Big Picture — Eight pm prime time on Indian television, and two IPL teams
clashing. Sounds straight out of the Indian summer. Only, this is the fag end of the
southwest monsoon, and the Champions League T20 proper is kicking off after a
qualification round which had no such marquee match: Kolkata Knight Riders, the
defending IPL champions, against Chennai Super Kings, the multiple IPL winners, in
Hyderabad, a regular IPL venue.
MS Dhoni went straight out of the World T20 into the IPL earlier in the year, and
now he's flown straight into the Champions League after a long and hard tour of England.
Given the kind of maddening schedule he faces, Dhoni likes to have the cocoon of stability
around him. Super Kings' reputation as one of the most consistent T20 sides has been built
on the stable combination they have fielded over the years.
Which is why Dhoni was glad to have Dwayne Bravo back after the allrounder
missed the IPL due to injury and upset the balance of the side, something the captain lays
so much importance on.
Dhoni and Super Kings' powerful stability is a contrast to Gautam Gambhir and
Knight Riders' explosive volatility. Gambhir began IPL 2014 with scores of 0, 0, 0 and 1
before reeling off three successive half-centuries. Knight Riders suffered two extreme
embarrassments against Rajasthan Royals.
They first converted a strong chase into a tie, and went on to lose in the Super
Over. Barely a week later, they went from 121 for 0 to 123 for 6 in eight deliveries. That
woke them up. They reeled off nine wins on the trot, including chasing 200 in the final.
How the opening match of the tournament plays out could depend on which
version of Knight Riders turns up, and how Super Kings' attack, which was quite expensive
in the IPL, is able to stand up. more >>
No comments