Past and present Tasmanian captains Ricky Ponting and George Bailey have been making news on and off the ground while all-rounder James Faulkner features prominently among the competition's statistical analysis.

A year after being part of the Mumbai Indians' championship- winning team, Ponting has rejoined the franchise in an advisory role.

Mowbray's former Test captain will be with the team for the last two matches of the United Arab Emirates leg.

"I am looking forward to working with Mumbai Indians once again," said the 39-year-old former Kolkata Knight Riders batsman after joining the team in Dubai.

"I had a fantastic season last summer and understand how passionate our players are towards the franchise. I believe we have the fire in us and we will strive hard."

Meanwhile Bailey played a vital back-up role to the tournament's standout performer Glenn Maxwell yesterday, as the Aussie pair saw Kings XI Punjab to a 44-run win in a top-of-the-table clash against Ben Hilfenhaus's Chennai Super Kings.

After Maxwell, who dominates the batting stats with most runs, most sixes, highest strike-rate and four of the top five biggest scores, had smashed a man-of-the-match 90 runs off 38 balls, his captain finished the job.

The former South Launceston batsman's quickfire 40 off 13 balls included four boundaries from five Hilfenhaus deliveries and ended with back-to-back sixes as the Kings XI reached 4-231 at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

Bailey skippered his team back to the top of the table and even caught his former IPL captain MS Dhoni along the way, while Hilfenhaus (1-36) had the consolation of clean bowling Virender Sehwag.

The former Ulverstone quick sits 13th on the tournament wickets table, with eight at 26.00, one ahead of Faulkner who has played a game less for Rajasthan Royals.

Faulkner has claimed the tournament's second-best strike-rate in an innings, courtesy of his 3-11 off two overs in Abu Dhabi last week, while Hilfenhaus has bowled the seventh most dot balls (66).

Bailey's latest cameo saw him leap up the tournament's highest strike rate table, sitting seventh with 143.42, inevitably topped by Maxwell's phenomenal 203.27.

Faulkner's Royals are due to play Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad today, Bailey's Kings XI head to Bengaluru to face the Royal Challengers Bangalore tomorrow before fellow Tassie Tiger Ben Dunk's Mumbai Indians host Hilfy's Super Kings on Sunday.