Published: May 15, 2015, 12:16 PM (IST)
Edited: May 15, 2015, 12:17 PM (IST)
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 53 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium at Mohali. KXIP are already out of contention to make it to IPL 2015 Playoff going into this game. But they will be high on confidence after beating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), which was reduced to 10 overs per side due to rains.
On the other hand, a win for CSK will keep them on the top of the IPL 8 Points Table. But they will go into the match after losing to another team lying low on the table, Delhi Daredevils (DD). While KXIP have nothing but pride to play for, CSK will want to win big and get some momentum going into the Playoff. They will want to get to that stage with the maximum points. SCORECARD: KXIP vs CSK in IPL 2015 Match 53 at Mohali
Brendon McCullum will most definitely miss out on this match as he will head to England to join his New Zealand team to prepare for the upcoming Test series against the hosts. Michael Hussey is most likely to be his replacement. READ: Dwayne Bravo: Chennai Super Kings’ IPL success lies in sticking with core players
For Punjab, their batting looked positive in their previous game with Wriddhiman Saha smashing a timely 12-ball 31, opening the innings. KXIP played the role of party-spoilers perfectly as RCB were given a jolt, and the side under George Bailey now eyes CSK as their next target.
Unfortunately, in their last match, Chennai’s batting did not click and in the process they set DD a low target, which their bowlers could not defend. Nevertheless, Ashish Nehra and Dwayne bravo have been consistent with the ball and have propelled their side to a win very often. They will look to put in a good performance again in this match. READ: Akshar Patel, Wriddhiman Saha star as KXIP pull off 22-run win over RCB in IPL 2015 Match 50
It will be interesting to see if MS Dhoni plays three spinners yet again as rain could play a major role in determining the outcome. Pawan Negi has been handy in his stint with the team so far, but he probably will have to make way for another batsman or an all-rounder. Maybe Irfan Pathan gets a go after spending all his time on the bench.
KXIP batsmen, such as Glenn Maxwell, George Bailey and David Miller have not really fired as a unit, but Miller’s return to form in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be great encouragement. KXIP will hope that they end the season with a win and give their fans something to cheer about. As far as the bowling is concerned, Akshar Patel has been exceptional of late. In fact, his all-round abilities are being put into good use in the tournament.
A win for both teams important for both teams for different reasons of course, but two vital points at stake, nevertheless. George Bailey’s men will want to finish on a high before they bow out of the competition. Chennai are all but through to the IPL 2015 Playoffs, but a win will consolidate their position in this tournament.
Squads:
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP): George Bailey (c), Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Mitchell Johnson, Murali Vijay, Shaun Marsh, Akshar Patel, Sandeep Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Manan Vohra, Thisara Perera, Rishi Dhawan, Anureet Singh, Karanveer Singh, Nikhil Naik, Parvinder Awana, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Yogesh Golwalkar, Beuran Hendricks, Shivam Sharma, Shardul Thakur.
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c&wk), Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan, Faf du Plessis, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Michael Hussey, Ishwar Pandey, Baba Aparajith, Mithun Manhas, Pawan Negi, Rahul Sharma, Ankush Bains, Pratyush Singh, Ronit More, Eklavya Dwivedi, Matt Henry, Samuel Badree, Andrew Tye, Kyle Abbott.
Time: 16.00 IST | 10.00 GMT
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)
