IPL: KKR has form and home side advantage, RCB element of surprise
Kolkata: The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick off with reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ready to lock horns with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), even as an orange alert from the met department threatens to play spoilsport at the majestic Eden Gardens on Saturday.
With demands for tickets spiking through the roof, both teams approach the game with cautious aggression, as IPL will test the nerve and form
of the teams over the next 60-odd days. On paper, Bengaluru is certainly the stronger side, but KKR will have the home-ground advantage. Though stats mean nothing on match days, going head-to-head numbers KKR has six more wins over RCB’s 14 over KKR. Actually, RCB has a poor record at Eden Gardens with the team scoring their lowest total of 49 here. Meanwhile, KKR is known to be a formidable side at home. RCB comes to Eden Gardens with a rejuvenated Virat Kohli coming on the back of a flow of runs in the Champions Trophy. Ranat Patidar is a young but intelligent captain and will have Virat speaking into his ears often. Up the order, the acquisition of Phil Salt will add bite to the opening slot. RCB’s middle order promises fireworks in the death overs with Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Tim David all deadly strikers of the cricket ball. In the bowling department Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya, and Josh Hazlewood form a formidable line-up. The top order looked equally good with Devdutt Pallikal and Virat Kohli adding the necessary beef.
“We had a good preparation and the team is ready to play. Starting against two tough teams in away matches is a good way to get stuck into the tournament. We are very happy with the way we have shaped up and looking forward to tomorrow. KKR is a balanced side and has few good spinners, but that is the fun of IPL—tough competition,” said Andy Flower, RCB Head Coach.
KKR has got Ajinkya Rahane as skipper this time. He brings in a wealth of experience and, hopefully, his form from the domestic circuit, while new buy Quinton de Kock is a quality replacement for Phil Salt. Further presence of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and fresh picks Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell brings in the required middle-order muscle. Australian left-arm swing bowler Spencer Johnson comes in as a like-for-like replacement for Starc, while Anrich Nortje fills in the other overseas seamer’s spot. Harshit Rana will give the pace battery the needed bite. Varun Chakaravarthy would surely like to build on the overseas form, and along with Sunil Narine could bring in that element of mystery to the spin department.
“Last year we had huge victories and huge losses also. Every match is different in the IPL, and as experts say we have to start from scratch. Fans will support good cricket. We are looking forward to fighting it out against RCB. We will look to defend the championship this year also. We have a great squad, great international core, and are very excited,” said Varun Chakaravarthy, in the pre-match press meet.
KKR’s core team will continue to be the backbone of the fight with Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and Andre Russell in the lower middle order. KKR has invested in youth, with Chetan Sakariya, Vaibhav Arora, and Luvnith Sisodia all coming in as exciting prospects for the team. But they do have their quicksand to sink into. Russell will have a lot to do, with Anrich Nortje returning from injury, Spencer largely untried, and Rana still very young. The top order looks solid but will need to click. Moreover, the combinations need to be worked out, and also the matter of inexperience.
The Eden pitch traditionally has been full of runs, but the KKR think tank will impress upon the curator to help spin keeping in mind their formidable spin attack. The Met department has, however, cast a dampener with warnings of norwesters hitting the city in the evening. That apart, fireworks are sure to fly.
