Best Performances in IPL-5 2012...

Who are the best batsmen and bowlers of the IPL? The answer depends on whether you think current form is all-important or long-term performance is what matters. To help you get an idea of how the two combine, TOI has constructed an index that takes performance from the last three seasons into account. We'll keep updating the ratings, so keep visiting this page.

Rank	Batsmen*	Points	Bowlers**	Points

1	Chris Gayle	64.5	Lasith Malinga	45.2
2	Virender Sehwag	47.7	Ryan Harris	37.7
3	David Warner	45.2	Dale Steyn	36.8
4	Shane Watson	41.2	Shakib Al Hasan	36.5
5	Gautam Gambhir	34.8	Doug Bollinger	33.3
6	Shaun Marsh	34.0	Lakshmipathy Balaji	30.7
7	Shikhar Dhawan	33.3	M Muralitharan	30.6
8	Kevin Pietersen	31.9	Shaun Tait	29.8
9	Sachin Tendulkar	31.4	Munaf Patel	29.7
10	Cameron White	28.8	Morne Morkel	29.2

Methodology

What's the basis for these rankings? We assigned batting and bowling points to each player based on his performance. We then totalled up the points per match for each player for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons giving a 50% weightage to the current season, 30% to the 2011 season and 20% to 2010. The weighted average points per match are the points we present and they are the basis for the rankings. A minimum of five matches in 2012 is taken as cutoff. The batting points were worked out on the principle that T20 is not only about how much you score, but also how fast you get the runs. We found that the average strike rate for all batsmen in the IPL hovers at around 120. The number of batting points each player got was the runs scored by him multiplied by his strike rate and divided by the average strike rate of 120. Thus, a batsman scoring at the average strike rate of 120 gets as many points as the runs he has scored. Faster scorers will get more points than they have runs, while relatively slow scorers will have fewer points than runs. In brief: Batsmen ranking points based on runs scored and strike rate over last three seasons including current one. Weight highest for current season declining as we go back. Minimum 5 matches in current season for ranking. The bowling points were based on the principle that economy and wicket taking are both important. Again, since the average economy rate of all bowlers tends to be around 7.5 runs per over, this was taken as par. Any bowler going at this rate got no economy points. Those conceding fewer runs per over got as many points as the runs they notionally saved. For instance, if a bowler had bowled 20 overs in the tournament at 5.5 runs per over, he would have saved 40 runs in all - 20 multiplied by 7.5 minus 5.5. Of course, those with a higher economy rate were treated as having conceded additional runs and hence earned as many negative points. As for the wicket-taking points, we just multiplied the number of wickets taken by 25. The total of a player's bowling points then was the sum of his economy and wicket-taking points. *In brief: Bowlers ranking points based on both economy and wicket-taking over last three seasons including current one. Weight highest for current season declining as we go back. Minimum 5 matches in current season for ranking.