Jonhenry Wilson gives us his verdicts on the week’s upcoming IPL fixtures.
We are set for a very interesting first week of Indian Premier League after an unpredictable weekend kicked off cricket’s biggest domestic T20 tournament.
Six of the eight teams have been in action already, but we get our first look at the Rajasthan Royals and the Kings XI Punjab as they start the week off with a meeting in Jaipur.
Monday, 25 March
To Win Match
Rajasthan Royals 67/100
Tie 35/1
Kings XI Punjab 5/4
The Royal Challengers Bangalore will be wounded by the thrashing they got in Chennai on the opening day – and will need to find something better against perennial contenders the Mumbai Indians.
All eyes will be on Steve Smith as he is set to return to the field for the first time since his ban expired, not that his suspension stopped him from turning out in T20 tournaments throughout the year out in the cold from the Baggy Green.
The Royals also have a very big English interest with Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer out for a World Cup tune-up in purple.
India fans got an introduction to Aussie all-rounder Ashton Turner last month when he bludgeoned a match-winning 84 not out in the ODI win in Mohali. He faces stiff competition for one of the four international player slots, though. The Royals have enlisted the services of Stokes, Buttler, Archer and Liam Livingstone from England, Seamer Oshane Thomas from the West Indies, Smith and Turner from down under and Ish Sodhi from across the Tasman.
The Kings XI Punjab looked likely to challenge for much of IPL 2018 on the back of hot streaks by Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul, but will need more players to contribute in 2019.
David Miller won’t be available for Monday’s game unless Preity Zinta charters a jet to get him there after Sunday’s T20I between the Proteas and Sri Lanka. Miller will come into the campaign in good form, though, when he is available.
Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal will both want to step up and press for inclusion in India’s white-ball squads. The pair remain on the fringes of the Test set-up, knowing IPL form will count for more than usual given its immediate proximity to the World Cup.
Former Proteas fast bowler Hardus Viljoen may find it tough to break into the team with Australia knuckle-ball expert Andrew Tye and Afghan mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman nearly automatic picks for two of the four international slots. Moises Henriques will want to make the most of the opener if he gets a run and the same is true for England all-rounder Sam Curran.
Verdict:
Rajasthan for the win at 67/100.
Tuesday, 26 March
Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi, 16:30
To Win Match
Delhi Capitals 91/100
Tie 35/1
Chennai Super Kings 91/100
The Delhi Capitals will have just two days to recover from their season-opening clash with the Mumbai Indians before they host the defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
The Super Kings started the tournament with a win, but won’t have the best idea of what they are capable of as yet with conditions in Chennai proving difficult for batting.
A CSK trio who won’t mind another raging turner are Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed eight of the 10 RCB wickets on Saturday.
The match against the Capitals could see the IPL get its first taste of Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis, who missed out on the opening game as CSK opted to play just three overseas players in Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and Tahir.
Shikhar Dhawan leads the Delhi Capitals Indian batting core, where his experience will be a boon to exciting young talents Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant.
The Capitals’ purchase of Glamorgan’s Kolpak gun Colin Ingram could prove to be an inspired one as he has the ability to win matches from tricky positions.
Verdict:
Chennai for sure at 91/100.
Wednesday, 27 March
Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 16:30
To Win Match (Prices to be added on release)
Kolkata Knight Riders
Tie 35/1
Kings XI Punjab
The Kolkata Knight Riders ease into their IPL campaign with successive home games, the second of which is on Wednesday 27 March against the Kings XI Punjab.
The Kings XI will have to decide whether to stick or twist as they are on the road again after Monday’s visit to Jaipur to face the Royals.
The Knight Riders will be happy to play the game after dark, having endured a sweltering day out on Sunday.
As one of the teams chasing a first title, the Kings XI will want to make sure they can maintain their best cricket across the entire tournament, but it is easy to see how their team could become reliant on performers like Gayle, Rahul and Tye.
Eden Gardens has proven to be a difficult ground to assess, but the key has seemingly been a fast start. Teams batting first will want a score in excess of 165, but a chase of 120 to 140 can also be tricky.
Favourable results for the Kings XI in their brace of away games would set them up for a great start, while the Knight Riders will want to make Eden Gardens a fortress.
Verdict:
Kolkata all the way.
Thursday, 28 March
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 16:30
To Win Match
Royal Challengers Bangalore 91/100
Tie 35/1
Mumbai Indians 91/100
The Royal Challengers could face the nightmare scenario of turning up the Chinnaswamy to find another dud pitch after their blowout defeat to CSK in the IPL’s curtain-raising game.
The Chinnaswamy pitch has been the subject of much concern over the last few seasons, with improved drainage pinned for drying out the square, which has led to some low-scoring affairs in the past few seasons in Bangalore.
AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Shimron Hetmyer would all like a mulligan on their efforts against CSK over the weekend – and they will be the key for the hosts.
The Mumbai Indians have a very strong squad giving them plenty of options to trouble RCB, but one of the more interesting selection posers will be the opening partner for Rohit Sharma. The likely answer is either Evin Lewis, at his best as a destructive a player as you will find in the game, or Quinton de Kock.
Kohli will have to find an answer for his key man in a blue shirt, Jasprit Bumrah, who is among the best white-ball bowlers in the world right now.
Verdict:
Mumbai over Bangalore.
Friday, 29 March
Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad, 16:30
To Win Match (Prices to be added on release)
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Tie 35/1
Rajasthan Royals
The Sunrisers Hyderabad play their first home game on Friday after getting their campaign underway at Eden Gardens.
The track in Uppal has the reputation of being a road, but the Sunrisers bowlers are among the craftiest in the competition, led by India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The Royals boast a potent top order, but in David Warner and Kane Williamson the Sunrisers have players capable of taking charge of a match.
Jaydev Unadkat and Jofra Archer could be the key for the Royals, who will need to find a way to blunt the powers of Warner and his potential opening partners Jonny Bairstow and Martin Guptill.
The Sunrisers are unlikely to field both Khaleel Ahmed and Billy Stanlake in the same XI if Bhuvneshwar is fit for a team that can also call on India seamer Siddarth Kaul and Afghan spin duo Mohammed Nabi and Rashid Khan.
Both sides will fancy they have the quality to be up near the pinnacle of the table when all is said and done, but what really matters in IPL is which team can produce quality on the pitch.
Verdict:
Hyderabad on top.
