Kaustubh S. Mayekar

 

The Indian Premiere League has now entered the playoffs stage as Kolkata Knight Riders take on Kings XI Punjab today at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

 

Kolkata Knight Riders have won the last four consecutive matches, with the previous one being its best. Suffice to say that they are running high on adrenalin. Kings XI Punjab has the upper hand. Standing atop on the points table, Punjab has nothing to fear. It boasts of outstanding players that can win the match hands down.

 

However, it will be too early to write off any top four teams, as recent unprecedented events have made the tournament unpredictable, therefore obligating these two teams to up the ante to outplay each other.

 

Here are some key facts that will blaze away today’s qualifier:

 

Robin Uthappa versus Glen Maxwell:

 

Kolkata’s Robin Uthappa and Punjab’s Glen Maxwell have been the megastars of the IPL. Every time these teams play, Uthappa and Maxwell have been the players to look out for. Unfailingly, they also have been dominating the fantasy league.

As the tournament progressed towards its last leg, Uthappa dethroned the orange cap from Maxwell. Uthappa and Maxwell have scored 613 and 533 runs respectively. To add to the fire, in the last 4 matches Maxwell has scored only 59 runs, whereas Uthappa has scored 231 runs. Noted for their match-winning performances, they will play a major role in the league’s first qualifier.

 

Sunil Narine versus Sandeep Sharma:

 

In bowling, Kolkata’s Sunil Narine and Punjab’s Sandeep Sharma have spearheaded their respective teams. Narine has bagged 20 wickets with an economy of 5.91 RPO, whereas Sharma has bagged 17 wickets with an economy of 8.66 RPO.

Narine, doing well by taking wickets regularly and maintaining an economy below 6 RPO, is not a matter of concern for his captain. On the other hand, Sharma has had a hard time keeping the runs tap close. Amidst all the fours and sixes, all eyes will be on these prolific bowlers in this batsman-centric game.

 

The sidekick players:

 

Yousuf Pathan’s frantic 22-ball 72 run cameo against Sunrisers Hyderabad has silenced all his critics. Having continuously failed in the previous matches, Pathan had lost all his limelight. But his previous belligerent and audacious innings would have done world of good to his confidence. For Kolkata Knight Riders to raise the bar, they need Pathan’s bat to fire sixes.

David Miller’s 38-ball century in the previous edition of IPL has been imprinted on every cricket fan’s mind. In today’s big match, all his fans would like him to repeat history. In this year’s IPL, this Kings XI player has racked up 399 runs, supporting Maxwell and company to win 11 matches.

 

Punjab’s aggressive batting versus Kolkata’s attacking bowling:

 

Punjab’s strong-growing batting lineup is being feared by all the bowlers. With Virendra Sehwag and Manan Vohra opening innings, Kolkata has worst to fear. Both these batsmen have been smashing the bowlers right from the word “go”. The world knows Sehwag’s fearless style, but Vohra has left no stone unturned to match Sehwag’s style. Followed by batsmen such as Glen Maxwell, David Miller, captain George Bailey, Punjab is all set to put Eden Gardens on fire.

Not to forget that Kolkata has all the required sources to stop the runs flow. They don’t only have champion bowler Sunil Narine but also have Shakib Al Hasan, Morne Mokel and Vinay Kumar. As the Eden Gardens pitch offered some bounce and seam movement in the earlier matches, captain Gautam Gambhir will have to martial his bowling troops smartly to bowl Punjab out very cheaply.

 

The final word:

 

Evidently, both these teams deserve to be in the top two. Moreover, they also have been outstanding in the fielding department, be it Chris Lynn’s jaw-dropping catch of AB de Villiers in the final over and win the match against Royal Challengers, Bangalore. These show-stopping teams offer brilliance in every department. Eden Gardens is all set to witness yet another heart-aching match!