Powered by in-form Virat Kohli’s inspirational leadership, Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to inch closer to a maiden IPL title triumph when they take on table-toppers Gujarat Lions in the Qualifier I, here on Tuesday.
RCB were in a real spot of bother as they needed to win their last four games to make it to the play-offs. The Bangalore outfit showed great fighting spirit, with Kohli leading from the front, to record four consecutive wins to finish the league engagements at the second spot.
Kohli on fire
RCB seem to have struck form at just the right time and after a not-so-impressive start to the season, the Kohli-led side has dished out four clinical performances to beat the Lions (by 144 runs), Kolkata Knight Riders (by 9 wickets), Kings XI Punjab (by 82 runs D/L method) and Delhi Daredevils (by 6 wickets) to seal their top-four place.
In the do-or-die battle against Daredevils on Sunday night, RCB first restricted their opponents to 138 for eight and then chased down the target with consummate ease – Kohli again hogging the limelight with an unbeaten 54.
Home advantage
The last time RCB squared up against Gujarat here, they recorded the biggest ever (144-run) victory in the history of IPL. AB de Villiers (129 not out) and Virat Kohli (109) went on a rampage in that game and scored magnificent centuries.
And come Tuesday, the Bangalore outfit will once again fancy their chances on home turf.
Kohli has so far amassed a record 919 runs in the ongoing IPL with four centuries and six fifties at a staggering average of 91.90. Kohli has also been an impressive captain and infused confidence in the team after a disappointing start.
In the company of Kohli, de Villiers and Chris Gayle also dished out some sizzling batting performances. Credit for the turnaround should also go to RCB’s not-so-experienced bowling attack, which was under fire for a major part of the tournament.
Yuzvendra Chahal, who is the leading wicket-taker with 19 scalps from 11 games, along with Shane Watson and Chris Jordon have served well with the ball.
Balanced line-up
Debutantes Gujarat Lions, on the other hand, were the first team to qualify for the play-offs. And the Suresh Raina-led side will be eyeing sweet revenge for their embarrassing defeat against RCB to head straight into the final of their maiden IPL appearance.
In Aaron Finch (339 runs from 11 games), Brendon McCullum (321 from 14), Dwayne Smith (250 from 10), Raina (397 from 13), Dinesh Karthik (283) and Darren Bravo, Gujarat too have a formidable batting line-up.
In the bowling department, Gujarat have depended on the pace trio of Bravo, Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni. While Bravo has 15 wickets against his name, Kulkarni has managed 14 scalps so far. Smith too has clicked with the ball in the latter stages of the tournament.
Even though the losing side on Tuesday will have another chance to make it to the final by locking horns against the winner of the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, both RCB and Gujarat will be hoping for a direct berth in Sunday’s final.PTI
