IPL 8: Kings XI Punjab gun for Royal Challengers’ scalps
Kohli and AB de Villiers have broad enough shoulders to carry the batting load
By : sandeep menon
Update: 2015-05-06 02:09 GMT
Bengaluru: If one were to go by big name players and squad strength, then few would look past Kings XI Punjab without raising an eyebrow. Brimming with proven Indian Premier League stars from top to bottom, they are a sure fire pick as one of the favourites. But as the saying goes, the match is not won on paper. The fall from grace for the last season’s IPL finalist has been as catastrophic as it has been spectacular and the Punjab side will enter the lush green of the cricket stadium for the tenth time, seeking only their third win, when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The Challengers too have been blighted by inconsistency, albeit of lesser magnitude, and will be looking to bounce back from their loss to Chennai Super Kings, which in no small part was brought on by a phenomenal run out of captain Virat Kohli by Dwayne Bravo in a pure show of athleticism. Having seemingly found footing with the arrival of fast bowler Mitchell Starc, the Vijay Mallya-owned side, who still occupy the coveted top four slot, now has some problems at the other end of the line-up.
The inconsistency and fitness battles of Chris Gayle, who has sat out of both matches against CSK, and a rather woeful performance from their second choice opener Nic Maddinson, whose swings more often than not fanned the ball, is a cause of concern. The uninspiring efforts of Dinesh Karthik, who was brought in for stability down the order further adds to it.
Kohli and AB de Villiers have broad enough shoulders to carry the batting load and the recent exploits of Mandeep Singh, who revealed glimpses of the form he showed three years ago, and the unconventional Sarfaraz Khan will, meanwhile, give the home side hope. But their over-dependence on individual brilliance rather than team effort could be the Achilles heel for the side.
Meanwhile, with their backs against the wall, Kings XI has little option but to go for a win if they are to keep even the slightest of chances of qualifying, meagre as it is, for the knockout stages alive. Packed with explosive batsmen in Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and captain George Bailey, all of whom have been out of sorts this season, the Punjab side are capable of taking apart any opposition.