Bengaluru: It’s been four years since Royal Challengers Bangalore have been in this position. And the interim period has been tough, hurting even. Having last made the playoffs in 2011, eventually finishing runners-up to Chennai Super Kings, the Challengers are all but sure of making the last four cut in the eighth edition. Following their thrilling, rain-hit win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday, in a match that was cut from 20 to 11 to finally a six-over shootout, Virat Kohli kept his nerve amidst mounting pressure and against a partisan crowd to guide the Challengers home.
All through this season the Challengers have been hit hard by rain and it seems to follow them unerringly every time there is a home game. With a heavy downpour lashing the city on Saturday, the afternoon fiesta on Sunday against an out-of-contention Delhi Daredevils looks extremely doubtful but the faithful who have thronged the M. Chinnaswamy stadium for the previous six home matches will want their stars to set the stage on fire. Having won six of their last nine games with one washout, the Challengers will look to entertain their loyalists at home for the third match running.
Given the tight bunch in the points table, and it’s not often that you find four teams fighting for a playoff place in the last game, the Challengers’ nerve-tingling one-ball victory fashioned by Kohli against SRH will be a huge relief in that it not only boosted their tally but also gave them the best run rate amongst all eight teams, leaders, CSK included. Having said that, as much as the weather which is a big concern, the Daredevils are no pushovers though their dismal record suggests otherwise.
The talented bunch, who underwent a wholesome change in the squad once again flattered to deceive with Yuvraj Singh, IPL-8’s costliest buy being the biggest flop. But with nothing to lose, the Daredevils can go out on a high and hurt the Challengers’ momentum. For the home side, the Dinesh Karthik conundrum has been inexplicable; the second biggest buy after Yuvraj at the auction, the wicket-keeper batsman has had a disappointing outing in 13 games in stark contrast to his abilities.
Fortunately for them, the top order trio of the never-say-die Kohli, the big-hitting Chris Gayle — who has shown a penchant to run amok as he did against SRH in the first two overs on Friday to fuel Kohli’s chase — and the maverick AB de Villiers has been clinically successful in turns to keep the adrenaline pumping. The bowling, on the other hand, has transformed 360 degrees after the arrival of the exceptional Mitchell Starc, into their fourth league game.
A full, raucous Sunday crowd will bay for the Daredevils’ blood even as they cry hoarse for some dare-devilry from RCB’s ‘big three’. Their biggest enemy will, of course, be the weather which on match-eve looked ominous.
