IPL 2018, RCB vs KXIP: 5 players to watch out for

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), under a new captain Ravichandran Ashwin, looked fresh and energetic as they convincingly defeated Delhi Daredevils in their opening game. It was more or less a team effort with everyone chipping in to ensure they got off to a winning start.

On the other hand, hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stumbled and failed to get off to a winning start against KKR at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It was a familiar foe which let RCB down- lack of firepower in their middle order and ineffective bowling.

The Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru has been traditionally a batsman’s dream, as the pitch offered nothing to bowlers and with a small ground, it made things easier for the bat to dominate the ball.

But in the VIVO IPL 2017, there was a drastic change in the pitch. The ball started to move around a lot, it stopped on the batsman and the spinners came into their own. The home team were found wanting as they weren’t able to adapt to the changed pitch conditions, one of the reasons why the franchise finished bottom of the league.

The question on everybody’s minds would be, what kind of pitch would be on offer this season? The flat belters we got to witness in the first nine seasons of the IPL or the one where the bowlers dominated proceedings? We will have to wait and watch.

On paper, both franchises seem to have a balanced look to their squad, with RCB going for a lot of bowling options at the auction to bolster their squad. Even KXIP have got a good mix of attacking batsmen and quality bowlers.

Looking ahead to what’s going to be a fabulous Friday, here are 5 players to watch out for in the RCB vs KXIP clash:

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Ravichandran Ashwin

A prolific off-spinner who was sidelined in the past few years in the IPL when he played for the Rising Pune Supergiants franchise, Ravichandran Ashwin has got his due finally.

KXIP recognized that they wanted to build a fresh team and for that they were looking at roping someone who is experienced and has proven ability. They opted to make Ravichandran Ashwin the captain of the franchise.

His experience, skill as a bowler in the T20 format makes him a fantastic choice as a captain. He will provide a fresh perspective while captaining the side. And he is aided rather well by Axar Patel, Mujib Ur Rahman and Andrew Tye.

It would be definitely interesting to see how Ashwin goes about his business as a captain and a spinner in Bengaluru where the atmosphere can at times unnerve the visiting teams. But he has shown signs of being a level-headed leader in what little we have seen of him as a captain and that will hold him in good stead heading into this crucial game against RCB.

Virat Kohli

A player who needs no introductions at all, Virat Kohli is someone whose presence adds so much to RCB and IPL in general. A batsman who commands outstanding respect with the way he goes about his business.

Virat Kohli is coming into this year’s IPL after a three-week gap. He looked fresh and raring to go against KKR in their opening game. His captaincy was good where he bought on some nice bowling changes. If only the middle order of RCB could have got them 15-20 more runs, things would have ended up differently.

Virat Kohli has emphasized on the fact that as a franchise they have made a conscious decision to stock up their bowling options to be more competitive. He also went on to say that this probably is RCB’s best bowling line up with Chris Woakes, Yuzhvendra Chahal and Umesh Yadav in the mix.

As a captain, he will be hoping as a bowling unit the team can deliver a performance which would please their home fans. He was a bit rusty and slow in his innings against KKR but that for sure is just a temporary thing as a player who has amassed 4444 runs in 150 IPL games with an impressive average of 37.39 and a strike rate of 129.49 along with scoring 30 fifties and 4 centuries just needs that one innings to get into full flow.

Everyone will be looking forward to Virat Kohli coming into his own as a batsman and also how he goes against his competing captain Ravichandran Ashwin.

Yuzvendra Chahal

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In a ground known to a be a deathbed for bowlers in general- flat pitches, small grounds to go with the big bats- Yuzvendra Chahal has made his mark. He is the go-to bowler for Virat Kohli.

He is not afraid to flight the ball and give it a rip in very tough bowling conditions. What impresses the most about him is his ability to be so effective in the power play overs and at the end of the innings.

His elevation to the Indian national team came as no surprise as he has been very impressive for RCB. Claiming 70 wickets in 59 IPL games with an average of 22.83 and an economy rate of 7.93 which is commendable considering he is a spinner and he plays a bulk of his games in the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.

He had an ordinary start to this IPL, but he is sure to bounce back against KXIP. The visitors will have to be wary of his spin and control.

Karun Nair

A local boy who has molded and learned his game in the Chinnaswamy stadium, Karun Nair has made rapid progress ever since. He was impressive for other franchises with his elegance and grace at the top of the order.

It was pleasing to see KXIP bid for three Karnataka batsmen Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul to form their batting lineup for this season. Three talented, aggressive batsmen who can go on to dominate this IPL if they get going.

All of them will be returning to their home, Bengaluru and will look at making RCB pay for not picking them in the auctions. They know the conditions very well and will give KXIP the advantage especially the likes of Karun Nair and KL Rahul who are coming off flying starts to this IPL.

KL Rahul

The charismatic batsman-wicket keeper has made a statement of sorts with his batting in the opening match against DD where he went to register a fifty of just 14 balls.

KL Rahul is one of the most attractive batsmen to watch out for in the world currently. He is very much in the Virat Kohli mold as he plays conventional cricketing shots which is a sign of aggression.

There will be very few occasions when we would see KL Rahul take the aerial route to attack bowlers and oppositions. He said he wanted to change his image-one of a successful Test match player but not much success elsewhere.

He managed to do that in the first match for KXIP with an outstanding 50 of 14 deliveries against DD. RCB would be wary of this batsman who is sure to put on a performance which would make RCB and their fans wonder why they let go of him.