After the first 43 matches of IPL's second season, Matthew Hayden already looks poised to become this year's most valuable player, especially because Chennai Super Kings seem quite certain of entering the semi-finals. Only an injury can halt Hayden's successful march.
Just behind him is another 'retired' Australian: Adam Gilchrist, who played another blazing knock last night against Delhi Daredevils.
Even last year two Australians topped the IPL MVP list: Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh.
An Indian supporter will find sufficient reassurance if he looks down the list: many of the players selected for India's Twenty20 World Cup team are performing well: Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja etc. Only Dinesh Karthik will be missed.
Table 1: The 40 most valuable players so far in IPL 2009 (after 43 matches)
| Player | Team | From | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | Age |
| M Hayden | CSK | AUS | 426 | 151.6 | 0 | -- | 9 | 517 | 375000 | 508 | 37 |
| Adam Gilchrist | DC | AUS | 329 | 146.2 | 0 | -- | 11 | 481 | 700000 | 1143 | 37 |
| Suresh Raina | CSK | IND | 309 | 147.1 | 4 | 5.6 | 9 | 469 | 650000 | 971 | 22 |
| AB de Villiers | DD | SA | 362 | 134.1 | 0 | -- | 10 | 453 | 300000 | 473 | 25 |
| Rohit Sharma | DC | IND | 211 | 106.6 | 10 | 5.9 | 11 | 380 | 750000 | 1551 | 22 |
| Yusuf Pathan | RR | IND | 216 | 145.0 | 7 | 6.9 | 10 | 373 | 475000 | 982 | 26 |
| Jean-Paul Duminy | MI | SA | 297 | 114.2 | 4 | 5.5 | 10 | 368 | 950000 | 1991 | 25 |
| Yuvraj Singh | KXI | IND | 296 | 130.4 | 3 | 7.7 | 11 | 363 | 1063750 | 2304 | 27 |
| Dwayne Bravo | MI | WI | 212 | 110.4 | 9 | 7.8 | 10 | 362 | 150000 | 320 | 25 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | RR | IND | 215 | 109.1 | 6 | 5.8 | 10 | 324 | 30000 | 71 | 20 |
| Brad Hodge | KKR | AUS | 240 | 110.6 | 6 | 7.4 | 9 | 308 | 100000 | 246 | 34 |
| Dinesh Karthik | DD | IND | 193 | 138.8 | 0 | -- | 10 | 304 | 525000 | 1233 | 23 |
| RP Singh | DC | IND | 8 | 53.3 | 16 | 6.5 | 11 | 296 | 875000 | 2327 | 23 |
| Lasith Malinga | MI | SL | 0 | -- | 15 | 6.1 | 10 | 291 | 350000 | 929 | 25 |
| Irfan Pathan | KXI | IND | 144 | 116.1 | 11 | 7.8 | 11 | 290 | 925000 | 2506 | 24 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | MI | IND | 267 | 122.5 | 0 | 9.7 | 10 | 288 | 1121250 | 3009 | 36 |
| Dwayne Smith | DC | WI | 215 | 162.9 | 1 | 8.9 | 6 | 285 | 100000 | 251 | 26 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | DD | SL | 239 | 133.5 | 0 | 6.2 | 10 | 285 | 250000 | 627 | 32 |
| MS Dhoni | CSK | IND | 221 | 139.0 | 0 | -- | 9 | 279 | 1500000 | 3767 | 27 |
| Harbhajan Singh | MI | IND | 64 | 173.0 | 7 | 5.6 | 10 | 268 | 850000 | 2449 | 28 |
| M Jayawardene | KXI | SL | 219 | 132.7 | 0 | -- | 10 | 264 | 475000 | 1389 | 31 |
| T Suman | DC | IND | 160 | 136.8 | 4 | 6.7 | 7 | 249 | 30000 | 88 | 25 |
| Ashish Nehra | DD | IND | 0 | -- | 15 | 7.6 | 9 | 249 | 400000 | 1124 | 30 |
| Pragyan Ojha | DC | IND | 1 | 14.3 | 13 | 6.0 | 10 | 249 | 30000 | 93 | 22 |
| Shane Warne | RR | AUS | 84 | 100.0 | 11 | 7.6 | 10 | 248 | 450000 | 1400 | 39 |
| Jacques Kallis | BRC | SA | 274 | 112.3 | 2 | 9.0 | 10 | 247 | 900000 | 2817 | 33 |
| Anil Kumble | BRC | IND | 15 | 83.3 | 11 | 6.2 | 11 | 232 | 500000 | 1692 | 38 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | MI | SL | 175 | 114.4 | 5 | 8.4 | 9 | 227 | 975000 | 3256 | 39 |
| Piyush Chawla | KXI | IND | 26 | 83.9 | 11 | 7.2 | 11 | 204 | 400000 | 1541 | 20 |
| Ishant Sharma | KKR | IND | 16 | 123.1 | 11 | 7.0 | 10 | 203 | 950000 | 3606 | 20 |
| K Sangakkara | KXI | SL | 226 | 100.4 | 0 | -- | 11 | 198 | 700000 | 2774 | 31 |
| Pradeep Sangwan | DD | IND | 1 | 25.0 | 12 | 7.5 | 10 | 198 | 30000 | 108 | 18 |
| Abhishek Nayar | MI | IND | 121 | 117.5 | 4 | 5.9 | 10 | 197 | 100000 | 391 | 25 |
| Shadab Jakati | CSK | IND | 13 | 162.5 | 11 | 7.2 | 5 | 197 | 30000 | 98 | 28 |
| David Warner | DD | AUS | 148 | 121.3 | 0 | -- | 5 | 197 | 250000 | 816 | 22 |
| M Muralitharan | CSK | SL | 3 | 60.0 | 9 | 6.0 | 8 | 197 | 600000 | 2091 | 37 |
| Chris Gayle | KKR | WI | 171 | 119.6 | 1 | 7.6 | 7 | 196 | 800000 | 2280 | 29 |
| Dirk Nannes | DD | AUS | 0 | -- | 11 | 7.1 | 10 | 195 | 70000 | 256 | 33 |
| MN van Wyk | KKR | 167 | 126.5 | 0 | -- | 5 | 193 | 50000 | 181 | ||
| L Balaji | CSK | IND | 2 | 66.7 | 12 | 8.0 | 8 | 190 | 30000 | 108 | 27 |
| Rahul Dravid | BRC | IND | 166 | 125.8 | 0 | -- | 8 | 190 | 1035000 | 4047 | 36 |
The next table shows how IPL's most expensive players are faring.
Table 2: The 40 most expensive players so far in IPL 2009 (after 43 matches)
| Player | Team | From | Runs | Strike Rate | W | Eco | M | MVPI | Money ($) | PVI | Age |
| K Pietersen | BRC | ENG | 93 | 109.4 | 4 | 6.5 | 6 | 160 | 1550000 | 4145 | 28 |
| A Flintoff | CSK | ENG | 62 | 117.0 | 2 | 9.5 | 3 | 81 | 1550000 | 4088 | 31 |
| MS Dhoni | CSK | IND | 221 | 139.0 | 0 | -- | 9 | 279 | 1500000 | 3767 | 27 |
| A Symonds | DC | AUS | 131 | 170.1 | 1 | 8.6 | 3 | 176 | 1350000 | 1646 | 34 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | MI | IND | 267 | 122.5 | 0 | 9.7 | 10 | 288 | 1121250 | 3009 | 36 |
| Sourav Ganguly | KKR | IND | 152 | 102.0 | 2 | 8.1 | 10 | 149 | 1092500 | 5666 | 36 |
| Yuvraj Singh | KXI | IND | 296 | 130.4 | 3 | 7.7 | 11 | 363 | 1063750 | 2304 | 27 |
| Rahul Dravid | BRC | IND | 166 | 125.8 | 0 | -- | 8 | 190 | 1035000 | 4047 | 36 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | MI | SL | 175 | 114.4 | 5 | 8.4 | 9 | 227 | 975000 | 3256 | 39 |
| Jean-Paul Duminy | MI | SA | 297 | 114.2 | 4 | 5.5 | 10 | 368 | 950000 | 1991 | 25 |
| Ishant Sharma | KKR | IND | 16 | 123.1 | 11 | 7.0 | 10 | 203 | 950000 | 3606 | 20 |
| Irfan Pathan | KXI | IND | 144 | 116.1 | 11 | 7.8 | 11 | 290 | 925000 | 2506 | 24 |
| Jacques Kallis | BRC | SA | 274 | 112.3 | 2 | 9.0 | 10 | 247 | 900000 | 2817 | 33 |
| Brett Lee | KXI | AUS | 22 | 100.0 | 2 | 6.1 | 2 | 58 | 900000 | 3130 | 32 |
| RP Singh | DC | IND | 8 | 53.3 | 16 | 6.5 | 11 | 296 | 875000 | 2327 | 23 |
| Harbhajan Singh | MI | IND | 64 | 173.0 | 7 | 5.6 | 10 | 268 | 850000 | 2449 | 28 |
| Virender Sehwag | DD | IND | 98 | 158.1 | 0 | -- | 6 | 126 | 833750 | 4348 | 30 |
| Chris Gayle | KKR | WI | 171 | 119.6 | 1 | 7.6 | 7 | 196 | 800000 | 2280 | 29 |
| Robin Uthappa | BRC | IND | 151 | 103.4 | 0 | -- | 10 | 154 | 800000 | 4007 | 23 |
| Rohit Sharma | DC | IND | 211 | 106.6 | 10 | 5.9 | 11 | 380 | 750000 | 1551 | 22 |
| Gautam Gambhir | DD | IND | 196 | 99.5 | 0 | -- | 10 | 154 | 725000 | 3368 | 27 |
| Adam Gilchrist | DC | AUS | 329 | 146.2 | 0 | -- | 11 | 481 | 700000 | 1143 | 37 |
| K Sangakkara | KXI | SL | 226 | 100.4 | 0 | -- | 11 | 198 | 700000 | 2774 | 31 |
| B McCullum | KKR | NZ | 175 | 103.6 | 0 | -- | 9 | 185 | 700000 | 2861 | 27 |
| Jacob Oram | CSK | NZ | 55 | 110.0 | 3 | 8.2 | 6 | 102 | 675000 | 4349 | 30 |
| David Hussey | KKR | AUS | 43 | 159.3 | 0 | 10.0 | 1 | 50 | 675000 | 2520 | 31 |
| Manoj Tiwary | DD | IND | 9 | 69.2 | 0 | 11.0 | 2 | 13 | 675000 | 30566 | 23 |
| Suresh Raina | CSK | IND | 309 | 147.1 | 4 | 5.6 | 9 | 469 | 650000 | 971 | 22 |
| Albie Morkel | CSK | SA | 47 | 130.6 | 9 | 8.4 | 8 | 164 | 650000 | 2718 | 27 |
| Tyron Henderson | RR | SA | 11 | 73.3 | 1 | 7.5 | 1 | 18 | 650000 | 22896 | 34 |
| Daniel Vettori | DD | NZ | 29 | 103.6 | 7 | 8.4 | 5 | 145 | 625000 | 2781 | 30 |
| S Sreesanth | KXI | IND | 5 | 27.8 | 2 | 10.7 | 4 | -24 | 625000 | - | 26 |
| M Muralitharan | CSK | SL | 3 | 60.0 | 9 | 6.0 | 8 | 197 | 600000 | 2091 | 37 |
| Herschelle Gibbs | DC | SA | 161 | 114.2 | 0 | -- | 9 | 189 | 575000 | 2307 | 35 |
| Dinesh Karthik | DD | IND | 193 | 138.8 | 0 | -- | 10 | 304 | 525000 | 1233 | 23 |
| Anil Kumble | BRC | IND | 15 | 83.3 | 11 | 6.2 | 11 | 232 | 500000 | 1692 | 38 |
| Yusuf Pathan | RR | IND | 216 | 145.0 | 7 | 6.9 | 10 | 373 | 475000 | 982 | 26 |
| M Jayawardene | KXI | SL | 219 | 132.7 | 0 | -- | 10 | 264 | 475000 | 1389 | 31 |
| Graeme Smith | RR | SA | 193 | 100.0 | 0 | -- | 10 | 153 | 475000 | 2399 | 28 |
The 'outstanding' (PVI below 1000) players are: Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan. The 'excellent' (PVI between 1000 and 1500) players are: Adam Gilchrist, Dinesh Karthik and Mahela Jayawardene. The 'very good' (PVI between 1500 and 2000) players include: Andrew Symonds, J-P Duminy, Rohit Sharma and Anil Kumble.
The players who are looking like poor buys (PVI over 4000) at the moment are: Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Jacob Oram and S Sreesanth.
However, the two biggest shockers are Manoj Tiwary and Tyron Henderson!
