The top four places in the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League have more or less been filled as expected, save for Kings XI Punjab’s surprise surge.
Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians are heavyweights of the league, are all former champions and were anticipated to, once again, rise to the top.
Punjab though have broken the norm and become the highlight of this year's edition of the IPL.
They are no longer a franchise whose Bollywood actress owner, Preity Zinta, grabs all the attention.
Their appeal now lies in a brilliant unit that has ripped up the form book and seen them top the standings with 11 victories from 14 games which has seen them equal the record for most wins in a season with Chennai, Mumbai (both 2013), Delhi Daredevils (2012) and Rajasthan Royals (2008).
What has triggered the turnaround in a franchise that has mostly floated safely in mid-table, with a best showing of a semi-finalist in 2008?
Without doubt Zinta's decision to rope in Sanjay Bangar, 41, as coach four months ago, has been the integral aspect of the Kings' turnaround.
Appointing Bangar was probably the best thing that Zinta has done since buying the franchise with no other team daring to appoint an Indian head coach.
It has paid rich dividends as the former India all-rounder has been visible in Punjab’s run throughout the tournament, right from the smart buys at the player auction to their impressive finish in the league.
An effective top-order batsman, Bangar played in Test teams which contained Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in their ranks.
A cricketer who honed his craft in Mumbai and played first-class cricket for two decades before turning his hand at coaching, Bangar has always been an astute judge of the game.
It has also helped that he was playing domestic cricket as recently as 15 months ago, which gave him a superb insight into the available players ahead of this season's auction.
A line-up comprising Virender Sehwag, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, George Bailey, David Miller, Thisara Perera and Mitchell Johnson – all proven performers internationally – was always destined to make an impact.
The big question was how will the Indian talent match up to such an impressive bunch of superstars.
That’s where Bangar has excelled by assessing each and every player’s ability and utilising them judiciously across the side's 14 matches to date.
Manan Vohra, a young batsman with a very bright future, was pushed into the fray at the half-way stage and the 20-year-old responded with some inspired knocks.
Off-spinner Shivam Sharma, all-rounder Akshar Patel, wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Shah, leg-spinner Karandeep Singh and swing bowler Sandeep Sharma have also flourished.
Using Maxwell at the top of the order was another masterstroke as it gave the all-rounder more overs to make the most of and gave him a freedom to play his shots.
Small wonder then that captain Bailey is found praising Bangar’s knowledge of the local talent and the Indian conditions at every other media briefing.
Bangar’s biggest test will be during the play-offs as he will be up against past masters with the experience and knowledge of tackling the big games and playing under the most pressured conditions.
The form book will again point to Chennai and Kolkata as the front runners for the title but I’m edging towards Punjab.
They have the ability and the skill to defy the odds once again and any side that writes them off will do so at their peril.
