The Top Order Cricket Podcast The Top Order Podcast

In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at the final week of the IPL 2024 regular season before previewing the upcoming knockout fixtures.
Recorded on 20 May, we talk about a week that saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru storm into the playoffs, Sunrisers Hyderabad snatch second place, Kolkata Knight Riders watch some rain fall, Rajasthan Royals extend their losing streak and missed opportunities for Lucknow Super Giants and the Chennai Super Kings.
We discuss the epic match between RCB and CSK, which essentially became a quarterfinal thanks to LSG's slip up earlier in the week, and then take a closer look at all four playoff teams as we move to the business end of the season.

KKR have been superb all season, but will Phil Salt's absence and consecutive washouts leave them vulnerable?

The Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling attack has improved throughout the season, but are their chances tied heavily to the success of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head at the top of the order?

With the Rajasthan Royals in a slump and Jos Buttler gone - is Ravichandran Ashwin at 5 really the answer?

Virat Kohli's form has been immense all season for RCB, but have they become an all-round threat during this six-game win streak?

Plus predictions and much more!


We might be back again later in the week with more news and views if there's an incredible game we can't wait to talk about, but if not we'll be in your feed again about this time next week to wrap up the final and also look ahead to the T20 World Cup. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.
You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.
And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening.
0:00 Intro
1:30 RCB beat CSK to roar into the playoffs
5:20 Rachin Ravindra's contribution
7:45 Virat Kohli's fantastic season
10:50 RCB's all-round game
14:50 Rajasthan's losing streak - can they turn it around?
21:15 Rajasthan's middle order struggles
24:05 KKR fully deserve their number-one spot
29:20 Potential for KKR v SRH to be a run-fest
31:30 Do the Sunrisers chances rest solely on whether Head and Sharma fire?
36.50 Predictions
40:30 Final general thoughts
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In this episode of the show, Binksy and Stu look back at another week that was in IPL 2024.
Recorded on 13 May, we rank all 10 teams into 3 tiers, as we unpack the key themes emerging from this tournament as a whole as during the lead-in to the playoffs.

Are the Kolkata Knight Riders in a tier of their own now?

The Rajasthan Royals keep losing!

Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head hit 30 boundaries from 58 balls in a big Sunrisers Hyderabad win - is this a sign of things to come at the T20 World Cup?

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won 5 in a row and look like a completely different team now from the start of the tournament - can they sneak into the playoffs?

Are the Chennai Super Kings good?

David Warner is back for the Delhi Capitals, but they need a lot to go their way in the final week

Lucknow Super Giants have fallen out of the top 4 after a crushing loss against SRH

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan provided a rare highlight for the Gujarat Titans in 2024

Should Team India be worried about the form of Mumbai Indians' stars Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya?

The Punjab Kings are an IPL team

And much more!


We'll be back again later in the week with more news and views, but until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.
You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.
And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening.
0:00 Intro
4:00 KKR - Are they in a tier of their own now?
8:50 SRH - Will Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma's approach carry through to the T20 World Cup
12:40 RR - How much will momentum matter in the knockout games?
22:10 RCB - Five wins in a row
25:10 CSK - Are they good? Or not?
31:55 DC - A long shot now
32:40 LSG - Still a chance, but a huge run-rate hit against SRH
36:00 GT - Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan's partnership - are hundreds even special anymore?
39:45 MI - Should Team India worry about the form of Hardik and Rohit?
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In this episode of the show, Baldy, Binksy and Stu look back at another week that was in IPL 2024.
Recorded on 6 May, we review all 10 teams, handing out the power rankings along the way, but with a much bigger focus on the top half of the table this week.

Is the Kolkata Knight Riders bowling attack now good enough to win the competition? And has Sunil Narine changed T20 cricket forever?

A quiet week for the Rajasthan Royals, but no reason to panic

Sunrisers Hyderabad vault back into the top 4 thanks to Bhuvneshwar Kumar's magic moment in the game of the week

Marcus Stoinis has found a level of consistency for the Lucknow Super Giants

Will the mounting injury toll prove costly for the Chennai Super Kings?

The Delhi Capitals, still have a chance, but they're in must-win territory now

It's great to see Mohammed Siraj smiling for Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Rahul Chahar had an impressive week for the Punjab Kings, who have built a strong core of local players, but what about their overseas talent?

The Gujarat Titans are a team lacking in firepower right now

Why hasn't Nuwan Thushara seen more game time for the Mumbai Indians?

And much more!


We'll be back again later in the week with more news and views, but until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.
You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.
And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening.
0:00 Intro
1:45 KKR - Varun Chakravarthy's improvement is rounding out KKR's bowling attack
8:55 KKR - Has Sunil Narine's batting success changed T20 cricket?
13:20 RR - A loss this week against SRH, but still plenty of positives
17:40 SRH - Sunrisers at their best are serious contenders
24:55 LSG - Right in the playoff picture, but still a tier below the top 3
29:50 CSK - Injuries mounting up
35:10 DC - Net run-rate is an issue
39:15 RCB - Mohammed Siraj is back! And what's Cameron Green's best role?
46:30 PBKS - An impressive week for Rahul Chahar
49:50 GT - What else is there left to say?!
51:40 MI - Batting woes this week, and where has Nuwan Thushara been?
57:25 Players leaving the IPL for international cricket
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In this episode of the show, Binksy and Raj review the past two days of IPL 2024 action - Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings - as well as discussing the India and England provisional T20 World Cup squads that were named this week.
We'll be back again early next week with more news and views in the next instalment of the power rankings, but until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.
You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.
And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening.
0:00 Intro
1:35 Mumbai v LSG
8:25 CSK v Punjab
16:15 T20 World Cup squads - India
20:20 T20 World Cup squads - England
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In this episode of the show, Raj, Binksy and Stu look back at another week that was in IPL 2024.
Recorded on 30 April, we review all 10 teams, handing out the power rankings along the way.

In a topsy-turvy week, the Rajasthan Royals march on thanks to big contributions from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sandeep Sharma, Dhruv Jurel & Sanju Samson

The Kolkata Knight Riders are up to second, and Varun Chakravarthy is showing signs of improvement

Ruturaj Gaikwad has the Chennai Super Kings well placed for the top 4

Matt Henry's unbeaten run with the Lucknow Super Giants has ended, but he has made the Black Caps' T20 World Cup squad

Are the Sunrisers Hyderabad too reliant on Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma?

The Delhi Capitals, powered by Jake Fraser McGurk at the top, are surging - but have they left their run too late?

Finally a great week for Royal Challengers Bengaluru! And how about that Will Jacks innings?!

Punjab Kings chase down 261 thanks to Jonny Bairstow brilliance and power hitting from Shashank and Prabhsimran

The Gujarat Titans are struggling, and what's happened to Mohit Sharma?

Mumbai's run to the finals looks over, and is Hardik Pandya's form a concern for India?

And much more!


We'll be back again later in the week with more news and views, but until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.
You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.
And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening.
0:00 Intro
1.40 RR - The Royals march on, thanks to contributions all throughout the squad
7:05 KKR - Can Varun Chakravarthy's strong performance kickstart his season?
13:35 CSK - Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the way
22:05 LSG - Right in the playoff picture, but why are we struggling to believe in them?
31:20 SRH - Are they too reliant on their openers?
36:25 DC - A side hitting form, but is it too late?
42:45 RCB - Finally a good week!
49:25 PK - Bairstow, Shashank and Prabhsimran power Punjab in an epic chase
56:30 GT - A difficult week for Gujarat, and for Mohit Sharma
59:50 MI - Bowling is still a mess, and what's going on with Hardik Pandya?
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In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj review the past three days of IPL 2024 action - Rajasthan vs Mumbai, CSK v LSG and the most recent game between the Gujarat Titans and the Delhi Capitals = which saw 3 hundreds, a couple of thrillers and some results that could be hugely impactful come playoff time. 
Recorded on 25 April, we discuss hundreds from Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Marcus Stoinis, plus the power hitting from the likes of Nehal Wadhera, Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant in particular, who has been oh so impressive since returning from serious injury.
There are also shout outs for Sandeep Sharma and Shivam Dube, the regular 'Get MS Dhoni up the order' conversation and questions about CSK and Mumbai's title credentials - and how far the game has swung in favour of the batter in the death overs. Plus much more!
We'll be back again early next week with more news and views in the next instalment of the power rankings, but until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.
You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including a recent conversation with Mike Hesson, plus chats with former World Cup stars Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.
And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at thetoporderpodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening.
0:00 Intro
0:30 Delhi Capitals v Gujarat Titans - How far have the death overs swung in favour of the batters?
3:10 Rishabh Pant - What a comeback it has been from serious injury!
8:00 Jake Fraser McGurk
9:55 Worries for the Gujarat Titans?
13:35 Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians - Sandeep Sharma takes 5
17:50 Yashasvi Jaiswal's brilliant century
19:40 Mumbai Indians - tough loss, but nice to see Nehal Wadhera
22:00 Mumbai's bowling is a problem
25:15 Chennai Super Kings v Lucknow Super Giants - Huge back-to-back wins for LSG
26:15 Ruturaj Gaikwad's century lifts CSK over 200
28:30 Get MS Dhoni up the order!
29:30 Matt Henry contributing for LSG
31:20 Marcus Stoinis's match-winning performance
35:30 LSG's finishing on point
37:00 Where does this leave LSG and CSK going forward?
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