The upbeat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be up against the Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK) in the 64th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL), at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai in India. The first encounter between the two teams was won by CSK and the team will be looking forward to a similar show tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18, 2011.
This will be the last game for the KTK in this year’s IPL and they will be without their regular skipper, Mahela Jayawardene. The veteran Sri Lankan will join his national side in England for a complete series of three Tests, one Twenty20 and five One Day Internationals (ODIs), starting from Thursday, May 26.
The Tuskers will be led by wicketkeeper batsman, Parthiv Patel, who recently got selected for India’s series against West Indies.
Kochi are currently placed at number six in their pool with six wins in 13 matches and even a comprehensive win in tomorrow’s match will not secure them a spot in the top-four, as they have a very poor run-rate. However, they will be looking to finish the season on a positive note.
It will be a big challenge for Patel and his men to overcome the dominant Chennai team, especially in the absence of Jayawardene. The stylish right-hander is considered to be a very good captain and has proved this at the highest level, guiding his national team to a World Cup final in 2007 against Australia.
Jayawardene’s batting will also be missed, as he has the ability to score runs at a very quick pace. He plays both spinners and the fast bowlers with complete control and can hit the ball a long way.
However, KTK still have some talented players who can give a tough time to the opposition. Brendon McCullum, Brad Hodge, Owais Shah, Ravindra Jadeja and the team’s stand-in skipper have all proved themselves to the world and will be looking forward to a tough competition ahead.
The visitors will also be looking for some support from their bowlers. Left-arm seamer, RP Singh, has been in good form in the cash rich event and will be eying a strong show against Chennai.
On the other hand, the hosts will not take things lightly. They are safely positioned at number two in the pool and have qualified for the play-offs, but skipper, MS Dhoni, wants to carry onto the winning momentum.
Dhoni has earned a lot of respect for his calm approach towards leadership. He guided India to a victory in the ICC World Cup 2011 and has continued to impress one and all with his captaincy in the lucrative league. He struggled to perform with the bat in the first few matches though, but has found his lost touch and will be dangerous for his opponents.
CSK also have one of the most dependable batsmen in modern day cricket, Michael Hussey. The stylish batsman has class written all over him. He can play both spinners and the fast bowlers with ease and has the ability to carry his bat throughout the innings.
Local boys, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin and Subramaniam Badrinath have added to the strength of Chennai. They have been consistent throughout the tournament and have played a crucial role in their team’s success.
Dhoni and his men are strong on paper and will enter the match as favourites, but they will have to be fully focussed against the promising KTK team in the upcoming game.
0 comments:
Post a Comment