Top 5 contenders to win Champions League T20 2014

The Champions League face-off between the worlds best T20 teams across countries is slowly picking up steam. The fanfare is conjuring some buzz and with quite a few fresh teams in the fray, it is going to be quite a tournament this year. A very important twist in the tail though is that in Australia, the table toppers and the second-toppers lost the semi-finals, which means that the teams that eventually arrived from there are not really as intimidating as their predecessors.That opens up the competition a bit more. Sadly, with Malinga opting Mumbai Indians over Southern Express and Barbados Tridents losing three key players, their challenge in the tournament seems limited. Mumbai Indians and Lahore Lions are my favourites to qualify to the group stage before the real tournament gets kick-started. These 5 teams have a good chance of taking the trophy home this year.

#5 Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR under Gautam Gambhir, on paper, have a championship team. However, they are slow starters and in tournaments like this, that could mean elimination. The IPL champions were on a great string of victories, coming from far behind to eventually clinch the championship. That was largely on the back of Gambhir and Robin Uthappa finding form, with Manish Pandey playing some critical innings.

Sunil Narine will be important yet again. KKR are likely to include Andre Russell in the playing XI, given that they will miss the services of Shakib al Hasan owing to his ban.

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#4 Perth Scorchers

The Big Bash champions don’t have big names but under Adam Voges, sure have the looks of a good team. They defeated Hobart Hurricanes in the finals, after ending the challenge of Sydney Sixers in the semi-finals, largely on the back of opener Craig Simmons’ scintillating knock. Apart from Voges, they also have Mitchell Marsh, who was seen in scintillating form in the recently concluded tri-series including Zimbabwe and Australia.

Paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile (who played for Mumbai Indians) and the experienced Brad Hogg will give the bowling some teeth. Opener Craig Simmons’ great form all through the season would in all likelihood make him the batting mainstay for Perth, if they are to repeat their Big Bash success. Unfortunately, the team wouldn’t have the services of Pat Cummins, whose serious pace could have helped Perch’s cause in the tournament.

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#3 Cape Cobras

South Africa’s most consistent T20 side is the best non-Indian team in this competition and by some margin. Cape Cobras lost the finals of Ram Slam domestic T20 challenge by a narrow margin of just 2 runs to the Dolphins. Nevertheless, their experience in this tournament will stand them in good stead. They have an explosive opener in Richard Levi, couple of solid batsmen in Hashim Amla and JP Duminy and two good all-rounders in Vernon Philander and Robin Peterson. The bowling is slightly weaker, although both Charl Langeveldt and Rory Kleinveldt have represented their country. The big-hitting Justin Kemp will help both the batting and bowling attacks.

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#2 Chennai Super Kings

A perpetual contender in every tournament they participate in, CSK is easily the most successful T20 franchise in the cricketing world. Winners of the 2009 edition, away from home, in South Africa, CSK have a machine that has beautifully oiled parts that can blend in to offer flawless performance. Under skipper MS Dhoni, who is probably the best skipper on turning pitches, CSK are likely to be an indomitable force.

Only KXIP had gotten the better of them in the latest IPL. Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis and MS Dhoni will be the top 5 in all probability and it rarely gets better than that. A fit Dwayne Bravo along with R Ashwin and R Jadeja will lend depth and balance to the side. CSK’s Achilles Heel could be their pace bowling cordon, which is manned by Mohit Sharma and Ashish Nehra, the latter susceptible to off-days.

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#1 Kings XI Punjab

Preity Zinta’s team, after years of tinkering, finally found the right balance of stability and firepower. Its rejuvenating, aggressive and attractive brand of cricket immediately endeared it to the audiences in India. KXIP has the right mix of explosive batsmen in Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell and David Miller and cool and calm-headed customers in Wriddhiman Saha and George Bailey. Their bowling has some serious pace in the form of Mitchell Johnson. Most importantly, KXIP is the only team this time to play its matches on home soil, at Mohali, a pitch that suits Johnson as well as Maxwell and Sehwag’s style of batting. Thisara Perera and Rishi Dhawan will add depth to the batting while contributing to the bowling attack as well.

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