Here's a quick check on who's hot right now:

 

The Jamaica Tallawahs' self-styled 'World Boss' lived up to his name with an innings of rare genius in the Indian Premier League, Gayle smashing a stunning 96 from only 56 balls as Royal Challengers Bangalore pulled off a fine run chase to beat Kolkata Knight Riders. A couple of days later, Gayle hammered his 200th six in the IPL - next best on the all-time list is Suresh Raina with 134.

 

St Lucia Zouks' batsman KP bludgeoned his first century for a couple of years, battering 170 off 149 balls for Surrey against the students of Oxford MCCU. Pietersen is eyeing a recall to the England Test team for the summer's Ashes series against Australia, though he is fully committed to playing in the CPL with the Zouks.

 

Fresh from his World Cup exploits, the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots opener continued his superb form with the bat as he hit an unbeaten 161 for English county Derbyshire in their pre-season game against Cambridge University, blazing 19 fours and 6 sixes from just 108 balls.

 

Despite struggling with a knee injury, the feared Sri Lanka paceman still took 2-34 from his four overs as Mumbai Indians lost by 18 runs to Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium. Malinga will be flying in bowling his lethal yorkers for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the summer.

 

The Barbados Tridents' Smith, who turned 32 on Sunday, has made two decent starts in the Indian Premier League so far without going on to make a big score. He started the competition by hitting 34 off 31 balls in their incredible ONE-RUN win over Delhi Daredevils, before being run out for 27 off 26 balls and pulling off an outrageous catch in the deep as they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 45 runs.

 

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Bravo, the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel captain this summer, has started IPL 8 in fine form, taking 2-36 from four overs in their thriller against Delhi, before a superbly disciplined 2-25 from four overs in the crushing win over Sunrisers.