Can't stop winning

Kings XI were virtually out of the race in IPL 2013 when this streak was kickstarted by two destructive innings from Adam Gilchrist, before he ended his career with his first wicket in recognised cricket. The run was extended this year by another Australian playing a series of destructive innings - Glenn Maxwell's pyrotechnics helped Kings XI to five wins in five matches and an unfamiliar spot at the top of the table.

Royal Challengers were having a difficult start to the season - only five points from six matches - when they signed on the best injury replacement in the IPL so far. Chris Gayle was brought in for former Australia fast bowler Dirk Nannes. Gayle reeled off scores of 102*, 26, 49, 107, 44, 70* and 38. The slowest of those innings was his 44-ball 70* (strike-rate 159), in every other knock his strike-rate was over 185. By the end of that incredible run, Royal Challengers were leading the table.

Scoring big runs has never been an issue for the Super Kings. Michael Hussey, on his way to become the season's highest run-getter, and Suresh Raina, underlining his reputation as an invaluable IPL performer, were the chief architects as Super Kings ran amok. The wins began piling up about a quarter of the way through the season, with a demolition of the winless Delhi Daredevils, and by the time they tasted defeat Super Kings were four points clear of the chasing pack.

Something for Mumbai to take inspiration from. Like this season, 2008 started out disastrously, with four defeats in a row. Adding to the problems were the Harbhajan Singh-Sreesanth slap controversy, an injury to Sachin Tendulkar, and that the fourth defeat was an absolute hiding thanks to a brutal Gilchrist innings. Mumbai's overseas stars - Shaun Pollock, Sanath Jayasuriya and Dwayne Bravo - combined to provide the first win, after which Mumbai were somehow unstoppable. The margins of victory were: 29 runs, seven wickets, nine wickets, eight wickets (87 balls remaining). It finally snapped with an acrimonious one-run defeat to Kings XI, after which Yuvraj Singh told the Mumbai crowd: "Let me remind them that some of the Punjab players also play for India."

Widely expected to be also-rans, Royals soared to the title on the back of perhaps the most dominant league performance in a season. Shane Warne was the mastermind, Sohail Tanvir was the bowler of the tournament, Shane Watson showed he was going to be among the world's best in Twenty20, and a number of little-known Indians put in inspired performances as Royals quickly climbed to No. 1, and stayed there. A defeat to Mumbai Indians was their only loss in 12 matches.