Final before the final?

With the teams sitting pretty at the top of the IPL table, you could say tomorrow8217;s match is a dead rubber.

With the teams sitting pretty at the top of the IPL table, you could say tomorrow8217;s match is a dead rubber. But considering the form the Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals are in, calling it a dress rehearsal for the IPL final would perhaps be more apt. Neither side is expected to blink voluntarily.

Rajasthan are the success story of the IPL so far. Hardly anyone would have given them a chance before the first match but no one has been able to unravel the mystery behind their success. With each passing game, their aura has increased. But, as often happens in knockout matches, a bad day, and dreams can vanish into thin air.

The Mohali team have, throughout the tournament, looked the most likely to challenge Shane Warne8217;s Rajasthan. They began their IPL campaign disastrously, losing the first two games but Yuvraj Singh8217;s team handsomely fought their way back in the weeks that followed 8212; thanks to a batting line-up that packs a punch, or five. Shaun Marsh and Luke Pomersbach have been outstanding while the Lankan duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumara Sangakkara make full use of their experience.

Even with Yuvraj not in the best of form, the side hasn8217;t really felt the pinch. The bowling, too, has been on the mark8212;a closer look at their last three games suggests it may be losing some of its sting. Sreesanth and leggie Piyush Chawla have been their usual self but the others have clearly struggled.

On the other hand, all-round balance has been the key to Rajasthan8217;s success. The openers Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar are in great form, followed by power-hitters such as Shane Watson and Yusuf Pathan, and the likes of Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Kaif add solidilty to the line-up. On the bowling front, skipper Warne has identified roles for each one of his bowlers and mixes thing up between Sohail Tanveer, Sidharth Trivedi and Irfan Pathan. Whenever the chips are down, one of them bails the team out.

Rajasthan come to the PCA Stadium here with a sensational last-ball win over the Mumbai Indians on Monday night while Punjab suffered at the hands of Sourav Ganguly and his Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. How tomorrow8217;s match turns out could have a huge bearing on the momentum the teams will carry into the last-four.