Gambhir and Gayle sizzle at the top

Consistency is a tough thing to maintain in the Twenty20 format but Chris Gayle has become used to it by now. Though he's been overshadowed by AB de Villiers as Royal Challengers Bangalore's MVP, his contributions at the top have been the bright lights in some of his team's forgettable encounters and in matches that they've won, proved vital contributions.

Gayle hasn't been attacking from the outset but has built his innings steadily this season, determined to bat for the bulk of the 20 overs. But when he's opened up, he's done with a suddenness that's taken the opposition by complete surprise. His 86 against Kolkata Knight Riders was in vain, during a chase of 191, as there was little support from the other end. On May 2, against Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers were asked to bat, and Gayle responded by making 71, striking four sixes and six fours. Again, his team lost.

Gayle chipped in with a quick 26 in Royal Challengers' win over Deccan Chargers, and then dominated Mumbai Indians in a resounding win at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing 142, Gayle made mincemeat of the target, smashing an unbeaten 82 in 59 balls. The win kept Royal Challengers very much in contention for a place in the play-offs as they climbed to fourth place. He has six half-centuries in the IPL thus far.

Gautam Gambhir's had a major influence on the fortunes of Kolkata Knight Riders, not merely with his role as their captain but also his batting at the top of the order. His consistency has been one of the key reasons why Knight Riders are favourites to make it to the play-offs this season.

An excellent run that began on April 10 with a half-century, continued into the fifth week of the IPL. His blistering 93 - including nine fours and five sixes - against Royal Challengers handed Knight Riders a thumping win. On a slowish track at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Gambhir led a determined chase, making 63 in 52 balls in a busy innings. He forged a crucial stand with Jacques Kallis - the pair ran 32 singles and two twos, used their feet well, played the sweep often and didn't allow the required-rate to go out of control. In a wonderful gesture, Gambhir handed over the Man-of-the-Match award to Debabrata Das, whose late surge took Knight Riders over the line.

The good work continued, as he made a half-century against Sourav Ganguly-led Pune Warriors in a third straight win, before chipping in with a quick 36 in another comfortable win over Delhi Daredevils. In his last nine innings, Gambhir has scored five fifties.

Deccan Chargers have had a poor campaign this season but they've managed to salvage some pride, thanks to Cameron White. He played his first game towards the end of April and since then, has struck four half-centuries in seven outings. One of the stand-out features of his batting has been his constant attempt to play the ball straight and not much across the line. And the approach has paid off, also largely due to the huge amount of power he imparts into his shots.

White's 78 helped Chargers register their first win, against Warriors, and they backed that up to make two in two, courtesy another half-century from White. Since then, while he's shone with the bat, Chargers' bowling has been unable to put up a good fight.