3 matches that could spice up the sixth week of IPL 2022
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is now five weeks old. The big story, if we glance at the points table, is that the two new franchises occupy the top two slots in the 10-team competition. The Gujarat Titans (GT) have tasted wins in eight of their nine matches and are sitting pretty with 16 points. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have seven victories in 10 games and are currently on a three-match winning spree.
The jostle in the middle continues with the Rajasthan Royals (12 points), Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore (10 points each) and the Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings (8 points each) battling it out.
While the Kolkata Knight Riders’ losing streak has extended to five, the big news from week five is that Mumbai Indians (MI) have finally registered their first win of the season. MS Dhoni also returned to the captaincy by leading the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
As has been the norm of sorts in IPL 2022, GT were once again involved in a thrilling contest that went down to the wire last week. In match number 40 at the Wankhede Stadium, they chased down 196 off the last ball against SRH, with Rashid Khan smacking a six. Fans and organizers will be hoping for more thrilling encounters in the sixth week of IPL 2022.
Here’s a look at three matches that can spice up Week 6.
#1 RCB vs CSK (Match 49, May 4 at MCA Stadium)
After a decent start to IPL 2022, RCB’s campaign has slipped rather swiftly. They have now lost three matches in a row. After stumbling to 68 all out against SRH, the batters only managed against RR. In their previous match against GT, they got 170 for 6, with Virat Kohli hitting a much-needed fifty albeit a slow one. The star RCB batter will thus have greater confidence when he heads into battle against MS Dhoni’s men.
In a stunning turn of events, Ravindra Jadeja handed back the CSK captaincy to MS Dhoni and the latter led the side to victory over SRH in his first match after taking charge of the team. Although Kohli is no longer RCB skipper, a Bangalore vs Chennai contest is incomplete without the Dhoni vs Kohli equation coming into play. India’s two big guns will be keen to come up trumps in a battle that has often produced intriguing cricket.
#2 GT vs MI (Match 51, May 6 at Brabourne Stadium)
This is the ‘top meets bottom’ clash. While Gujarat continue to maintain their ascendancy at the top of the points table, Mumbai look set to finish at the bottom. Having said that, MI could be a lot more dangerous opposition for GT, having tasted their first win of the season. Rohit Sharma’s men gave their skipper the perfect birthday gift on Saturday, registering a five-wicket win over RR. They may be out of the playoffs race, but MI will definitely play for pride in their remaining IPL 2022 matches.
As for Gujarat, they will be keen to continue their winning streak. Since the shock eight-wicket defeat at the hands of SRH during the first half of the competition, they have won five matches in a row. Before meeting Mumbai, Gujarat will take on Punjab. Irrespective of the result of that clash, GT will begin the match against MI as favorites. Sounds strange, but a win for Mumbai will be quite an upset!
#3 PBKS vs RR (Match 52, May 7 at Wankhede Stadium)
When IPL 2022 began, most critics picked Punjab and Rajasthan as two of the strongest contenders to make the playoffs. More than halfway into the competition, RR have lived up to the hype for the most part while PBKS have lost their way after a bright beginning. When the sides clash at the Wankhede, Punjab will be keen to reaffirm their stake in being worthy contenders for a place in the top four.
Rajasthan will go into the match with the upper hand as the likes of Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal are in incredible form. Punjab’s inconsistency has been their biggest nemesis in IPL 2022. If they can get their act together, as they have done in winning causes, PBKS definitely have the personnel to challenge Rajasthan’s supremacy. A lot will thus depend on which Punjab side turns up on the day.
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