IPL STROKES
PRANAV MEHTA
Three teams have qualified and one team is out, while other four are fighting for open spot. With just three days to go for the completion of the league stage of the Indian Premier League, the action and drama are at its peak. Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore have qualified. Sunrisers Hyderabad are out of the race.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals are all fighting for that fourth open spot. But, it’s not just about qualification, Chennai, Delhi and Bangalore are fighting to seize their place in the top two slots.
RCB IN GOOD WICKET
After beating Mumbai, Rajasthan and Punjab, RCB are in a brilliant position to win the remaining two and have a chance to finish in the top two, which would have two opportunities to reach the final. Glenn Maxwell’s form has been a big plus for Virat’s men at crucial times, while Harshal Patel has been in sensational form with the ball. But most importantly, RCB fans would be looking at AB de Villiers to come back to his best and get a big knock.
There is nothing on line for Hyderabad and it looks as if that’s the attitude which this young team needed to play from the start. SRH might have just won one game from the last four matches, but none of these games were one-sided. They have started to fight hard, but the young Hyderabadi team lacks the experience of closing matches in their favour. SRH have dropped experienced Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav, while investing in Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma, who have done decently well to start off. Pacer Umran Malik clocked 150+ kmph and earned a lot of praises.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
The match is at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, where 379 runs were scored in the last match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. It was an absolutely belter of a track for the batters, where they scored runs freely. We can expect a similar kind of a surface for this match as well.
Considering the pitch, SRH should consider bringing Manish Pandey back for this match. He likes to commit and play through the line, and this pitch should really suit him. Jason Roy and Kane Williamson would shine. With the ball, Umran Malik should get some good pace and bounce from this wicket and if he hits good areas, he could yield great benefits. The all-experienced Rashid Khan is Sunrisers sole main hope in bowling.
The strong batting line-up of Royal Challengers Bangalore would be expected to post a massive score and the fans would be looking forward to a 100 from Virat Kohli. Devdutt Padikkal, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers would like to get in a good score behind their back. Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal have been their key bowlers and a lot will be expected from them.
