IPL 9: Points table, Purple Cap, Orange Cap and fixtures after the RPS v RCB match 16

The ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 9) if off the mark though not with a bang but promises to intensify things as it progresses. We are in a position where the first quarter of the league has been played, all teams have at least played four matches (except Delhi Daredevils who have played three) while Mumbai Indians are done with five.

Kolkata Knight Riders sit at the top of the table with 6 points after 4 games with 3 wins. Gujarat Lions at the second spot have also won 3 matches out of 4 but have a negative Net Run Rate: -0.036 while KKR have maintained a NRR of +1.075. Royal Challengers Bangalore (2/4), DD (2/3), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2/4), Mumbai Indians (2/5) follow them up with 4 points in their account. The two teams right at the bottom are the Rising Pune Supergiants at number seven with just one victory in four matches and the Kings XI Punjab who have also won one out of four.

Nothing much can be said about the teams that will end the league as top four, but those at the top certainly have an advantage while the ones on the other end, have the fear of languishing at the bottom of the table even at the decisive phase of the IPL.

IPL 9 Points table:

RCB skipper Virat Kohli with his knock of 80 against the Supergiants took over the Orange Cap from SRH captain David Warner. AB de Villiers who played another scintillating knock has jumped into the contest as well and is right behind Virat on the list. The highest run-getter in this IPL has been changing with almost every game as no single batsman has managed a big lead and it certainly spices up the contest. Warner will be on the field tomorrow against the Kings XI and will need to score 33 runs to take over Kohli.

Players in the race for the Orange Cap:

Sunrisers and India swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar wears the Purple Cap at the moment with 7 wickets in 4 matches. He produced his best bowling figures in IPL 9 in the match against Gujarat and took it over from Mitchell McClenaghan who also has equal number of wickets but from 5 matches and Bhuvi has an edge in the economy rate as well. Shane Watson with 2/31 in the match against RPS has moved to number 3 while Murugan Ashwin who was in the race thus far and had a great chance of wearing the Purple Cap again didn’t find any success tonight and has dropped down to the 4th position.

Players in the race for the Purple Cap:

Fixtures of the next 5 days:

23^rd April 2016 | 4.00 pm

17^th Match – Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians, Delhi

23^rd April 2016 | 8.00 pm

18^th Match – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab, Hyderabad

24^th April 2016 | 4.00 pm

19^th Match – Gujarat Lions vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajkot

24^th April 2016 | 8.00 pm

20^th Match – Rising Pune Supergiants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune

25^th April 2016 | 8.00 pm

21^st Match – Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, Mohali

26^th April 2016 | 8.00 pm

22^nd Match – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rising Pune Supergiants, Hyderabad

27^th April 2016 | 8.00 pm

23^rd Match – Delhi Daredevils vs Gujarat Lions, Delhi