McCullum's consistency, Narine's mystery

Sunil Narine's mystery has been an important factor in Kolkata Knight Riders' success this season. His ability to turn the ball both ways, the difficulty experienced by the batsmen in reading the ball off his fingers, his high trajectory and variations in pace have given Knight Riders' opponents a tough time. He'd already bagged a five-for earlier in the tournament and continued the good work into the seventh week of the IPL.

In a game in which Knight Riders were beaten by Chennai Super Kings at Eden Gardens, Narine picked up 2 for 14 in four overs - his victims were the openers. He played a crucial role in Knight Riders' victory over Mumbai Indians, defending 140 in a miserly spell. He helped slow down Mumbai Indians, confounded Sachin Tendulkar and went on to take a match-winning 3 for 15. He was economical again, against Pune Warriors, in Knight Riders' final league match, finishing with 1 for 15 in four overs, and contributed to his team's progress to the final; in the qualifier, he took 2 for 24 in four overs.

Brendon McCullum set the very first edition of the IPL alight with that blistering century in the opening game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, though he's quietened down in subsequent seasons. Though he's not matched that aggression, he's found some consistency in the business end of this year's tournament. He's had the advantage of having a man in form at the other end opening with him - Gautam Gambhir - and that has taken some of the pressure off his back. Not under as much pressure as he was as captain, he's helped Kolkata Knight Riders get some bright starts this time.

He made 37 off 29 balls in a losing cause against Chennai Super Kings, adding 99 with Gambhir. Unfortunately for him and his side, the game was decided by a six off the last ball by Dwayne Bravo. That was followed by a failure against Mumbai Indians, but he handled a difficult pitch well in Knight Riders' next game, against Pune Warriors. He made 41 in 43 balls, adding 67 with the more fluent Shakib Al Hasan, who guided the team to a match-winning score. He almost repeated that effort, against Delhi Daredevils in the qualifier, making a steady 31 in 36 balls - one of several handy contributions for his team on a tough track.

Super Kings just about managed to make it through to the eliminator and in a close finish to the knockouts, some crucial moments during the league stages made a decisive difference. One of them was that six from Dwayne Bravo off the last ball, against Rajat Bhatia, to seal a thrilling victory for his team. It was a waist-high full toss dispatched over wide long-on, clearing the ropes by not much. Bravo made just 11 then, but that win was critical.

Super Kings' league campaign ended on a disappointing note with a defeat at the hands of Kings XI Punjab in the picturesque Dharamsala, but Bravo made 48 to rescue his team from trouble and picked up two wickets in the chase, though Kings XI won comfortably. That all-round performance bodes well for the team as it prepares for the eliminator.