IPL 2014: Star-studded sides promise cracking opener

Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir

Authored by Shrinivas Uppili for ‘The Wicket Post’

With the defending champions Mumbai Indians, taking on the glamorous Kolkata Knight Riders in the Sheik Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, the IPL 2014 is expected to begin with a cracker. Given the track record, it does seem like the advantage is with Mumbai, but with both teams having an equal set of strong players in their squad, the match looks at balance.

Although there have been relatively significant losses for both sides this auction, their owners have managed to grab some brilliant picks which might make up for the losses. Kolkata would certainly feel the heat due to the loss of McCullum, a star who is in ripe form since the Indian tour this February. He’s repetitively proved that he has been a vital asset for any team. The absence of Brett Lee’s stealth would hurt KKR dearly.

Mumbai would also face some trouble due to the absence of their legendary icon, Tendulkar. He has been a source of inspiration and motivation for Mumbai. Johnson is another ‘one that went away’. His mercurial rise in the past few months have made him look rough and deadly. But with all said, the teams have acquired a couple of valuable additions who can turn games around. The format of T20 also provides the balance to any match since in this format, absolutely nothing is predictable!

Rohit Sharma vs. Sunil Narine: Rohit’s recent show at the World T20 has shown that he is quite mastering the way he handles spin. His exploits against Narine in the group stage match would’ve certainly fuelled Narine up. However, many still find it difficult to read Narine. The UAE tracks are known to help spin bowlers, and we’ve seen it happening it with Saeed Ajmal. Will Narine be able to make the most out of the pitch or will Rohit get the better of him?

Corey Anderson vs. Jacques Kallis: Two mighty all-rounders. The former yet to forge a mark, while the latter’s retired a hero! Who will emerge victorious in this clash of the titans?

Gautam Gambhir vs. Lasith Malinga: The KKR skipper’s got no better opportunity to redeem himself than this. His composed yet aggressive batting on top of the order will be tested by the suave and offensive bowling of Malinga, another name which every opponent would be wary about.

KKR’s bowling vs. the Mumbai batting: With a strong bowling line-up that’s second only to SRH, KKR could cause some woes to any batting line-up. But with big names such as Narine and Morkel, can Mumbai still have the last laugh?

Kieron Pollard vs. Yusuf Pathan: Two great strikers of the ball who can hit any ball out of the park. Both their contributions will be key to their respective teams.

The key lies in Kolkata making the most out of their bowling, especially Narine, who could extract maximum turn from the pitch. Morkel is another key player who would like to bounce the ball as much as possible, and create problems for the opening batsmen. Skipper Gambhir even quoted yesterday that he firmly believes that it’s the bowlers who’ll win them matches.

Vinay Kumar, who guided Karnataka to a Ranji win this season, is in prime form, and he could also add to the misery of the batsmen. Piyush Chawla is another good leggie, who could provide some assistance to Narine. Gambhir should make the best out of the occasion, and he should bear in mind the fact that UAE tracks are friendly for batting and spin.

Mumbai, on the other hand, have an explosive looking line-up. Big match winners like Mr. Cricket, Pollard, Malinga, Anderson and Rohit; they do pose a grave threat. Rohit Sharma must make use of the two excellent spinners in his team, who are equally good. Ojha and Harbhajan had performed well last season, and Rohit must make sure that they step in bowl at the right time, so as to pick crucial wickets or slow down the run rate.

Lasith Malinga is another deadly bowler at the death, and his recent performance as the skipper of the Lankan team this World T20 has certainly earned him laurels. For now, this match certainly seems as a clash of two good bowling units.

Mumbai however, would believe otherwise. They have a tremendous track record against KKR through all seasons of the IPL. Having an 80 % success rate against KKR, they would be holding this as a psychological advantage today. However, given the fact that both the teams have a fairly new bunch of players, this does seem like an even contest.

Both Mumbai and KKR must make use of the local pool of talent, such as Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav, to make their team strong and balanced. Jasprit had created problems for the batsmen in the initial stages of the previous season. He has an astounding average of 22.61 in all domestic T20s he’s played, and he would be waiting for an opportunity to get into the limelight. The leadership and manhandling skills would be tested.

KKR has been seen as a side with a lot of potential, yet they’ve failed to utilize it completely. Mumbai on the other hand, is a team that rises to the occasion. However, after the auctions, one could certainly say that their Team Balance has taken a beating. Kolkata has players, but now it’s all in Gambhir’s hands. He must make good use of the players he’s got to swing the chances in his favour.

Looking at team balance and fitness woes, it looks as if KKR has the upper hand in today’s match. KKR does seem to be a stronger side. However, given their poor record against Mumbai, they still need to work a lot and change their tactics. KKR does have the upper hand in today’s game if one doesn’t look at their past. But hold on, you never know what’s going to happen, because this is T20 cricket, and unpredictability is in the DNA of this format.

Mumbai Indians Expected 11: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Mike Hussey, Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollard, Corey Anderson, Ambati Rayudu, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Aditya Tare (WK) and Jalaj Saxena.

Kolkata Knight Riders Expected 11: Gautam Gambhir (Capt.), Jacques Kallis, Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Yusuf Pathan, Manvinder Bisla (WK), Umesh Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar and Piyush Chawla.

PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR:

• Lasith Malinga
• Kieron Pollard
• Jacques Kallis
• Pragyan Ojha
• Corey Anderson
• Vinay Kumar