Rahul takes on his former team RCB as KXIP eyes their first win of the season. RCB, on the other hand, would like to continue on the little momentum that they’ve built.
RCB – THE TOP, THE MIDDLE, THE TAIL
Padikkal – Another Top-Order Star
Nothing to take away from the 20 year old, but top order was never quite an issue for RCB. But in Padikkal and Finch, they’ve found a lethal combo that’ll give RCB an explosive start. This might help them cover up their thin batting at the death.
Dube – Finally an All-Rounder?
Chahal and Saini were brilliant in the first game but Dube had a role to play as well. He gave just 15 in his 3 overs and took 2 wickets. Can he be the bowler who gives Kohli 3-4 overs every day or was the last match just a matter of luck?
A Better XI to pick
Morris missed the first game due to a side strain. If he’s fit to play, he should come in for Steyn. He can play the finisher’s role with the bat and the ball. Zampa should replace Joshua Phillipe and AB takes the gloves. Zampa could be a great ally for Chahal unlike Sundar. And lastly, Gurkeerat comes in for Sundar. Gurkeerat played a couple good knocks in the last season and could provide the shots in the death.
KXIP – DID THEY MISS GAYLE?
Pooran failed. Maxwell failed. Their death batting was a blunder in the first match. But it was only the first match. KXIP cannot and should not change much for this game. Can they bring in Gayle for Pooran? But Mayank played a, what could have been THE innings in the IPL so pushing him down the order seems a bad option to take. All said, it looks like Gayle will have to wait for his chance in the XI.
Not All Bad
Amidst the chaos of the first match, KXIP has a lot of positives to take home. Mayank saved KXIP from an embarrassing defeat. So the new opening pair looks good to go. Shami registered his best IPL performance. His 4 overs for 15 runs and 3 wickets were a delight to watch. The youngster, Ravi Bishnoi bowled with a lot of maturity and he could prove to be a big asset for
the team.
- INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS
● Ravi Bishnoi vs Kohli and Ab- ● Mohd. Shami vs Paddikal and Finch
● Chahal vs Maxwell
PREDICTED XI
RCB : Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli(c), AB De Villiers, Shivam Dube, Joshua Philippe(wk)/ Chris Morris, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav, Yuzi Chahal, Dale Steyn
KXIP: KL Rahul(c, wk), Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Sarfaraz Khan, K Gowtham, Chris Jordan, Mohammed Shami, Sheldon Cottrell, Ravi Bishnoi
DATE: 24th SEPTEMBER, 2020
PLACE: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
TIME: 7:30 pm (IST)
