5 matches that could spice up the second week of IPL 2022
The first week of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 did not see too many close encounters. The clash between debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) went into the last over, with the former emerging victorious by five wickets with two balls to spare.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also played a low-scoring thriller, which was decided in the last over. Lucknow also chased down 211 against CSK in the 20th over but the match was decided in the penultimate over itself.
There was not much excitement in the other games when it came to thrilling finishes. In fact, there were a number of one-sided contests. KKR kicked off IPL 2022 but defeating defending champions CSK by six wickets. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) got the better of RCB by five wickets while the Rajasthan Royals (RR) hammered the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 61 runs.
Fans and organizers will be hoping for more thrilling encounters in the second week of IPL 2022. Here’s look at five matches that can spice up week 2.
#1 RR vs RCB (Match 13, April 5 at Wankhede Stadium)
Rajasthan have made a terrific start to IPL 2022 and look like the IPL team to beat in the competition. They thumped SRH on the basis of their all-round might. In the game against Mumbai, Jos Buttler was in a zone of his own while the bowlers throttled a fight back as the experienced trio of Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult and Ravichandran Ashwin kept their calm. Bangalore, as has often been the case with them, have been inconsistent in the IPL. They failed to defend 206 against Punjab and then made heavy weather of a chase of 129 against Kolkata. Irrespective of which RCB turns up, there will be excitement for sure.
#2 KKR vs MI (Match 14, April 6 at MCA Stadium)
In the past, KKR and MI have had a number of famous close encounters. Mumbai, on the other hand, are not the same squad that won the title in 2020 and made the list of IPL winner. Coming up against old rivals, though, they will be keen to put up a better show. MI had their moments against Delhi and Rajasthan, but it just did not come together. As for KKR, they were brilliant against CSK in the opener. After faltering with the bat against RCB, they came up with a dominating performance to thump PBKS by six wickets.
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#3 PBKS vs GT (Match 16, April 8 at Brabourne Stadium)
Punjab and Gujarat are being considered two of the strongest sides in IPL 2022. Both teams have the batting as well as the bowling to trouble opponents. As such, this clash has the potential to go down to the wire. PBKS began their IPL 2022 campaign by chasing 206 against RCB. Their all-round might came to the fore against Chennai as Liam Livingstone hammered a brutal 60 and claimed two wickets. Pacer Vaibhav Arora and leggie Rahul Chahar then impressed with the ball. GT have won both their games so far. They were clinical against Lucknow and demonstrated their quality with an impressive win over Delhi as Shubman Gill slammed 84 and Lockie Ferguson claimed four scalps.
#4 CSK vs SRH (Match 17, April 9 at DY Patil Stadium)
CSK vs SRH is usually not considered a high-profile contest. In 17 matches between the two teams, Chennai have won 13 and Sunrisers only four. However, the situation is different this time round. Following the revamp at the auction, CSK are not looking the same team. Their bowling, barring Dwayne Bravo, and in the absence of Deepak Chahar, lacks steam. What is surprising though is that their batting is struggling despite the personnel remaining pretty much the same in the department. SRH too are not looking strong this season as well. A tight could be on the cards between two struggling franchises.
#5 RR vs LSG (Match 20, April 10 at Wankhede Stadium)
The Rajasthan vs Lucknow clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai could also be an enticing one. As mentioned earlier, RR are possibly the strongest side in IPL 2022. They have match-winners across all departments of their game. LSG made a disappointing start to their campaign, but proved against CSK that they can give a run to top sides in the tournament. They chased 211 in quite an emphatic fashion. KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis and the young Ayush Badoni form quite a formidable line-up. They have issues in the bowling department, although Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi are capable of match-winning performances.
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