Indian Premier League Match Preview – Semi final 2
Kings XI Punjab Vs Chennai Super Kings
Semi final 2 is to be played between the teams which stood at the second and third positions in the league.
The Armies – Kings XI Punjab v Chennai Super Kings
Kings XI Punjab with 20 points stood at the top of the league winning 10 of their 14 matches.Delhi Daredevils qualified by grabbing the third. They were victorious in 8 of their 14 matches. They ended on 16 points.
The Battleground – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Wankhede always has purchase for spinners and there was enough encouragement for spinners in the first semi final.
Shaun Marsh continued his batting blitzkrieg with his forth Man of the Match - award in the Indian Premier League, hitting 60 in the Kings XI Punjab’s win over Deccan Chargers.
Marsh scored his fifth half-century in a totoal of eight games with three fours and three sixes before getting caught with a half-hearted hit off Herschelle Gibbs at long-on.
Kings XI Punjab made 4-178 with three balls to spare chasing Deccan’s impressive total of 4-175 at the Punjab’s Mohali ground.
This is do or die match for Delhi. A win doesn’t gaurantee them a place in the semis but a defeat definitely puts them out of contention. Mubai will like to win this one otherwise they will need to win both of their last two matches, one of them being against Rajasthan Royals.
Men at the Helm
Sehwag has been operating smoothly throughout the competition while Sachin looked out of sorts in the last match against Mohali where he probably mismanaged the distribution of overs amongst the bowlers. Well, thats just one issue but Sachin has done pretty well otherwise and seems to be learning the nuances of this game quickly.
We have the bat
Both are very good batting line ups but Mumbai have a slight advantage over Delhi. Delhi rely heavily on Sehwag, Gambhir and Dhawan and need at least two of them to play well. Mumbai on the other hand have had contributions from Sachin, Sanath, Uthappa, Nayar and Pollock. They will definitely miss Dwayne Bravo as they did in the last match against Punjab.
We have the ball
Again Dwayne Bravo will be sorely missed by this department as well. Daredevils Mc Grath and Maharoof and Pollock and Nehra for Indians have been bowling well. Both the teams are likely to have problems with overs of the fourth and fifth bowlers and batsmen must wait to pounce on these.
Patrolling Party
Delhi are an excellent fielding unit and Mumbai’s fielding although good but will have to go few notches still higher to compete with Delhi.
High on betting meter
Mumbai are slightly higher on most betting meters while both are on level on others.
Who gets the tick?
Mumbai will look to win this one but will a blazing inning fron Sehwag or Gambhir pull this Delhi’s way?
Punjab have sealed a place in the semis with rain washing out the match between Delhi and Kolkata. They will like to keep the winning form going running in to the knock out stages. The pre tournament favorites Deccan are out of contention but will like to prove a point and finish on a high note to give their fans something to look out for in the next season.
Men at the Helm
Yuvi and Gilly both have led their sides very well but the difference has been that while Yuvi’s boys have been excellent, Gilly’s men have simply been dismal.
We have the bat
Punjab batters are in superb form. The only concern for Punjab is the relative lack of form for Yuvraj Singh. Deccan meanwhile have been improving. The big stars didn’t fire in the last few matches but others took the centre. Actually its been the bowlers who have let them down in the last few matches.
We have the ball
In the bowling department Punjab look one up with Pathan being consistent through out the league and Sreesanth running into some serious form. Charger RP Singh might be amongst the leading wicket takers but his tally is very misleading because he has given too many runs for those wickets and very few of them are top order batsmen.
Patrolling Party
Punjab dropped a few catches in their last match against Mumbai but effected some pretty good run outs. They have had some off days but have generally fielded well. Deccan on the other hand have at the most been patchy. They need to field well today to pep up their bowlers.
High on betting meter
Punjab are sitting high on most betting meters with offerings of 4 on 7 while Deccan give 11 on 8.
Who gets the tick?
Punjab start as favorites for this match but one can never count out a team like Deccan. They have players who can make a day their own.
Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers Bangalore at Mohali
Professional cricket is here. CEOs being axed, captains getting flack in public from the team owners. Bangalore’s flight still seems to be on the runway only. On the other hand, Preity Zinta has a wide smile on her face. She is ahead of other glmorous promoters like Shahrukh, Mallya, Akshay and Hrithik. Can Mallya’s men get a punch back for him!
Men at the Helm
Yuvraj has been doing a pretty decent job at the helm. The most adorable thing has been the comradery he has been able to establish between the various international stars, Indian internationals and the rest not so well known Indian players. On the other hand, Rahul hasn’t really had a chance to flex his muscles and experiment because the batters have
consistently failed to post decent scores.
We have the bat
Absence of Sangakarra could hurt Kings XI but even in his absence they are a formidable batting unit. Shaun Marsh has run into rich vein of form. Lower down the order, Pathan and Chawla have been more than handy. The Royal Challengers on the other hand have had just odd good innings here and there from Boucher and Dravid. Not much else to speak
of. They dearly want Misbah and White to come good.
We have the ball
This is one area where Royal Challengers score over Kings XI. Punjab too have been bowling well but Bangalore, Rajasthan and Delhi have been the three stand out bowling units in the league so far. Zaheer and Steyn look in the rhythm of their lives. They are pitching yorkers as easily as targeting an elephant. Praveen and Kumble have provided good support. Irfan has bowled extremely well for Punjab and Sreesanth has come good too in the last two games but still apart from Irfan others are vulnerable.
Patrolling Party
Both teams are good fielding sides but the last match between these was a disaster as far as fielding was concerned. They will be out to prove a point this time around.
High on betting meter
Punjab are pretty high on most betting meters with a return of around 60 percent while a bet on Bangalore gives a return of plus 140 percent.
Who gets the tick?
Punjab seem to be overwhelming favourites but this is quite a funny game and this match is also probably the last turn for Bangalore to remain in contention.
