Indian Premier League has thrown up some unexpected results and I failed to predict them before the onset of IPL T20 tournament in my Indian Premier League blog. Some players surprised me with their superb performances while some are disappointed me.  What I failed to predict: 1. Rajasthan Royals: I thought that it may win one or two matches but what happened is exactly opposite. I underestimated team spirit and Shane Warne’s leadership. Rajasthan Royals made me fool before my readers. Thank you Royals!  2. Hyderabad Deccan Chargers: Absence of a great leader and selection politics is the reason behind their worst performance. Gilchrist may not know about all these politics but coach Robin Singh knows. Hyderabad has worst franchisee owners in the IPL.  3. Venugopala Rao: I am still unable to recover (positive surprise) from his stellar performances. As an Andhraite, I am happy to see his unbelievable transformation from Dravid like batting to “Sixers Rao”. Greg Chappell spotted immense talent in him but I thought he was a test player. He will surely serve for India in all formats of cricket. Who can forget his valiant knocks and useful bowling?  4. Muralidharan: I thought that he will among the top three wicket takers before the onset of IPL but he is still struggling to take a single wicket per match.  5. Mohammad Asif: I thought McGrath-Asif combination will become a nightmare for opposition. But Asif disappointed me and his Delhi team with his wayward bowling.  6. Sreesanth: He is simply sensational after “slapgate” episode. He needs to be nurtured carefully for Test cricket. I also underestimated Mohali leg spinner "Piyush Chawla".  7. Ricky … [Read more...]