By all accounts, players have found the tournament to be hectic, with travelling and playing schedules demanding and tight.

From my own playing and coaching experience in this format of the game, fresh minds and bodies are of the utmost importance at this stage.

A note of interest – as the tournament reaches its end and the pitches dry out with less grass growth due to the approaching winter – I’m sure teams with spin and slow bowling options will come into their own.

By the very nature of this format it is virtually possible to win every single match. Predictability in the face of unpredictable odds cannot be the answer. Flexibility and the ability to think on one’s feet is keeping teams ahead of others.

Shane Warne’s tactical nous coupled with his rare ability is pulling his Rajasthan Royal teammates through and they should once again be semi- finalists. He is keeping his team fresh and the opposition guessing.

The other captain who is just as smart is Mahendra Singh Dhoni of the Chennai Super Kings. His bowling and batting combinations have virtually changed from match to match.

Matthew Hayden’s form has been inspirational and he has played a big role in the Kings being top of the table. The Delhi Daredevils are also well- positioned at present. They still have much in reserve, with Virender Sehwag yet to make his presence felt. They are a well-rounded side with the best win-loss ratio at this stage.

However, the inevitability of a loss or two may start to prey heavily on weak minds and it could catch up with those teams when they need it least.

The Deccan Chargers are also right up there and in with a shout but they depend heavily on the batting of Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist.

The Mumbai Indians are in the same boat, with much being asked of Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuria with the bat for them to keep on winning.

Ray Jennings’ Royal Bangalore Challengers have had their fair share of bad luck but at a critical stage of the tournament have found some belief and confidence. They may just be the team to come from nowhere and find a hot, winning streak.

The Kings XI Punjab have the spinning options to surprise a few teams but sadly don’t have enough match- winners with the bat to go all the way.

My call is for the Rajasthan Royals and the Super Kings to finish in the top four. They have players who are willing to scrap it out.

The Royal Bangalore Challengers, who will be inspired and cajoled by their merciless coach, could very well make the top four but they may have just too much to do. The Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab seem a bit fragile when “toughness” is needed.

I’m not sure how much spunk and fight is in the Daredevils and the Chargers but I’m going for the Chargers because Gibbs’s brilliance will do it for them and get them through.

April 19: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v DECCAN CHARGERS (4 pm) at Cape Town; DELHI DAREDEVILS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (8 pm) at Cape Town.

April 20: ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE V CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth.

April 21: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v MUMBAI INDIANS (4 pm) at Durban; KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (8 pm) at Durban

April 22: DELHI DAREDEVILS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Durban; ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v DECCAN CHARGERS (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 23: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

April 24: KINGS XI PUNJAB v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Johannesburg

April 25: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Cape Town; DECCAN CHARGERS v MUMBAI INDIANS (8 pm) at Durban.

April 26: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at Cape Town; ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v DELHI DAREDEVILS (8 pm) Port Elizabeth

April 27: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v MUMBAI INDIANS (4 pm) at Cape Town; CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v DECCAN CHARGERS (8 pm) at Durban.

April 28: DELHI DAREDEVILS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (4 pm) at Pretoria

April 29: MUMBAI INDIANS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at Durban; KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (8 pm) at Durban

April 30: DELHI DAREDEVILS v DECCAN CHARGERS (4 pm) at Pretoria; RAJASTHAN ROYALS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (8 pm) at Pretoria.

May 1: ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at East London; MUMBAI INDIANS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (8 pm) at Durban

May 2: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v DECCAN CHARGERS (4 pm) at Johannesburg; CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 3: MUMBAI INDIANS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Durban; KINGS XI PUNJAB v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (8 pm) at East London

May 4: DECCAN CHARGERS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 5: DELHI DAREDEVILS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (4 pm) at Durban; KINGS XI PUNJAB v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (8 pm) at Durban

May 6: MUMBAI INDIANS v DECCAN CHARGERS (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 7: KINGS XI PUNJAB v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Pretoria; ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 8: DELHI DAREDEVILS v MUMBAI INDIANS (4 pm) at East London

May 9: DECCAN CHARGERS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at Bloemfontein; CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 10: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (4 pm) at East London; ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v MUMBAI INDIANS (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 11: DECCAN CHARGERS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (4 pm) at Bloemfontein

May 12: ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (4 pm) at Pretoria; KINGS XI PUNJAB v MUMBAI INDIANS (8 pm) at Pretoria.

May 13: DECCAN CHARGERS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (4 pm) at Durban

May 14: MUMBAI INDIANS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (4 pm) at Durban; CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (8 pm) at Durban.

May 15: KINGS XI PUNJAB v DELHI DAREDEVILS (4 pm) at Kimberley

May 16: CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v MUMBAI INDIANS (4 pm) at Johannesburg; DECCAN CHARGERS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 17: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (4 pm) at Kimberley; KINGS XI PUNJAB v DECCAN CHARGERS (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 18: CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 19: DELHI DAREDEVILS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Johannesburg

May 20: CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at Durban; RAJASTHAN ROYALS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (8 pm) at Durban

May 21: DECCAN CHARGERS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Pretoria; MUMBAI INDIANS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 22: Semi Final 1 at Pretoria

May 23: Semi Final 2 at Johannesburg

May 24: Final at Johannesburg.