It would take a brave man to predict the winner of the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League after just 10 matches, but on the basis of what has transpired so far in the UAE, Kings XI Punjab have certainly emerged as the team to beat.
Semi-finalists in the inaugural year, Punjab have failed to make it to the play-offs in each of the last five years.
They always had some inspirational players in their line-up but come game time, they just could not perform as a unit.
So, they decided to do something drastic this year and changed the majority of their personnel.
Barring South African David Miller and the much heralded, but yet uncapped young opener, Manan Vohra, the entire Kings XI Punjab side features fresh faces.
Led by captain George Bailey, it is filled with players who are game-changers on their day, which is exactly what every team and coach hopes for in Twenty20, a format where the form of one individual can make all the difference.
That one standout performer for Kings XI Punjab so far has undoubtedly been Glenn Maxwell.
The Australian is enjoying a sensational run of form and has almost single-handedly fashioned his side's perfect star with three whirlwind innings of 95, 89 and 95 again that total 279 runs at a majestic strike rate of 212.97.
It was perhaps the dependence on Maxwell that led Bailey to admit after their third win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Sharjah on Tuesday that he felt his team still had plenty to improve.
That statement must have sent a chill up the collective spine of the other seven teams in the competition.
Before the Hyderabad match, there was a slight question mark over Punjab’s abilities with the ball.
Bailey's charges were brilliant in chasing targets of 206 and 192 in the first two matches, but it also meant their bowlers gave away that many runs, but the issue was not just limited to the bowlers.
The outfielding, especially the catching, was also not up to scratch, with the side's performance in the field in their first two matches particularly disappointing.
Punjab's win against Hyderabad would have given a lot of confidence to Bailey and coach Sanjay Bangar with the bowling department looking much improved, led by the inimitable Mitchell Johnson, who is getting better with every match played.
The Australian fast bowler was suffering from a toe injury before the IPL, which led to him missing the World T20 in Bangladesh, and appeared rusty in the first match but, on Tuesday, he was back to near the 150kmph mark.
Lakshmipathy Balaji, who took four wickets against Hyderabad, will play an important role with his variation and considerable seam movement important aspects of his armoury here in the UAE and India.
David Miller is the other batsman in form and bats in a similar style to Maxwell.
Their aggression complements the calm presence of Cheteshwar Pujara well.
The Indian Test No3 batsman may appear slow by Twenty20 standards but, by anchoring the innings, he is playing a vital role for Punjab.
However, Punjab need to pass one big test before they can truly claim the tag of being favourites – how they fare in a match in which Maxwell fails with the bat.
