IPL 2023: the state of play, stars so far and how England players are faring

Not much, just the first 68 games. The IPL is a curious beast: the biggest tournament in cricket, the richest in any ballgame, the greatest show in Asia – and yet eminently missable. Its bosses at the Indian board still haven’t worked out how to give it meaning. It works for the players and coaches, who get massive fees and two months of further education. To most cricket lovers, though, the teams still feel like mere franchises and the story of each game is written in invisible ink.

This is cricket – nobody’s ever winning till they’ve won. The best team has been Gujarat Titans, top of the table for the second year running. They were the only side to win eight of their first 12 matches, which is especially impressive as (a) they are the holders, so the hunted not the hunters, and (b) they were founded in 2021.

At the bottom of the pile, two teams have had a stinker: Sunrisers Hyderabad, coached by Brian Lara, and Delhi Capitals, captained by David Warner. The other seven have been much of a muchness, all winning six or seven of their first 12 or 13 games. Looking at the table, you might deduce that Twenty20 is 50-50.

As Jeff Beck sang, they’re everywhere and nowhere, baby. There are plenty of them, but they are often on the bench. It’s quite an achievement to render Ben Stokes invisible, but Chennai Super Kings have managed it. England’s Test captain has played two games, making 8 and 7 and bowling one over (none for 18); after six weeks without a start, he found the CSK coach, Stephen Fleming, calling him “batting cover”.

Joe Root has been almost as hard to spot, playing three games for Rajasthan Royals, bowling two overs (none for 14), and batting just the once. He made 10 and, like a true Englishman, took part in a