Published: Oct 02, 2014, 12:58 AM (IST)
Edited: Oct 02, 2014, 01:53 AM (IST)
Hobart Hurricanes will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the first semi-final of Champions League Twenty 20 (CLT20) 2014 at Hyderabad. KKR are currently on a 13-match winning streak, and will hope that the law of averages does not go against them in the all-important semi-final. Hobart Hurricanes, who came into the tournament without their regular captain George Bailey, will try not to be intimidated by the consistent KKR line-up. Sameer Jha looks at some of the key battles that may prove crucial in deciding the outcome of the match.
1. Aiden Blizzard vs Sunil Narine: Aiden Blizzard has been Hobart Hurricane’s highest run-getter scoring 188 runs in four matches at an average of 62.66. His blistering 78 against Cape Cobras was one of the most entertaining knocks of the tournament and he’ll aim to make a similar impact against KKR too. However, his efforts may be thwarted by the spin wizard Sunil Narine whose action was recently reported by the ICC. Narine will be more driven than ever to make an impact and the Hobart batsman may suffer from his wrath.
2. Shoaib Malik vs Kuldeep Yadav: Shoaib Malik did not make the best of starts in the tournament for Hobart, but came good in the last two games against Northern Knights and Barbados Tridents respectively. He’ll look to continue the momentum against KKR, but might find the going tough against young and upcoming Kuldeep Yadav. The 19-year-old has caught the attention of the world after his superb spell (3 for 24) against Perth Scorchers. The fact that the match will be held in Hyderabad, where KKR have played all their games so far, will only work in his favour.
3. Robin Uthappa vs Doug Bollinger/Ben Hilfenhaus: Robin Uthappa has shown immense hunger for runs whenever he has come out in the KKR shirt. He was the orange cap (most runs) holder in this year’s edition of IPL, and hasn’t disappointed in this CLT20 too. He scored an unbeaten 85 in 55 balls against Dolphins, and will be keen to make an impact in the crucial semi-final. Both Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus will be entrusted with stopping the KKR opener. The experienced Australian pair have been extremely impressive so far (except in the game against Cape Cobras) in CLT20, and will look to make early breakthroughs against the IPL champions too.
4. Yusuf Pathan vs Xavier Doherty: Yusuf Pathan has so far not shown his true potential with the bat in the tournament. However, a batsman like him is always dangerous and takes the game away from the opposition. On the other hand, Xavier Doherty who was missing in action in Hobart Hurricane’s first game has been extremely stingy and taken six wickets an economy rate of 6.08 which is really good by T20 standards.
Complete coverage of Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014 here
(Sameer Jha is a reporter at CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter at @SameerJha_)
