The most valuable player index (MVPI) is computed by adding up every player's batting, bowling and fielding points -- expressed as a run equivalent.

The batting points consider both the number of runs scored and the strike rate. The bowling points consider both the number of wickets taken and the economy rate. The fielding points are calculated based on the number of catches, stumpings, and run out dismissals.

Best batsmen

Here is a list of the 2009 IPL's best batsmen so far. This list was prepared based on the following stopping rule -- stop adding names to the list as soon as it includes the top three batsmen from every team.

Player	Team	From	Runs	Strike Rate	Bat Pts	MVPI	Money ($)	PVI
Matthew Hayden [Images]	CSK	AUS	378	159.5	459.8	476	375000	495
Suresh Raina [Images]	CSK	IND	296	148.7	343.3	451	650000	906
Yuvraj Singh [Images]	KXI	IND	266	136.4	288.3	345	1063750	1981
AB de Villiers [Images]	DD	SA	228	139.0	251.0	306	300000	491
Adam Gilchrist [Images]	DC	AUS	210	154.4	250.0	294	700000	1193
MS Dhoni	CSK	IND	221	139.0	243.3	271	1500000	3482
Yusuf Pathan [Images]	RR	IND	203	155.0	242.3	327	475000	914
Brad Hodge	KKR	AUS	240	112.1	212.5	302	100000	208
Jacques Kallis [Images]	BRC	SA	230	115.0	210.0	224	900000	2526
Sachin Tendulkar [Images]	MI	IND	209	124.4	208.0	223	1121250	2448
Dwayne Smith	DC	WI	151	175.6	194.5	189	100000	258
T Dilshan	DD	SL	184	131.4	193.0	205	250000	611
M Jayawardene	KXI	SL	176	128.5	180.8	205	475000	1491
MN van Wyk	KKR	SA	167	128.5	171.5	192	50000	149
J-P Duminy	MI	SA	186	111.4	163.3	193	950000	2388
Chris Gayle [Images]	KKR	WI	171	119.6	163.3	196	800000	2280
Rahul Dravid [Images]	BRC	IND	144	133.3	153.0	176	1035000	3528
K Sangakkara	KXI	SL	193	102.7	151.0	167	700000	2695
Herschelle Gibbs [Images]	DC	SA	148	120.3	142.3	178	575000	1617
Ravindra Jadeja [Images]	RR	IND	169	107.0	140.5	239	30000	79
Rohit Sharma [Images]	DC	IND	149	118.3	140.5	189	750000	1989
Dinesh Karthik [Images]	DD	IND	127	139.6	140.3	190	525000	1383
S Jayasuriya	MI	SL	137	122.3	134.0	184	975000	2581
Irfan Pathan [Images]	KXI	IND	134	122.9	131.8	290	925000	2052
Graeme Smith [Images]	RR	SA	162	103.2	127.8	136	475000	2199
Ravi Bopara [Images]	KXI	ENG	138	116.0	127.3	136	450000	1368
Gautam Gambhir [Images]	DD	IND	140	112.0	123.8	132	725000	2751
Naman Ojha	RR	IND	120	126.3	121.3	129	30000	129
Virat Kohli [Images]	BRC	IND	138	107.8	116.0	158	300000	1224

From this table we can infer the following -- Chennai Super Kings [Images] have batted the best, but only three batsmen (Matthew Hayden, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images]) have contributed most of the batting points. Kings XI Punjab [Images], Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils [Images] are next best. The poorest batting has come from Bangalore Royal Challengers [Images] and Mumbai Indians [Images].

Best bowlers

Next we list the best bowlers so far in the tournament, based on the same stopping rule -- stop adding names to the list as soon as it includes the top three bowlers from every team.

Player	Team	From	W	Eco	Bowl Pts	MVPI	Money ($)	PVI
Lasith Malinga [Images]	MI	SL	11	4.8	222.3	226	350000	751
RP Singh [Images]	DC	IND	13	6.7	215.5	234	875000	1874
Anil Kumble [Images]	BRC	IND	10	5.8	201.8	211	500000	1525
Pragyan Ojha [Images]	DC	IND	10	5.8	195.0	195	30000	77
Yusuf Abdulla	KXI	SA	14	8.6	179.0	179	50000	180
Ashish Nehra	DD	IND	10	7.1	160.0	168	400000	1156
Ishant Sharma [Images]	KKR	IND	9	6.8	156.5	176	950000	3388
Irfan Pathan	KXI	IND	11	7.8	154.0	290	925000	2052
Munaf Patel [Images]	RR	IND	10	7.4	152.0	156	275000	1081
Piyush Chawla [Images]	KXI	IND	9	7.0	150.3	171	400000	1504
Shadab Jakati	CSK	IND	9	6.6	144.0	172	30000	100
M Muralitharan [Images]	CSK	SL	7	6.0	143.0	159	600000	2322
L Balaji [Images]	CSK	IND	11	8.6	142.3	151	30000	122
Amit Singh	RR	IND	7	3.5	137.0	137	30000	119
Shane Warne [Images]	RR	AUS	9	7.5	134.0	194	450000	1458
Praveen Kumar	BRC	IND	8	7.2	130.0	190	300000	994
P Sangwan	DD	IND	8	8.0	106.5	119	30000	126
Zaheer Khan [Images]	MI	IND	6	6.8	105.5	123	450000	1773
D Mascarenhas [Images]	RR	ENG	6	6.8	103.0	136	100000	430
Kamran Khan	RR	IND	6	7.0	98.5	122	30000	144
Albie Morkel	CSK	SA	8	8.5	97.5	151	650000	2653
Fidel Edwards [Images]	DC	WI	5	6.6	96.0	98	150000	745
Dirk Nannes	DD	AUS	6	7.4	93.8	109	70000	320
Daniel Vettori [Images]	DD	NZ	7	8.4	91.0	145	625000	2039
Amit Mishra [Images]	DD	IND	5	6.7	90.5	117	30000	121
Brad Hodge	KKR	AUS	6	7.8	85.5	302	100000	208
Dwayne Bravo [Images]	MI	WI	7	8.7	84.5	183	150000	327
Suresh Raina	CSK	IND	4	5.3	84.0	451	650000	906
Ravindra Jadeja	RR	IND	4	5.6	83.0	239	30000	79
Yusuf Pathan	RR	IND	4	6.6	80.5	327	475000	914
Abhishek Nayar [Images]	MI	IND	4	5.9	76.0	199	100000	244
K Pietersen	BRC	ENG	4	6.5	72.5	160	1550000	4145
Scott Styris	DC	NZ	5	8.0	71.0	89	175000	843
Harbhajan Singh [Images]	MI	IND	3	6.2	69.5	144	850000	2867
Sudeep Tyagi	CSK	IND	3	5.0	67.5	68	30000	254
Dillon du Preez	BRC	SA	4	8.0	56.5	60	60000	541
R v d Merwe	BRC	SA	4	8.0	54.5	129	75000	332
Shane Harwood	RR	AUS	3	6.4	54.0	59	50000	458
Jesse Ryder [Images]	BRC	NZ	3	6.9	52.5	92	160000	991
Yuvraj Singh	KXI	IND	3	7.5	45.0	345	1063750	1981
Murali Kartik [Images]	KKR	IND	1	6.0	43.5	55	425000	4636

A few observations are easy to make like Deccan Chargers have two outstanding bowlers in Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh but their back-up bowling strength is suspect (you can't expect Rohit Sharma to get a hat-trick every time!).

Bangalore face a similar predicament with no real back-ups after Anil Kumble and Praveen Kumar although Dillon du Preez and Roloef van der Merwe seem promising.

The teams with good bowling attacks are Kings XI Punjab (even without Yuvraj Singh's hat-trick contribution), Rajasthan Royals [Images] (where everyone seems capable of bowling), Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. Mumbai Indians don't have anyone to support the magical Lasith Malinga, especially with Zaheer Khan injured and Harbhajan Singh yet to hit top form. But the real shockers have been Kolkata Knight Riders [Images]. After Ishant Sharma, there's only Brad Hodge, followed by Murali Kartik at the bottom of the list!

Best fielders

Finally, we look at the top three fielders in the from every team. It can't be a surprise that wicketkeepers show up among the best fielders!

Player	Team	From	Ct St	Run Outs	Field Pts	MVPI	Money offered ($)	PVI
AB de Villiers	DD	SA	8	1.5	54.5	306	300000	491
Mahesh Rawat	RR	IND	7	1.5	50.5	59	30000	299
Dinesh Karthik	DD	IND	3	2.5	49.5	190	525000	1383
Adam Gilchrist	DC	AUS	9	0.5	43.5	294	700000	1193
Virat Kohli	BRC	IND	7	1	43.0	158	300000	1224
B McCullum	KKR	NZ	5	1.5	42.5	85	700000	5059
Pinal Shah	MI	IND	4	1.5	38.5	39	40000	495
Herschelle Gibbs	DC	SA	7	0.5	35.5	178	575000	1617
Robin Uthappa [Images]	BRC	IND	3	1.5	34.5	150	800000	3364
Rohit Sharma	DC	IND	4	1	31.0	189	750000	1989
Daniel Vettori	DD	NZ	2	1.5	30.5	145	625000	2039
MS Dhoni	CSK	IND	5	0.5	27.5	271	1500000	3482
Shane Warne	RR	AUS	6	0	24.0	194	450000	1458
M Jayawardene	KXI	SL	6	0	24.0	205	475000	1491
Kamran Khan	RR	IND	4	0.5	23.5	122	30000	144
Suresh Raina	CSK	IND	4	0.5	23.5	451	650000	906
Rahul Dravid	BRC	IND	2	1	23.0	176	1035000	3528
David Warner	DD	AUS	2	1	23.0	118	250000	906
Mark Boucher [Images]	BRC	SA	2	1	23.0	95	450000	2782
Chris Gayle	KKR	WI	5	0	20.0	196	800000	2280
MN van Wyk	KKR	SA	5	0	20.0	192	50000	149
Karan Goel [Images]	KXI	IND	5	0	20.0	88	30000	214
RP Singh	DC	IND	3	0.5	19.5	234	875000	1874
Dwayne Bravo	MI	WI	3	0.5	19.5	183	150000	327
Amit Mishra	DD	IND	1	1	19.0	117	30000	121
Morne Morkel [Images]	RR	IND	1	1	19.0	29	60000	1094
Piyush Chawla	KXI	IND	4	0	16.0	171	400000	1504
M Muralitharan	CSK	SL	4	0	16.0	159	600000	2322
A Flintoff	CSK	ENG	4	0	16.0	81	1550000	4088
M Hayden	CSK	AUS	4	0	16.0	476	375000	495
K Sangakkara	KXI	SL	4	0	16.0	167	700000	2695
S Badrinath	CSK	IND	4	0	16.0	93	30000	203
S Tendulkar	MI	IND	4	0	16.0	223	1121250	2448

Notice that AB de Villiers tops the list, ahead of the wicketkeepers. He has taken a lot of catches near the boundary line as indeed have Virat Kohli and Herschelle Gibbs.

This table seems to suggest that Delhi, Rajasthan and Deccan are the best fielding sides, followed, a notch below, by Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Punjab. The real surprise is to find so few Mumbai players on the list even with Jonty Rhodes [Images] as their fielding coach!

Srinivas Bhogle now works for TEOCO Software Pvt Ltd. This note is based on the detailed IPL1 analysis carried out by Purnendu Maji in 2008. The paisa vasool index uses a model developed by M J Manohar Rao and Rajeeva L Karandikar.