Here again, is my selection for an IPL "Team of the Week" based on the player's performance from last weekend up to the epic match we saw between RCB and KKR last night. As always, I try to pick a balanced 11 to cover all bases with both bat and ball. However, there are plenty of players out there who you could argue deserve a spot in this side so let me know in the comments if you feel differently

Back in for another week is SRH opener David Warner who managed to help me fulfil one of my bold predictions by nailing a century in his 3rd innings of the tournament (he'd come pretty close on the 2 other occasions) and in doing so helping his side crush RCB in the most emphatic of wins yet in this year's IPL. He is the current orange cap wearer with 264 runs at an average of 88. He has undoubtedly returned with a point to prove and his continued form only strengthens his case for an immediate return to the Aussie side.

 

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Jonny Bairstow a man whose hair and beard are as orange as the kit he now wears makes up the other half of the SRH opening partnership and my team of the week. Bairstow outscored Warner in the games against RCB last weekend and ensured his team got off to another flyer against DC on Thursday. His new found "bromance" with his opening partner Warner promises to take SRH to at least the later stages of this contest although whether that friendship will last into this summer's Ashes remains to be seen.

Prithvi Shaw, the boy prodigy of Indian cricket, is already so highly regarded that no one really bats an eyelid when he goes out and smashes 99 to help his side to a famous super over victory against a powerful KKR team. He was so obviously distraught when he was out just 1 shy of his maiden IPL century but he will have plenty of chances in the future to rectify that problem. Much like Tendulkar, the player he has drawn so many comparisons to, Shaw has an incredible amount of power for such a small man.

I have been writing about the 2 sides of Virat Kohli since as long as I've been on this platform. On one hand, he is a genius, the finest batsman of his generation and one of the greatest the world has ever known. On the other, he still lacks the emotional intelligence to make an effective leader. His team have lost their opening 5 games and look a long way behind every other franchise but Kohli is responding in the only way he knows how which is to just score more runs. He is a machine with bat in hand and a liability as captain.

Shreyas Iyer makes it into this week's team off the back of his consistency having scored over 100 runs in the 3 games that he has played these last 7 days. He is proof that run scoring in this format can still be achieved by playing good oldfashioned textbook cricket shots mixed with the occasional wack over midwicket. His captaincy has improved this year as you'd imagine but he needs to ensure the other young heads around him (and a few of the old ones) maintain their focus for the full game!

 

Mohammad Nabi is probably not the Afghan spinner that most people thought would be ripping through sides for SRH in this year's IPL but I doubt fellow countryman Rashid Khan will have to wait too much longer before appearing in one of these teams. Nabi made a mockery of the RCB batsmen last weekend on his way to figures of 4-11 and he then followed that up with a useful 2-21 against DC where he once again removed big name top-order batsmen. His 17 from 10 balls in the 2nd match also shows that he is a dangerous customer with bat in hand.

I guess I could cheat when it comes to naming these teams and just go with 11 Andre Russell's. The man is the perfectly evolved T20 player - powerful hitter, useful bowler and athletic fielder. His innings against DC helped his side nearly pull off a come back win and his influence is so great that it was only a fantastic yorker that could dismiss him and prevent a KKR victory. He then followed that up with a display of hitting against RCB that will have Tim Southee waking up in a cold sweat for many years to come - frightening power!

It has been clear to anyone who has followed the early stages of Sam Curran's career that while he is a talented player it is his strong character, self-belief and will to win that sets him apart from most of his peers. His 4 wicket burst against DC including a hat trick to win the game has only enhanced his burgeoning reputation as a player who thrives on the big stage. Don't forget as well that he opened the batting in that match, demonstrating just what an impression he has made on the KXIP management in a short period of time

I thought the celebration from Shreyas Gopal when he claimed the wicket of arguably the best T20 batsman of his generation, AB de Villiers, said it all. This is a guy who can't quite believe that he is bowling leg-spin in the IPL in front of packed stadiums and 100s of millions of TV viewers. After all, Gopal started life as a solid middle-order batsman who bowled some occasional wrist-spin. Now he is bowling booming wrong-uns that are castling Indian captain Virat Kohli. I'm sure Shreyas won't want to wake up from this particular dream anytime soon.

Sandeep Sharma is another understated and underrated cricketer. His 3 wickets against RCB were followed up by a solid spell against DC. Given that he generally bowls at the death, having an economy rate under 8 for the tournament to date is no mean feat and he has managed to deliver a total of 34 dot balls with his variety of slower balls and accurate bowling. Coming back from a stress fracture, he is clearly relishing the chance to press his claims for a recall to the national squad and he is certainly at the right franchise to help him achieve that.

The depth of MI's fast bowling this year could be a major factor in them pushing for a top 4 spot. With giant left-armer Jason Behrendorff now joining the party, MI have some serious selection questions to answer in the next round. Behrendorff's 2-22 at the top of the order knocked the head off reigning champions CSK's innings and they were never able to recover from there. The Aussie quick has already spoken about his hope that the IPL will act as a catalyst for him making the national team this summer and I think he'd be a real handful in English conditions.

Scorum IPL Fantasy League

It was a decent week for my team, the cunningly named "Join Scorum" especially early on as first Prithvi Shaw and then my captain David Warner scored big points over the weekend. In fact, there was a point that my side had snuck into the top 1000 worldwide only to flatline in the later stages.

Within our 22 team league, the top Scorum registered player for round 2 was Lama10. Here's his team for the week. Consistent points all the way through with probably the only disappointments being big money buys AB de Villiers and Jasprit Bumrah

Here are the top point scorers for round 2 of the Scorum IPL Fantasy League

472points Lama10 - 20SCR

462 points Talesfrmthecrypt - yeah I won 10SCR

448.5 points Birjudanak - 5 SCR

415.75 points Prus275

399.75 points Raamesa

372.25 points Hassan

257.75 points Jpm8341

Congratulations to the winners (SCR is on the way) and good luck in Round 3!