It was left handers all way, whether batting or bowling!

Chennai, May 30 (UNI) Until Matthew Hayden returned to Australia for national duty leaving Chennai Super Kings in the lurch, arguably in terms of the much-needed start by openers, in the T20 format, the team could boast of a unique batting line up.

They had a crop of highly talented left handers who could make the predominantly right arm seamers in the teams struggle to get the right line and length to contain them.

The left handers have hogged the limelight in the league phase of the IPL.

The raw statistics prove this. The top five batsmen with the best scores in the league are all left handers.

Delhi Daredevils opener Gautam Gambhir had notched up as many as 523 runs clocking an average of 43.58. His highest score was 86 and boasted a strike rate of 143.68.

But in the first place, ahead of the Delhi batsman, is the latest Aussie players on the block, Shaun Marsh son of former Australian Opener Geoff Marsh.

Also dazzling in the league after initial failures was the 'evergreen' Sri Lankan Swashbucklling operner Sanath Jayasurya.

This south paw really gave the spectators and owners of Mumbai Indians their money's worth.

Sixes flowed from his bat-- as many as 27. His best score in a match was 115 not out against Rajasthan Royals.

But even Dhoni, who is a bowler's nightmare in the shorter version of the game, failed after initial blast with the bat. He could not notch up a three figure score.

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