IPL 2018: 4 takeaways from the opening four games

The 11 edition of the lucrative Indian Premier League is off and running. We have already witnessed four spectacular matches and it promises to get better and better as the tournament progresses.

Here are the four takeaways from the opening four games in IPL 11.

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#1 Winning the toss is key

Win the toss and bowl first has been the mantra so far in the ongoing season of the IPL. The four games so far have proved how important the toss can be.

The first game saw MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians off the penultimate ball while Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders chased down their respective totals against Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore with ease. Sunrisers Hyderabad cantered to a win against a hapless Rajasthan Royals outfit.

Win the toss, win the game? It sure looks like that!

#2 Spinners ruling the roost

"Batsmen gets you runs, bowlers win you matches", is a true statement even in the shortest format of the game. Bowlers have been an important part of a team's success, especially spin bowlers.

In the four games so far, we have seen how the spinners have changed the complexion of the game. If they don't pick wickets, they still choke you with bowling an economical spell.

Markande's 3 for 23, Ashwin's 1 for 23, Mujeeb's 2 for 28, Tewatia's 1 for 24, Narine's 1 for 30, Shakib's 2 for 23, and Rashid's 1 for 23, all from four overs, are some of the spells in the four games which proved crucial. Spinners definitely have a key role to play.

#3 Playing aggressive cricket during the powerplay overs the key

Teams in the IPL have been aggressive so far, be it batting or bowling. In the first game, Shane Watson and Deepak Chahar's aggressive opening spell countered for two big Mumbai wickets which slowed things down for the men in blue. CSK won the game in the end on the back of a whirlwind 68 off 30 balls by Dwayne Bravo.

In the second game, KL Rahul's aggressive approach which saw him blast the fastest fifty in the history of the IPL, off just 14 balls, gave Punjab a flying start. Delhi never really recovered from that and Punjab won the game with ease.

The third game saw both teams bat aggressively at the top. While Brendon McCullum's 43 off 27 balls gave RCB a wonderful start, Sunil Narine's 19 balls 50 helped KKR to a facile win.

In the fourth match, chasing a modest total, Sunrisers attacked the Rajasthan bowlers in the powerplay to strengthen their grip on the game and give the opposition no chance of making a miraculous comeback.

Hence, these opening four games indicate that being aggressive in the powerplay overs can enhance your chances of winning the game.

#4 The importance of DRS

The Umpires Decision Referral System made it's debut in the IPL this season and it soon became a talking point.

In the first game, CSK were tottering and it seemed as if Kedar Jadhav was out leg before but Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma opted not to review. Few balls later, he reviewed another leg before appeal against MS Dhoni and it went his way.

It seemed as if he had made amends but it was not to be as Jadhav hit the winning runs to add more misery on the Mumbai captain.

In the third game, a Chris Woakes short ball went past Rinku Singh's bat and Kolhi straightaway went for the review, confident that he heard a noise. Replays suggested he was right and DRS prevailed.

These two incidents prove how important DRS will be in the forthcoming games.