistent, even though his strike rate has been below par. Yusuf Abdulla has been a surprise, and reminds you of Sohail Tanvir's success - although the Pakistani bowler is more accomplished.
Ravi Bopara (MVPI = 136; PVI = 1368) and Piyush Chawla (MVPI = 91; PVI = 1879) occasionally dazzled - but not often enough to make it to the Top four.
Disappointing four
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| M Jayawardene | 71 | 118.3 | 0 | -- | 6 | 83 | 475000 | 2453 | 2248 | 31 |
| Vikram Singh | 0 | -- | 1 | 6.6 | 4 | 26 | 30000 | 471 | 203 | 24 |
| V S Malik | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 9.4 | 4 | 15 | 30000 | 800 | ||
| Wilkin Mota | 6 | 75.0 | 0 | 3.0 | 3 | 11 | 30000 | 1102 | 1071 | 27 |
Mahela Jayawardene has not been an outright failure, but must still be counted as a disappointment. One gets the impression that the former Sri Lanka captain is utterly incapable of a crude slog - and that might be his real problem. V S Malik and Vikram Singh were never expected to give earth-shaking performances; they are filling in for S Sreesanth, whose likely reappearance will surely feature song, dance and tears.
Mumbai Indians
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Lasith Malinga | 0 | -- | 11 | 4.4 | 5 | 227 | 350000 | 640 | DNP | 25 |
| S Tendulkar | 198 | 126.1 | 0 | 6.0 | 5 | 220 | 1121250 | 2109 | 6782 | 36 |
| J-P Duminy | 185 | 114.9 | 1 | 7.7 | 5 | 199 | 950000 | 1980 | DNP | 25 |
| Abhishek Nayar | 73 | 143.1 | 4 | 5.5 | 5 | 158 | 100000 | 262 | 121 | 25 |
Lasith Malinga has been the most lethal bowler in IPL's second season, and looks like getting a wicket from every ball. Add to that his incredibly low economy rate of 4.4, and one realizes his tremendous value. A PVI of just 640 on a moderately high price makes him a truly outstanding buy. Just the name Sachin Tendulkar sells; and if you combine it with consistent and attractive batting, you have an outright winner. Jean-Paul Duminy is settling down nicely with a PVI below 2000; if he continues in this vein, he would be worth his unexpectedly high price. Abhishek Nayar keeps doing something useful every time for his team, but he's not yet looking like a match-winner.
Mumbai's potential match-winner, Sanath Jayasuriya (MVPI = 138; PVI = 2922) has still not truly fired. Harbhajan Singh (MVPI = 143; PVI = 1236; wickets = 4) needs to take a few more wickets and Dwayne Bravo (MVPI = 143; PVI = 420; runs = 44) must score a few more runs if both are to break into the Top four. They are of course eminently capable of getting there.
Disappointing four
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Zaheer Khan | 8 | 72.7 | 5 | 6.8 | 5 | 105 | 450000 | 1771 | 2174 | 30 |
| Pinal Shah | 1 | 100.0 | 0 | -- | 5 | 39 | 40000 | 422 | 804 | 21 |
| S Dhawan | 40 | 88.9 | 0 | -- | 4 | 32 | 40000 | 504 | 91 | 23 |
| Saurabh Tiwary | 10 | 142.9 | 0 | -- | 3 | 11 | 40000 | 1371 | 1023 | 19 |
Zaheer Khan, as he admitted himself on TV, is still not there although his three-wicket haul against Kolkata Knight Riders is a good portent. Pinal Shah has been an adequate wicket-keeper, but Shikhar Dhawan is still searching for the form that helped make Delhi Daredevils such a formidable batting machine last year. Saurabh Tiwary is supposed to be a 'floater'; and the best that we can say about him is that he has still not sunk.
Rajasthan Royals
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| Yusuf Pathan | 169 | 161.0 | 3 | 6.5 | 6 | 274 | 475000 | 841 | 681 | 26 |
| Shane Warne | 63 | 87.5 | 7 | 7.2 | 6 | 169 | 450000 | 1297 | 1211 | 39 |
| Munaf Patel | 0 | 0.0 | 9 | 7.4 | 6 | 142 | 275000 | 939 | 1031 | 25 |
| D Mascarenhas | 39 | 100.0 | 6 | 6.8 | 5 | 136 | 100000 | 346 | 2362 | 31 |
For sheer matching-winning ability, Yusuf Pathan currently has no rivals. He's scoring runs rapidly in the most difficult phase of the innings, bowling tight during the first six overs, and cheerfully hitting his way out of perilous adversity. Shane Warne is being incredibly clever, Munaf Patel has been steady and reliable and the glint on Dmitri Mascarenhas's face suggests exceptional motivation and resolve. No wonder, Rajasthan Royals still manage to win against superior opposition.
Ravindra Jadeja (MVPI = 124; PVI = 117) and Kamran Khan (MVPI = 122; PVI = 116) have done their bit, but Jadeja has often failed to turn things around.
Disappointing four
| Player | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | LYPVI | Age |
| S Asnodkar | 24 | 104.3 | 0 | -- | 5 | 31 | 30000 | 460 | 91 | 25 |
| Rob Quiney | 45 | 90.0 | 0 | -- | 4 | 28 | 50000 | 831 | DNP | 26 |
| Graeme Smith | 65 | 71.4 | 0 | -- | 6 | 24 | 475000 | 9514 | 1057 | 28 |
| Mahesh Rawat | 16 | 84.2 | 0 | -- | 5 | 59 | 30000 | 241 | 308 | 24 |
The real problem Rajasthan Royals face is that they lose their openers before you can say 'Swapnil Asnodkar' or 'Graeme Smith'. Smith, in particular, has been a tremendous disappointment and often reminds you of Ricky Ponting during the 2008 IPL. It's not clear what Rob Quiney can do, while Mahesh Rawat is just about holding on to his place behind the stumps.