IPL 2015: Team of the week (April 27 to May 3)

Week four of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 came to an end on Sunday and the points table has finally started to take shape as we edge closer to the business end of the tournament.After starting the week with a win over KKR at Chepauk, Chennai Super Kings finished it with back-to-back away defeats to KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad.While Kings XI plummeted to the last spot after three consecutive losses, wins in both their games ensured that SRH stayed in contention for a semi-final spot.Although 10 matches were played, only nine produced a winner as the game between RCB and Rajasthan Royals was called off due to rain.So who were the best performers from the past week? To find out who makes it into the Team of the Week, simply read on.

#1 David Warner - SRH

Despite having the weakest middle order of all the sides in this IPL, the fact that SRH are still in contention for a semi-final berth is down to one man, David Warner. The Australian, who was made captain of the Hyderabad side at the start of the season, was in scintillating form last week as he smashed the bowlers of Kings XI and CSK to all corners of the ground, on his way to back-to-back fifties in the week.

Both his knocks were similar but came in completely different circumstances. While his 58 against Kings XI came when wickets were falling around him, his 61 off just 28 balls gave his side the perfect start against CSK and both innings set the platform for wins. Whether SRH make it into the semis or not, Warner looks destined to finish near the top of the run charts.

#2 Ajinkya Rahane - RR

Rajasthan Royals had a mixed bag last week as they won, lost and also had a game abandoned. Ajinkya Rahane, on the other hand, further illustrated just why he is transforming into one of India's finest batsmen in all formats of the game.

After being dismissed for a scratchy 16 against Mumbai Indians, the opener showed his class against the Delhi Daredevils as he smashed 91 off just 54 balls. The innings included nine fours and three sixes and had none of the ugly swipes that marked his previous knock.

Playing nothing but classical strokes, Rahane has found his way to the top of the scoring charts and if he keeps his form going, it is hard to see anyone taking the orange cap off him.

#3 Sanju Samson - RR

After all the hype surrounding his performances last season, Sanju Samson started this edition of the IPL hoping to impress the Indian selectors. But his demotion from the opening slot following the return of Shane Watson meant that he hasn't enjoyed too much time in the middle.

In fact, the only time he stepped out onto the crease last week was when he blitzed a half-century against Mumbai Indians chasing 187. Although his innings of 76, which came off just 46 balls, went in vain, his knock, which comprised of 10 boundaries including three maximums, showed just why the 20-year-old wicketkeeper is held in such high regard.

#4 Robin Uthappa - KKR

After a slow start to this edition of the IPL, Robin Uthappa finally got going last week. In his three innings last week, the right-hander scored 142 runs at a strike rate of almost 160. In the first game against CSK, he scored 39 off just 17 balls in a game where none of his teammates could get their strike rate above 140.

In the return game, he finished unbeaten on 80 and guided his side through a tricky chase with the help of Andre Russell. Although he scored just 23 in the game against RCB, it was a 10-over match and he set up the platform perfectly for Russell to come in and smack the ball in a game that his side eventually lost.

#5 Mandeep Singh - RCB

While some would consider batting in T20s to be a piece of cake, the truth is that the task is much harder than it looks. And if you are a young Indian batsmen, who is following Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the batting line-up, that task becomes even more difficult. But in both of his innings last week, Mandeep Singh showcased great maturity and temperament.

While his 27 against the Royals went in vain as the match was abandoned due to rain, his 45 off just 18 balls against KKR secured a crucial win for RCB in their bid to qualify for the semis. Despite the loss of the top three, Mandeep showed tremendous composure as he guided RCB home with his brutal hitting.

#6 Dwayne Bravo - CSK

Two West Indian all-rounders make it into the side, first of which is CSK's Dwayne Bravo. Although he bats at No.6, which drastically reduces his ability to score quick runs, his ability to pick up crucial wickets with the ball and on the field means that he has become an invaluable asset to MS Dhoni's side.

Despite going wicketless against KKR at Eden Gardens, Bravo finished with 6 wickets last week thanks to two three-wicket hauls against the defending champions at Chepauk and SRH away from home. His ability to vary his pace and execute inch perfect yorkers and bouncers have seen him become CSK's death bowling specialist.

#7 Andre Russell - KKR

While Morne Morkel and Brad Hogg have dominated the headlines in the bowling department and the two openers have yet again given the batting consistency, it has been Andre Russell who has been the key man for KKR so far. In his three matches last week, not only did he pick up five wickets, he smashed over 104 runs at a strike rate of almost 180.

While his 55 off 32 balls against CSK was a match-winning innings, his 45, which came off just 17 balls against RCB, wasn't quite enough in a match reduced to 10 overs by rain. In a tournament that has featured plenty of world class talents, Russell has, without a shadow of a doubt, been the best all-rounder in the tournament so far.

#8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar - SRH

While all the talk before the start of the tournament was about how Trent Boult and Dale Steyn would work together and strike fear in the minds of opposing batsmen, it has been an Indian seamer who has been SRH's best bowler. Whether it is swinging the ball at the start of the innings, bowling yorkers at the death, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has done it and with such élan that he has become the spearhead of the side's bowling attack.

Both against Kings XI and CSK last week, it was Bhuvi who picked up the wicket of the side's key batsmen as he removed both Shaun Marsh and Brendon McCullum early. If he can keep up his ability to be effective both at the start and end of the innings, SRH might well make it to the semis.

#9 Dhawal Kulkarni - RR

Despite picking up only four wickets in his opening five matches of the tournament, Dhawal Kulkarni did a good job of keeping the runs down. Last week, however, although he was hit for a few runs, he finished with five wickets from three games. Against the Mumbai Indians, he dismissed both Parthiv Patel and Rohit Sharma cheaply.

Against Delhi Daredevils, it was towards the end that he got both his wickets. While being economical and taking wickets is the perfect combination, as long as the 26-year-old fast bowler from Mumbai keeps getting crucial breakthroughs, the management is unlikely to complain.

#10 Zaheer Khan - DD

Coming back from injury is never easy. That task gets even tougher when you are 36 and suddenly thrust into a crucial T20 game. But Zaheer Khan made a mockery of that as he finished with figures of 4-0-17-2 in his comeback game for the Delhi Daredevils against Kings XI. Although he didn't pick up a wicket in his second game against the Royals, he was unlucky not to and his figures didn't do his bowling justice.

With Mohammed Shami ruled out for the rest of the IPL, Zaheer will be crucial to Delhi's hopes of making it into the semis for the first time since 2012.

#11 Brad Hogg - KKR

While Sunil Narine's form this season wasn't great, the fact that he was deemed unavailable after being reported for his action again meant that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had a big problem. They needed a spinner who could not only contain but also pick up wickets. In Brad Hogg, they seem to have found the perfect solution to their problem.

Not only has the 44-year-old Australian picked up six wickets in his three games last week, but he has also been economical. Not many batsmen have been able to pick him and on spin-friendly conditions at the Eden Gardens, the left-arm chinaman bowler looks set to flourish, irrespective of whether Narine returns or not.