It's that time of the year once again - this time with 10 teams and 2 months of IPL action set to dominate our screens.

After a tournament explainer from Baldy, we put the timer on the clock for each side - starting with the defending champion Chennai Super Kings all the way through to the Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad.

• Will Devon Conway win the orange cap?

• Can the Mumbai Indians overcome the loss of so many key players?

• Did anyone have a better auction than the Rajasthan Royals?

• Can Lockie Ferguson bowl the Gujarat Titans to a title in their first season?

• Will the addition of Shreyas Iyer be the final piece to help Brendon McCullum's KKR go one step further in 2022?

• Which team will win it all?

And so much more!

Part 1 includes the following teams:

• Chennai Super Kings

• Delhi Capitals

• Gujarat Titans

• Kolkata Knight Riders

• Lucknow Super Giants

Part 2 will be in your podcast feed tomorrow!

Have the Black Caps and the IPL disrespected Ross Taylor and the Netherlands?

Did England disrespect the West Indies?

And did Baldy disrespect Nathan Lyon?

We cover all this and much more as we look back at another busy week on the cricket calendar. There's reward for Michael Bracewell and Dane Cleaver in the Black Caps squad, but no George Worker despite his stellar season for the Aces. We've got a logjam at the Women's World Cup, with a crucial few days ahead for the White Ferns - but are Australia simply too good?

Plus we discuss the first West Indies vs England Test match, in which we realised Joe Root is still very good at batting, and react live to Babar Azam's heroics during the final stages of the Pakistan fightback against Australia to debate whether Pat Cummins should have enforced the follow-on, and whether Nathan Lyon's GOAT status is under threat.

It's been a very sad week in the cricket world, with the passing of both Rod Marsh and Shane Warne, but on the field it's been very busy.

We start the show by discussing the last-over drama and excitement of the Women's World Cup so far. Deandra Dottin said 'give me the ball', Nat Sciver almost carried England to a record chase and the White Ferns overcame the weather and Bangladesh to pick up their first win of the tournament.

As we move around the world, news of a drinks break in Pakistan wakes us from a near slumber as we talk through one of the more boring Test matches in recent memory. Then it's off to India to talk about an incredible individual performance from Ravindra Jadeja, which helped India seal a big win in Virat Kohli's 100th match. Will anyone ever again beat India in a Test series at home?

There's also chat about Ben Stokes and his role in the upcoming West Indies v England series, a shout out for the Eden Park groundstaff and a few words remembering the impact Rod Marsh had on both Australian and English cricket.

This week on the show we discuss a bounce back performance by South Africa to draw the Test series with the Black Caps, then try to make sense of the upcoming England Test tour to the West Indies and recap a winning week for Auckland and Otago on the NZ domestic circuit.

There are plenty of apologies during the New Zealand v South Africa segment as we examine what changed so drastically from the first Test to the second.

• Where did it go wrong for the Black Caps?

• How did Dean Elgar and his side get things so right?

• Who else thought Colin de Grandhomme's international career was over?

• Is this a sign of things to come for South Africa?

• And are NZ's dreams of retaining the World Test Championship mace all but over?

Later in the show, we briefly move away from New Zealand to discuss the upcoming West Indies v England series. We talk about our expectations for both sides, and whether there's a way back for Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson during the English home summer. And then we round things off with shout outs to a few winners on the NZ domestic circuit, with the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Ford Trophy seasons coming to a close, as well as recapping an impressive win for the White Ferns during the World Cup warm up matches.

For the first time since 1998, Australia are in Pakistan for a Test series and it's one that holds a lot of importance in the cricket world, both on and off the field.

We talk through the key questions facing both sides, plus our expectations for the series.

• Will Shaheen Shah Afridi outshine the Australian pace attack?

• How will Marnus Labuschagne go in foreign conditions?

• Is Nathan Lyon under pressure?

• Will the pitches favour spin or seam?

• Are we about to watch a World Test Championship final preview?

• Who will win the series?

• And will any of our bold predictions come true?

*NOTE: Since we recorded the episode last night (Tuesday 1 March, NZ time), Haris Rauf has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the first Test (https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pak-vs-aus-2021-22-haris-rauf-ruled-out-of-first-test-against-australia-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19-1303174). Pakistan's bowlers aren't having much luck at the moment!

We love a World Cup at the Top Order Podcast and after a year’s delay, the 2021 Women’s ODI World Cup is about to begin. So to help us look ahead to the next month of action, we’re joined by contributing writer at Locker Room, Canterbury Magician and World Cup Operations Coordinator (among many other things!) Kristy Havill.

• How much should we read into the White Ferns' 4-1 ODI series win against India?

• Is it serious that teams could contest a game with only 9 fit players?

• Have the White Ferns settled on a starting XI?

• Is Amelia Kerr's incredible run of form a sign of things to come?

• Which teams will make the semi-finals?

• Who are the players to watch?

• And can anyone beat Australia?

If you want to hear or read more from Kristy Havill, the link below is a great place to start: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/lockerroom/profile/Kristyhavill/posts. It includes her brave and brilliant story with Amelia Kerr, regular World Cup coverage and interviews with key players involved in the tournament.

This week on the show we review a great week for both the Black Caps and the White Ferns, as well as a host of other topics as we look back at the week that was.

We start by discussing the amazing performance from Matt Henry, which saw him record the third-best bowling figures in a Test innings for New Zealand, as well as smashing a quick 50 at #11. There's praise for Tim Southee, Tom Blundell and Colin de Grandhomme as well as Gary Stead for his decision to promote Neil Wagner to #5 in the absence of Kane Williamson. But will South Africa bounce back in the second Test?

We remain in Aotearoa to chat about the White Ferns, who have looked more and more impressive with every game of their series against India, highlighted by contributions from many different players within the squad. Then it's a quick look at the domestic scene, with the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and the Ford Trophy up for grabs this weekend.

As we venture offshore, we discuss a changing of the guard for the Indian Test team, with Pujara, Rahane, Saha and Ishant all left out. There are questions around the Australian white ball team, despite winning their T20 series 4-1 against a Sri Lankan side that showed a lot of promise. Will Aaron Finch make it to the next T20 World Cup? And how much is the IPL going to impact international tours for both Australia and New Zealand?

In this episode, we take a look back at an IPL auction that saw 11 Kiwis picked up (to join Kane Williamson, who was retained). We talk through our initial reactions, the most croresome buys, the biggest waste of crore and which teams had the best auction.

We then discuss the White Ferns' wins against India in the first two ODIs, which included hundreds to Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr, plus a batting order reshuffle involving Sophie Devine. Moving around the globe, we head to Australia to chat about their T20 series against Sri Lanka, another setback for Will Pucovski and the latest rule to combat slow over rates. Finally, there's a word or two on the India v West Indies white-ball fixtures and Kieron Pollard's advice to his side.