Approximately 45 days ago, with COVID-19 peaking in India, the Indian Premier League seemed like a distant dream. However, with some efforts and adjustments, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) managed to exile its favourite son to the United Arab Emirates for the 56 day tournament.

With different conditions, rules and also a new name sponsor, the IPL kicked started on September 19 in an empty Dubai International Stadium. Since then the tournament has already seen a rollercoaster ride, two super over results a part of it.

Now that the 13th edition of the league has crossed the halfway mark, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad are ready to face each other for the second time, starting the series of what one refers to as the second leg. The transfer window for loaning players, a first time in IPL is also open.

Here are five things that stood out in the first half of the world’s richest cricket tournament:

Royal Challengers Bangalore flaunt dominance:

Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 82 runs. (Photo credit: Twitter/@IPL)

Royal Challengers Bangalore have recorded their best first half by winning 5 of the 7 matches they have played. AB de Villiers, who hit an explosive 73 run knock on Monday, made sure RCB remain stable in their hunt for the first IPL title. Virat Kohli called the Portea as a ‘super-human’ after the Kolkata Knight Riders game. The Indian national team skipper himself has been around the top tiers of the Orange cap rankings. The 90-run innings that Kohli played against Chennai Super Kings was one of the best he has produced in a while.

Bangalore, now sitting on the third position of the points table, have scored 10 points, the same as leaders Mumbai and second-placed Delhi Capitals.

New Indian crop has quality and strength

Shubman Gill has scored two half-centuries in IPL 2020 so far. (Photo credit: Twitter/@IPL)

Names like Devdutt Padikkal (RCB), Rahul Tewatia (RR), Ravi Bishnoi (KXIP) and Thangarasu Natrajan (SRH) have started their IPL careers on a high.

Padikkal, who has scored three half-centuries in seven games, has claimed national attention by shining in a lineup that already holds veterans like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Aaron Finch in it. RCB skipper Kohli described the 20-year-old as “serious talent”.

Ravi Bishnoi, another 20-year-old, has floated around the headlines by creating a havoc with his leg-spin. The Kings XI Punjab spinner has dismissed eight batsmen so far, including the likes of Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow and David Warner.

Tougher that making name in the first season is maintaining the same in the second one. Kolkata Knight Riders’ Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi have shared 9 wickets between them till the half way mark. Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill have also made place for them challenging the best in the format with their one season experience.

Honeymoon time’s up for Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings rank seventh on the IPL points table with four points. (Photo credit: Twitter/@IPL)

Three-time champions, eight time finalists in the ten seasons they have been a part of, the Chennai Super Kings have been a top force in the Indian Premier League with MS Dhoni leading them. However, the Yellow army has witnessed a sudden slump this year, losing five of their seven fixtures. Chennai have failed in all departments, and lie low on the seventh rung of the table. “IPL commentators are maintaining the fiction that the wicket of Dhoni is still a huge one,” Wisden Almanack editor Lawrence Booth wrote on Twitter.

Glaring lights and dropped catches

The rarest tournaments will feature Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja missing routine catches. This edition of the IPL has seen the simplest of the catches go down. The problem is that Dubai’s stadium has a ‘ring of fire’ circular lighting system instead of the regular tall towers of floodlights. According to players, the ball gets lost in the black sky and is misjudged by fielders. “The players are not used to play under such lights, maybe the trajectory comes in the way,” Dhoni said after one game at the venue.

Empty stadiums and fake cheer

Indian stadiums cage fans never get tired screaming and cheering for their favourite teams. However, with the IPL like the football leagues being played in empty stadiums, fake noise has been the go to for the organisers to give a real-time effect. Video recordings of cheerleaders and mistimed sound effects has become a regular in matches.

Social media has been divided over the canned noise but the tournament is still attracting viewers. The stadium was empty but a record 200 million people watched on screens at home as reigning champions Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings in the opening game.