India showed how the hectic pace of Twenty20 cricket could be replicated in ODIs, pounding 330 on a sluggish pitch before their bowlers rounded off a thumping win in their opening match of the tournament

Overworked v Undercooked probably sums up the state of the two title contenders in the tri-series

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan puts the IPL's captains under the scanner

League or knock-out there was only one champion. It was fitting that the most consistent side in the tournament held their nerve to clinch a thriller

Kings XI Punjab may start as overwhelming favourites but if there's one team they might have wanted to avoid in the semi-finals it would have been the Chennai Super Kings

This was Shane Watson's match. Imposing himself on the first semi-final, he boosted Rajasthan Royals with an electric fifty before rattling Delhi Daredevils' top order with an outstanding opening spell

The Indian national selectors are unlikely to be heavily swayed by Twenty20 performances when they choose the squad for the forthcoming tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan

However much you do on the field, if the fans aren't happy, it's all futile

A few hours after the Mumbai Indians collapsed from a winning position, thereby denting their semi-final chances, the Chennai Super Kings outdid them as panic struck at the MA Chidambaram Stadium

The IPL has given young players the opportunity to interact with their elders and betters - both from India and overseas

Mumbai's last meeting with Deccan ended in a fourth straight defeat but the return game provided plenty of cheer, producing their sixth successive win

Rajasthan Royals have won all of their five matches at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium and start as overwhelming favourites

Sachin Tendulkar's return dominated most of the pre-match buzz but it was the eruption from Sanath Jayasuriya that Mumbai toasted at the end of a comfortable nine-wicket win, their fourth in a row, at the Wankhede Stadium

It was only fitting L Balaji's famous smile, that won over Pakistan in 2004, could manage a grand return in his beloved Chennai

A slew of medium-pacers mixed bouncers, slower balls and cutters to restrict Rajasthan to a paltry 103 on a two-paced pitch at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai

Bangalore may have replaced their CEO but their problems lie squarely in cricketing issues, on the field and off it

With each team done with five games, Cricinfo takes stock of the early action

It's a battle between one team on the rise and another on the slide: Punjab have strung together three wins in a row after the opening two reverses while Kolkata appear to have lost their way after two early victories

Simon Katich's last game of the IPL turned into a memorable one as he steered Punjab's run-chase against a formidable Delhi bowling line-up in Mohali

With each team done with two games and every venue done with one apiece, Cricinfo takes stock of the early action