Kings XI look to pose problems for RCB

The Royal Challengers Bangalore will welcome the Kings XI Punjab team to the Chinnaswamy stadium tonight in what is an extremely important game for both sides. A win for either team will propel them into the top 4, a position they would like to hold on to. A loss though, would make the journey all the more difficult to the playoffs.

RCB are going through a rough patch, not having won a single game of their last three, losing two and one being washed out. The Kings XI on the other hand, have picked themselves up after a bad start and have been playing some good cricket, winning two out of their last three. Even though they sit at 8th spot, well below the Bangalore men, there’s only a single point difference between the two sides in the points table. A win here and there will change the complete look of it.

It would be  like a blessing for Punjab to make it to the semifinals while it would be horrific if Bangalore don’t, coming in as favourites to win the league.

The difference between the two teams is that RCB have played and won games more on individual efforts, while Punjab have played as a unit despite not being able to generate enough fire power.

Head to Head: Out of the 9 times that the two have battled, Royal Challengers have been the better team on five occasions while Punjab reigned supreme on 4.

Key Players:

Royal Challengers Bangalore

AB De Villiers: The wicket keeper-batsman has amazed one and all with his cool headed execution of unorthodox shots. His timing and shot selection has been one of the best in the league and his strike rate is only second to Virender Sehwag. He has been a reliable soul for the men in red and gold and the team would hope they can look to him, lest they fall into trouble again. If the top order is sent back to the pavilion early, the South African would have a big role to play for them.

Chris Gayle: Every match which the Jamaican plays, the crowd hopes to see a “Gayle storm”. He has shown great consistency, carrying his form over from the last edition into this one and playing superbly whenever the situation demanded. Even at times when he decides to play a composed innings and not rain DLF maximums all over the pitch, his strike rate is around 150, which makes him the ideal batsman to have in this shortest format of the game.

Harshal Patel: An unknown individual before the tournament started, the Indian has made a name for himself with consistent bowling which baffles the batsmen into playing the wrong shots. Good economy and crucial wickets have been his trademark and he would look to bowl an important spell tonight for the Challengers.

 

Kings XI Punjab

Azhar Mahmood: The Pakistani all-rounder has already shown that cricket has no age limit, gelling well with the Punjab team. Being handy with the bat as well as with the ball makes him all the more useful. Where the team really suffers is bowling the slog overs, where they tend to give away too many runs and hence, the match, but the inclusion of Mahmood has helped solving that problem.

Ryan Harris: After coming back from international duty, Harris would look to get Punjab back on track. Although he hasn’t got a game so far in IPL this season, determination and aggression is his hallmark whenever he’s given the ball by his captain and looks to get the stumps flying with every delivery he bowls. A decent batsman too, he would be important to the team.

David Hussey: Covering in for a man of such high calibre like Adam Gilchrist is not the easiest job in the world but Hussey has given it all during the past few matches. Playing a few crucial innings for his side already, he would look to stay at the crease for long enough today and have someone like Shaun Marsh with him who can help set or chase a high target.

 

Areas of concern: Both teams have seen inconsistent displays in the batting department mainly. While Punjab supporters would like to see someone other than Marsh or Hussey play the “big” innings, RCB supporters would want to see their Indian vice-captain Virat Kohli step up to the task.

Fact: History about the league says that the team that finishes 1st or 2nd in the group stages has no special advantage in the playoffs. Its all a different game after the group stage and so, the other bottom teams would be taking heart from that.

Game Changer: Partnerships would be significant in today’s game. As seen in the reverse fixture, Punjab were looking on course for a victory with Bangalore hanging by a thread of hope at 25/3. But Gayle and De Villiers produced a magnificent partnership of 131 runs to steer the Bangalore wagon home. At the same time, a good partnership between Mandeep Singh, Hussey or Marsh could prove to be a problem for Mallya’s side.

Weather Forecast: Light thunderstorms hit the city of Bangalore on the weekend, but the crowd would be hoping for an uninterrupted clash tonight.

Prediction: A win for the Royal Challengers seems likely but with Punjab giving them a run for their money.