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Indian Premier League IPL 2022 Preview – Everything You Need to Know About IPL 15 Quickly

By Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, 3/24/2022

Time for IPL 2022! Yep, the festival is back—This time with two more teams. That is right! Welcome Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Kings!

Lot has changed since last time. A massive auction and an end of an era. No Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, AB De Villiers and although MS Dhoni & Virat Kohli are still here, they are no longer captains.

Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about IPL 2022 QUICKLY—Squads, Schedule, Latest Injury News, Commentators, History, and Predictions! By the end of this read, you should have all your IPL 2022 questions answered.

Also Read: 5 Takeaways from IPL 2021, RCB All-Time XI – Consistently Inconsistent

IPL 2022 Quick Summary

  • Matches: 74 (10 teams, 14 matches each, 2 Groups, Finals)
  • Dates: March 26th, 2022- 29th May, 2022
  • Venues: All the matches will be played in & around Mumbai:
    • Wankhede Stadium
    • Brabourne Stadium
    • DY Patil Stadium (Navi Mumbai)
    • MCA International Stadium (Pune)

IPL 2022 Groups

GROUP AGROUP B
Mumbai IndiansChennai Super Kings
Kolkata Knight RidersSunrisers Hyderabad
Rajasthan RoyalsRoyal Challengers Bangalore
Delhi CapitalsPunjab Kings
Lucknow Super GiantsGujarat Titans
IPL 2022 Groups

*Note: Unlike previous IPLs, this is not going to be a round-robin tournament. To keep the number of games bearable, each team will play teams from their groups twice (as well as one team from the other group), and the rest of the team once. So that is two games against five teams and one game against the other four for a total of 14 matches.

Detailed team-by-team fixtures are displayed with each team below.

Also Read: Most Beautiful Cricket Stadium in Each of the 12 Countries

IPL 2022 Commentators

The big news in this arena is that Ravi Shastri is back in the commentary box after his coaching tenure with the Indian team came to an end. Also joining him are ex-IPL stars like Mr. IPL – Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla, and Dhawal Kulkarni

English/Global Broadcast

Harsha Bhogle, Ian Bishop, Alan Wilkins, Pommie Mbangwa, Simon Doull, Sunil Gavaskar, Danny Morrison, Graeme Swann, Scott Styris, Neroli Medows, Anant Tyagi, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Murali Karthik, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Hayden, Deep Dasgupta, Anjum Chopra, Nicholas Knight, WV Raman, Daren Ganga, Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith

Hindi & English

Ravi Shastri, Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, Mohammad Kaif, Mayanti Langer Binny, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Dhawal Kulkarni, Janti Sapru, Tanya Purohit, Suren Sundaram

Apart from these two major broad categories, IPL 2022 will be broadcasted in at least seven other regional languages with marquee Indian domestic cricketers as commentators.

Also Read: Top 5 Commentators of All Time

History of the Indian Premier League – Winners & Runner Ups

  1. Mumbai Indians: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 (Winners), 2010 (Runner-Up)
  2. Chennai Super Kings: 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 (Winners), 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019 (Runner-Up)
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders: 2012, 2014 (Winners), 2021 (Runner-Up)
  4. Deccan Chargers/Sunrisers Hyderabad: 2009 – DC (Winners), 2016 – SRH (Winners), 2018 (Runner-Up)
  5. Rajasthan Royals: 2008 (Winners)
  6. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 2009, 2011, 2016 (Runner-Up)
  7. Delhi Capitals: 2020 (Runner-Up)
  8. Punjab Kings: 2014 (Runner-Up)

*Note: Rising Pune Supergiant reached the final of the 2017 IPL (Deccan Chargers Gujarat Lions, Sahara Pune Warriors India, Kochi Tuskers Kerela were the other teams to have featured in the IPL – Now defunct. Also, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab were the earlier names of Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings respectively).

2022 Indian Premier League News at A Glance

IPL 2022 Injury/Withdrawn List

  • Jofra Archer was eligible to be in the IPL 2022 auctions. However, he will not be playing this season due to an elbow injury. Watch out for MI in future seasons. Bumrah + Archer will be WOW!
  • Deepak Chahar is set to miss the IPL with a recurring quadriceps injury.
  • Anrich Nortje is suffering from an injury but is back with the squad (might not be available right away).
  • Jason Roy & Alex Hales withdraw due to bio bubble fatigue. Mark Wood is out of the IPL with an elbow injury.
  • Suryakumar Yadav is suffering from a hairline thumb fracture. He will miss the first match and may comeback soon.

Other IPL 2022 Major News

  • MS Dhoni steps down from captaincy. Ravindra Jadeja the new captain for CSK. Dhoni will however play as a player for one (or more) seasons.
  • Moeen Ali gets visa (late) and had to be quarantined. Hence, he will arrive by CSK’s second match.

IPL 2022 Team Availability

Every season, team combinations are impacted by international commitments. Here are the ongoing/future series that might collide with IPL 2022:

  • Bangladesh Tour of South Africa: Dwaine Pretorius (CSK), Kagiso Rabada (PBKS), and Lungi Ngidi & Mustafizur Rahman (both DC). However, they may only miss one or two matches since CSA has granted leave for Rabada, Ngidi, Jansen, Markram, and Rassie van der Dussen at the expense of the Test series. Read Firdose Moonda’s article explaining Money Matters.
  • Australia tour of Pakistan: Australian players are not granted a leave till April 6th, which means they will be unavailable for 4-5 matches for their respective teams. This includes Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch (KKR), Sean Abbott (SRH), Hazlewood/Behrendorff (RCB), Marcus Stoinis (LSG), and David Warner (first two matches). Oh and Glenn Maxwell is getting married, so let us leave him alone for a couple of weeks.
  • England tour of West Indies: Jonny Bairstow (PBKS), Alzarri Joseph (LSG) – Misses first two matches due to the Test series
  • NZ Tour of England: Starts in June but if their IPL teams qualify for the playoffs, Tim Southee (KKR) & Jonny Bairstow (PBKS) might miss out.

*Note: Netherlands tour of NZ series is also ongoing but NZ have released all their IPL bound players, so there is no conflict.

IPL 2022 Squads, Possible XIs, and Fixtures

1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Predicted XI

  1. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2. Devon Conway, 3. Robin Uthappa/Moeen Ali, 4. Ambati Rayudu, 5. Ravindra Jadeja (C), 6. MS Dhoni (WK), 7. Dwayne Bravo, 8. Shivam Dube/Rajvardhan Hangragrekar, 9. Adam Milne, 10. Mahesh Theekshana/Prashant Solanki, 11. Tushar Deshpande

Strengths

CSK’s strength lies in their all-rounders and bench strength. Moeen Ali, Jadeja, and Bravo make up the core but even if they sit out, Santner, Chris Jordan, Pretorius, and Dube are adequate replacements.

Weaknesses

Out and out pace bowling. Without Chahar, Adam Milne is the lone spearhead of their fast bowling attack but Deshpande/Asif are a bit inexperienced.

X Factor

Watch out for Devon Conway, or as he is known in CSK circuits—Mike Hussey 2.0.

Chennai Super Kings IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Ruturaj Gaikwad
  • Ambati Rayudu
  • Robin Uthappa (WK)
  • MS Dhoni (C/WK)
  • Hari Nishaanth
  • Narayan Jagadeesan
  • Subhranshu Senapati

_________________________

Overseas

  • Devon Conway (WK)

All Rounders

  • Ravindra Jadeja
  • Shivam Dube
  • Rajvardhan Hangragekar
  • Bhagat Verma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Mitchell Santner
  • Dwayne Bravo
  • Moeen Ali
  • Dwaine Pretorius
  • Chris Jordan

Bowlers

  • Deepak Chahar
  • Tushar Deshpande
  • KM Asif
  • Mukesh Choudhary
  • Prashant Solanki
  • Simarjeet Singh

__________________________

Overseas

  • Adam Milne
  • Mahesh Theekshana

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • New Zealand: Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne
  • England: Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan
  • West Indies: Dwayne Bravo
  • South Africa: Dwaine Pretorius
  • Sri Lanka: Mahesh Theekshana

Chennai Super Kings IPL 2022 Fixtures

CSK Fixtures VsKKRLSGPBKSSRHRCBGTMIDCRR
3/263/314/34/94/124/174/215/85/20
4/255/15/45/155/12

CSK Website

2. Delhi Capitals (DC)

Predicted XI:

  1. Prithvi Shaw, 2. David Warner, 3. Mitchell Marsh, 4. Rishabh Pant (C), 5. Sarfaraz Khan, 6. Rovman Powell, 7. Axar Patel, 8. Shardul Thakur, 9. Chetan Sakaria/Khaleel Ahmed, 10. Kuldeep Yadav, 11. Anrich Nortje/Mustafizur Rahman

Strengths

Balance. Solid top order with Marsh/Axar as allrounders and Sarfaraz Khan/Rovman Powell as the finishers. And with Shardul Thakur here, there is no need to fear.

Weaknesses

Replacements. Warner/Marsh/Nortje/the Fizz will be out for the first 4-5 matches.

X Factor

Watch out for Axar Patel-Shardul Thakur. Could be the Sneh Rana-Pooja Vastrakar type lower order players DC need.

Delhi Capitals IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Prithvi Shaw
  • Rishabh Pant (C/WK)
  • Srikar Bharat (WK)
  • Sarfaraz Khan
  • Yash Dhull
  • Mandeep Singh
  • Ripal Patel
  • Ashwin Hebbar

___________________________

Overseas

  • David Warner
  • Rovman Powell
  • Tim Seifert (WK)

All Rounders

  • Axar Patel
  • Shardul Thakur
  • Lalit Yadav

____________________________

Overseas

  • Mitchell Marsh

Bowlers

  • Khaleel Ahmed
  • Kuldeep Yadav
  • Chetan Sakariya
  • Praveen Dubey
  • Kamlesh Nagarkoti
  • Vicky Ostwal

____________________________

Overseas

  • Anrich Nortje
  • Mustafizur Rahman
  • Lungi Ngidi

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh
  • New Zealand: Tim Seifert
  • West Indies: Rovman Powell
  • South Africa: Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
  • Bangladesh: Mustafizur Rahman

Delhi Capitals IPL 2022 Fixtures

DC Fixtures VsMIGTLSGKKRRCBPBKSRRSRHCSK
3/274/24/74/104/164/204/225/55/8
5/215/14/285/165/11

DC Website

3. Gujarat Titans (GT)

Predicted XI:

  1. Shubman Gill, 2. Matthew Wade (WK), 3. Wriddhiman Saha, 4. Hardik Pandya (C), 5. Vijay Shankar, 6. Rahul Tewatia, 7. Gurkeerat Singh Mann/Jayant Yadav, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Mohammad Shami, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Noor Ahmad/R Sai Kishore

Strengths

Bowling line-up of envy—Rashid Khan, Shami, Lockie Ferguson, R Sai Kishore. They also bought most of the India allrounders in the last five years (Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Gurkeerat, Jayant Yadav, Tewatia)

Weaknesses

Top order. Without Jason Roy, this is a think looking line up. Pandya-Shankar-Tewatia-Rashid can do wonders once in a while but lot rests of the Gill-Wade opening combination.

X Factor

R Sai Kishore. Consistent performer for Tamil Nadu in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the domestic game. Should finally come off the bench and make his mark in the IPL.

Gujarat Titans IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Shubman Gill
  • Wriddhiman Saha (WK)
  • Abhinav Manohar
  • Sai Sudharshan

____________________________

Overseas

  • Matthew Wade (WK)
  • Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)

All Rounders

  • Hardik Pandya (C)
  • Vijay Shankar
  • Gurkeerat Singh Mann
  • Rahul Tewatia
  • Jayant Yadav

__________________________

Overseas

  • Rashid Khan
  • Dominic Drakes

Bowlers

  • Mohammad Shami
  • R Sai Kishore
  • Varun Aaron
  • Pradeep Sangwan
  • Darshan Nalkande
  • Yash Dayal

___________________________

Overseas

  • Lockie Ferguson
  • Noor Ahmad

Jason Roy* (withdrawn)

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Matthew Wade
  • New Zealand: Lockie Ferguson
  • West Indies: Dominic Drakes
  • Afghanistan: Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad

Gujarat Titans IPL 2022 Fixtures

GT Fixtures VsLSGDCPBKSSRHRRCSKKKRRCBMI
3/284/24/84/114/144/174/234/305/6
5/105/34/275/155/19

4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Predicted XI:

  1. Aaron Finch/Ajinkya Rahane, 2. Venkatesh Iyer, 3. Shreyas Iyer (C), 4. Nitish Rana, 5. Sheldon Jackson (WK)/Sam Billings (WK), 6. Andre Russell, 7. Sunil Narine, 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Umesh Yadav, 10. Shivam Mavi, 11. Varun Chakravarthy

Strengths

The All-Round Package. If fit & in-form, Russell-Narine-Cummins-Venkatesh Iyer will be a handful. And captain Shreyas Iyer is in rich vein of form as well.

Weaknesses

Wicketkeeper. With a long tournament, there are not many keeper options apart from Sheldon Jackson (Indian domestic) & Sam Billings. Fitting them into the middle order might change combinations in the XI.

X Factor

Watch out for Chamika Karunaratne. With Cummins arriving after match 4 and Russell’s fitness never certain, Chamika could be a handy lower order bowling all-rounder.

Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Shreyas Iyer (C)
  • Ajinkya Rahane
  • Nitish Rana
  • Rinku Singh
  • Sheldon Jackson (WK)
  • Baba Indrajith
  • Abhijeet Tomar
  • Pratham Singh

___________________________

Overseas

  • Sam Billings (WK)
  • Aaron Finch

All Rounders

  • Venkatesh Iyer
  • Anukul Roy
  • Ramesh Kumar

___________________________

Overseas

  • Mohammad Nabi
  • Sunil Narine
  • Andre Russell

Bowlers

  • Umesh Yadav
  • Shivam Mavi
  • Varun Chakravarthy
  • Rasikh Salam
  • Aman Khan
  • Ashok Sharma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Pat Cummins
  • Tim Southee
  • Chamika Karunaratne

*Alex Hales (Withdrawn)

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins
  • New Zealand: Tim Southee
  • England: Sam Billings
  • West Indies: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell
  • Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi
  • Sri Lanka: Chamika Karunaratne

Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2022 Fixtures

KKR Fixtures VsCSKRCBPBKSMIDCSRHRRGTLSG
3/263/304/14/64/104/154/184/235/7
5/94/285/145/25/18

KKR Website

5. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Predicted XI:

  1. KL Rahul (C), 2. Quinton de Kock (WK), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Marcus Stoinis, 5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Krunal Pandya, 7. Jason Holder, 8. Krishnappa Gowtham/Shahbaz Nadeem, 9. Ravi Bishnoi, 10. Avesh Khan, 11. Dushmantha Chameera

Strengths

The first XI. What a team – Pandey/Stoinis at 3 & 4 means KL Rahul can play his natural game. Hooda-Pandya-Holder are adequate finishers/all-rounders and Bishnoi/Avesh Khan/ Chameera strong bowlers.

Weaknesses

Replacement bowlers might be a slight concern.

X Factor

Watch out for Rahul-QDK as the opening pair of the tournament.

Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • KL Rahul (WK/C)
  • Manish Pandey
  • Manan Vohra
  • Karan Sharma
  • Ayush Badoni

___________________________

Overseas

  • Quinton de Kock (WK)
  • Evin Lewis (WK)

All Rounders

  • Deepak Hooda
  • Krunal Pandya
  • Krishnappa Gowtham

___________________________

Overseas

  • Jason Holder
  • Marcus Stoinis
  • Kyle Mayers

Bowlers

  • Avesh Khan
  • Ravi Bishnoi
  • Shahbaz Nadeem
  • Ankit Rajpoot
  • Mayank Yadav

___________________________

Overseas

  • Dushmantha Chameera
  • Andrew Tye

*Mark Wood (Withdrawn)

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye
  • West Indies: Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers
  • South Africa: Quinton de Kock
  • Sri Lanka: Dushmantha Chameera

Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2022 Fixtures

LSG Fixtures VsGTCSKSRHDCRRMIRCBPBKSKKR
3/283/314/44/74/104/164/194/295/7
5/105/15/154/245/18

6. Mumbai Indians (MI)

Predicted XI:

  1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Ishan Kishan (WK), 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Dewald Brevis/Tilak Verma, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Tim David, 7. Fabian Allen, 8. Murugan Ashwin/Mayank Markande, 9. Jaydev Unadkat, 10. Jasprit Burmah, 11. Basil Thampi/Tymal Mills

Strengths

The same core as before. Rohit-Ishan-Sky-Pollard-Bumrah.

Weaknesses

The bowling cohort. Unadkat/Thampi are adequate players to come off the bench but not the ideal starters. They will also miss the Pandya brothers.

X Factor

Watch out for the foreign recruits. Brevis was the batter of the U-19 World Cup, Tim David is the hardest hitting Singaporean in the T20 circuit, Fabian Allen’s reputation has gone up in the last couple of years, and a fit-Tymal Mills is a treat to watch.

Mumbai Indians IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Rohit Sharma
  • Ishan Kishan (WK)
  • Suryakumar Yadav
  • Anmolpreet Singh
  • Rahul Budhhi
  • Aryan Juyal (WK)
  • Ramandeep Singh
  • Tilak Verma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Dewald Brevis
  • Tim David

All Rounders

  • Arshad Khan
  • Sanjay Yadav

___________________________

Overseas

  • Fabian Allen
  • Kieron Pollard
  • Daniel Sams

Bowlers

  • Jasprit Bumrah
  • Jaydev Unadkat
  • Murugan Ashwin
  • Mayank Markande
  • Basil Thampi
  • Hrithik Shokeen
  • Arjun Tendulkar

___________________________

Overseas

  • *Jofra Archer (unavailable this season)
  • Riley Meredith
  • Tymal Mills

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Riley Meredith, Daniel Sams, Tim David (Singapore/Australia)
  • England: Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills
  • West Indies: Fabian Allen, Kieron Pollard
  • South Africa: Dewald Brevis

Mumbai Indians IPL 2022 Fixtures

MI Fixtures VsDCRR KKRRCBPBKSLSGCSKGTSRH
3/274/24/64/94/134/164/215/65/17
5/214/305/94/245/12

7. Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Predicted XI:

  1. Mayank Agarwal (C), 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Liam Livingstone, 4. Jonny Bairstow (WK), 5. Shahrukh Khan, 6. Rishi Dhawan, 7. Odean Smith, 8. Kagiso Rabada, 9. Arshdeep Singh, 10. Sandeep Sharma, 11. Harpreet Brar/ Rahul Chahar

Strengths

The top 5. Agarwal & Dhawan are perennial Orange Cap contenders, Livingstone-Bairstow are T20 legends, and Shahrukh Khan is the newest finisher in the house.

Weaknesses

Not many Indian batters on the bench if Agarwal/Dhawan were to get injured.

X Factor

Watch out for Rishi Dhawan. He has had a pivotal domestic season.

Punjab Kings IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Mayank Agarwal (C)
  • Shikhar Dhawan
  • Shahrukh Khan
  • Prabhsimran Singh (WK)
  • Jitesh Sharma
  • Atharva Taide

___________________________

Overseas

  • Jonny Bairstow (WK)
  • Bhanuka Rajapaksa

All Rounders

  • Rishi Dhawan
  • Raj Bawa
  • Writtick Chatterjee
  • Prerak Mankad

___________________________

Overseas

  • Liam Livingstone
  • Benny Howell
  • Odean Smith

Bowlers

  • Arshdeep Singh
  • Rahul Chahar
  • Harpreet Brar
  • Ishan Porel
  • Vaibhav Arora
  • Baltej Singh
  • Ansh Patel
  • Sandeep Sharma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Kagiso Rabada
  • Nathan Ellis

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Nathan Ellis
  • England: Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Benny Howell
  • West Indies: Odean Smith
  • South Africa: Kagiso Rabada
  • Sri Lanka: Bhanuka Rajapaksa

Punjab Kings IPL 2022 Fixtures

PBKS Fixtures VsRCBKKRCSKGTMISRHDCLSGRR
3/274/14/34/84/134/174/204/295/7
5/134/255/35/225/16

Punjab Kings Website

8. Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Predicted XI:

  1. Jos Buttler (WK), 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3. Devdutt Padikkal, 4. Sanju Samson (C), 5. Shimron Hetmyer, 6. Daryl Mitchell/James Neesham, 7. Ravichandran Ashwin, 8. Yuzvendra Chahal, 9. Prasidh Krishna, 10. Navdeep Saini, 11. Trent Boult

Strengths

The bowling line up. Ashwin-Chahal area top notch duo and add Boult, Prasidh Krishna, and Navdeep Saini, and this is an envious line-up.

Weaknesses

Too top heavy. Lack of finishers if Neesham does not fire (Riyan Parag has not been consistent enough either)

X Factor

Watch out for Prasidh Krishna. Now an India capped player, lot will rest on his shoulders.

Rajasthan Royals IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Sanju Samson (C)/WK)
  • Yashasvi Jaiswal
  • Karun Nair
  • Devdutt Padikkal
  • Shubham Garhwal

___________________________

Overseas

  • Jos Buttler (WK)
  • Shimron Hetmyer
  • Rassie van der Dussen

All Rounders

  • Ravichandran Ashwin
  • Riyan Parag

___________________________

Overseas

  • Nathan Coulter-Nile
  • Daryl Mitchell
  • James Neesham

Bowlers

  • Yuzvendra Chahal
  • Prasidh Krishna
  • Navdeep Saini
  • Anunay Singh
  • KC Cariappa
  • Dhruv Jurel
  • Kuldeep Sen
  • Tejas Baroka
  • Kuldip Yadav

___________________________

Overseas

  • Trent Boult
  • Obed McCoy

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • New Zealand: Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Trent Boult
  • Australia: Nathan Coulter-Nile
  • England: Jos Buttler
  • West Indies: Shimron Hetmyer, Obed McCoy
  • South Africa: Rassie van der Dussen

Rajasthan Royals IPL 2022 Fixtures

RR Fixtures VsSRHMIRCBLSGGTKKRDCPBKSCSK
3/294/24/54/104/144/184/225/75/20
4/304/265/155/25/11

Rajasthan Royals Website

9. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

Predicted XI:

  1. Faf du Plessis (C), 2. Anuj Rawat, 3. Virat Kohli, 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. Dinesh Karthik (WK), 6. Sherfane Rutherford/Mahipal Lomror, 7. Wanindu Haranga, 8. Shahbaz Ahmed, 9. Harshal Patel, 10. Mohammad Siraj, 11. Karn Sharma/Josh Hazlewood

Strengths

Bowling line up of Siraj-Harshal-Shahbaz-Hasaranga-Hazlewood is mouth-watering.

Weaknesses

How many games will it take RCB to figure out their best XI, which has been their usual problem. I reckon until Maxwell & Hazlewood come in, RCB might experiment with Anuj Rawat-Lomror-Rutherford.

X Factor

Watch out for Finn Allen. If he gets a chance, just remember his debut 29-ball 71 in a T20I. Also watch out for captain Faf du Plessis. Legendary leader – can he help RCB cross the line?

Also Read: Faf du Plessis & AB De Villiers’ Friendship: Broken Dreams of Faf and ABD

Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Virat Kohli
  • Dinesh Karthik (WK)
  • Anuj Rawat (WK)
  • Suyash Prabhudessai
  • Luvnith Sisodia

___________________________

Overseas

  • Faf du Plessis (C)
  • Finn Allen
  • Sherfane Rutherford

All Rounders

  • Mahipal Lomror
  • Shahbaz Ahmed

___________________________

Overseas

  • Glenn Maxwell
  • Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva
  • David Willey

Bowlers

  • Mohammed Siraj
  • Harshal Patel
  • Siddarth Kaul
  • Karn Sharma
  • Akash Deep
  • Aneeshwar Gautam
  • Chama Milind

___________________________

Overseas

  • Jason Behrendorff
  • Josh Hazlewood

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • New Zealand: Finn Allen
  • Australia: Glenn Maxwell, Jason Behrendorff, Josh Hazlewood
  • England: David Willey
  • West Indies: Sherfane Rutherford
  • South Africa: Faf du Plessis
  • Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva

Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2022 Fixtures

RCB Fixtures VsPBKSKKRRRMICSKDCLSGSRHGT
3/273/304/54/94/124/164/194/234/30
5/134/265/45/85/19

RCB Website

10. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Predicted XI:

  1. Kane Williamson (C), 2. Rahul Tripathi, 3. Aiden Markram/Glenn Phillips, 4. Nicholas Pooran (WK), 5. Abdul Samad, 6. Priyam Garg/Abhishek Sharma, 7. Washington Sundar/Shreyas Gopal, 8. Romario Shepherd, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Umran Malik, 11. T Natarajan/Kartik Tyagi

Strengths

Umran Malik-Natarajan-Bhuvneshwar Kumar make a solid bowling line-up. Expect Umran Malik to break the speed charts in this edition of the IPL.

Weaknesses

Not convinced with Priyam Garg/Abhishek Sharma at #6. They might be better used up the order with experienced batters to finish off the match.

X Factor

Watch out for Rahul Tripathi. He was the heart and soul of KKR’s run to the final last year and for RPS in 2017. Also watch out for Suchith, the ultimate substitute fielder.

Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Rahul Tripathi
  • Abdul Samad
  • Priyam Garg
  • Vishnu Vinod (WK)
  • Ravikumar Samarth
  • Shashank Singh

___________________________

Overseas

  • Kane Williamson (C)
  • Aiden Markram
  • Nicholas Pooran (WK)

All Rounders

  • Washington Sundar
  • Abhishek Sharma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Sean Abbott
  • Glenn Phillips (WK)
  • Romario Shepherd

Bowlers

  • Shreyas Gopal
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar
  • Kartik Tyagi
  • T Natarajan
  • Umran Malik
  • Jagadeesha Suchith
  • Saurabh Dubey

___________________________

Overseas

  • Fazalhaq Farooqi
  • Marco Jansen

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • New Zealand: Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips
  • Australia: Sean Abbott
  • West Indies: Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd
  • South Africa: Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen
  • Afghanistan: Fazalhaq Farooqi

Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2022 Fixtures

SRH Fixtures VsRRLSGCSKGTKKRPBKSRCBDCMI
3/294/44/94/114/154/174/235/55/17
5/14/275/145/225/8

Sunrisers Hyderabad Website

Frequently Asked Questions – IPL 2022

Who is the captain of CSK in IPL 2022?

Ravindra Jadeja is the captain of CSK in IPL 2022 as MS Dhoni steps down.

Who are all the IPL 2022 commentators?

Harsha Bhogle, Ian Bishop, Aan Wilkins, Pommie Mbangwa, Simon Doull, Sunil gavaskar, Danny Morrison, Graeme Swann, Scott Styris, neroli Medows, Anant Tyagi, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Murali Karthik, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Hayden, Deep Dasgupta, Anjum Chopra, Nicholas Knight, WV Raman, Daren Ganga, Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith head the English global broadcast unit, while Ravi Shastri, Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, Mohammad Kaif, Mayanti Langer Binny, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jatin Sapru, Tanya Purohit, Suren Sundaram are the Hindi/English commentators.

Who is the captain of RCB in IPL 2022?

After Virat Kohli stepped down, Faf du Plessis became the captain of RCB in IPL 2022.

What are the two new teams in IPL 2022?

Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are the two new teams in IPL 2022.

Sources: ESPNCricinfo – IPL

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IPL 2021 Prediction Results: Did Anybody Get It Right?

IPL 2021 Prediction results time!

Unfortunately, IPL 2021 was cancelled due to the coronavirus. Here are the prediction results assuming the IPL does not get rescheduled this year.

Also Read: 5 Takeaways from IPL 2021, Pre-IPL 2021 Predictions

IPL 2021 Review

The Usual Suspects Disappoint

IPL 2021 prediction results were quite unusual this time around.

The usual contenders for the Orange and Purple caps – David Warner, Quinton de Kock, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, & Kagiso Rabada all had sub-par seasons. Even recent IPL specialists like Ishan Kishan & Suryakumar Yadav had seasons to forget. Nicholas Pooran probably had the worst of the lot.

The Year of the Surprise Package

This was the year of the ‘Surprise Package’—the rise of Avesh Khan & Chetan Sakariya, Moeen Ali 2.0, Harshal Patel’s dream season, the return of Glenn Maxwell, consistency in Sanju Samson & Prithvi Shaw, and even a 37-run over from the man who can do it all—Ravindra Jadeja.

Of course there are some things that never change. AB De Villiers & the Gayle Storm struck a couple of match-winning knocks without much match practice.

Finally, if we would have done a ‘Catch of the Season’ award, surely Ravi Bishnoi would have received it for his 2 classical running/diving catches.

IPL 2021 Prediction

Before the IPL began, we asked our Twitter followers to predict the IPL result and award winners with #BCDPredictions. Here were the categories:

  • #Champions
  • #Top4
  • #MVP
  • #OrangeCap
  • #PurpleCap
  • #FairPlay
  • #EmergingPlayer
  • #SurprisePackage
  • #BrokenDream

The Actual Results

Since half the games were not completed, we will consider multiple winners for each category if there were close contenders. (If we do not consider close calls, there actually very few correct answers).

Interestingly, there were zero predictions for Shikhar Dhawan & Harshal Patel, the orange & purple cap winners respectively.

So here is how things stacked at the halfway stage.

Note*: DC and PBKS played 8 games each, while other teams played only 7.

ChampionsDelhi Capitals (12 points, 8 games)
Chennai Super Kings (10 points, 7 games)
Top 4 DC, CSK, RCB, MI
Most Valuable Player
(Top 5)
Shikhar Dhawan
Ravindra Jadeja
Moeen Ali
Chris Morris
KL Rahul
Orange CapShikhar Dhawan – 380 runs/8 games(DC)
KL Rahul – 331 runs/ 7 games (PBKS)
Faf du Plessis – 320 runs/ 7 games (CSK)
Purple CapHarshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB)
Fairplay AwardPunjab Kings
Emerging PlayerChetan Sakariya
Avesh Khan
Surprise PackageHarshal Patel
Chahar Brothers
Prithvi Shaw
Moeen Ali
Glenn Maxwell actually doing well
Broken DreamIPL ends midway due to COVID
IPL 2021 Awards

And The Winner Is…

Alright, without further ado here are the actual results. Who was the closest?

Well let us find out.

AwardsChampions Top 4MVPOrange CapPurple CapFair PlayEmerging PlayerSurprise PackageBroken Dream
My Predictions
(1/12)
RCBRCB, PBKS, KKR, SRHNicholas Pooran ❌Jonny BairstowShardul ThakurRRAzharuddeenDan Christian MSD & Imran Tahir retire?
Aviral Rai
(5/12)
CSK ✅ SRH,MI, CSK & DCDavid WarnerVirat KohliBhuvneshwar KumarPBKS ✅Shahrukh KhanUthappaMS last IPL maybe
JustCricket
(3/12)
MIMI, DC, RCB, PK/RRBen StokesVirat
Kohli
Kagiso RabadaCSKSRK (PK)
Finn Allen
Sourabh Sanyal
(4/12)
MI/SRH
RCB, DC, MI, SRHVK/Rahul ✅ VK/WarnerBoom/KGRRPadikkalMarco JansenCSK not qualifying
Anand Abhirup
(2/12)
SRHMI, SRH, PBKS, KKRMarcus StoinisKL Rahul ✅ Bhuvneshwar KumarRRAbdul SamadFinn AllenMSD retires
Ganesh giri srt
(2/12)
SRHSRH, MI, PBKS, RCBBhuviWarnerRashidSRHSamadKedarMSD retire forever?
Mohd Shamir Ansari 
(2/12)
MIMI, RCB, KKR, SRHSuryakumar Yadav
Rohit SharmaRashid KhanKKRShahrukh KhanAndre RussellWill be CSK not making into top 4, second time in a row of IPL history.
The Hundred Report
(4/12)
MIDC, SRH, MI, CSKPantBairstowNortjePunjab
Riyan ParagShahrukh
RCB
Sourabh Negi 
(4/12)
CSK ✅ CSK, PBKS, DC, KKRA Russell/ R PantKL Rahul ✅ K RabadaCSKShahrukh Khan/M. AzharuddeenS ThakurMI not making hatrick of winning IPL
Vandit
(5/12)
MIMI, DC, PBKS, RRChris Morris

KL Rahul ✅ Rashid KhanCSKMarco Jansen/Avesh Khan
Yashasvi JaiswalMS Dhoni
Paras
(2/12)
KKRMI, KKR, SRH, RCBAndre RussellDavid WarnerBumrah / CumminsKKRPrasidh KrishnaAbdul SamadMSD, Tahir
Rohan Gulavani
(4/12)
DC ✅ MI, DC, SRH, RCBPantVirat KohliNortjeCSKAzharuddeen/Rajat
Meredith/ShahrukhRCB not crossing the line again
Kanishk
(4/12)
MIMI, DC, SRH, CSKPantWarnerBumrahCSKShah Rukh khanPrithvi Shaw ✅ RCB not qualifying
Nams
(1/12)
PBKSPBKS, KKR, MI, RRBumrahVirat KohliBumrahSRHFinn AllenLiam LivingstoneIyer
Priyam Desai
(4/12)
MIMI, CSK, DC, PBKSShubman GillKohli/KL Rahul ✅ SRHPriyam GargArjun Tendulkar
Arnab Bhattacharyya
(4/12)
DC ✅ MI, DC, KKR, SRHPantMayank AgarwalAshwinCSKShahrukh KhanShaw ✅ Zinta and her Team
Kickit Wicket
(3/12)
MIMI, SRH, PBSK, CSKBumrahRohitBumrahPBKS
PadikaalHardikMalan Flops
Xan
(4/12)
SRHMI, SRH, RR, CSKChris Morris
David WarnerRavichandran AshwinRRRuturaj GaikwadChetan Sakariya
Maxwell performs well
Mitsuha Miyamizu
(2/12)
RCBRCB , KKR , SRH/DC ,RR
ABDViratJamiesonRCBAbdul SamadKedhar Jadhav
Thala
 ϻⓐHέⓢ𝐡
(2/12)
RRMI, CSK, SRH, RR
Ben StokesQuinton de Kock
Jofra ArcherDCRavi BishnoiAbhishek Sharma
MSD retires
Scripturient
(4/12)
MIMI, CSK, KKR, SRHPantKohliNortje or BumrahPBKS
KishanShaw ✅ RR not qualifying (Lovely team this season)
Jimmy Ciego
(1/12)
KKRRR, PBKS, KKR, SRHNicholas Pooran ❌ StokesJhyePBKS
ShahrukhMalan
Dan
(2/12)
MISRH, MI, KKR, RR
Ben StokesKL Rahul ✅
Rashid KhanCSKParagShahrukh Khan
PBKS finish bottom
AVINASH YADAV 
(3/12)
RCBMI RCB KKR KXIPViratKL Rahul ✅ BhuviCSKMohd. AzharuddeenIshan Kishan
Delhi Capitals’ loss of Shreyas Iyer will be an impact
James McCaghrey
(5/12)
MIMI, DC, CSK, KKRChris Morris
David WarnerJasprit BumrahRRAzharuddeenMoeen Ali
Malan has a very poor IPL
 Shivam
(3/5)
RCBCSK, MI, RCB, SRH
Harrison
(3/5)
MIMI, SRH, RCB, DC
IPL 2021 Prediction

The Winners

The moment of truth….Drumroll please….WE HAVE A TIE!

  • 1st 🥇: Aviral Rai, James McCagrey, and Vandit (5/12) (Vandit was also the winner of the IPL 2020 Predictions)
  • 2nd🥈: Sourabh Sanyal, Sourabh Negi, Scripturient, The Hundred Report, Xan, Priyam Desai, Kanishk, Rohan Gulavani, and Arnab Bhattacharrya (4/12)
  • 3rd 🥉: Shivam & Harrison (3/5)

  • Honorable Mention: Jonny – “Hope it stays COVID safe most of all #IPL.”
  • The Anti Award goes to…Jimmy Ciego! His top 4 were RR (5), PBKS (6), KKR (7), and SRH (8) with Nicholas Pooran as the most valuable player. Oops… 😅 No worries. My predictions were a close second there.

Also Read: Nicholas Pooran – The Next Big Thing In World Cricket?

Conclusion

Sometimes, predictions go your way, and sometimes they do not. The important thing is to have fun and get a chance to interact with other cricket fans.

In all seriousness though, my thoughts and prayers with everyone going through the pandemic around the world, especially in India. Take care and stay safe.

Thank you all for participating in the IPL 2021 Prediction 😊 Until next time…

Comment below your favorite memories from this IPL, share with your friends, and subscribe below to receive email alerts when new articles come out!

Image Courtesy: Photo by Paula Schmidt from Pexels

5 Takeaways from IPL 2021

IPL 2021 has unfortunately been suspended ‘indefinitely’. Seemed inevitable—here are five takeaways from this tournament.

1. India’s Problem of Plenty At the Top for India, Questions Elsewhere

Virat Kohli announced during the India-England series that he & Rohit Sharma would open for the T20I World Cup. Ishan Kishan & Suryakumar Yadav also had stunning debuts, but IPL 2021 has changed the narrative.

Dhawan, Shaw, & KL Rahul are back in the reckoning with dominating performances while Agarwal signed off with a blazing 99*. Forms of Rohit-Kohli, Gill, Kishan, and SKY on the other hand? Concerning.

While India has plenty of options at the top, lower order looks unstable. Pandyas are horridly out of touch, Tewatia was a one-season wonder, and Karthik’s form is hot and cold. On the bowling front, Natarajan is injured, Varun and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have fitness issues, Kuldeep-Chahal are in the worst phases of their careers, and Sundar-Ashwin failed to make a mark. Only positives were the Chahar cousins, Harshal Patel, & Jadeja. Good finds in Sakariya & Avesh as well.

2. England Burnt Out, Hope for South Africa, Doubts for West Indies

England arrived in India with the goal of experiencing conditions that will help them lift the World T20 trophy. Fast forward two months, Stokes-Archer are injured & Morgan’s magic is missing—both as captain and with the bat. Apart from century in the final game, Buttler flattered to deceive, Currans were inconsistent, Woakes-Malan barely played, & Roy-Livingstone-Billings did not even get a chance. Only Moeen Ali & Bairstow had positive seasons.

With a busy home Test summer around the corner, England need to manage their players carefully. A case of severe burnout. 

South Africans, on the other hand, endured a resurgent campaign. Genius of AB De Villiers aside, forms of du Plessis, Morris, Miller, and even 42-year-old Tahir provides South Africa much needed hope. With Janneman Malan & Nortje in brilliant touch during the Pakistan series, the Proteas have a decent core of youth & experience.

Ngidi, Rabada, and QDK were not in top gear, but we all know what damage they can do.

Finally, West Indians witnessed high highs and low lows. Pollard played his best IPL innings, Hetmyer & Russell displayed their finishing potential, and Gayle produced a couple of match-winning performances as well. Yet much-hyped Pooran had one of the all-time worst IPL seasons—4 ducks & an average of 4.66. Not much of note from Allen, Holder, & Narine either.

3. Loyalty Is Temporary, Class Is Permanent

David Warner might only be considered a great modern-day Australian opener, but he is an absolute legend in the Indian Premier League.

Most fifties (50), third on list of centuries (4), and fifth highest run-scorer (5447), best for any foreign player. More importantly, he led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their only title in 2016 along with four qualifiers.

It took just 6 games, couple of unfortunate run-outs, a 110 strike-rate, and miscommunication with management to axe him. Expect Warner to don a jersey of another team next IPL.

Loyalty is fickle.

4. World T20 In Danger?

Unlike the successfully hosted IPL 2020, the way this edition ended was bit of a shame. IPL 2021 was supposed to be testing grounds to see if India can host the World T20 later this year. India failed.

UAE is the top contender to host the tournament, but multiple issues still to think about. IPL 2020 was in a strict bio-bubble with 8 teams involved. The World Cup will host 16 teams, and each team is allowed an extended squad of 23 players.

Man proposes COVID disposes.

5. Humanity Prevails

Jason Behrendorff had to be the most unfortunate cricketing story of IPL 2021.

Not picked in initial auction, called as a replacement for CSK, quarantined, and when he finally became eligible to play, the IPL was called off.

What’s worse? Australian government is not accepting their citizens (even jail threat), so the Australian contingent from the IPL must fly to Sri Lanka & Maldives until the travel ban ends.

Regardless, kudos to Behrendorff & earlier to Cummins for contributing to the COVID-19 emergency in India that set off a series of players donating to the cause.

Our thoughts and prayers with India and others suffering from the global pandemic.

Get well soon, world.

PBKS Vs DC – IPL 2021 Match 29 Review: Agarwal’s 99* In Vain As Capitals March On

PBKS Vs DC – IPL 2021 Match #29 Quick Review!

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: PBKS Vs DC Video Highlights

Toss: DC won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Umpires: Anil Chaudhary & Anil Dandekar

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Mumbai Indians won by 4 wickets.
  • Scores: PBKS 166-6 Vs DC 167-3
  • Player of the Match: Mayank Agarwal
  • Best Figures
    • Kagiso Rabada – 3/36
    • Harpreet Brar – 1/19 (3 overs)
  • Most Runs
    • Mayank Agarwal – 99* (58)
    • Shikhar Dhawan – 69* (47)

Moment of The Day: Chris Gayle’s Stump Goes Flying

  • After Kagiso Rabada’s consistent breakthrough IPL seasons, IPL 2021 has been a letdown so far. With Anrich Nortje on the bench, his position was under the scanner. Just 3 wickets in the last 5 games, he came back with a 3/36 today. My moment of the day was Rabada taking Gayle’s stump out with a full-toss after Gayle had dispatched Rabada for a six.
  • Mayank Agarwal was the batsman of IPL 2020 although he got injured halfway through. After his form dropped from Test cricket, he was not looking like his own. Even though he was among the runs this year, the ball-striking and strike rate was not up to par. As stand-in captain for KL Rahul, he was back to his absolute best. 99* (58) pushed PBKS to a competitive score of 166.

Honorable Mention: Hetmyer’s finishes it off in style – 16* (4) with 2 sixes

T20 World Cup Spotlight: Shaw, Shikhar Shoe-In for the 23-Member Squad?

Prithvi Shaw has been single-handedly dismantling the opposition within the powerplay, while Shikhar Dhawan has been killing the opposition softly. Together, they have formed a deadly combination, both in the top 4 of top run-getters.

  • Dhawan is the orange cap: 380 runs, 54.28 average, 134.27 strike rate.
  • Shaw: 308 runs, 38.50 average, 166.48 strike rate.

If the T20 World Cup happens, they should definitely make the squad now. The question is, do they make the XI? With Mumbai Indians trio Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar struggling for form, Dhawan-Shaw might be a wildcard opening entry rather than Sharma-Kohli. KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal are the other options.

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Dawid Malan

  • Nicholas Pooran was finally dropped for Dawid Malan. Malan already scored higher than Pooran in his six games – but the strike rate was concerning. 26 (26) with a few good looking shots and singles, but was bogged down. Where do things stand for him?
  • Ravi Bishnoi has pulled some blinders and have had some good games with the ball. After Harpreet got Prithvi Shaw out and Steve Smith slow to get off, PBKS had a sniff. Shikhar Dhawan had other plans as he destroyed Bishnoi. Ended with figures of 4-0-42-0.
  • Wishing speedy recovery to KL Rahul who underwent appendicitis surgery.

The Big News: COVID Hits the IPL

KKR Vs RCB has been postponed due to positive tests for Varun Chakravarthy & Sandeep Warrier. In addition, CSK staff has also been hit.

I think it is time to shut the IPL for now. Players’ health is more important.

The BCCI is deliberating moving the entire rest of the IPL to Mumbai.

IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • Shikhar Dhawan 380 runs (PBKS, 8 matches)
  • Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 7 matches)
TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals 862012+0.547
2. Chennai Super Kings752010+1.263
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore 752010 -0.171
4. Mumbai Indians74308+ 0.062
5. Rajasthan Royals73406-0.190
6. Punjab Kings83506-0.368
7. Kolkata Knight Riders72504-0.494
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad71602-0.623
IPL 2021 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Home » Punjab Kings

PBKS Vs RCB- IPL 2021 Match 26 Review: Harpreet Brar’s Day Out Shuts Out RCB

PBKS Vs RCB – IPL 2021 Match #26 Quick Review! KL Rahul & Chris Gayle set the tone for PBKS, and Harpreet Brar did the rest.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: PBKS Vs RCB Video Highlights

Toss: SRH won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Umpires: Sundaram Ravi & Virender Sharma

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Chennai Super Kings won by 7 wickets.
  • Scores: PBKS 179-5 Vs RCB 145-8
  • Player of the Match: Harpreet Brar
  • Best Figures
    • Kyle Jamieson – 2/32
    • Harpreet Brar – 3/19
  • Most Runs
    • KL Rahul – 91* (57)
    • Virat Kohli – 35 (34)

Moments of The Day: What can Harpreet Brar not do?

Here are my moments of today:

  • KL Rahul is the poster-child of Bangalore. At PBKS, he has Mayank Agarwal, his best friend, as his opening partner. Add coach Anil Kumble & ex-RCB Chris Gayle to that list. He debuted for RCB in 2013 before moving to Punjab in 2018. Last year, he scored 132* against RCB and 91* today. An array of shots today, with a few scoops at the end as well. He has not been dismissed by them in the last couple of years. Basically, he loves RCB & Bangalore, whether that is for them or against them.
  • Chris Gayle produced his second match-winning knock of the season. Five fours in an over against Kyle Jamieson raised the momentum, which put Punjab’s run-rate in second gear. Ended with 46 (24) with 2 sixes.
  • Harpreet Brar was the star of the show. After Gayle’s storm, a mini-collapse took place. 118-5 in 14.4 overs. Harpreet Brar rebuilt and provided KL Rahul with much-needed support on the other end. At the end, he took finishing in his own hands with a quickfire 25* (17) with 2 sixes. The last ball six sent the dugout with the momentum they needed to inflict the damage with the ball.
  • Harpreet Brar, the bowler—Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, AB De Villiers. Bowled, bowled, caught. Double-wicket maiden. And a catch as well. Combined figures of Brar & Bishnoi: 8-1-36-3. Wow. Just Wow.

Honorable Mention: Ravi Bishnoi takes another blinder; Prabhsimran Singh’s shows intent; Glenn’s Maxwell stunned reaction; Meredith’s bowled

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Rajat Patidar & Virat Kohli

  • In a 9 an over required-rate, Kohli’s 35 (34) & Patidar’s 31 (30) was not up to par. Even AB De Villiers cannot rescue the team with a partnership worth 43 (46).
  • Harshal Patel is the purple cap of the season and had taken 17 wickets in 6 games. At this rate, he would be the highest wicket-taker in a season. Until this game, the 37-run Jadeja over was the only blot to his name. Today, the death bowling was not accurate and he conceded 53 runs without taking a wicket. Made it up with 31* (13). Helped RCB’s NRR by taking them from 96-7 to 145-8 with Kyle Jamieson’s help.
  • Cannot End this without Nicholas’ ‘Poor-Run.’ He has now bagged 0 (0), 0(1), 0(2), and 0(3). Quite a collection. Nicholas Pooran & his ducks:

IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • KL Rahul 331 runs (PBKS, 7 matches)
  • Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 7 matches)
TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Chennai Super Kings752010+1.263
2. Delhi Capitals752010+0.466
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore 752010 -0.171
4. Mumbai Indians74308+ 0.062
5. Punjab Kings73406-0.264
6. Kolkata Knight Riders72504-0.494
7. Rajasthan Royals62404-0.69
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad61502-0.264
IPL 2021 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Home » Punjab Kings

MI Vs PBKS IPL 2021 Match 17 Review: Bowlers, Top Order Brush Mumbai Aside

MI Vs PBKS– IPL 2021 Match #17 Quick Review! Ravi Bishnoi & Mohammad Shami set up the chase, and KL Rahul-Mayank Agarwal-Chris Gayle carried Punjab home.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: MI Vs DC Video Highlights

Toss: PBKS won the toss and chose to bat first.

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Umpires: Chettithody Shamshuddin & Nitin Menon

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Punjab Kings won by 9 wickets.
  • Scores: MI 131/6PBKS 132/1
  • Player of the Match: KL Rahul
  • Best Figures
    • Mohammad Shami & Ravi Bishnoi – 2/21
    • Rahul Chahar – 1/19
  • Most Runs
    • Rohit Sharma – 63 (52)
    • KL Rahul – 60* (52)

Moments of The Day: Good Team Selection Key to PBKS’ Win

The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:

  • PBKS’ collective bowling performance the key to victory. The way Moises Henriques (3-0-12-0) & Deepak Hooda (3-0-12-1) began set the tone for Punjab’s disciplined bowling effort & got the 5th/6th bowler out of the way earlier. Bishnoi finally came back to the XI and delivered right away. Both Shami & Bishnoi had figures of 4-0-21-2.
  • KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal – They delivered all throughout IPL 2020, but had been inconsistent in 2021, which lead to Punjab’s low scores of 106/8 and 120 recently. 53-run partnership today helped Punjab chase the tricky total. KL Rahul has received lots of criticism for “Strike rate is over-rated” comment, but today, slow-ish matured innings by KL & Gayle was exactly what Punjab needed. Strike rate is over-rated…in Chennai.
  • Rahul Chahar & Jayant Yadav – Mumbai took it close yet again due to the spinners. Chahar has been the best leg-spinner all IPL and was turning it square again. Figures of 4-0-19-1 (8 dot balls) & 4-0-20-0 (16 dot balls) for Chahar & Jayant respectively almost brought MI back in the game.

World T20 World Cup Spotlight: The Universe Boss Is Back

  • Chris Gayle was going through a lean phase with scores of 10, 11, & 15 with Dawid Malan looking over his shoulder. Despite a slow start today, he came back with 43* (35) with 2 sixes, in usual Gayle fashion on the 8th anniversary of his 175* against Pune Warriors. Mumbai Indians were choking oppositions at will in Chennai and run-a-ball with 3 overs to go was touch and go. Boult came in, & Gayle/Rahul finished it off with 14 balls to spare.
  • The 41-year-old Universe Boss should definitely be in the 23 men World T20 squad, shouldn’t he?

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Mumbai’s Batting Is Losing Its Grip

  • 159/9, 152/10, 150/5, 137/9, 131/6 – Things are going from bad to worse for the Mumbai Indians, despite winning 2 without a single convincing batting performance.
  • The form of Ishan Kishan & Quinton de Kock will be a worry, specially since Chris Lynn went back to the bench after his 49. Except one score of 40, de Kock has scored 2, 2, & 3 respectively. Kishan’s 1 (3), 12 (21) , 26 (28) do not look any better and the miserly 6 (17) was the reason Mumbai scored only 21 runs in the 6-over Powerplay today.
  • Rohit Sharma & Suryakumar Yadav have done better overall, but neither have converted to the big scores after being set. Rohit’s 63 (52) was better today since he stayed till the 18th over, with 19, 43, 32, 44 earlier. SKY, similarly, has scores of 31, 56, 10, 24, & 33.

With 4 games in the slow pitches of Delhi to follow, MI are in dire need to change strategy…or personnel.

IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • Shikhar Dhawan 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
  • Harshal Patel – 12 wickets (RCB, 4 matches)
TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore44008+ 1.009
2. Chennai Super Kings43106+1.142
3. Delhi Capitals43106+0.426
4. Mumbai Indians52304-0.032
5. Punjab Kings52304-0.428
6. Sunrisers Hyderabad 41302-0.228
7. Kolkata Knight Riders41302-0.7
8. Rajasthan Royals41302-1.011
IPL 2021 Points Table

Tomorrow’s Preview

The bottom of the table clash: KKR Vs RR. Purple Vs Pink. Who you do 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:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Home » Punjab Kings

KKR Vs MI IPL 2021 Match 5 Review: Kolkata Seniors Throw It Away

KKR Vs MI– IPL 2021 Match #5 Quick Review! The Mumbai Indians sure know how to win games & Kolkata Knight Riders sure know how to lose them. As a KKR fan, the ending was hard to watch. Great heist from MI nevertheless.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: KKR Vs MI Video Highlights

Toss: KKR won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: MA Chidambaram, Chepauk, Chennai

Umpires: Chettithody Shamshuddin & Chris Gaffaney

What Actually Happened: Collapse of Epic Proportions

  • Winner: MI won by 10 runs
  • Scores: MI 152/10 Vs KKR 142/7
  • Player of the Match: Rahul Chahar
  • Best Figures
    • Andre Russell – 5/15
    • Rahul Chahar – 4/27
  • Most Runs
    • Suryakumar Yadav 56 (36)
    • Nitish Rana 57 (47)

Moments of The Day: Rahul Chahar Turns The Game

The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:

  • Andre Russell, the bowler had a dream of a game. Barely able to lift himself with all the injuries & muscle, he came up with figures of 5-15 in 2 overs. Cleaned up the tail pretty nicely.
  • Rahul Chahar turns the game, literally. Chahar was the catalyst of the collapse that turned 72-0 in 8.4 overs to 142/7 in 20. Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan, & most importantly, the well set Nitish Rana. The ball that dismissed Tripathi was the ball of the tournament so far. Rana unnecessarily danced down the pitch (to Chahar’s last ball by the way) & Shakib threw it away back-to-back sent panic into the KKR dressing room. DK-Russell lost their natural games trying to preserve their wickets, and in the process, gifted MI the game.

Honorable Mentions: Bumrah’s 19th shows his class; Russell’s 2 dropped catches a blessing in disguise

T20 World Cup Watch: Suryakumar, Krunal Strengthen Their Cases

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.

  • In a pitch where nobody got going, Suryakumar Yadav batted beautifully – 56 (36) with 2 sixes. SKY is going from strength to strength after the India debut. He has a foot inside that World Cup squad.
  • The difference between the two sides was Krunal Pandya. From 126/7 in 17.3 overs, Krunal’s 15 (9) in 3 overs took MI to a respectable 152. When KKR were in a comfortable position, a miserly spell of 4-0-13-1 stalled KKR’s chase. He has been in-and-out of the T20I side, and this performance will just push him up the ladder.

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: KKR Fans

  • The senior KKR batsman fail to live up to the hype. The strength of KKR was supposed to be their star-studded middle order—Eoin Morgan 9 (9), Dinesh Karthik 8* (11), Russell 9 (15), & Shakib 9 (9) this season. Yet, their only victories in the last two seasons have been due to Rana-Tripathi-Gill or Varun-Lockie.
  • DK not being able to finish the game & not even hitting a boundary was quite unlike him. Morgan hit one boundary, Shakib’s only 4 was an under edge against Rohit Sharma, & Russell’s only 4 was off of a free hit. Andre Russell, the batsman, has been especially disappointing over the last two seasons. 2019 apart and his contributions from the bat are minimal, especially with the likes of Lockie Ferguson & Ben Cutting on the sidelines.

Shah Rukh Khan summed it up perfectly.

  • Also hope Rohit Sharma is okay – twisted his ankle before his first ball. Ended up completing the over, but given his injury history, definitely a concern.

IPL 2021 Points Table

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!

TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals11002+0.779
2. Mumbai Indians2 1102+0.225
3. Punjab Kings11002+ 0.2
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore11002+0.05
5. Kolkata Knight Riders211000.00
6. Rajasthan Royals10100-0.2
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad10100-0.5
8.. Chennai Super Kings10100-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table

Tomorrow’s Preview

The Sunrisers Hyderabad take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore 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:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/13/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Home » Punjab Kings

PBKS Vs RR IPL 2021 Match 4 Review: Samson’s Broken Dream In Mammoth Chase

PBKS Vs RR– IPL 2021 Match #4 Quick Review! The Rajasthan Royals falls meters short of an improbable victory against the Punjab Kings.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: PBKS Vs RR Video Highlights

Toss: RR won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Umpires: Anil Chaudhary & Sundaram Ravi

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: RR won by 4runs
  • Scores: RR 221/6 Vs PBKS 217/7
  • Player of the Match: Sanju Samson
  • Best Figures
    • Chetan Sakariya – 3/31
    • Arshdeep Singh – 3/35
  • Most Runs
    • KL Rahul – 91 (50)
    • Sanju Samson – 119 (63)

Moments of The Day: Sakariya, Arshdeep Win Hearts

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 GoingProbably 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.

Honorable Mentions: Chris Gayle’s 40, Buttler’s counterattack

T20 World Cup Watch: India’s Power Hitters

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 sixes thrilled 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, Buttler dropped catches from the Royals, while Murugan Ashwin, KL Rahul, & Mayank Agarwal took 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!

TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals11002+0.779
2. Kolkata Knight Riders110 02+ 0.5
3. Punjab Kings11002+ 0.2
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore11002+0.05
5. Mumbai Indians10100-0.05
6. Rajasthan Royals10100-0.2
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad10100-0.5
8.. Chennai Super Kings10100-0.779
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:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Home » Punjab Kings

IPL 2021: 5 Things to Watch Out For

IPL 2021—ladies & gentlemen, the festival is back in town!

IPL 2020 provided us several moments to cherish amidst the global pandemic—Rahul Tewatia’s bizarre heist, Nicholas Pooran’s superman fielding effort, double Super Overs, and the Mumbai Indians stamping their authority once again.

Who will be the surprise package this year? The emerging player? Here are 5 things I am looking forward to the most in IPL 2021.

Also Read: Top 10 Lessons from IPL 2021, Dream Teams IPL 2020

1. Shine Like a Diamond

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:

  1. 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?
  2. 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.
  3. 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,

  1. Teams have been accommodated 90 minutes per innings including the Strategic Time Outs. Penalties have been raised for violation.
  2. No soft-signal for catches and obstruction of field appeals.
  3. 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:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Image Courtesy: Image by Creative Hatti from Pixabay

IPL 2021 Punjab Kings Preview: Pooran, Malan, & Bishnoi the Keys to Success?

Time for Punjab Kings Preview edition.

IPL 2020 was ‘What Could Have Been’ for (then) KXIP. Kings XI Punjab no more, will the name change bring the much needed luck?

Here is my preview. What do you think?

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auctions Review, KXIP All-Time XI

IPL History

2014 (Runners-Up), 2008 (3rd)

How Did They Do Last Year?

6th. Results do not convey the whole story however.

  • Mayank Agarwal was the highlight for the first half with KL Rahul getting the Orange Cap (although his SR was in question).
  • Nicholas Pooran’s catch. Just watch it again. Best fielding side by a mile. Of course, with Jonty Rhodes as fielding coach, expectations are very high.
  • Super Overs, Double Super Overs. On the receiving end of some bad luck, but had themselves to blame.

Injury & COVID-19 News

One of the only teams to not receive any bad news as of yet. Hopefully things go as planned for PBKS.

Complete Punjab Kings Squad

Batsman: Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Shahrukh Khan

Fast Medium: Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Ishan Porel

Spinners: Murugan Ashwin, Harpreet Brar, Ravi Bishnoi

All-Rounders: Deepak Hooda, Jalaj Saxena, Darshan Nalkande, Saurabh Kumar, Utkarsh Singh

WK: KL Rahul*

Overseas: Fabian Allen, Chris Gayle, Moises Henriques, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Riley Meredith, Nicholas Pooran, Jhye Richardson

*Captain

Predicted PBKS XI

  1. KL Rahul (C/WK), 2. Mayank Agarwal, 3. Dawid Malan/Chris Gayle4. Nicholas Pooran5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Shahrukh Khan, 7. Fabian Allen/ Moises Henriques8. Arshdeep Singh, 9. Chris Jordan/ Jhye Richardson10. Mohammad Shami, 11. Ravi Bishnoi

Watch Out For

  • Chris Gayle. Yes the same one. He is targeting a 3rd World T20I title and might even play till the age of 45. Gayle, KL Rahul, & Mayank Agarwal back in Bangalore. PBKS are scheduled to play their last 5 games at Bangalore. Carnage from the home boys?
  • From the bottom of my heart, I believe Nicholas Pooran is the next big star of world cricket. This has to be his year either in the IPL or the World T20I. Hopefully both. If you have not read his story, read it below. Truly inspirational stuff.

Also Read: Nicholas Pooran, A Story of Pain, Hope, & Inspiration

Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Kings?

Going back to the Chinnaswamy is good news…for the batsmen. Not so much for the death bowling. Chris Jordan is one of the world’s best exponent of the yorker, but his England form has been off color in 2020-21. Arshdeep was impressive, but this bowling unit does not give me confidence.

Venues & Fixtures

Venues

Bangalore- 5, Ahmedabad- 4, Mumbai- 3, Chennai- 2

Fixtures

  • 12 April: RR vs PBKS (Mumbai)
  • 16 April: PBKS vs CSK (Mumbai)
  • 18 April: DC vs PBKS (Mumbai)
  • 21 April: PBKS vs SRH (Chennai)
  • 23 April: PBKS vs MI (Chennai)
  • 26 April: PBKS vs KKR (Ahmedabad)
  • 30 April: PBKs vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
  • 2 May: PBKS vs DC (Ahmedabad)
  • 6 May: RCB vs PBKS (Ahmedabad)
  • 9 May: CSK vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 13 May: MI vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 15 May: KKR vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 19 May: SRH vs PBKS (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

The good news? Punjab play 4 games in Ahmedabad before they head to Bangalore. So if they make it to the qualifiers, they will have good experience of the conditions under their belt.

If they can win their Super Overs this time around, PBKS will be the team to watch out for.

Prediction2nd
Most Runs Nicholas Pooran
Most WicketsRavi Bishnoi
Emerging PlayerShahrukh Khan, the finisher
Surprise PackageFabian Allen
X FactorChris Gayle
Broken Cricket DreamDawid Malan, the No. 1 T20I batsman of 2020, has had some questions around his place recently. With Gayle breathing down his neck, can Malan come on his own in the IPL?
Punjab Kings Preview Predictions

What do you think of the Punjab Kings Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?

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Copyright (2021: 4/3/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com