Royal Challengers Bangalore have had a great start to IPL 2020. They are generally very slow to start and their bowling used to be a big issue over the last few years. This year has been a bit different with RCB being in the top half of the table from the start. They wanted to keep this intact when they met Chennai Superkings in Dubai yesterday. CSK was desperate for a win because they have been losing matches consistently this season. So what happened yesterday?
Here are my 5 point highlights from the match.
1. Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur has this happy knack of picking up wickets. He is mainly a swing bowler and when he puts the ball in the right place he invariably makes the batsmen commit mistakes. The only problem for him has been the consistency factor because he ends up bowling some loose deliveries in between and hands over the momentum to the opposition. Just like any other day, Shardul Thakur went for runs but in-between delivered a couple of knockout punches yesterday. The 11th over could have been a turning point of the match when Shardul Thakur first took the wicket of Devdutt Padikkal and then got AB DeVilliers out for naught. 66/1 became 67/3 and CSK had a great chance to keep RCB under the leash.
2. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli had yet to set the IPL 2020 on fire. He was scoring runs for sure but that old Kohli was missing. Yesterday with RCB reeling at 67/3, Virat Kohli took the onus on himself to lead the fightback for the team. The last 5 overs went for 70 runs and we saw the King roaring back to form. The crisp extra cover drives were back. The nonchalant flicks for sixers were back and in the space of 24 balls, an iffy score became a match-winning one. Virat Kohli alone demolished the spirit of CSK. In between he tried some Dil-Scoop type shots too – it just showed that the confidence is back. The rest of the teams would now have a very difficult time containing the RCB captain. He remained not out at 90 off 52 balls and he took RCB to a match-winning total of 169 runs.
3. Chris Morris
RCB started with Dale Steyn when they started the campaign this year but it didn’t work out for them. They tried Umesh Yadav along with Nitin Saini which also failed to click. I was waiting for them to try out Chris Morris because he has been a great performer at IPL while playing for Delhi Capitals in the previous seasons. He is a bowling all-rounder and I knew as soon as RCB will get him in the playing XI they will get results. That’s exactly what happened yesterday. His figures of 3/19 in 4 overs just amplifies the fact. This RCB team now looks like a well-oiled machine with all its bases covered. They have beaten Mumbai Indians this season and have all the reasons to believe that they can win the tournament this year.
4. Nitin Saini
Nitin Saini is one of the best talents to come out through IPL after Jasprit Bumrah. The bowling line up of Bumrah, Shami, and Saini make it an awe-inspiring one for India with all breathing fire and hitting 145 KMs/hour consistently. Saini has pace and he can hit the length consistently. He is generally not carted around – the only problem being sometimes his radar goes wrong and the yorkers end up being full tosses but there too due to sheer pace he is not so easy to hit. Yesterday was no different for him. He was on the money right through his spell. With Morris keeping things tight he had less pressure too because CSK was wilting. He didn’t pick up wickets yesterday but 0/18 in 4 overs in a T20 match is always a very commendable effort.
5. Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar is one of those players who would not set the field on fire by himself but will be a consistent performer and contribute towards the team winning the match. He is one of those unique spinners who takes the challenge to bowl within the powerplay overs without being hit around the park. Rarely have I seen him being taken for a huge amount of runs. The only reason why his name doesn’t prop up is that he doesn’t take a bag full of wickets. Another thing that people tend to forget is that he is a genuine batsman who can be your number 4 and play consistently at this level. None of the teams tend to give him the opportunity to bat high up and that’s why he has not been able to showcase that skill of his. Yesterday, RCB sent him at number 5. He just hit a six and got out in the pursuit of quick runs but I believe if he is given a longer rope, he will give good results up the order. With the ball, he was at his stingy best as always. Taking the wickets of Faf Du Plessis and Shane Watson within the powerplay derailed the CSK chase because these were the in-form batsmen and with their wickets, Sundar ensured that CSK was behind the run rate right from the word go. 2/16 in his 3 overs was not a bad effort at all and just shows that you need not be a flashy cricketer to get a name for yourself – turning up and being consistent is equally important.
An easy victory for RCB at the end. But where does CSK goes from here? They along with Kings XI Punjab look like will fight for the wooden spoon. Am I speaking too early? What do you think?
Please share your views!
Kolkata Knight Riders snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in their previous encounter against Chennai Superkings. Kings XI Punjab has been all about their opening batsmen because as a team they have been losing matches on a streak. As these 2 teams met each at Abu Dhabi earlier today, Kings XI wanted a win very badly to get their campaign back on track while KKR wanted to continue with the winning momentum. So how did it unfold?
Here are my 5 points highlights for today’s match.
1. Arshdeep Singh
IPL has been over the years a great platform for young Indian players to showcase their talent in front of a global audience. This tournament is no less than any world class tournament because barring Pakistan you have all the teams represented and the best players of all cricketing nations come to play in this tournament. So when any young Indian player does well it works as a tonic because they get the confidence that they can compete with the best. Over the years we have seen some very good players emerging from IPL which includes, Hardik Pandya, Chahal, Bumrah, etc. Arshdeep Singh was playing his second game today. His figures do not tell you the full story. Today’s returns were 1/25 but his impact was much bigger than that. First of all, he bowled a maiden which is a rare commodity in T20 cricket and that too in the power play, and then bowled the 19th over against the well set Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell. KKR was all set to score around 180 but Arshdeep kept hitting the yorker-length ball after ball and didn’t allow the batsmen to break free. In between, he picked up the wicket of Russell too. Well played young man – he needs to work a bit on his pace but otherwise, he looks a good prospect.
2. Dinesh Karthik
The captain of KKR has been terribly out of form this season. He had been going up and down in the batting order too. Today he came in at number 5 which I think is the right position for him. Today Kolkata Knight Riders were in a tough situation when he came into bat. 63/3 in the 11th over was not a very ideal scenario for a batsman to come in who is horribly out of touch. But, sometimes these situations bring out the best from some people, and that’s exactly what happened. 58 off 29 balls was a truly superlative effort and went a long way in helping KKR reach a respecting total to defend.
3. Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Agarwal has not only scored a lot of runs but scored them at a fair clip. He is second in the list of highest run-scorers this year and his partnership with KL Rahul has been the only bright spot for Kings XI this season. He was the dominant scorer once again today and till the time he was there, it was a walk in the park for Kings XI. He scored 56 off 39 balls and his wicket in the 15th over opened the flood gates and allowed KKR to make a comeback. There is a saying that when in form finish the job in hand. This is something that both Mayank and Rahul are learning the hard way.
4. Prasidh Krishna
I was very surprised that KKR decided to leave out Prasidh Krishna from their starting line up for so long. For the last couple of seasons, he has been playing for KKR and showed very good maturity to bowl both in the power play as well as in the death overs. With Mavi going for a lot of runs in the last match, KKR decided to start with Prasidh Krishna today. In the very second ball that he bowled, he should have had the wicket of KL Rahul but Andre Russell spilled the chance. He kept hustling and got his reward in the 15th over when he got the wicket of Mayank Agarwal to break the opening partnership of 115 runs which had taken Kings XI to the brink of victory. He came back to bowl the 19th over and changed the match completely. He gave away just 6 runs and picked up 2 wickets including the wicket of KL Rahul to leave Naraine to save 14 runs in the last over. For me, Prasidh Krishna was the Man of the Match because his returns of 3/29 with wickets of Mayank and Rahul made the difference in this match.
5. Sunil Naraine
KKR has won many matches just due to Naraine’s heroics but it has mainly happened a few years back before his remodeled action. After he came back with the new action his habit of taking wickets has reduced but he still remains an effective bowler and the opposition still treats him with respect. In the previous game against CSK, Naraine came to bowl quite late in the day and played his part to choke the chase. It was a similar condition today and he played a similar role too. First, he took the wicket of a dangerous looking Pooran and then bowled the final over and kept his cool to take KKR to victory.
A nail-biting finish with the match won by only 2 runs by KKR but what was unique about this match that if the last ball went for a 6 it would have been a tie and the ball fell just 2 inches short of the boundary. Kings XI must consider themselves very unlucky to lose from such a winnable position but I guess they have only themselves to blame.
So what do you think?
Will the Andre Russell injury, hit KKR hard? Should Chris Gayle replace Maxwell? Should Kings XI play Prabhsimran or should they get Sarfaraz Khan back in the XI?
Please share your thoughts!
Delhi capitals have been very consistent this season. There is hardly any team that has all their bases covered and Delhi Capitals is one of them. Another advantage for them is their top 4 are good Indian players and hence they could accommodate world-class fast bowlers in their playing XI.
Whenever Sanju Samson has scored big, Rajasthan Royals have won this season. And, when they met Delhi Capitals in Sharjah yesterday, they were hoping for an encore from Sanju Samson. With Ben Stokes yet to get a game, Rajasthan Royals hoped that they could get back to winning ways before the charismatic allrounder comes back.
So how did it go yesterday?
Here are my 5 point highlights from yesterday’s match in Sharjah.
1. Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer hardly disappoints. Rajasthan Royals needed a strong start. Sharjah has been a venue that rains sixes and it was important for them to rein in the top order quickly so that Delhi Capitals doesn’t run away with the match in the power play overs itself. As usual, Jofra Archer breathed fire right away. He first took the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan and followed it up by dismissing Prithvi Shaw who was looking in good form. Figures of 3/24 in his allotted 4 overs was a good day at work for Jofra Archer. That Delhi Capitals scored 185 even after that shows that Rajasthan Royal’s missed the trick and didn’t go for the kill after Rishabh Pant’s wicket.
2. Rahul Tewatia
As I stated in one of my earlier blogs that the IPL is quickly becoming a year for people named “Rahul”. Rahul Tewatia already showed his skills in the match against Kings XI when he turned around an impossible chase all alone. Yesterday he first bowled well and returned figures of 1/20 in 4 overs and with the bat scored 38 off 29 balls to be the highest scorer for his team. He has been a good find this season and Rajasthan Royals will hope that he keeps up with his consistency. He seems to be a good talent who needs to be properly groomed.
3. Shimron Hetmeyer
Along with Nicholas Pooran, Hetmeyer is another gifted player to come out of the West Indies. The big difference though is consistency. Hetmeyer on his day is a pleasure to the eyes but he doesn’t keep that same intensity for 4-5 matches on a trot. This year he started at number 3 but failed and so was pushed down the order subsequently. Yesterday with the top order failing, Delhi Capitals needed Hetmeyer to score some runs. Shimron Hetmeyer didn’t disappoint. 45 off 24 balls with 5 sixes turned the tide for Delhi Capitals. He was all set for a big score but unfortunately holed out in the 17th over. He was not done for the day though because the ball followed him when he was in the field and Hetmeyer puller off a couple of stunners to end with 3 catches. For me, he was the Man of the Match because his performance was the stand out one.
4. Kagiso Rabada
This was a matchup between Kagiso Rabada and Jofra Archer. Other than one match against KKR where Eoin Morgan went after him – Rabada had a perfect tournament thus far. Yesterday was no different. His returns of 3/35 might not look great but T20 cricket is a lot about taking wickets too. He was hit around the park yesterday but I guess it had a lot to do with Rajasthan Royals not putting up a fight and sometimes the greatest competitors do not get that motivation when the competition is weak.
5. Marcus Stonis
Marcus Stonis has been very consistent this season. Already in a couple of matches earlier he played a winning hand. Yesterday with the top order disappointing, he stitched a good partnership with Hetmeyer to take Delhi Capitals towards a winning score. With the bat, he scored 39 and with the ball, he returned 2/17. Another very good day in the office for Stoinis and Delhi Capitals would be hoping that he continues with this rich vein of form throughout the tournament.
Another one-sided game in IPL and it’s getting a bit disappointing for me. This week its all been one-sided.
Why is this happening?
Is it something related to players getting mentally tired due to the bio bubble or is it the lack of a crowd? But something is wrong because so many one-sided games didn’t use to happen in previous editions and that too in a trot.
What do you think could be the reason?
Please share your thoughts!
Kings XI Punjab started gloriously in this year’s IPL. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have been in great form and they are the only two centurions in this year. As a team though, they have not been able to perform and are languishing right at the bottom of the table. Sunrisers Hyderabad on the other hand didn’t have had a great start but are slowly getting their act together. Kings XI Punjab was desperate to get back into the winning ways when they met Sunrisers Hyderabad yesterday in Dubai. So how did it pan out?
Here are my 5 point highlights from yesterday’s match.
1. Johnny Bairstow
Last year, Bairstow along with Warner gave a rousing start to SRH innings in almost all the matches where they played together. Bairstow used to be the early aggressor and Warner used to build his innings and end aggressively. This year, Warner is yet to hit his form of old. He has been scoring runs but he is unable to time the ball well enough. Bairstow has also blown hot and cold and invariably Sunrisers Hyderabad struggled. Yesterday Warner started strong as Bairstow got his eye in and then suddenly he went berserk against Ravi Bishnoi, hitting him for 16 runs in 3 balls. There was no stopping Bairstow thereafter as he went hammer and tongs against each and every bowler. It didn’t look like we were in the middle overs – it felt like extended powerplay as every over went for runs. He was all set to get his first IPL century when he got out on 97 quite against the run of play. Probably Warner’s wicket a couple of balls earlier distracted him which led to his downfall. The opening partnership with Warner of 160 runs in 15 overs was great to watch and helped SRH score 201.
2. Ravi Bishnoi
The world has already understood that Ravi Bishnoi is a real talent and one to look out for in the future. I for one won’t be surprised if he gets a quick call up to the Indian cricket team. He is just 18 years old but he is matured much beyond his years. Yesterday he went for 18 runs in his first over. For an average bowler, it would have been very difficult to make a comeback. But, when he was asked to bowl again in the 16th over he got the wickets of both the openers in the space of 5 balls. 0/18 in 1 over ended with 3/29 in 4 overs. Massive comeback and just amplifies the fact and Ravi Bishnoi could well be the find of the season.
3. Nicholas Pooran
Pooran is one of the most talented batsmen to come out from West Indies after Brian Lara. He made a very slow start in the tournament but in the last match against CSK he got his form back. He continued yesterday where he had left off against CSK. The cuts, the pulls, the flicks all were back. Pooran is a marvelous timer of the cricket ball. Some of the sixes that he hit yesterday didn’t even feel like it will go for a six but sailed over easily. 77 off 37 balls was what he gave us yesterday and till the time he was there, KingsXI took the fight to SRH. He brought up his 50 in only 17 balls to register the fastest half-century of the season. The next highest score was 11 and it just amplifies the fact that it was only Pooran who turned up to fight against SRH as all other batsmen caved in.
4. T. Natarajan
From the time Zaheer Khan has retired, India has been in the lookout for a left-arm seamer. They tried Khaleel Ahmed for a while but he was not consistent enough. Natarajan in his very short career thus far has shown that he could be the answer to India’s problems. No one has bowled as many yorkers this season as much as Natarajan has bowled this season. He is very consistent with his line of attack and keeps hitting the blockhole. Yesterday was no different. Kings XI Punjab was chasing a big score but Natarajan didn’t give any room for any batsmen to free their arms. His returns of 2/24 don’t tell the exact picture because it’s difficult to gauge the impact of the bowler always through bowling figures. Natarajan is a talent that should be well nurtured because I feel he has a great future ahead of him.
5. Rashid Khan
When you are chasing 201 and you have to deal with Rashid Khan’s 4 overs then it becomes even more difficult for the opposition. His googlies come in so fast that most of the time batsmen misjudge them. Yesterday was another day in the office for Rashid Khan. With Kings XI struggling with the bat against the fast bowlers, the work was too easy for him. The biggest impact of course for him was the wicket of Nicholas Pooran. Till Pooran was there Kings XI had a slim chance. But it all changed in the 15th over when Pooran lost his wicket to him and the fortunes of Kings XI went southwards. Rashid Khan is one bowler who is very difficult to get away and so if SRH scores any total which is in excess of 180 it becomes highly difficult for the opposition and yesterday was no different.
All in all, it was a highly one-sided encounter yesterday. IPL is not known for such one-sided matches but I guess SRH is not complaining. For Kings XI this season is once again turning into a nightmare.
Should Chris Gayle come in? Should Rahul come in at 4 or 5 in place of opening? What do you think?
Please share your views!
Chennai Superkings turned a corner in the last match when they stream rolled Kings XI Punjab on the way to a 10 wicket victory. They needed that victory to get their campaign back on track. Kolkata Knight Riders on the other hand lost while chasing a big total against Delhi Capitals and they wanted to get back to the winning ways when they met CSK yesterday at Abudhabi. It was a wicket-keeper’s match up with both the teams being lead by their respective wicket keepers.
So how did it go?
Here are my 5 point highlights from the match.
1. Rahul (Tripathi): Naam toh suna hoga
This tournament has brought the best of many Rahul’s over the last few days. We have already seen the heroics of KL Rahul and Rahul Tewatia earlier. Yesterday was the turn of Rahul Tripathi. I first saw Rahul Tripathi in 2017 when playing for Rising Pune SuperGiants, he went on the rampage and scored a stroke-filled half-century to win the match single-handedly against KKR. Next two years he didn’t get enough opportunities in the top of the order. This year when KKR acquired his services, I felt he should slot in as an opener right from match one because I never felt that Sunil Naraine as an opener was the right decision. He got his first opportunity to play for KKR in the last match but he came in at the fall of the 6th wicket with the match completely out of hands. But it was he along with Eoin Morgan who turned around the chase and took KKR close. That innings prompted KKR to promote him as an opener against CSK. And, Rahul Tripathi clicked right away. 81 off 51 balls in a total score of 167 proves that it was his performance which gave the KKR score some respectability. The next highest score was 17 – just shows the wide gap that Rahul created yesterday. Now hoping that he grabs this opportunity in both hands and cement his place in the KKR set up. He is an exciting player to watch.
Shah Rukh Khan and the name “Rahul” go hand in hand – most of the iconic movies of SRK had him play the character called Rahul – and for Rahul Tripathi to perform and get the Man of the Match in front of the team owner, Shah Rukh Khan must have been equally exhilarating. That the loudest cheers in the background yesterday, as Rahul picked up his MoM award, was coming from Shah Rukh Khan amplified this fact.
2. Karn Sharma
Karn Sharma is another product of IPL. He performed so well a few seasons back for Mumbai Indians that he was straight away slotted into the Indian team where he badly flopped. But he still remains a good player in IPL cricket. That he was selected ahead of Piyush Chawla yesterday was definitely due to the shrewd leadership idea of MS Dhoni. MSD knew very well that the KKR team will play Piyush very well since Piyush was part of the KKR set up for many years. Add to that the past record of Karn Sharma against KKR and we had this inspiring change in the CSK lineup yesterday. Karn went for 12 runs in the first over. But his next 3 overs went for only 13 runs and he picked up 2 wickets. KKR looked all set to score close to 200 runs but Karn’s double strike in the middle overs slowed the momentum and brought CSK back in the match.
3. Shardul Thakur
I have hardly seen a match where Shardul Thakur doesn’t take a wicket. He has this happy knack of picking up wickets but goes for plenty of runs too. Yesterday we saw a different Shardul Thakur in the field. 2/28 in his 4 overs just amplifies that fact. The two wickets that he took included Andre Russell and we all know how dangerous Russell can be towards the end of the innings. His wicket brought the KKR innings to a virtual halt because from there on it was about somehow reaching 170 which was also not achieved at the end. Shardul Thakur is a very handy bat in the lower middle order so if he can match this bowling performance consistently then he can become an important addition to the Indian team.
4. Dwane Bravo
Bravo plays for the Knight Riders’ franchise in CPL so he has a great relationship with the KKR management. Yesterday he was up against KKR and he did exceedingly well which happened to be his birthday as well. His returns of 3/37 off 4 overs doesn’t give the true picture because 2 of those wickets were of the tailenders. But, the fact that he took the wicket of Rahul Tripathi makes his figures look even better because Rahul was all set for a century and he was in the kind of form who could have propelled KKR close to 200. Bravo is an important clog in the CSK wheel because he is an all-rounder and most importantly he bowls in the death overs. CSK doesn’t have out and out fast bowlers in their rank so it’s important for Bravo to perform consistently especially with the ball.
5. Middle overs fiasco
99/1 in 12 overs chasing 167 should be a cake in the park. It looked like an easy victory for CSK. Both Watson and Rayudu looked in good touch and with Pat Cummins bowled out it didn’t look good for KKR. But in the space of 7 balls, CSK lost both the set batsmen and KKR zeroed in. Yesterday Naraine was held back for the back end and he just didn’t give away easy balls. CSK scored just 43 runs in the next 7 overs. This was only possible due to the tight bowling by Varun, Naraine, and Russell. CSK batsmen were at fault too because they have a very long batting line up so they needed to take a little bit more risks. Jhadav was not using his feet at all and wasted too many deliveries. A winnable match was lost and CSK handed the victory to KKR on a platter.
Yesterday the match was about 2 halves. Both the teams while batting looked solid in the first 10-11 overs only to fretter out at the end. For KKR 98/2 in 11 overs turned to 167 all out and for CSK 99/2 in 12 overs turned to 157/5. For CSK it would hurt more not only because they lost the match but also because they still had Bravo to come. In hindsight, it would have been better for them if Jhadav got out early rather than wasting so many balls.
So what do you think stood out for you yesterday? What changes does CSK need to do to their line up? Was bowling out Pat Cummins so early the right decision?
Share your thoughts!
Mumbai Indians are the only team with the least amount of turnovers in their Playing XI. There has been only one change in their playing XI thus far. Consistency matters and when a team is sure about their best playing XI and they play together as a team then invariably result follows. Though they started slow, Mumbai Indians now are playing like the defending champions. Rajasthan Royals on the other hand have had a great start to this year’s IPL but have been stuttering since. It was under this pretext the two teams met each other at Abu Dhabi yesterday.
So how did it unfold?
Here are my 5 point highlights of the match yesterday.
1. Surya Kumar Yadav
IPL over the years has thrown up many talented players. Some of them have gone and established themselves in World Cricket too. Some remained an enigma. Surya Kumar Yadav has been one such enigma in Indian cricket. He is one of the most talented batsmen around the domestic circuit but he lacks patience and because of it he is inconsistent. The day he is in form, he is a beauty to watch. People keep thinking why he doesn’t play for India but I guess to get selected for India you need to play a good hand consistently. Yesterday, Surya Kumar Yadav was in his elements. Each and every shot came out from the middle of the bat. I kept thinking the sucker ball is coming to get him out but he was a man possessed yesterday. He scored 79 runs off 47 balls and remained not out. He was hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer yesterday and his response was an audacious scoop over the wicket keeper’s head right in the next ball. I sincerely hope he keeps getting runs consistently because I just love his style of batting. He played a vital role to take Mumbai Indians to such a big score at the end.
2. Shreyas Gopal
Shreyas Gopal plays for Karnataka in the domestic circuit and is one of their most important players. He is a good all-round cricketer and according to me, he is extremely unlucky to not get a chance to get selected for India yet. I have hardly seen any leg spinner who bowls so well in the power play. People generally are looking to hit the bowlers in the powerplay time but it’s not so easy to hit Shreyas and I have seen that happen multiple times. He is that type of cricketer who won’t light up the stadium with a bag full of wickets but he will ensure that he keeps his end tight and takes some wickets too. Yesterday he bowled in the powerplay as well as in the middle overs. His final figures read 2/28 in 4 overs which is awesome considering the opposition scored 193. He needs to keep this performance going in future matches.
3. Jos Buttler
Rajasthan has some very young players in the team who are intersected with some great world-class players. Jos Buttler is one of them. After AB DeVilliers if there is any 360-degree cricketer in the world then it has to be Jos Buttler. He can play audacious strokes which only he can teach and they come out of his bat right from the middle. Nimble footwork is the key for him because he keeps disturbing the bowlers with his last moment adjustments in the crease. Yesterday we saw the Jos Buttler whom we have been waiting for. Wickets kept falling around him but he continued batting in the 5th gear. Till he was around Rajasthan Royals looked like will take the match close but alas it didn’t happen. His 70 off 44 balls which included 5 towering sixes will give hope to Rajasthan Royals though for the future matches. With Ben Stokes to join the playing XI, this team will do better in the coming matches.
4. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has not been consistent this year. Somehow he has not been able to hit his favorite length consistently enough and hence has gone for a lot of runs in some of the matches. But yesterday we saw Bumrah of the old. He was simply unplayable. When Bumrah is in his elements then the opposition has to plan their chase based on 16 overs in hand. But with such a big chase in hand, it was not possible for the Rajasthan Royals’ players. The yorkers, the bouncers all were on display yesterday. His returns of 4/20 in 4 overs were a man of the match performance but he was beaten to the post because Mumbai was set up yesterday by Surya Kumar Yadav. Now hoping this Bumrah to consistently turn up. A big series against Australia is coming up and we would need him in top-class form.
5. Trent Boult
Trent Boult hasn’t had a great IPL career thus far. He is primarily a swing bowler and it actually worked against him in the dry conditions which are prevalent in India during IPL times. This year it’s different because all teams are playing only in 3 venues so adjusting to the venues is not a problem and hence he is turning out to be a great selection for Mumbai Indians. In most of the matches he has been able to give the initial breakthrough and as a captain, Rohit Sharma must be mighty pleased about it. Secondly, with Bumrah blowing hot and cold, Boult’s performance has helped Mumbai Indians to not getting hit in the initial overs from both ends. Yesterday Trent Boult took both his wickets within the powerplay and jolted the Royals’ chase. His returns of 2/26 in 4 overs were one of the reasons why we had such a one-sided encounter yesterday.
So Mumbai Indians along with Delhi Capitals look like the teams to beat this season. How does Rajasthan Royals come back from here? Will the return of Ben Stokes change their fortunes?
What do you think?
Please share your views and let’s take the discussion forward!
Delhi Capitals was one of the favourites to win this year’s IPL. They had a very strong team on paper. They had exciting and talented batsmen at the top, a dynamic skipper – who is cool under pressure and they had excellent fast bowlers of International repute. All their bases were covered and they performed excellently as well by winning 3 of their first 4 matches. RCB always had a good top order but they improved their bowling resources this year and a couple of excellent all-rounders to boot. This ensured that they had a dream start in this year’s IPL by winning 3 of their first 4 matches. So when RCB met Delhi Capitals yesterday, I expected a nail biter because the form book said so.
So how did it go yesterday in Dubai?
Here are my 5 point highlights of yesterday’s match.
1. Prithvi Shaw
I believe Prithvi Shaw is India’s next Virendra Sehwag. But he needs to get his emotions in check. He has this habit of throwing away his wicket in the most unexpected situations. Now, it’s pretty easy to predict that Shaw will throw away his wicket at any time and opposition waits for him to do mistakes. Yesterday Shaw was in his elements from the word go. He looked very dangerous and gave a great start to Delhi Capitals. 42 off 23 balls is good in T20 but he had a good opportunity to get a big score. He inexplicably threw away the wicket by going for a reckless shot way outside the off-stump. With all his talent, India expects him to value his wicket more. I hope his mentors will make him understand how to keep his emotions in check when he is in full flow.
2. Marcus Stoinis
When Marcus Stoinis burst into the international scene a few years back with a superlative century, the world took notice. He quite naturally got lucrative IPL contracts but his form in IPL has been very ordinary. This year Delhi Capitals took him to bolster their middle order because they had a shortage of all-rounders. And this year, Marcus Stoinis is providing the entertainment that IPL fans have been waiting for. He got the team over the line earlier with stupendous performance with bat and ball and yesterday his onslaught at the end took Delhi Capitals to a score which was way too many for a big ground like Dubai. His score of 53 in 26 balls pushed the team’s score to 196. This Delhi Capitals team is looking really solid and has all the potential to win this year.
3. Spin Twins of Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals had a good team last year too but what they missed was good and consistent spinning options. They were solely dependent on Axar Patel and when they needed variation, they had to employ Sandeep Lamichhane which meant they had to compromise with their main 4 foreigners. This year they plugged that hole by recruiting Ashwin and he has been a revelating right from the first match. Yesterday both Ashwin and Axar Patel bottled RCB up from both the ends. They were immaculate with their line and lengths and didn’t allow the batsmen to free their arms. The batsmen were forced to take undue risks and this ended up with wickets. Their combined bowling figures read 44/3 in 8 overs which is just superb in any T20 match.
4. Kagiso Rabada
Rabada had a forgettable outing the other day against KKR when he went for 51 runs in 4 overs. Eoin Morgan hammered him to submission at Sharjah. But, Rabada is the world’s top bowler for a reason. Great bowlers come back with a vengeance. And Rabada did the same yesterday. 4/24 in 4 overs including the wicket of Virat Kohli broke the back of RCB’s resistance yesterday. The huge victory that Delhi Capitals got yesterday has a lot to do with Rabada’s performance. The fast bowling resources of this team along with the spin twins make me feel that Delhi Capitals has all its base covered. Just to add to the fact that Marcus Stoinis is a genuine all-rounder and he didn’t need to bowl a single ball yesterday.
5. Fielding Incidents
Dubai lights are a bit different than other stadiums and hence we are seeing a lot of dropped catches here. Yesterday was no different. Chahal missed the ball completely when it was a straight forward catch. The ball just went between the hands. Rabada missed a complete sitter off his own bowling with the ball hitting the top part of his palm before he spilled it. Similarly, Dhawan allowed the ball to go between his hands while fielding at the first slip. We are seeing a lot of stupendous fielding performances that are being intersected with these spoilers. I guess that’s what makes this tournament so exciting.
In between, we had Devdutt Padikkal take an excellent catch at the boundary line to get rid of Shreyas Iyer.
In the previous match, Nitin Saini bowled a beamer that went and hit Rahul Tewatia’s chest. The ball seemed to have slipped from Saini’s hand. Yesterday he bowled another beamer and this time it went and hit Stoinis’ gloves as he reactively tried to save himself. These beamers have to be controlled because Saini is a very talented find for India and in his excitement to bowl yorkers each and every time is sometimes leading to these incidents. The captain and coach need to speak with him at length.
Last year, Ashwin ran out Jos Buttler when the batsman was backing up too far. It led to a lot of controversies. Yesterday Aaron Finch backed up too far as Ashwin came into bowl and we could have seen a repeat – I don’t know what stopped Ashwin but he just smiled and allowed Finch to come back. Looks like Ponting has had a talk with Ashwin about the mankadding incident of last year so Ashwin decided to give a veiled warning and let go Finch. I am not sure though if he would have done the same if RCB was chasing a smaller total.
So what do you think? What changes does RCB need to make in their team? Is Ashwin right in letting go Aaron Finch? Can Delhi Capitals go all the way this time?
Appreciate your thoughts and views on this matter!
One team which was looking completely out of sorts is Chennai Superkings. They lost 3 matches in a row and they needed some inspirational performance from somewhere to turn the tide. Kings XI Punjab though has been a story of openers. Both Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul have had hit centuries in this year’s IPL but their returns as a team have not been spectacular yet. Both the teams were coming out of defeats and as they headed against each other in Dubai and they needed to come out of the rut. So how did it go?
Here are my 5 points highlights of the match.
1. KL Rahul
Rahul is the current leading run-scorer in this edition of IPL. He along with Mayank Agarwal has been very efficient at the top of the order. Their middle order has not performed at all and hence the onus was once again on Rahul and Mayank to give the team a good start. They started well and put on another half-century partnership. Though Mayank got out, Rahul continued and wanted to bat right through and his wicket towards the end actually stopped KingsXI from reaching the 200 run mark which in the final equation made the difference. Rahul must be happy with his current 
form but the KingsXI’s situation doesn’t look very good.
2. Shardul Thakur
Other than one or two matches, I have never seen Shardul Thakur not being hit for runs. He is a swing bowler and gets a good amount of movement but when the batsmen nick it – the slips are invariably not there and he ends up giving 4 runs. He follows those good balls with some short pitch stuff and ends up getting hammered in most of the matches that I have seen him play. He is a handy batsman too and has won matches for India and CSK with the bat. Yesterday also he was carted around and when he started his 3rd over (Kings XI’s 18th) – Pooran and Rahul were in full song and I expected them to target him and take their team closer to the 200 run mark. But, Shardul Thakur has a happy knack of picking up wickets and the 18th over turned out to be just that. Thakur took out both Rahul and Pooran in successive balls and he would have got a hattrick too only if a slip was kept against Sarfaraz Khan. In the final equation, this over, turned the match in CSK’s favour.
3. Nicholas Pooran
Pooran is one of the most talented young batsmen to come out of West Indies in recent times. We already saw his acrobatic fielding skills earlier in the tournament. He was yet to fire this year for Kings XI and it was a cause of concern. But yesterday was a new day and Pooran was on song. He hit the ball crisply and he looked in his old self. His strike rate was around 200 and his wicket at the start of the 17th over made a huge difference for Kings XI Punjab. 200 runs was a definite possibility that stuttered to 178 after the fall of his wicket. Kings XI Punjab will be breathing a bit easy now and the openers will be able to play a bit more freely from the next match now that Pooran is back in his elements. Pooran needed to be consistent from here on end.
4. Faf Du Plessis
CSK has had a difficult season thus far. None of their top-order batsmen was in form other than Faf. he already scored two half-centuries and continued in the same zest yesterday too. Faf Du Plessis has a very solid technique which and he plays himself in. Giving the opening slot to him is a very smart decision by CSK. Yesterday he got his eye in and the form of Shane Watson helped because the asking run rate never shot up. He reached his 50 much later to Shane Watson’s but in the end, he overtook him – that’s the advantage of having a player like Faf Du Plessis in the team. 87 off 53 balls led CSK to an easy victory and the team in yellow is back with a bang.
5. Shane Watson
Watson retired from international cricket quite a few years back. Hence it was quite understandable that he was unable to perform in the first few matches for CSK. The good thing was that CSK didn’t drop him because they realised that he needs game time in the middle. Finally, everything came together yesterday. The old version of Shane Watson was back and he started hitting each and every bowler out of the park. Other than Bishnoi each and every bowler were carted around. He was the early aggressor as Faf settled in. To win a match by 10 wickets with more than 2 overs to spare is not something that happens in IPL generally. The match became completely lopsided only because of the great opening partnership that remained unbeaten.
This win might do great wonders for CSK and they are now back in the hunt. Kings XI would now wonder what’s next. Batting can’t win you matches always – you need your bowlers to perform and that’s not happening for them. They need to come out of this negative momentum pretty quickly to remain in the hunt in this year’s IPL.
So what according to you are the changes that Kings XI needs to bring in? Should Gayle come in to replace Maxwell with Rahul going into the middle order? The 4th and 5th bowler seems to be a problem too – how do they address that?
Let me know your thoughts!
Sunrisers Hyderabad invested quite a lot in young Indian players and it was Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma who took them over the line against CSK in their earlier encounter. Mumbai Indians on the other hand have a strong middle order with Rohit Sharma at the top. This match was supposed to be a cracker as two evenly matched teams met each other at Sharjah which has been a batsmen’s paradise this season. Both the teams came into the match with wins at their back and wanted to keep the momentum going.
My 5 points highlights for this match is given below:
1. Quinton De Kock
De Kock had a very bad start in this year’s IPL. Today he was back in his elements. Mumbai Indians lost Rohit Sharma early today but Quinton De Kock dug himself in and tried to play a long innings. Quite understandably, he was circumspect in the initial part of his innings but he soon got his timing back and towards the end, we could see the 360-degree batting skills of De Kock in full display. This must be very good news for Mumbai Indians because now this team has got everyone in form and looks like the team to beat. Delhi Capitals Vs. Mumbai Indians would be fun.
2. T. Natarajan
No bowler has bowled as many yorkers as many Natarajan has in this year’s IPL. 21 yorkers in 4 matches is way ahead of any other in this tournament. This is the first time he is playing IPL and he looks quite a talent. India has been in the lookout for a good left-handed fast bowler for quite some time and it would be interesting to see how Natarajan is groomed for the future. Today he didn’t take any wicket but his figures of 29 runs off 4 overs was a phenomenal performance because the opposition scored 208.
3. Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya hasn’t had the kind of performance yet in this year’s IPL for which he is known for. Sharjah has been the venue where 200 runs is a bare minimum for any team to defend. When Krunal Pandya came to bat today, Mumbai Indians were at 188 with 4 balls to go. The next 4 balls went for 20 runs including 2 boundaries and 2 sixers and they finished at 208. Krunal Pandya just showed why he is such an important clog in this Mumbai Indians’ team. With the ball too he was on the money and went for 35 runs in his 4 overs and took one wicket. The best part was that he kept on bowling those wide outside the off-stump yorkers with amazing regularity.
4. David Warner
We are yet to see the best of Warner in this year’s IPL. Chasing 209 to win, it was important that Warner makes a big one. But he was struggling with his timings. With Bairstow getting out early, the Manish-Warner partnership needed to be a big one. Manish was hitting the ball from the word go but Warner was unable to find the boundaries consistently. Till the time he was there, SRH had a chance to make a game out of this but though he scored a half-century, we didn’t witness the free-flowing Warner that we are used to. Sunrisers should hope that this innings will help Warner to get back into form and hopefully he will be back in his elements from the next match onwards.
5. Sensational catches
The overall fielding standard in this match was not that good. We saw absolute sitters being dropped by Manish Pandey and Hardik Pandya. But, in between, we saw 3 sensational catches today. The first one was a flying catch at the boundary line by Manish Pandey to get rid of Quinton De Kock. Manish jumped full length on his left and caught the ball with both his hands. Supreme effort. The next one was a tumbling take by Rahul Chahar in the boundary line to get rid of Priyam Garg and finally the best of the lot another flying effort by Ishan Kishan to send Warner to the pavilion. That catch by Ishan Kishan more or less sealed the match for Mumbai Indians. It was great to see the Indian fielders pull off such blinders.
In the final equation, it was quite an easy victory for the Mumbai Indians. Sunrisers Hyderabad has to find a way to get Nabi into the playing XI.
So what do you think? Whom does Nabi replace?
Looking forward to hearing your views.
On paper, Delhi Capitals is the strongest team in this year’s IPL. Kolkata Knight Riders have the weakest team on the other hand. That KKR won two matches in a row with such an inexperienced team was a miracle in itself. But then IPL is that kind of a tournament that on a given day anyone can become a hero. KKR wanted to continue with their winning momentum whereas Delhi Capitals wanted to get back into their winning ways after losing against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sharjah has been a high scoring venue this season and we were in for a run feast as Delhi Capitals took on Kolkata Knight Riders.
Here are my 5 point highlights of yesterday’s clash.
1. Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw is the new version of Virendra Sehwag. He goes after the bowling from the word go. I have seen that either you take his wicket early or get ready to be hammered. Sharjah was the perfect venue for him to play through the line. With the ball not rising too much and no lateral movement around it was a free stroking Shaw on display yesterday. 150 KM/Hr deliveries of Pat Cummins were pulled with aplomb and before KKR could know it, Delhi Capitals reached 50 in 5 overs. He scored 66 runs yesterday at a very fair clip to give Delhi Capitals early momentum into the match.
2. Shreyas Iyer
India has had a perennial problem for the number 4 spot. Many players have been tried over the last 2-3 years but no one has been consistent enough. Last year after the World Cup, India gave a long rope to Shreyas Iyer and he took the opportunity in both hands and have been part of some very good wins under Virat Kohli. Shreyas is a copybook cricketer with a wide range of shots and can hit the long ball too. He didn’t have a particularly good start to this year’s IPL but everything changed at Sharjah. He came in at the 6th Over and didn’t get to face a ball in the 20th over – so he played 13 overs in between and scored 88 runs off 38 balls. If he had got the strike in the final over – a century was up for grabs.
3. Andre Russell
You can’t have an IPL without the heroics of Andre Russell. But, this year has been different. This is 2020 and so expect the unexpected. Last year KKR won matches that were deemed lost. Asking run rates of 18 per over were won just by the audacious batting of Russell. This year he is still sitting at the sidelines. But you can’t keep him out of action – can you? Russell has been bowling well this year. He has been very consistent when blowing the yorkers at the death and yesterday was no different. His returns of 2/29 in 4 overs look unbelievable when you look at Rabada being hit for 51 runs. That, Delhi Capitals couldn’t reach 250 was only because of his bowling. With the bat, he failed once again though and I think his batting order is being tinkered too much. He is not your number 4 batsman – it should be earmarked for Eoin Morgan.
4. Anrich Nortje
Having 2 fast bowlers of Internation standards playing for the same team is a luxury for Delhi Capitals. They can only do that because the best of the Indian batsmen are there in this team. Nortje along with Rabada are the first choice bowlers in the South African team and having both of them playing together for Delhi Capitals is something which makes this Delhi Capitals the most dangerous team in this year’s IPL. Rabada had an off day yesterday but Nortje was in his elements. He breathed fire and his returns of 3/33 in his 4 overs amplifies this fact. The wicket of Morgan in the 19th over sealed the match for Delhi Capitals. For me, he was the Man of the Match because he made the real difference and if he had not taken the wicket of Eoin Morgan then definitely KKR would have nailed that super chase.
5. The final onslaught from Morgan and Tripathi
That KKR didn’t give a chance to Rahul Tripathi in their earlier matches was a surprise for me and finally, when they did take him in, they batted him way too down. I expected him to open the batting yesterday – that didn’t happen and inexplicably he came into bat after Pat Cummins. Even Eoin Morgan is being sent way too low down the order. Morgan should slot into number 4 but yesterday he was sent at number 6. With 229 runs to chase, KKR was staring at a huge defeat when Tripathi joined Morgan in the middle. The scoreboard read 122/6 in the 14th Over. But what followed thereafter was pure mayhem. 5 overs – 78 runs and when the 19th over started, KKR was actually expected to win – the only way Delhi Capitals could have won was by taking wickets and that’s why Morgan’s wicket was so very vital yesterday and the real turning point of the match.
Kolkata Knight Riders must get their batting order sorted out. Sunil Naraine is a spent force and it makes no cricketing sense to have him as an opener. Morgan should be slotted at number 4 and they need to find a way to get Tom Banton in. For Delhi Capitals, they got back to winning ways and looks solid to go all the way this year.
So what do you think KKR needs to do? Should Naraine be dropped? Is it time to get Prasidh Krishna back? Where should Andre Russell bat? Do they really need 7 bowling options?
Do let me know your thoughts as we head into another doubleheader today.
Happy Sunday folks!