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IPL's leading paisa vasool players

May 09, 2009 12:58 IST

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 CSK AUS 378 159.5 459.8 476 375000 495
Suresh Raina CSK IND 296 148.7 343.3 451 650000 906
Yuvraj Singh KXI IND 266 136.4 288.3 345 1063750 1981
AB de Villiers DD SA 228 139.0 251.0 306 300000 491
Adam Gilchrist DC AUS 210 154.4 250.0 294 700000 1193
MS Dhoni CSK IND 221 139.0 243.3 271 1500000 3482
Yusuf Pathan RR IND 203 155.0 242.3 327 475000 914
Brad Hodge KKR AUS 240 112.1 212.5 302 100000 208
Jacques Kallis BRC SA 230 115.0 210.0 224 900000 2526
Sachin Tendulkar 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 KKR WI 171 119.6 163.3 196 800000 2280
Rahul Dravid BRC IND 144 133.3 153.0 176 1035000 3528
K Sangakkara KXI SL 193 102.7 151.0 167 700000 2695
Herschelle Gibbs DC SA 148 120.3 142.3 178 575000 1617
Ravindra Jadeja RR IND 169 107.0 140.5 239 30000 79
Rohit Sharma DC IND 149 118.3 140.5 189 750000 1989
Dinesh Karthik DD IND 127 139.6 140.3 190 525000 1383
S Jayasuriya MI SL 137 122.3 134.0 184 975000 2581
Irfan Pathan KXI IND 134 122.9 131.8 290 925000 2052
Graeme Smith RR SA 162 103.2 127.8 136 475000 2199
Ravi Bopara KXI ENG 138 116.0 127.3 136 450000 1368
Gautam Gambhir DD IND 140 112.0 123.8 132 725000 2751
Naman Ojha RR IND 120 126.3 121.3 129 30000 129
Virat Kohli BRC IND 138 107.8 116.0 158 300000 1224

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

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 MI SL 11 4.8 222.3 226 350000 751
RP Singh DC IND 13 6.7 215.5 234 875000 1874
Anil Kumble BRC IND 10 5.8 201.8 211 500000 1525
Pragyan Ojha 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 KKR IND 9 6.8 156.5 176 950000 3388
Irfan Pathan KXI IND 11 7.8 154.0 290 925000 2052
Munaf Patel RR IND 10 7.4 152.0 156 275000 1081
Piyush Chawla KXI IND 9 7.0 150.3 171 400000 1504
Shadab Jakati CSK IND 9 6.6 144.0 172 30000 100
M Muralitharan CSK SL 7 6.0 143.0 159 600000 2322
L Balaji CSK IND 11 8.6 142.3 151 30000 122
Amit Singh RR IND 7 3.5 137.0 137 30000 119
Shane Warne 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 MI IND 6 6.8 105.5 123 450000 1773
D Mascarenhas 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 DC WI 5 6.6 96.0 98 150000 745
Dirk Nannes DD AUS 6 7.4 93.8 109 70000 320
Daniel Vettori DD NZ 7 8.4 91.0 145 625000 2039
Amit Mishra DD IND 5 6.7 90.5 117 30000 121
Brad Hodge KKR AUS 6 7.8 85.5 302 100000 208
Dwayne Bravo 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 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 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 BRC NZ 3 6.9 52.5 92 160000 991
Yuvraj Singh KXI IND 3 7.5 45.0 345 1063750 1981
Murali Kartik 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 (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. 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Srinivas Bhogle