You have to search really hard to find names of Indian players in the list of the "most valuable players" so far in the ICC [Images] World Twenty20 [Images]. Yuvraj Singh [Images] is at the sixth position... but then there's practically no one else! After you run your finger down the list for quite a while you'll run into Pragyan Ojha [Images] at No. 22, Yusuf Pathan [Images] at No. 24 and Rohit Sharma [Images] at No. 25.

The most valuable player index (MVPI) collapses a player's batting, bowling and fielding performance into a single runs equivalent. Batsmen scoring a lot of runs with a good strike rate and bowlers taking a lot of wickets with a low economy rate usually figure at the top of the list.

For the ICC World Twenty20, we have assumed a par score of 160, i.e., 8 runs per over. We have further assumed that every wicket is 'worth' 16 marks, and every catch or stumping is worth 4 runs.

Batsmen get bonus runs if they score more than 8 runs in 6 runs, i.e. have a strike rate greater than 133; but they are penalized runs if they have a strike rate below 133. Since T20 cricket is all about hitting fours and sixes, we also add a 'bonus' run for every four, and two bonus runs for every six.

Bowlers get bonus runs if they concede less than 8 runs per over; but are penalized if they concede more than 8 runs in an over.

Consider, for example, Dwayne Bravo [Images], currently placed second. He has hit 136 runs so far at a strike rate of almost 150. This converts to 172 runs, with 15 bonus runs added because of the higher strike rate, 11 runs for the 11 fours and 10 runs for the 5 sixes (136+15+11+10 = 172). Bravo's 6 wickets fetch him 96 more 'runs'; but this goes down to 86, because Bravo is penalized 10 runs since he conceded 8.7 runs per over.  Bravo also took a catch worth 4 runs, and therefore ended up with 172+86+4 = 262 'runs'.

The table below ranks the 100 most valuable players. This list was calculated after India's loss last night to England [Images].

The Indian captain is at No. 46, with a disappointing strike rate of 105, chiefly because M S Dhoni seems to have temporarily lost his ability to hit fours and sixes.

If it's any consolation, the Australian captain Ricky Ponting [Images] doesn't figure even in the top 100. Ishant Sharma [Images] is at No. 104 and Suresh Raina [Images] - who did so well in IPL2 - is at No. 109!

Srinivas Bhogle works for TEOCO Software Pvt Ltd. Purnendu Maji carried out the statistical analysis.