In a long and grueling tournament like the IPL, momentum matters a lot. Both RCB and CSK were on a roll with one winning 4 matches In a row and the other winning 3. When both these teams met each other at the Wankhede yesterday one of them had to lose but what was important was the manner of the loss. A close encounter doesn’t matter that much when you are on a winning momentum but a big defeat can change the entire perspective! On paper, RCB looked a much better team but they tinkered with their lineup comprising their batting! It was not a very good idea but the false promise that their top order is in good form led to such a decision. Sometimes such decisions can hurt you and unfortunately for RCB that’s how it turned out to be. But to be fair to them it was a one-man show yesterday. Ravindra Jadeja could do no wrong yesterday and the once-in-a-generation cricketer demolished RCB single-handedly.
His performance yesterday was such that you don’t have much to write about the players! So what were the hits and misses from yesterday’s match?
Let’s have a look.
The Hits:
At 154/4 at the end of the 19th over with Jadeja on 26 runs off 21 balls it looked like an average score at the Wankhede. Harshal Patel had the ball who till that time had figures of 3/14 in his 3 overs. In a space of 6 balls (7 due to the No Ball) the momentum shifted completely with Jadeja hitting 37 runs including 5 sixes to power CSK to 191 runs. An average score became a winning score and the great bowling figures of Harshal Patel lay in tatters. RCB had earmarked Harshal as death over specialist and till yesterday he had been a revelation. But yesterday he missed the length and Jadeja got the balls on his zone, was able to free his arms, and connected marvellously to hit those towering sixes.
That one over turned the match on its head but Jadeja was not done for the day. There is a reason why he is considered one of the world’s top all-rounders and he was almost unplayable with the ball in hand. Maxwell and AB DeVilliers were left flummoxed by the turn and bounce and he ended with figures of 3/13 in 4 overs. In the post-match press conference, Virat Kohli couldn’t suppress his excitement on this magical performance because he knows how vital Jadeja is for Team India if he has to hold the T20 World Cup in his hands.
If there is an example of a three-dimensional cricketer then you don’t need to look beyond Jadeja. He was terrific in the field too, affecting a direct hit to see the back of Daniel Christian. What a day for Daniel Christian because it was he who dropped Jadeja when he was on zero. In hindsight that drop cost RCB the match.
Moeen Ali was injured yesterday and hence CSK had to do some adjustments to their lineup. They brought in Dwayne Bravo in place of Moeen Ali and got Imran Tahir replacing Ngidi. Ngidi had a good match against KKR picking up 3 wickets but yesterday being a day match, CSK smartly got an extra spinner to make use of the dry conditions. I thought that Tahir should be a permanent fixture in the CSK playing XI because he is a wicket-taking option for them. Though he only took the wickets of the tailenders yesterday he kept his end tight even in his first spell. 2/16 in 4 overs should see him getting a few more matches. The Jadeja effect brushed on to him too as he ran out Kyle Jamieson with a direct hit.
Faf Du Plessis was Mr. Consistent for CSK last season. The team was losing matches but Faf kept scoring runs. The habit of scoring runs has continued unabated this year too and looking at him bat I sometimes wonder why did he retire from international cricket. I believe both he and AB still has a couple of years of international cricket left in them and I hope to see them in the T20 World Cup later this year. Another day and another half-century for Faf Du Plessis.
The Misses
Navdeep Saini has lost his place in the team with the rise of MD. Siraj. With Harshal Patel getting wickets consistently it’s getting even more difficult for him to get into the XI. Yesterday RCB replaced Shahbaz Ahmed with Navdeep Saini but it backfired. Saini had no control over his line and length and it was he who allowed the CSK batsmen to keep up with the run rate when the others squeezed from the other end. It was a very disappointing performance from him and could see him back to the benches in the next match.
RCB is having a problem with its spinners. Yuzvendra Chahal is nowhere close to where he was a couple of years back. From being the go-to man for Virat Kohli he now doesn’t even complete his quota of 4 overs. Washington Sundar seems to be struggling too and his struggle is in the mind because his fielding and batting both have been a letdown this season. It won’t be a bad idea to rest him for a few matches. Probably fatigue has set in after a long international season. These bio-bubbles are not helping too. From the outside, we might think that these cricketers are very secured inside these bio-bubbles but the fact is it can cause tremendous damage to mental sanity. And young players can suffer from mental fatigue. I am not sure what’s the case with Sundar but he seems to be struggling.
Virat Kohli has not been in big run-scoring form for more than a year now. A man known for scoring centuries and for being consistent has lost that magical touch. In the last match when after getting in he started playing those lovely off drives, I felt our captain is back but he was once again out for a low score yesterday. It was Devdutt Padikkal who kept the scoreboard moving as Virat struggled. I hope we get the old Virat back before IPL ends this season.
What to look forward to?
RCB lost their first match of the season. It must not bother them much because it was a one-man demolition show but they need to make sure that they get their combination right and don’t allow the loss to play too much on their minds. It’s not a bad idea to play Finn Allen in place of Daniel Christian who has been struggling. They have many bowling options so this change won’t hurt them much.
For CSK they are looking like the old champion team which was a synonym to IPL. They have wonderful balance in the team and most of their players seem to be in decent form. CSK will be in the playoffs surely. When the tournament started I didn’t think it would happen and now if it doesn’t happen then I will be surprised!
Will this loss hurt RCB too much? Will it affect them mentally? Or will they treat it as an aberration and move on? Let’s wait and watch as the scene moves to Ahmedabad from today where Punjab Kings take on the struggling Knight Riders!
PS. Positivity attracts positivity! So keep spreading love and happiness! Together we will beat this pandemic. Keep wearing the mask at all times and get vaccinated as soon as possible.
One aspect which is common between Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad is the number of inexperienced players in their setup. In a long tournament like IPL, the experienced ones in the respective teams must play consistently well to compensate for the inexperience if the team needs to reach the playoffs. If you look at the points table this season all these 3 teams are struggling and one of the reasons being their experienced players have not been consistent enough. Out of these 3 teams, KKR is struggling the most because all their experienced players have let them down. Morgan, Cummins, Naraine, Gill, and Russell have been a pale shadow of their usual self.
Rajasthan Royals have been let low by a spate of injuries to their experienced international players and both Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are irreplaceable. To the team’s credit, some of their uncapped players have played well namely, Chetan Sakariya and Riyan Parag. Jaydev Unadkat has also bowled well though he is not an uncapped player. But you need consistency if you have to win IPL and that’s quite understandably missing from both KKR and Rajasthan Royals.
These two table laggards met each other at Wankhede yesterday and it was an opportunity for both the teams to get their campaign back on track.
We have had some very one-sided matches over the last two days and what I expected at the very least was a highly competitive encounter. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and it was a real pain to watch the match which was low in quality with bad batting and even worse fielding especially by KKR.
So what were the hits and misses from yesterday’s match? Let’s have a look.
The Hits:
When Rajasthan Royals won their first matchof the season it was Chris Morris who did the star turn for them. He is a very underrated all-rounder and I sometimes wonder why he is not considered for South Africa. Yesterday he was back once again claiming 4 wickets and played a prime role in helping Rajasthan keep KKR to a very manageable total of 133 runs. Two wins for Rajasthan Royals and both the times it’s been Chris Morris who was adjudicated as the man of the match.
Sanju Samson generally ends up losing his wicket when he tries to be overly aggressive at the start of the innings. Yesterday the asking run rate was very less and this meant he didn’t need to be aggressive at all and it worked in his favour. He curbed down his attacking instincts and played a matured innings to take the team home. I hope he understands that he need not play too aggressively at the start because once he is set he can be very dangerous at the end and that’s what he needs to focus on.
The only bright spot for KKR yesterday was the bowling performances of Shivam Mavi and Varun Chakravarthy. To be fair to Varun he has been very consistent with his bowling this season. He is now the primary bowler of the team and it’s kind of funny for KKR who has Pat Cummins and Sunil Naraine in their ranks. It just shows the non-performance of KKR’s star players this season. Mavi got his first opportunity yesterday and he bowled with a decent pace. He went for just 19 runs in his 4 overs which was a good return considering the pitch and ground conditions at Wankhede. Will he be consistent? Only time will tell.
The misses:
The KKR top order has been a big letdown this season. Shubhman Gill is considered the most talented batsman among all the youngsters in the country. But his performance after the Brisbane test has been highly disappointing. He is unable to play in the gaps. Leg side half volleys are not being put away. And now he is having a horrid time in the field too missing catches and letting go of boundaries easily. For KKR to turn around this campaign Gill would need to get his act together.
The two high-profile foreign recruits for KKR, Pat Cummins and Eoin Morgan have been in horrible form, to say the least. For KKR to be competitive both of them have to be leading the charts but they have failed miserably. Cummins is a very different bowler in test match cricket but when it comes to T20 he invariably struggles particularly at the death. It won’t be a bad idea to rest him for a couple of matches and try out Ben Cutting or Lockie Ferguson.
Rahul Tewatia is a pale shadow of 2020. He is neither picking up wickets with the ball nor he is playing those hard-hitting innings with the bat. There is still time in the tournament for him to show his heroics and I hope to see him play some stellar knocks soon.
What to look forward to?
KKR needs to make some changes in their playing XI at least for the next two matches. The current set of players looks jaded so it won’t be a bad idea to try a few new players in the next two matches. The team is already languishing at the bottom of the table and the good thing is that it can’t get any worse. So if they want to make some changes it has to be now.
T20 is a very fast-paced game and KKR needs to stop backing players who are not physically 100% fit. They can’t fall any further so give a chance to the benched players who are fitter than the ones who are in the playing XI currently. Play Tim Seifert as the wicketkeeper and allow Dinesh Karthick to play as a pure batsman. DK is one of the fittest players in the tournament and is a terrific outfielder. Here is my wish for the playing XI in the next match.
Venkatesh Iyer, Tim Seifert, Rahul Tripathi, Shubhman Gill, Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthick, Ben Cutting, Lockie Ferguson, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi, and Varun Chakravarthy.
Rajasthan Royals, have done well within their limitations. They will find it difficult to reach the top 4 but they can beat some good teams because they have a couple of match-winners in Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler who can win matches single-handedly. Teams like Rajasthan Royals and KKR will be party busters for the middle rung teams and when they start winning matches the tournament will get more exciting.
At the moment with a raging pandemic crippling our nation these one-sided matches are not helping in keeping our mind away from the tragedy. High time we get some close encounters and I hope the two matches today will give us that.
BTW, we are amidst a raging pandemic so keep your masks on and try and get vaccinated as soon as possible. Together we will get over this soon!
PS. Laughter is the best medicine. When you are down and feeling demotivated, pick up the phone and call one of your close friends who can help you detox. There is no better relationship than friends so be thankful to have them in your life.
One of the major differences between IPL and other Cricket leagues across the world has been the quality of cricket. Over the years we have been entertained every evening through IPL. Unfortunately, we are seeing a meltdown this year. And one of the reasons for that has been the quality of cricket that’s being dished out over the last few days.
I believe it’s happening due to two reasons:
The pitches in Chennai has been horrible where stroke-making is extremely difficult
Too many matches are being affected due to dew.
Dew is not controllable but they should change the ball every 3 overs whenever the umpires see that the ball is getting too wet. The toss should not decide the fate of the match in T20 cricket.
The pitches were controllable and I am highly disappointed with the slow and low conditions of Chennai which has made them look like 3rd-day test pitches.
Mumbai Indians Vs Punjab Kings ideally should have been a high-scoring one with both teams possessing some great stroke makers. But what we were dished out was an insipid game of slow and painful batting performance. In the end, Punjab Kings won by 9 wickets with 14 balls to spare but as could be seen, it was not easy going for them. Mumbai Indians missed a trick by not playing Piyush Chawla because the way the match panned out, another leg spinner could have made a difference for them.
Let’s look at the hits and misses from yesterday’s match.
The Hits:
Ravi Bishnoi has been a surprising omission from the Punjab Kings playing XI this season. I was kept wondering why. Last season he was one of their top performers and it was great to see him back. He has come back with a strange bowling action but the googlies had the same zip as last year. For a leg spinner, he has amazing control on line and length and he got rich dividends from the same too. Mumbai Indians was slowly getting their innings back on track when he got Surya Kumar Yadav out to bring Punjab Kings back into the game. 2/21 in 4 overs should be convincing enough for the team management to persist with him in the future matches.
KL Rahul has been highly criticised this season for his slow batting but this was one match where no one complained because Punjab Kings had only 132 runs to chase. A good solid half-century to take his team home must be highly satisfying for him. With Chris Gayle in company, the chase was never out of control. With no run rate pressure, it was a good professional chase by the duo.
Rohit Sharma along with Surya Kumar Yadav has been the only two batters from Mumbai Indians who have looked in form. And it was once left to both of them to take the team to a decent total. Till the time they were in the crease, Mumbai Indians looked all set to score 150+ but as soon as both of them lost their wickets it fizzled out. Rohit on his part scored his first half-century of the season.
Md. Shami had a rough time in the last match going for plenty of runs. I was interested to see how he comes back yesterday. Thankfully he didn’t disappoint and his usual line and length was back proving the last match to be an aberration. 2/21 in 4 overs must be a huge relief for his team.
The misses:
Hardik Pandya is not fit enough to bowl and the way he is throwing balls underarm I have a feeling he is not 100% fit. His batting is nowhere close to what people expect him to do. He needs to put his head down and play himself in before playing balls in the air. His performance thus far has been one of the biggest disappointments this IPL.
Both Quinton De Kock and Ishan Kishan have been a disappointment for Mumbai Indians thus far. All have struggled to adjust to the slow and low conditions in Chennai. Mumbai must be very thankful that Sunrisers and KKR lost their matches from winning positions otherwise Mumbai would have been languishing right at the bottom of the table. It’s been their bowlers who have helped them garner 4 points and I hope a change of venue will do them a world of good going forward.
What to look forward to?
Playing Moises Henriques and Fabian Allen together seems to be a very defensive plan for Punjab Kings. I would prefer Chris Jordan to replace Allen in future matches. With Chris Jordan at number 8, their batting lineup will have good balance and he is terrific with the ball at the death. This one change can make a lot of difference to the team.
For Mumbai, they need to take some hard decisions and one of them should be to drop Quinton De Kock. In Ishan Kishan, they have a ready-made opener available and they can replace QDK with Jimmy Nisham who can slot into number 5. Even after this change, their fortunes can only change if Hardik Pandya gets them the runs. He is an important clog in Mumbai Indians’ wheel and frankly, they don’t have a like-for-like replacement. At the moment the team is way too dependent on Rohit and Surya Kumar Yadav which is not an ideal scenario for the defending champions.
I am still backing them to reach the playoffs but the next match is very important. They need a turnaround in their batting fortunes otherwise it can turn out to be a campaign to forget for Rohit Sharma.
What do you think? What changes do you foresee in the Mumbai Indians’ team?
Stay Safe! Be atmanirbhar! You are on your own so take care of yourself and your family. Mask Up India!
PS. As a leader, you should be ready to take tough decisions. If you always take populist decisions then soon you and your organisation will suffer! People respect those who take decisions and inspire others to follow those decisions. Similarly, if decisions go wrong great leaders forthrightly accept their mistakes and change the course of action rather than hiding behind the decisions looking for scapegoats.
The gap between RCB and the other teams is expanding each passing day! Consistency has always been a bane for this team over the years but this season has been very different. The best part for them has been how various players have risen to the occasion thereby not putting extra pressure on Virat Kohli and AB DeVilliers. Another important point to note is that many Indian players have given match-winning performances over the last 4 matches.
I didn’t expect Rajasthan Royals to win against RCB yesterday but I didn’t expect them to lose the way they lost finally. 180 runs to chase looked like a walk in the park and we were treated to another one-sided contest at the Wankhede.
So let’s look at the hits and misses from yesterday’s match:
The Hits:
Devdutt Padikkal had a great Vijay Hazare trophy a few weeks ago. He and Prithvi Shaw were the eye-catchers in that tournament! I expected Padikkal to do well this year and finally, he came to the party yesterday scoring a great century off 52 balls. A strike rate of over 190 ensured that for the initial part of the chase, Virat Kohli was a spectator! Padikkal is a great find for India and I won’t be surprised if he gets selected to the Indian team later this year.
Virat Kohli has been in not-so-good form this season and it was good to see that he was playing himself in yesterday. With Padikkal going great guns, he could afford that too. Then midway through the innings, the swag was back. The cover drives were back and I could sense the old Virat Kohli back with a vengeance! Good that he didn’t get out yesterday and helped RCB win by 10 wickets. Yes, it was not a great bowling attack but such a sweet innings will hold him in good stead in future matches! It was clear that the good batting conditions at the Wankhede were being thoroughly enjoyed by both the openers of RCB.
Rajasthan Royals has been laid low by two of their main foreign recruits not playing in the IPL due to injuries. This has led to a situation where Jos Buttler along with David Miller and Sanju Samson has to do the bulk of the scoring. Siraj showed his class by picking up two of these 3 to put Rajasthan in the backfoot within the power play. Siraj is a completely different bowler after the Australia series. He has very good control and hardly misses the length. His only weakness is bowling in the death and yesterday his figures were distorted by the final over that he bowled when Rahul Tewatia unleashed some big shots. But the damage that Siraj caused to the Rajasthan’s top order in his first spell ensured that RCB didn’t need to chase a very big total. His Yorker to dismiss Miller was the best delivery of the match. Either way, 3/27 was a match-turning performance by Siraj.
At 18/3 it seemed to be game over for Rajasthan Royals and when Sanju got out it didn’t even feel like Rajasthan would be able to post a decent total. But thanks to Shivam Dube and Rahul Tewatia, Rajasthan Royals were able to post 177 runs which though under par felt like a decent total. Dube has been an underperformer in IPL but yesterday he looked set for a big score. He must be very disappointed that he couldn’t stay till the end. If he had done so, Rajasthan would have posted a far bigger total than what they did eventually. For Shivam Dube and Rahul Tewatia, it’s important for them that they hit big scores when they get the opportunity because it’s those match-turning innings that make the selectors look towards you. The 30s and 40s won’t take them there. I hope both of them play to their potential in the future.
The misses:
Sanju Samson will soon be known as Mr. Inconsistent. With the kind of talent he has, it’s quite disturbing to see the way he gets out. He is never out of form but he plays shots in the air, way too much at the start of the innings. Most of the time he gets out to such experiments and it’s high time he understands that. With Rajasthan missing the services of Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes it’s important for them that Sanju along with Jos Buttler plays big innings consistently. Otherwise, this team will keep struggling.
The form of Yuzvendra Chahal is disturbing me a lot. He used to be the go-to man for Virat Kohli previously and now he is unable to finish his quota of 4 overs. Indian cupboard is blank when it comes to wrist spinners and this is one department that could bite India hard in the World Cup later in the year. Can Chahal get his form back? I hope to get an answer by this tournament ends.
What to look forward to?
I expected Saini to play yesterday but Virat went with Kane Richardson. I hope Saini gets a chance in the next match because he is a very good talent though Siraj and Harshal Patel his pushed him to the bench.
This team is on a roll and I don’t think they need to make any changes. They will hope that their top order remains in form and I am sure if that happens then RCB will finally win the IPL for which they have been waiting for so long.
For Rajasthan Royals, I hope their experiment with Manan Vohra has ended. He has got enough chances with no returns. It’s high time they get Yashasvi Jaiswal in the top order. Also, I don’t think Shreyas Gopal is adding any value to the team. They should get Karthick Tyagi to replace him.
Will it solve their woes? I am not sure because for them to become competitive they would need Sanju and Buttler to play big innings consistently!
So what do you think? Will RCB win the IPL this year?
PS. Never underestimate yourself. Yesterday Virat Kohli after winning the toss was seen taking a back seat and letting Sanju Samson decide what he wants to do completely forgetting that it was he who had the right to decide. After umpteen times losing the toss he is surprising himself by winning tosses. It was the most hilarious moment of the match.
Earlier this month, before the start of IPL 2021, when I was analysing all the teams, I was pretty sure that on paper, Chennai Superkings looked the weakest. For starters, they had too many players in the lineup who had already taken retirement from international cricket. Secondly, they didn’t have any aggressive fast bowlers and they lacked penetration in the spin department too. All this made me feel that they would struggle. Adding to this, the scheduled prepared for this year ensured that they won’t play a single match in their home conditions, Chennai. Their attack supplemented the low and slow conditions of Chepauk’s pitch and hence when they lost their first match against Delhi Capitals, it was not very surprising for me.
But, one aspect I discounted was the astute leadership skills of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Great leaders know the limitations of their teams and inspire their team members to go beyond their capabilities to get fabulous results. The last 3 matches have just amplified that fact. By winning 3 matches in a row, CSK not only surprised me and their fans, but I guess they surprised themselves too.
KKR after a good start has frittered away the advantage by first losing a match against Mumbai, which they should have won, and then got blown away by the magic of AB DeVilliers and Glenn Maxwell. But with the scene moving to Mumbai from Chennai and with Chennai not having a fearful attack, I was hopeful of a change of fortunes for KKR yesterday. As it turned out eventually, we were treated to the second-best match of 2021 which in the end didn’t mean much for KKR because they lost by 18 runs. So what were the hits and misses from yesterday at the Wankhede? Let’s have a look:
The Hits:
The best thing about Dhoni is the way he backs his players when they are down. Ruturaj Gaikwad had a terrible start with 3 back to back failures. But Dhoni backed him and he was rewarded back by a great knock. The cover drives that Gaikwad hit yesterday were classy and made you sit up and watch. A half-century with a strike rate of over 150 must give him a lot of confidence going forward in the tournament.
Faf Du Plessis has been a rock for CSK over the years. Seeing him bat, I wonder, why he retired. He along with AB DeVilliers can make a huge difference to the South African team in the world cup later this year. Yesterday he was not very fluent initially but changed gears rapidly towards the end. He remained not out at 95 runs and helped Chennai reach an unassailable 220 runs at the end of 20 overs.
A few days back, Deepak Chahar made the ball swing in a way as if we were playing in England. His 4 wicket haulensured an easy victory for CSK against Punjab Kings. He was back in the same avatar yesterday and in the space of 3 overs, he removed 4 of KKR’s top-order batsmen to leave the opposition in tatters. I was surprised that Faf was given the man of the match award because as it turned out in the end it was not those additional runs that Faf scored which helped CSK to win – rather it was the initial breakthroughs that Deepak Chahar got made all the difference. After all, if KKR had not lost 5 wickets in the powerplay, I guess they would have chased that score down.
While the CSK batting was going on, some of my followers on Twitter was telling me that with Morgan, DK, and Russell any score is not safe on that pitch. I felt it was taking things too far because none of these batsmen has shown any kind of form this season. I was wrong in my thinking I must say because though Morgan failed, DK along with Russell brought KKR back into the match. 31/5 was the score in the 6th over when Russell joined Dinesh Karthick in the crease. In the next 6 overs, 82 runs were scored by these two leaving CSK in complete disarray. It was a counterpunch that we had got used to seeing from KKR in 2019. Till the time Russell was there, the impossible looked possible. A 21 ball 50 will give a lot of hope for KKR going into the next set of matches.
Once Russell got out, there was a collective sigh of relief in the CSK camp. But out of nowhere, rose like a phoenix – Pat Cummins. Cummins is a very underrated all-rounder mainly because of the huge batting strength of the Australian cricket team. He is not needed to bat most of the time so people fail to realise that he is more than a capable batsman. last season on two occasions he saved KKR from the blushes. Yesterday he had his worst day with the ball in his IPL career and probably he felt obliged to amend it with the bat. With the ball, he went for 58 runs in 24 balls and with the bat, he brought up his 50 in 21 balls. If this is not redemption, then what is? He eventually was left stranded on 66 runs but he helped KKR cross 200 runs and give the fans something to cheer about.
The change that CSK did in their lineup yesterday was the deciding factor in the match. They dropped Bravo and brought in Ngidi. Ngidi has pace and is a hit-the-deck type of bowler. I am very sure if Bravo was there in the team yesterday then this match would have been in KKR’s pocket. Ngidi was the only bowler who was not hit around the park in the middle overs and he ended up picking 3 wickets too. An inspirational change and this is what makes the Dhoni-Flemming combo such an interesting and dangerous combination in IPL.
The misses:
KKR has a lot of youngsters in their team, which should mean that the energy level in the field is high. But unfortunately, their fielding was in complete disarray. Add to that the number of no-balls and wides bowled by the team meant they ended up giving more than 20 runs on the platter to CSK. They finally lost by 18 runs so those slip-ups turned out to be too costly.
Earlier this year after Shubhman Gill got out for 91 runs during India’s successful chase in Brisbane, my good friend, Asif said that he foresees a century from the opener in the England series. Forget century, the bloke has hit only one half-century since and he is wasting opportunities like no other. In each of the matches, he looked good but couldn’t convert them into big scores. Yesterday he was out for a golden duck. For KKR to progress to the next stage, they would need Shubhman Gill in run-scoring form. Right now things look pretty bleak for him. It has been very disappointing thus far from him.
Eoin Morgan is a pale shadow of the batsman he is in International cricket. He is another of those stalwarts who are yet to click in IPL. KKR has a lot of hope in him but the way he is struggling doesn’t give much confidence. It would be interesting to see how long the patience holds for the team management with his non-performance.
This season I expected, Prasidh Krishna to be one of the stand-out performers in IPL. Cricket, after all, is a lot about confidence and mindset, and his coming into IPL with good ODI series against England made me believe that his confidence would be sky-high and he along with Cummins and Varun would help KKR change their fortunes this year. But unfortunately, it has not been so thus far. he had struggling way too much in hitting the right lengths. He has been going for a lot of runs in the middle overs and he is clearly struggling with fitness. Will he hold on to his place or will Mavi come back would be interesting to see going forward.
What to look forward to?
CSK has surprised everyone by reaching the top of the table. I do not think they need to do anything different than what they are already doing. It’s for the other teams to improve their performance otherwise CSK will be the surprise entry in the playoffs this year.
For KKR, they need to get an all-rounder in place of Nagarkoti. Having a bowler who is not confident to bowl his over overs doesn’t merit a place in the team. I think it’s better to give Venkatesh Iyer a chance. He is an all-rounder and him along with Nitish Rana and Andre Russell could very well take care of 4 or 5 overs. This would strengthen their batting line up too and compensate for the lack of form of some of their top-order batters.
PS. Talent is overrated and skills are underrated. Do not get bloated with pride if you are very talented. Work on your skills and keep improving because talent doesn’t get food to your table – skill does!
One look at the Punjab Kings’ team sheet and you will understand that the team lacks balance. With a very big tail, the team’s top order seems to be playing under pressure. But T20 is a ruthless game because of you allow the bowlers to dominate you then it becomes very difficult to change the momentum! After losing two matches on the trot, Punjab Kings’ decided to make some changes to elongate their batting lineup by adding two all-rounders replacing two bowlers. Meredith and Jhye Richardson were dropped and they were replaced by Moises Henriques and Fabian Allen. But unfortunately, this unimaginative change didn’t bring in the change of fortunes because the team folded up after scoring just 120 runs to hand over an easy victory to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Sunrisers Hyderabad is too good a team to be lagging at the bottom of the table! When the tournament started I felt that Sunrisers would be able to reach to playoffs but the start has not been ideal for them. But as we have seen in past editions it’s not always important how you start – what’s important is how you finish. Getting Kane Williamson into the playing XI was one of the best decisions that Sunrisers took yesterday. Warner, Bairstow, and Kane make a fearful top order and I am sure these 3 are going to be a pain for all the team going forward in the tournament.
Having a doubleheader during weekdays is not ideal for people like me so I was not able to watch the match though followed the score updates online! Here are the hits and misses from yesterday’s encounter at the Chepauk, Chennai.
The hits:
When Natarajan was rested in the last match, I was a bit surprised but when I saw Khaleel Ahmed bowl I understood why he was playing. He has added a few yards of pace in his bowling and was consistently hitting the 141 Km/hr Mark which was not the case two years back when he made it to the Indian team. Yesterday he bowled well once again and picked up 3 important wickets too. With Bhuvi complaining of a slight strain in his leg, I am hoping to see Khaleel throughout the tournament this year.
Though Shahrukh Khan scored only 22 runs yesterday, he looks to be a very good find for Punjab Kings. In all the matches he has shown that he is capable enough to be given a spot higher than number 6 in the batting order. Punjab Kings need to play him consistently at number 5 so that he can play to his potential. His form should act as a confidence booster for the top order who should play with a little bit more freedom.
For Sunrisers to do well in this tournament they have to ensure that their top-order clicks consistently. They have an inexperienced middle order which they changed a little bit by playing Kedar Jhadav yesterday. This will ensure that their Top 3 comprising of Warner, Bairstow, and Kane Williamson play with freedom. Yesterday it was a small chase so the middle order was not tested but it would be interesting to see how this pans out when they chase a bigger total. But with Bairstow in great form, I think Sunrisers will do well because Warner and Williamson will contribute heavily with the bat surely as the tournament progresses.
The misses:
The Punjab Kings’ is having a meltdown at the top. I expected their top 4 to be a big danger for the other teams but they have flattered to deceive thus far. Rahul is not playing aggressively. Mayank Agarwal is the only one at the top who is playing with intent and once he is losing his wicket they have been struggling. Pooran is hardly staying in the crease. In three matches Pooran has played 6 deliveries and got out for a duck on all three occasions. This is a big concern for the team and till this is sorted it would be extremely difficult for Punjab Kings to reach the top 4.
Playing Moises Henriques and Fabian Allen was a very defensive strategy and it failed spectacularly. They tried to elongate their batting order and in the process pushed Shahrukh to number 7 which just didn’t make sense! They need to sort out their team lineup because such a defensive mindset won’t help them win matches.
What to look forward to?
The way Rahul is batting right now it would make more sense for him to come at number 4. This would open up the opener’s slot for Chris Gayle which would be good for him. They can get Mandeep Singh to replace Moises Henriques and find a way to get Ravi Bishnoi to play in the next match. Here is my ideal playing XI for them in the next match:
Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, KL Rahul, Shahrukh Khan, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Fabian Allen, Jhye Richardson, MD. Shami, Ravi Bishnoi.
For Sunrisers they finally got their combination right though the niggle to Bhuvaneshwar Kumar would bother them. Their batting order looks far more solid with the addition of Kane Williamson and I am looking forward to seeing them making some big scores going forward.
What do you think about my suggested changes to Punjab Kings?
Do write in as we wait for another RCB match later in the evening who takes on Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai later today!
Stay safe everyone! Wear a mask and ask everyone around you to get themselves vaccinated!
PS. Take care of yourself first before helping others!
Last year Delhi Capitals lost to Mumbai Indians in the finals of IPL 2020. That was not the only time that they lost to Mumbai Indians in 2020. Mumbai Indians has been a nemesis for Delhi Capitals right through the 2020 edition. Both the group matches were won by Mumbai Indians and when both the teams met each other in Chennai I was excited to see if Delhi Capitals could break the jinx.
This was Delhi’s first match in Chennai so how they adapt to the new conditions was something that I was looking forward to. Delhi Capitals on paper has the best team in the tournament but a couple of places in the lineup was still up for grabs. How they plug those gaps would ensure their progress in the long run.
Mumbai Indians though winning the last two matches have a problem in plenty when it comes to their batsmen’s form. The matches they won were both due to their superb middle and death overs bowling. They have struggled to cross 150 runs and that has been a major cause for concern. Mumbai Indians generally start slow in IPL but this year though they have not played to the potential but have still been able to win 2 of the first three matches.
It was expected to be a close encounter because on paper both Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians looked balanced and both were coming into the match after winning their previous matches respectively.
Let’s look at the hits and misses from yesterday’s match at Chepauk, Chennai.
The Hits:
The pitch in Chennai has been slow and low throughout the tournament and hence it was not a surprise to see that Delhi Capitals brought in Amit Mishra into their playing XI. Ravichandran Ashwin their main spinner though bowling well has not been in wicket-taking form. Amit Mishra is an old warhorse of IPL cricket having taken more than 160 wickets including 3 hattricks. He is a very underrated bowler but he generally ends up taking wickets. Yesterday as it turned out Amit Mishra was an inspiring change because his old guile was back and he picked up 4 wickets to break the back of Mumbai Indians’ batting. Picking up Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya in one over, turned the game in Delhi’s favour from where they never looked back.
When I saw Marcus Stoinis opening the bowling for Delhi Capitals, I was a bit surprised because he has not been in good form this season. But the move turned out to be a masterstroke because he picked up the wicket of Quinton De Kock in the very first over. The form of Stoinis is very important for Delhi Capitals because he is their star all-rounder and he made a big difference to their campaign last year.
Lalit Yadav looks to be a pretty smart cricketer and a handy one too. He bowls off-spin and is a decent batsman too. Yesterday he bowled his full quota of 4 overs and returned figures of 1/17. He got a promotion in the batting order too and remained not out till the end to see Delhi Capitals through in the chase. He will get more opportunities this season and it will be exciting to see how he develops from here. In Ricky Ponting, he has a great coach and I hope he uses the most of it.
Jayant Yadav replaced Adam Milne yesterday and the change was mainly due to the prevailing pitch conditions in Chennai. He made use of the golden opportunity though it didn’t lead to Mumbai’s victory. He performed well with both bat and ball and I hope he gets a longer run this season. Jayant Yadav has a test century under his name and he is a good all-round cricketer. Will he be able to put up a consistent show for Mumbai Indians this season would be an interesting watch going forward.
The Misses
Bumrah had a habit of bowling no-balls when he first burst into the scene. Most importantly these no-balls used to come at very important junctures in a match. I remember his no-ball in the champions trophy final which gave life to Fakar Zaman which eventually led to him batting India out of the match. That match turned out to be the inflection point for Bumrah because he worked on this loophole and thereafter I have hardly seen him bowling no-balls. This season Bumrah has been in good form and batsmen have not been able to take him for runs but wickets have been alluding him. Don’t know if that’s the reason but he ended up bowling 2 no-balls yesterday under pressure. I hope it’s a one-off thing which would be a thing of the past when he takes the field next time around.
Hardik Pandya is playing purely as a batsman these days due to his back troubles and I hope he is not putting himself under pressure by thinking too much about it. He is a terrific finisher but Mumbai seems to be using him at number 5 to allow him to build a big innings. He has not been up to the mark thus far, getting out while going for the big hits. Yesterday also he missed the flight of Amit Mishra’s ball and was out for a duck. His form is critical to Mumbai’s success and I hope he will be back to his old self soon.
Quinton De Kock has failed to deceive in the three matches he has played in IPL 2021. I was not very happy when Mumbai Indians included him in the playing XI in place of Chris Lynn because I thought it was unfair. Lynn had scored 49 runs in the first match and to replace him was not the smartest decision. As it has turned out now, Quinton is struggling and it will be interesting to see if they go back to Lynn in the next match.
What to look forward to?
For Delhi Capitals, I don’t think playing Smith and Hetmeyer is a very smart move. I think Woakes should play because he is a genuine wicket-taker for them and has been in good form. They have too many good players sitting on the bench so it’s a good problem to have for Ponting and Pant. To think that Axar is still not available and Shreyas Iyer not playing this IPL – just shows how good a team Delhi Capitals is. There is no reason why they can’t win the IPL this season. I am backing them to reach the finals once again.
For Mumbai Indians, too many of their top-order batsmen are struggling and they are not easily replaceable too. Their bowling is still their strength and though they lost very tamely yesterday, I think it’s an aberration which they will surely correct in the upcoming matches. I do not foresee any changes but with Hardik firing Mumbai could be in trouble going forward.
What do you think? Would you suggest any batting order changes for Mumbai Indians? Or am I being too pessimistic?
PS. Opportunities are rarely offered! They are seized!
As leaders, one of the most important traits that you need to have is to take decisions. If you don’t have the confidence to make decisions and always look for advice from others then you are not a leader. Your decision might be wrong sometimes but when you make the decision, communicate that to the rest of the team and inspire them to follow the decision. This is part of any great leadership trait.
People in leadership positions who try to get consensus for any decision will never make any great decisions. Because all human beings are different and it’s very difficult to manage a consensus on everything. That’s why collective decision-making fails many times. Yes, sometimes your decision can be wrong and as a leader, you should be humble enough to accept it and move on rather than looking for excuses on why the decision went wrong. In collective decision taking this happens quite regularly because then people just blame each other – nothing is learned and when nothing is learned the entire exercise fails.
Recently CBSE after consultation with the PM decided to cancel the class 10 board exams in India. As I write this article, India registered more than 2,50,000 new Covid cases! The situation is turning quite grave and hence it was quite sensible to cancel the board exams so that the students can start preparing for class XI/XII. Once CBSE declared this decision it was a matter of time before other boards follow suit. ICSE board in the meantime declared that they will decide on their course of action shortly. After an agonising wait of over 48 hours, the ICSE council released a press note that the exams are being postponed and they will meet again in the first week of June to decide if and when the exams will be held. Now comes the interesting part. The note declares that the class X students will have the option to sit for the exams or not sit for the exams. For students who decide to not sit for the exams, their results would be declared based on an unbiased criterion (probably based on the performance of the student through the year – class tests/pre-boards/projects).
Leaving the decision on the students looks great on paper but actually, it just shows that the council doesn’t know to make decisions! First of all 15/16-year-old kids can’t decide for themselves. Secondly, their parents will be under pressure too. The board is allowing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to bias student’s decisions! When a student sees that his or her neighbor is not giving the exam – then their decision could be based on that. Similarly if in a group of friends few decide to sit for the exams then the other lot might also think that it’s better to give the exams. In both cases, it’s the FOMO psychology that is decisive. This is wrong!
Let’s come to the other aspects.
Students who are in the CBSE board will start their class XI studies and classes by next week. What do the ICSE students do? They study for class XI or keep preparing for class X board exams? What happens if in the first week of June the board decides to cancel the exams? Will it not be a waste of time for the students?
What happens to the students who were planning to change boards from ICSE to CBSE? On one hand, they have to attend class XI and on the other hand, they have to prepare for class X boards! How is this a fair decision?
The biggest question why does it take 48 hours to take such a decision of postponement?
I think the ICSE board tried to show smartness by telling that we are very democratic by giving the option to the students but in actual they have done more harm to the students. Already these kids have lost important months due to covid. Now by not starting the classes, they will suffer further in the Class XII exams in two years’ time.
My advise:
I will advise students to not opt for exams! For students who feel that they might not have done well in pre-boards, remember marks do not define you. 10 years down the line people will know why your class X results were not good because this pandemic is an event that will be remembered for decades. So focus on the future. Do not waste a single minute on your class X books. Get your class XI books and start studying. You have another 20 months to go for your class XII board exams. Prepare with that goal in mind and I am sure you will succeed.
Do not think that it is going to harm your career. It won’t if you focus on doing well in class XII. Do not waste time because time is in your control. Start preparing for class XII boards because for class XII you won’t have the option of not sitting for exams. Promise to yourself that you will do well in 2023 and I am sure God will be kind enough to help you reach your goals.
P.S. My son is in class X and was supposed to give his ICSE exams. I have decided to not send him for exams and have already got him his class XI study materials which he will start from next week!
I was about to post this article when my son informed me that the board has canceled the ICSE exams for 2021. Better late than never – I would say.
When one looks at the CSK team sheet, one doesn’t get intimidated! Many of the players are already retired cricketers and past their prime. Genuine match winners are few but what they have is a great captain and a very good balance in their team. 7 bowling options in their playing XI with no tail in their batting lineup means they play with complete freedom. This part of their game came to the fore yesterday when only Faf Du Plessis crossed 30 runs but the team still ended up scoring 188 runs. This is what differentiates this team from the others in this competition because I believe in T20 you need to good balance if you want to succeed consistently. On paper, CSK doesn’t look like a team that would be making the playoffs but as the first few days have proved they have it in them to beat the best and are title contenders too.
It was one of those rare IPL days when we saw a one-sided contest being played out. Things looked quite even at one stage before Rajasthan Royals collapsed spectacularly to hand CSK a 45 runs victory. Let’s look at the hits and misses from yesterday’s match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The Hits:
Moeen Ali was the star recruit for CSK this season. He is a good all-round cricketer and I feel he has always been underutilised by other franchises previously. But with Dhoni at the helm, you could be rest assured that he knows how to utilise the strengths of his players to the team’s advantage. Moeen has been in good touch with the bat and he played some fabulous shots while on the crease yesterday. But the star turn happened with the ball. He was held back by Dhoni till the 12th over because Buttler was in the crease. But as soon as Buttler got out, Moeen Ali was brought into the attack and in the next 2 overs, he broke the back of Rajasthan Royals’ middle-order picking up 3 wickets. Rajasthan Royals couldn’t recover thereafter.
When Dhoni walked in after the fall of the 5th wicket, I felt he read the situation wrong because holding back Sam Curran was not the right thing to do. Thankfully the damage was not deep because Curran along with Bravo gave the final push to take CSK to a winning total. Sam Curran is one of the best all-rounders in white-ball cricket today and he has been smart with the ball too. He picked up 2 wickets yesterday including the big wicket of Sanju Samson to push Rajasthan Royals back to the wall within the power play. He along with Moeen Ali would have a big say in CSK’s overall performance this season.
Dwayne Bravo is no longer the force that he used to be a few years back. But the cricketing brain is still strong as ever and you can take him for granted at your own peril. CSK needed to score above 180 runs to be above par but with Dhoni, Raina and Jadeja all struggling to time the ball it was looking increasingly difficult. Out came Bravo and he changed the complexion straight away hitting 20 runs off 8 balls to give the necessary impetus at the back end of the innings. With the ball, he was targeting the Yorker length outside the off stump continuously and most of the time he succeeded in getting it right. In one particular over he bowled 4 wides but yet the over went for only 6 runs – just shows how consistent he was with his length yesterday.
Chetan Sakariya seems to be the find of the season thus far. He has a good run-up and a lovely action. He being a left-arm bowler is even exciting. He is supposed to be the weakest link in the Rajasthan Royals’ bowling line up but he is the one who is leading their wickets list at the moment. Yesterday too he picked up 3 wickets which included his idol’s wicket, MS Dhoni.
Ravindra Jadeja is a true all-rounder and yesterday though he failed with the bat he compensated with the ball and the field. Yesterday the ball kept following him and he ended up picking 4 catches in the outfield. With the ball, he did the star turn for his team in the 12th over when he picked up 2 wickets including the big scalp of Jos Buttler to start the slide. It was a classic Jadeja delivery that saw the back of Buttler – grip, turn and bounce to dislodge the off stump.
The Misses:
Sanju Samson played the innings of IPL 2021 against Punjab Kings when he scored 119 runs to almost take Rajasthan Royals to victory. Unfortunately his biggest bane – consistency has come back to haunt him again. Yesterday once again he got out to a lose shot trying to hit the ball over the top only to get out giving a catch at mid-on. He is too good a player to keep getting out to lose shots. India is losing a good talent but as I keep saying talent can’t take you too far if you do not work on improving your skills. I hope he works in this consistency factor because otherwise, he will remain just an IPL star.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has been a domestic star for the last few seasons and played very well towards the end of IPL 2020. I was very excited to see how much he has evolved this year because I was sure Dhoni will give him a long rope this season. Unfortunately, he has failed to deceive thus far and 3 failures in a row could mean a change of personnel in the top order for CSK! Will he get another couple of matches? Let’s wait and see.
Shivam Dube was a big name in domestic cricket with a penchant for hitting sixes in 2019/20. He got into the Indian team too as India was groping with Hardik Pandya’s injury. But unfortunately, he has not lived up to his reputation and is yet to show his talent in the IPL or world stage. Rajasthan Royals is without the services of two of their best foreign players so people like Shivam Dube, Mannan Vohra, and Riyan Parag have to play to their potential otherwise I don’t see this team reaching the playoffs.
What to look forward to?
I don’t think CSK needs any changes in their team setup as of now other than probably moving Rayudu to the opener’s slot and replacing Ruturaj with Uthappa or Pujara. But I don’t think Dhoni would do that simply because he doesn’t like to change winning combinations. The team is gelling well and their bowlers are doing a fantastic job. When the tournament started, I didn’t expect CSK to reach the playoffs but right now I think I have been wrong because they look good enough to finish in the top 4.
For Rajasthan Royals, they need to replace a couple of players in their playing XI. Shivam Dube needs to be replaced by Liam Livingston which would, unfortunately, mean Mustafizur has to sit out who can be replaced by either Karthick Tyagi or Shreyas Gopal. Also, Manan Vohra should give way to Yashasvi Jaiswal. This is my preferred XI for their next match:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, David Miller, Liam Livingston, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Shreyas Gopal, Jaidev Unadkat, and Chetan Sakariya.
What do you think of this starting XI? Do write in with your thoughts and insights as we get ready for a blockbuster evening when Mumbai Indians take on Delhi Capitals in Chennai!
PS. Add life to days not days to life.
It was a super Sunday yesterday with a doubleheader for all IPL fans. Punjab Kings last season was let down by their bowlers and it’s following a similar script this year too. In the first match, they scored 221 runs, only to win by 4 runs, and yesterday their score of 195 runs was chased down by Delhi Capitals quite comprehensively with 10 balls to spare. If a team can’t defend such high totals then it would be extremely difficult for them to reach the playoffs! So what were the hits and misses of yesterday’s match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai?
The Hits:
Shikhar Dhawan has changed his way of play in the T20s over the last year. Gone are the days when he used to start slow and picked up the pace later. Now he uses the power play overs very effectively and his pick-up shot over the leg slip is giving him rich dividends too. His foot movement is much better now and this is ensuring good offside and leg side play consistently! He is one player who is very consistent when in form and it’s a big advantage for Delhi Capitals this season.
Prithvi Shaw is the modern-day Virendra Sehwag. His hand-eye coordination is superb and till the time he is in the crease, batting looks very easy. His style of play also helps Dhawan because he is not pressurised to hit big shots from the word go. Prithvi Shaw has been in good form this season and it’s good to see that he is giving more value to his wicket. Scoring runs consistently is the only way he can get back to the Indian team and I am sure he has realised the importance of scoring big when in form.
Avesh Khan has been a surprise package for Delhi capitals. With the opposition team scoring at close to 10 runs per over, his economy rate of 8 runs per over stood out from his established colleagues in the team. 1/33 in 4 overs doesn’t look great but looking at what the opposition scored, it was a commendable effort.
Mayank Agarwal had a rough start to the tournament this season with two consecutive failures. Finally, he came to the party yesterday. Going at a strike rate of 200 he was the enforcer yesterday for Punjab kings. This allowed Rahul to dig in and play his normal game though it doesn’t suit Rahul that much. Rahul needs to play his natural game too because as it turned out yesterday, Rahul’s strike rate of 119 was the real difference between the two sides.
Deepak Hooda made a huge statement in the first match and yesterday it was his smart finish that helped Punjab Kings to reach a formidable score. He needs to bat at number 4 because that will allow him to get more balls. He is in good form and the team needs to acknowledge that and play him higher up the order.
The Misses:
Nicholas Pooran is one of the most talented batsmen from the West Indies currently. He brings solidity to the Punjab Kings’ middle order but his form has been very disconcerting for the team this season. Three matches in a row he has failed and the team must be hoping that he turns the corner soon.
Md. Shami was the standout bowler in the last 2 outings for Punjab Kings but he was completely at sea yesterday. He missed the length consistently and looked out of sorts. He went for 53 runs yesterday and without him performing it was always going to be difficult for Punjab Kings to defend the score of 195 runs. Shami even in his worst days generally picks up wickets but yesterday was a completely off day for him and invariably the team struggled.
Kagiso Rabada took 30 wickets last season and was the stand-out performer for Delhi Capitals. This season has been completely opposite and he has been hit around the park with ease. With Chris Woakes bowling well and Nortje yet to get a look in, I foresee a change in their team with Nortje replacing Rabada. I was looking forward to Rabada, Nortje, and Woakes bowling together but I guess I will have to wait for that to happen anytime soon.
What to look forward to?
Punjab Kings need KL Rahul to play aggressively. he is playing too slow and is not able to up the ante. One of the reasons for the same has been because of the bad form of Pooran and I think they are losing out on 15-20 runs because of this safety-first approach of Rahul. One option could be to get Mandeep Singh into the playing XI replacing Pooran. Here is the suggested XI for Punjab Kings for the next match:
KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Jalaj Saxena, Chris Jordan, Jhye Richardson, Md. Shami & Ravi Bishnoi.
Bishnoi not getting a place in the playing XI has been a big surprise for me. I hope he gets a game soon.
For Delhi Capitals, the batting form of Stoinis yesterday must be very encouraging for them. He is a very important player for them and he needs some good games under his belt. The only problem seems to be Rabada’s form and I guess he will be replaced by Anrich Nortje in the next match.
What are your views? Will Rabada get another game or will Nortje get a game replacing him? Should Ravi Bishnoi play? What about Chris Jordan?
PS. When life throws stones at you, pick them up and convert them into milestones. How we pick ourselves up when chips are down, differentiates the successful people from the average ones!
In a long and grueling tournament like the IPL, momentum matters a lot. Both RCB and CSK were on a roll with one winning 4 matches In a row and the other winning 3. When both these teams met each other at the Wankhede yesterday one of them had to lose but what was important was the manner of the loss. A close encounter doesn’t matter that much when you are on a winning momentum but a big defeat can change the entire perspective! On paper, RCB looked a much better team but they tinkered with their lineup comprising their batting! It was not a very good idea but the false promise that their top order is in good form led to such a decision. Sometimes such decisions can hurt you and unfortunately for RCB that’s how it turned out to be. But to be fair to them it was a one-man show yesterday. Ravindra Jadeja could do no wrong yesterday and the once-in-a-generation cricketer demolished RCB single-handedly. 
