Champions league Twenty .20 How the four Qualifiers Stack up
Mumbai Indians:-
One of three teams who have claimed both their domestic Twenty20 and
Champions Trophy titles, Mumbai Indians have been forced to earn their place in the main
draw after a dismal IPL 2014. Their bid to remedy that has already taken a jolt with
Rohit Sharma's injuries. In addition to losing their captain, Rohit's absence has left only
seven batsmen to choose from. Among them only Kieron Pollard and to a lesser extent
Corey Anderson have the strike rates to make the opposition fret. Pollard has been
promoted to captain the side, and perhaps might be tempted to bat up the order. But
Mumbai would rely as heavily on Harbhajan Singh andLasith Malinga, who had been the
other contenders in that race.
How they qualified :-
By adding to IPL's penchant for unbelievable finishes. Their season began
with five losses in the UAE, before a return to India rejuvenated them. Despite six victories
in eight matches, Mumbai were left with a must-win game at their Wankhede fortress. They
needed 190 in 87 balls and Anderson finally lived up to his high-profile billing as his 95 off
44 balls fuelled a thunderous batting performance. Rajasthan Royals scrambled to keep the
scores level at the 87th delivery. But conditions allowed for one more ball. Aditya Tare, the
new batsman, had to send it flying out of the ground and so he did to spark manic
scenes.Harbhajan Singh with Anil Kumble during a practice session ahead of Champions
League. (IANS)
Strengths :-
Harbhajan could be trusted to be miserly, as he was with the sixth-best economy
rate of 6.47 in 2013. Malinga's threat was diminished when he faced Pakistan in August.
His fitness kept the twitter abuzz and he wasn't able to stun them into silence with those
toe-crushers. Pollard is the other pillar the side stands on.
Weaknesses :-
Batting, especially the top order. Michael Hussey was a liability as opener at the
start of the IPL. Tare might take his place and Ambati Rayudu would shoulder greater
responsibility after two tours with the Indian ODI side. Anderson was suspect against spin,
especially when met with it early.
Watch out for :-
Lendl Simmons was brought in midway through the IPL as a quick-fix to their
opening problems but his performances have tipped him as a long-term option. He finished
as the top-scorer for Mumbai and those credentials have been bolstered by four fifties
during the Caribbean Premier League, including a 60-ball 97 against St. Lucia Zouks.
Mumbai's batting would gain considerable security should he reprise his form.
Northem Districts :-
They beat Otago, last year's representatives from New Zealand, to make their first
Champions League appearance. To acclimatise to Indian conditions, the squad had trained
in Bangalore since the start of September. Inputs from the likes of Tim Southee, Trent
Boult and Kane Williamson would also come in handy. They were slow to embrace T20s, as
five wins in their first three seasons suggest and were mostly stuck in mid-table tussles
until their maiden HRV cup triumph in 2014.
"We've got two quality swing bowers ranked in the top ten Test ratings, so we're
looking for that experience to make some inroads at the top of the innings," said Daniel
Flynn, their captain. "We've got a lot of experience in the batting as well with some
international players who are accustomed to the conditions, so I think we're a well rounded
squad - we'll certainly put up a good fight." They might, however, miss Corey Anderson's all-
round abilities, having lost him to Mumbai Indians.
How they qualified :-
By batting the opposition out. Six of their eight wins came about with the help
of totals above 174, including a 40-run mauling of three-time champions Auckland. They
had a rickety time chasing though, which had almost been exploited in the final. Though the
target was 144, Northern Districts were 24 for 3 before Daryl Mitchell and Watling
resurrected the chase.
Strenghts :-
Flynn, Mitchell and Daniel Harris were among the top-five run-getters and were
key to the side's average run rate being 8.14. Boult and Southee shoulder the responsibility
of early wickets and curtailing late runs to add to the side's balance.
Weaknesses :-
Ish Sodhi is the only specialist spinner of note from the squad after Daniel
Vettori had to pull out. In his stead comes uncapped 22-year old left-arm spinner Mitchell
Santner. Anton Devcich provides additional assistance, as does Trent's brother Jono Boult.
In conditions where slower bowlers tend to fare better, Northern Districts will want all their
spinners performing at their best levels.
Watch out for :-
Daryl Mitchell enjoyed a strike rate of 143.61 while ticking off 270 runs in 10
matches. He began the season with a face-saving 88 against Central Districts to turned 19
for 3 to 200 for 4. He provides the impetus in the middle order and will need to assist in his
side bettering their record in chases. more >>
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