The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Chetan Sakariya & Arshdeep Singh – In a match aggregate of 438 runs, the highest wicket takers (and almost most economical) were 22-year old Arshdeep & 23-year old Sakariya. They were both smart with their variations and were given death bowling responsibilities—an area where even international level bowlers fail, they excelled. Oh and Sakariya took a blinder to dismiss Pooran while Arshdeep’s caught and bowled off Manan Vohra received much deserved praise from coach Jonty Rhodes.
KL Rahul Keeps On Going – Probably India’s best batsman of this generation, KL Rahul’s consistency in the IPL has been stellar. Last 3 seasons – 659, 593, & 670 runs. Today he struck it nicely with a wonderful 91, batting until the final over. Hope his that strike rate picks up from last year.
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the T20I World Cup squad.
Despite India having Hardik Pandya, India are missing power hitters down the order. Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, & Dinesh Karthik might be smart, impactful finishers, but out-and-out hitters are missing. Think Yusuf Pathan or Andre Russell type players. Yesterday Abdul Samad impressed hitting 2 sixes against Pat Cummins, and today Deepak Hooda 64 (28) – 6 sixes & Riyan Parag 25 (11) – 3 sixesthrilled with their clean striking.
Wildcard entry for one of them?
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Samson So Close Yet So Far
Sanju Samson was the highlight of the day, even in a losing cause. After Stokes was dismissed for a duck and 2 down pretty, not many would have given RR a chase, but Buttler, Parag, Dube, & Samson took the game really slow. 5 needed off 2, Samson took responsibility on his own shoulder. Should he have run or not? What do you say?But as it turned out, Samson swatted away the last ball and what initially looked like a last-ball six turned out to be meters short. Broken Cricket Dream of the Day. Well played, lad.
Catches Lose Matches….or at least that is what the last 4 days (and IPL 2020) have showed us. Today, it was even worse. Stokes, Tewatia, Buttlerdropped catches from the Royals, while Murugan Ashwin, KL Rahul, & Mayank Agarwaltook turns for the Kings. Take out the dropped catches, and this is no longer a high scoring game.
I am not saying all fielding standards are bad, but it seems to be all or nothing these days. Blinders from Sakariya, Arshdeep, and Tewatia, and comical drops all around. Even Shami’s caught & bowled had miscommunication written all over it.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals
1
1
0
0
2
+0.779
2. Kolkata Knight Riders
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.5
3. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.2
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore
1
1
0
0
2
+0.05
5. Mumbai Indians
1
0
1
0
0
-0.05
6. Rajasthan Royals
1
0
1
0
0
-0.2
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
1
0
1
0
0
-0.5
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Mumbai Indians take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
IPL 2021 Predictions! Now that every team has played at least one game, we are releasing the #BCDPredictionsby our followers. We asked our viewers to respond to who they think will be IPL 2020’s:
#Champions
#Top4
#MVP
#OrangeCap
#PurpleCap
#FairPlay
#EmergingPlayer
#SurprisePackage
#BrokenDream
Can MI make it three in a row? Can Dhoni retire in peace? What about KKR & the net run-rate curse? If you do not have enough information yet, do check out our quick Team Previews below 👇
“Oh I don’t know! Hard to see past Mumbai but what I always love is the match ups. Looking forward to Archer v Warner again and the Indian team battles. Think Stokes will have a better one, Sam Curran may struggle with huge expectations. Hope it stays Covid safe most of all #IPL“
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Surprises
KKR’s Top Order was the surprise of the day. With DK-Morgan-Russell-Shakib-Cummins (even Harbhajan the hitter), the question was if the top order could get going.
Rana-Gill 53 (42) & 93 (50) Tripathi-Rana set the platform for KKR
Nitish Rana (80) and Tripathi (53) have become cult heroes in the IPL. Always produce a couple of match winning innings each IPL. Can they get consistency this time around?
Dinesh Karthik is still India’s best finisher. From 157-2, Kolkata collapsed to 160-5 in 17.4. The much acclaimed Russell & Morgan out for 5 and 2 respectively. Dinesh Karthik moved around the crease to produce a 22* (9), taking KKR to 187. Time for a T20I recall. Oh and ABDUL SAMAD – India’s best power hitter? 19*(8) with 2 sixes.
Jonny Bairstow a class apart. 10-2 in 2 overs in a chase of 188? No worries, Bairstow will play his natural game. 55 (40) with 5 fours & 3 sixes. One of the cleanest strikers of the ball. He is my orange cap prediction for IPL 2021.
Honorable Mentions:Afghan duo Rashid-Nabi put the breaks on KKR with figures of 8-0-56-4; Manish Pandey’s steady 61*; Shakib takes wicket against his former team first ball; Prasidh Krishna impresses again
Tweet of the Day
Must watch analysis that went viral on Twitter yesterday.
Watch and read about the magician Rashid Khan here.
Harbhajan Singhcoming back after 699 days, last playing in May 2019. In a slow Chennai pitch and history of Warner’s poor record against Harbhajan, he was given the first over. First ball – slow, spin, guile – Warner edges it in the air. Dropped by Pat Cummins. Broken Dream. Did not bowl for the rest of the match.
Mohammad Nabigives a scare: Got hit at the back of his neck by Prasidh Krishna in the 16th over. 140 kph & Nab without neck protection guard. Really scary stuff. Came back with a strong 4 and then out. Hope he is okay in the long run.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals
1
1
0
0
2
+0.779
2. Kolkata Knight Riders
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.5
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
1
1
0
0
2
+0.05
4. Mumbai Indians
1
0
1
0
0
-0.05
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad
1
0
1
0
0
-0.5
6. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
Rajasthan Royals
Punjab Kings
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Rajasthan Royals take on the Punjab Kings in Chennai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Surprises
The return of Suresh Raina: Several questions about his commitment over the past year, but he came back in style. The hoicks & cuts are back. 4 sixes. With Moeen Ali, it was exactly the impetus CSK were missing last year in the middle overs.
Dhawan-Shaw Make a Mark: Dhawan 85, Shaw 72, 138 opening partnership. With the declaration that Kohli-Sharma will open in the World T20I world cup and KL Rahul & Ishan Kishan as reserves, Shikhar Dhawan & Prithvi Shaw seem to be out of the reckoning. With a 23-man squad possible now, commanding performances like today will help their cases. Just toyed with the field!
The Battle of the Currans:In the penultimate over of the 1st innings, Tom Curran came to bowl in the death to Sam Curran. 2 fours, 2 sixes, and 23 runs later, the younger brother wins the battle.
Honorable Mentions:Free-flowing Moeen Ali, impressive Avesh Khan, 3 catches for Gabbar!
— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) April 9, 2021
What Actually Happened
Winner: RCB won by 2 wickets
Player of the Match:Harshal Patel (5/27 & 4*)
Best Figures
Harshal Patel (RCB) – 5/27
Jasprit Bumrah (MI) – 4/26
Most Runs
Chris Lynn – 49 (35)
AB De Villiers – 48 (27)
Moments of The Day
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Surprises
Washington Sundar opens….the BATTING: In a slow Chennai pitch, it was surprising to see Sundar & Maxwell bowling a combined total of 1 over (and Sundar taking a wicket). On the other hand, he came out to bat with Virat Kohli in absence of Devdutt Padikkal.
Harshal Patel Announces His Arrival: A major Indian first class player in recent times, he has never really lived up to his potential. Traded two years ago to the Delhi Capitals from RCB, he repaid their faith in style. After conceding 15 in his first over, came back with slower deliveries, yorkers, bowleds to get a 5-fer & almost a hat-trick. Hope it is a sign for big things to come. Also the first player to take a 5-fer against the Mumbai Indians in ALL 14 seasons.
AB De Villiers Is Still The Best In 2021: Last played in IPL 2020’s eliminator, he was timing it beautifully where most struggled!
Honorable Mentions:RCB’s collapse, Maxwell’s fluency, LynnSanity, & decent tall debuts by Marco Jansen & Kyle Jamieson were the other major moments today.
Rahul Dravid Breaks The Internet
But the best moment of all…actually happened right before the game. Rahul Dravid at his hilarious best—check this video out!
Virat Kohli: Dropped the catch and almost injured his eye. The bruise was evident for the rest of the game. Hope it is okay
#BrokenCricketBats: Krunal Pandya actually broke his bat defending Jamieson’s delivery!
The Dropped Catches: The standard of catching in the IPL is depreciating by the year. Brilliant boundary saves & run-outs at one end and dropping dollies on the other. Mohammad Siraj, Virat Kohli, & Rohit Sharma the culprits today.Net
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied/No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
1
1
0
0
2
+0.05
2. Mumbai Indians
1
0
1
0
0
-0.05
Chennai Super Kings
Delhi Capitals
Kolkata Knight Riders
Punjab Kings
Rajasthan Royals
Sunrisers Hyderabad
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Chennai Super Kings take on Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede in Mumbai.
MS Dhoni Vs Rishabh Pant
Watch Out For: The return of Ishant Sharma & Amit Mishra (DC)
Questions: Rahane Vs Smith, Tom Curran Vs Umesh Yadav Vs Ishant Sharma
Watch Out For: Faf Du Plessis, Robin Uthappa, Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK)
Questions:Fate of Suresh Raina, Moeen Ali Vs Sam Curran Vs Dwayne Bravo Vs Imran Tahir
My Prediction: Delhi Capitals win
Comment on your thoughts below and share ahead!
If you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
From the young Ravindra Jadeja in 2008 & Manish Pandey in 2009 to the inspirational stories of Natarajan & Chakravarthy last year, the IPL has a habit of thrusting new faces into limelight. In 2020, uncapped players like Ravi Bishnoi, Abdul Samad, and Devdutt Padikkal had breakout seasons. Here are some of exciting candidates for 2021:
Finn Allen signed as a replacement for Josh Philippe and announced himself to the international stage with a whirlwind 71(29) against Bangladesh. Will he get a match though in the star-studded RCB line-up?
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy graduates Mohammad Azharuddeen (WK/batsman), Shahrukh Khan (finisher), and R Sai Kishore (spinner) would be quite handy if they carried their devastating forms earlier this year.
Surprise Packages Paul Valthaty & Rahul Tewatia became household names after bizarre IPL seasons. Would love to watch a Chetan Sakariya, Lukman Meriwala, or someone we have not heard much about (yet) rising to the occasion.
2. Can the Discards Find Their Way Back to the Pack?
Due to COVID-19, ICC events have allowed up to 23-player squads. For India, this has provided the window for discarded players like Prithvi Shaw, Dinesh Karthik, & Sanju Samson to squeeze into the T20 World Cup squad in October later this year.
Since the World Cup is scheduled to be held in India, it is also a golden opportunity for players from other countries like Liam Livingstone, the Currans, & Dawid Malan (England), Allen & Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand), & Riley Meredith & Jhye Richardson (Australia) to impress their selectors.
Eoin Morgan has made it clear he wants England to hold both the World Cup trophies. He has even gone as far as suggesting that rivals Rajasthan Royals will open with Buttler-Stokes combination (to help England prepare for the World Cup).
3. This is it, isn’t it?
Christopher Henry Gayle is 41 and has recently stated his desire to win a third T20I World Cup and even play for 5 more years. Imran Tahir at 42 and Harbhajan Singh at 40 are still spinning oppositions.
It is unlikely any of them will play all the 14 games, but their experience will be crucial in pressure situations.
We should just sit back and enjoy because this might be the final chance we get to watch players like MS Dhoni on the field. With IPL 2022 having a large auction, this year is definitely the end of an era.
4. Can Cricket Get Any Longer? Rule Changes For IPL 2021
The limited overs series between India and England have caused direct rule changes to this IPL. Some of those T20I games took up 5 hours and Suryakumar Yadav’s soft-signal caused uproar. Last year, the double super overs went well into the next day. For IPL 2021,
Teams have been accommodated 90 minutes per innings including the Strategic Time Outs. Penalties have been raised for violation.
No soft-signal for catches and obstruction of field appeals.
Time capped for multiple Super Overs. If time elapses, the game will be declared a tie (one point each).
5. The World Must Come Together as One
Before we can enjoy the spectacle, the real question is will we even have a complete IPL due to the pandemic?
The PSL showcased brilliant display of cricket…for two weeks before the insecurity of the bio-bubble packed up the tournament.
Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood & Philippe have already withdrawn days from the IPL, and the likes of Axar Patel & Padikkal have tested positive for coronavirus. Cases are rising in India, and several travel concerns still remain.
With mental health, bio-bubble fatigue, and financial security all at stake, only time will decide the fate of this tournament. Let’s just hope that this virus is defeated, the spirit of the IPL remains alive, and the surprises keep on coming.
If you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
One of the most consistent franchises in recent IPL history, expect no different this year around.
Except they have more options, fitter players, and a schedule that suits their style of play. Add the intelligent buy of Kedar Jadhav, and all pieces are slowly falling into place. Here is my SRH preview.
All-Rounders: Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Vijay Shankar, Jagadeesha Suchith
Spinners: Shahbaz Nadeem
Fast Medium: T Natarajan, Khaleel Ahmed, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma
Overseas: David Warner*, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Jason Roy, Kane Williamson
Withdrawn Mitchell Marsh
Predicted SRH XI
David Warner (C),2. Wriddhiman Saha (WK), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Kane Williamson/Jonny Bairstow, 5. Vijay Shankar/Kedar Jadhav, 6. Priyam Garg/Abdul Samad, 7. Rashid Khan, 8. Jason Holder/Mohammad Nabi/ Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. T Natarajan, 11. Sandeep Sharma
Watch Out For
Horses-for-courses strategy.
Given their first 5 games are at Chennai (and 7 more at Delhi/Kolkata), expect SRH to deploy their spin regime. They have the Afghan trio Rashid Khan-Mohammad Nabi-Mujeeb Ur Rahman along with Shahbaz Nadeem & part-timers Abhishek Sharma/Kedar Jadhav.
The other option is to go top heavy with Warner-Roy-Williamson-Bairstow. Droolworthy batting order.
If the pitch demands pace, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Thampi, & Kaul will be key with all-rounders in Jason Holder & Vijay Shankar readily available.
Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Sunrisers?
With multiple options, come multiple warnings. Do not give enough chances or confidence to the players and instability can creep in. With staff of VVS Laxman, Muralitharan and co, this should not be the case.
There used to be a time when frugal IPL auction buys and uncapped Indian players was the norm for RR. Now it is the complete opposite. They are overdependent on foreign players.
If Buttler has a great season, they make the top 4. Otherwise, same old story. Here is the preview.
8th. Except for Jofra Archer maiden overs, Ben Stokes opening century, Riyan Parag’s Bihu dance celebration, & a glimpse into Kartik Tyagi’s potential, not much to write home about.
Injury & COVID-19 News
Jofra Archer is bound to miss at least 4 matches due to a hand injury. Given that the T20I World Cup is England’s focus right now, it is unlikely that Archer will be risked much.
Rumors suggest that England captain Eoin Morgan has inside information from rival camp of Rajasthan Royals. Maybe a Buttler-Stokes opening partnership to better help England prepare for the upcoming World Cup?
I would still start out with Jaiswal as an opener. (But then I am no captain of the best limited overs side in the world).
Will David Miller get another season on the bench? (Or one game before a 0 (0) run out benches him for the rest of the season).
Watch Out For
Chris Morris. Has been sold for plenty at the auction, but some signs he is getting back to his best. Since his breakthrough season with Delhi a few years ago, he has not made a huge mark on the IPL. Is this the year?
Sanju Samson went from India’s #4 in the Australia tour to out of the squad. With an extended 23 men squad available for the T20I world cup, can he impress the selectors once again?
Buttler-Stokes in the top order.
Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Royals?
Lack of pace. The Fizz, Tye, Unadkat, & even Morris are arguably the world’s best off cutter bowling combination in the world. Without Jofra Archer though, they might fail to defend scores in Mumbai, Kolkata, & Bangalore.
Only so many Tewatia specials can save the Royals.
Venues & Fixtures
Venues
Mumbai- 5, Delhi – 4, Kolkata – 3, Bangalore – 2
Fixtures
12 April: RR vs PBKS (Mumbai)
15 April: RR vs DC (Mumbai)
19 April: CSK vs RR (Mumbai)
22 April: RCB vs RR (Mumbai)
24 April: RR vs KKR (Mumbai)
29 April: MI vs RR (Delhi)
2 May: RR vs SRH (Delhi)
5 May: RR vs CSK (Delhi)
8 May: RR vs MI (Delhi)
11 May: DC vs RR (Kolkata)
13 May: SRH vs RR (Kolkata)
16 May: RR vs RCB (Kolkata)
18 May: KKR vs RR (Bangalore)
22 May: PBKS vs RR (Bangalore)
25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)
Prediction
Prediction
7th
Most Runs
Jos Buttler
Most Wickets
Mustafizur Rahman
Emerging Player
Mr. Liam Livingstone, I presume?
Surprise Package
Shivam Dube
X Factor
Jos Buttler
Broken Cricket Dream
David Miller
Rajasthan Royals Preview Predictions
What do you think of the Rajasthan Royals Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?
Virat Kohli has had a rough time converting his 50s to three figures recently, but his T20I form is still stellar, receiving the Player of the Series award in the India Vs England T20I series.
The real question is when will Kohli-ABD convert the semi-finals & finals into IPL trophies? I think 2021 is RCB’s year. Keep on reading this preview.
4th. Probably an accurate reflection. When RCB edged out KKR & KXIP narrowly for the fourth spot, not many complained. When RCB crashed out at the hands of Kane Williamson, nobody complained either.
Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 21 wickets.
Devdutt Padikkal did not seem like the ‘new kid on the block.’ Scored 473 runs as an opener and played some mature knocks.
The S factor – Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar might not have had the best IPL 2020, but in Australia, they formed the bowling core of the 3rd and 4th Tests. Their maturity was brilliant to watch.
Devdutt Padikkal has tested postive for coronavirus. He might not make the first two games due to quarantine protocols. Big blow for RCB, and not the only one.
Josh Philippe has withdrawn days before the IPL for personal reasons. The only good news is that Finn Allen, who just scored a whirlwind 71(29) against Bangladesh in a T20I, is recruited as a replacement.
All-Rounders: Pavan Deshpande, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed
Fast Medium: Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar
Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal
Overseas: Finn Allen, Dan Christian, AB de Villiers, Kyle Jamieson, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Adam Zampa
Withdrawn: Josh Philippe
Predicted RCB XI
The Padikkal absence and Kohli’s insistence of Kohli-Sharma T20I opening partnership can change things up for RCB. One option is a Kohli-Azharuddeen partnership at the top. Alternatively, pair Finn Allen up at the top, drop everyone one spot, and replace one of Christian or Jamieson.
1. Mohammed Azharuddeen, 2.*Virat Kohli (C), 3. AB de Villiers(WK), 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5.Daniel Christian, 6. Washington Sundar, 7.Kyle Jamieson/Daniel Sams/Adam Zampa, 8. Shahbaz Ahmed/Harshal Patel, 9. Mohammed Siraj, 10. Navdeep Saini, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal
*Devdutt Padikkal slots in at 2 whenever he recovers with everyone moving down a slot.
Watch Out For
Virat Kohli, the opener. 2016 season all over again? Maybe a little change is all Virat needs to get back in top gear.
Mohammed Azharuddeen lit up the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a 37-ball 100 and ended up as the third highest run scorer in the tournament. If Azharuddeen-Padikkal can form a solid opening partnership at the top, the middle order can be really destructive.
Jamieson has seen lots of highs & lows recently with the IPL auction & the Australia T20I series, but the one to really watch out would be Dan Christian. A veteran and winner of almost all T20 championships, he is the fix that RCB never had. Overdependence on Kohli-ABD no more. With Maxwell, Dan Christan, and insurance policy of Sundar and Jamieson below, RCB finally have the consistent finishing.
Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Challengers?
All good, except they no longer play in Bangalore. With 8 games combined in Chennai & Kolkata, the likes of Maxwell & Christian might struggle. However, the spin duo of Sundar-Chahal might come to the rescue.
No other major flaws as long as Saini-Siraj can keep their economy rates in check.
Venues & Fixtures
Venues
Kolkata- 5, Ahmedabad- 4, Chennai- 3, Mumbai- 2
Fixtures
9 April: MI vs RCB (Chennai)
14 April: SRH vs RCB (Chennai)
18 April: RCB vs KKR (Chennai)
22 April: RCB vs RR (Mumbai)
25 April: CSK vs RCB (Mumbai)
27 April: DC vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
30 April: PBKS vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
3 May: KKR vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
6 May: RCB vs PBKS (Ahmedabad)
9 May: RCB vs SRH (Kolkata)
14 May: RCB vs DC (Kolkata)
16 May: RR vs RCB (Kolkata)
20 May: RCB vs MI (Kolkata)
23 May: RCB vs CSK (Kolkata)
25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)
Prediction
Prediction
1st
Most Runs
Virat Kohli
Most Wickets
Washington Sundar
Emerging Player
Mohammad Azharuddeen
Surprise Package
Finn Allen
X Factor
Dan Christian/ AB De Villiers
Broken Cricket Dream
Glenn Maxwell. Less of a broken dream, more of a warning. If Maxwell fails again, he would be the next Aaron Finch. Not to be picked in future auctions.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Preview Predictions
What do you think of the Royal Challengers Bangalore Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?
1st. The same old story. Champions for a 5th time. Another wonderful campaign. Here are some of the highlights.
Suryakumar Yadav & Ishan Kishan storm into national spotlight after consistent performances. Add Quinton de Kock’s blazing starts & a certain Rohit Sharma and that was an enviable top order.
The better the finishers, the more consistent a T20 side. Finishing prowess of Kieron Pollard & Hardik Pandya justifies this claim.
James Pattinson, Jasprit Bumrah, & Trent Boult provided the firepower that the fast bowling bowling needed in sluggish UAE pitches.
Injury & COVID-19 News
No major injury or COVID-19 news for the Mumbai Indians as of yet, but cases in Mumbai are rising rapidly. The Road Safety Series in Mumbai has several former cricketers in quarantine. Fingers crossed, but keep checking your news if any local Mumbai players join the MI squad.
How can an already dangerous line-up become even more dangerous? Instead of adding another foreign pace bowler, maybe Jimmy Neesham can slot in at #8. The Pollard-Pandyas-Neesham finishing line up can be quite something.
Watch Out For
Adam Milne, the New Zealand speedstar of 2015 World Cup fame, went missing for a couple of years due to injuries. He has slowly made a comeback in the New Zealand squad through the Big Bash, but can he light up the IPL?
With 11 games in Chennai-Delhi-Kolkata combined, spin will be very handy. Expect Rahul Chahar to be among the wickets. Since Krunal Pandya is more of a batting-allrounder, we may see a bit of Piyush Chawla and Jayant Yadav. Before the final that is.
Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Indians?
Mumbai play first 5 matches at Chennai. While familiarity can be a good thing, let us look at the opposition—strong RCB & Punjab sides and games against spin giants SRH (Rashid, Mujeeb, Nabi), DC (Ashwin, Axar, Amit Mishra), & KKR (Shakib, Varun, Harbhajan, Kuldeep, Pawan Negi).
I am betting against Mumbai Indians for their ‘home’ venues.
Venues & Fixtures
Venues
Chennai- 5, Delhi- 4, Bangalore- 3, Kolkata- 2
Fixtures
9 April: MI vs RCB (Chennai)
13 April: KKR vs MI (Chennai)
17 April: MI vs SRH (Chennai)
20 April: DC vs MI (Chennai)
23 April: PBKS vs MI (Chennai)
29 April: MI vs RR (Delhi)
1 May: MI vs CSK (Delhi)
4 May: SRH vs MI (Delhi)
8 May: RR vs MI (Delhi)
10 May: MI vs KKR (Bangalore)
13 May: MI vs PBKS (Bangalore)
16 May: CSK vs MI (Bangalore)
20 May: RCB vs MI (Kolkata)
23 May: MI vs DC (Kolkata)
25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)
Prediction
Mumbai Indians always seem to bounce back after rough campaign starts. Given the schedule in IPL 2021, I think if they lose 3 or more of the first five, I do not think they can bounce back.
For a change, I am going for a different IPL winner this time around. They will probably win again, but for the fun of it, I have them winning from the reverse order this time.
Prediction
8th
Most Runs
Suryakumar Yadav
Most Wickets
Rahul Chahar
Emerging Player
Marco Jansen
Surprise Package
Jimmy Neesham
X Factor
Kieron Pollard, the leader
Broken Cricket Dream
Third Time…Is Not the Charm. May not win this time
Also, Chris Lynn. Someone of his calibre might have to warm the benches two seasons in a row.
Mumbai Indians Preview Predictions
What do you think of the Mumbai Indians Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?
