In the second match of the day, Royal Challengers Bangalore will host Pune Warriors in an interesting battle. Before the tournament everybody would have expected the Bangalore team to be at the position where Warriors are and vice-versa. But, this IPL season has witnessed some very interesting results. The Warriors have won three out of the four matches that they have played. Finalists from the last season, RCB have lost three matches from the four they have featured in.
In the last match, Pune Warriors outplayed the defending champions and they will be looking to do the same with the other team that featured in the 2011 finals.
RCB lost their last match to the less fancied Rajasthan Royals. The double R’s dominated the match and proved that beating RCB is not that difficult. Let’s have a look at some of the players who can prove dangerous in this match.
Pune Warriors:
Jesse Ryder: Ryder scripted Pune’s win against the Chennai Super Kings. He played right through the innings and assured that they do not panic at the end. He is a very dangerous batsman at the top of the innings and can be murderous at times. Ryder is very difficult to stop in the field restriction and his presence on the wicket can give any captain nightmares.
Angelo Mathews: This Sri Lankan player is already considered as one of the best all-rounder of the modern day cricket. He is very effective in the middle overs and has shown in the past that he is a tremendous finisher as well. Mathews is equally effective with the ball in his hand and, Warriors will be hoping that this player can come good early in the tournament.
Rahul Sharma: He has been one of the most consistent bowlers for the Warriors and once again will play a vital role for them. Rahul Sharma uses his height brilliantly and can get steep bounce on any wicket. He rarely bowls a bad delivery and that makes him doubly dangerous. His role in the middle-overs is very crucial for his team.
Ashok Dinda: Bangalore wicket always has some pace and bounces to offer and Dinda will be raring to bowl on this wicket. He has bowled superbly in this season and will be looking to carry on with his good form. His rhythm looks good and the pace that he generates from the wicket is amazing. Dinda will bowl up-front to Chris Gayle and the Warriors will be hoping for him to win the battle.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Mayank Agarwal: He looked the best batsman on display when Bangalore played Rajasthan Royals. Agarwal has been very effective since the time he was promoted to open the innings. He likes taking the attack to the bowlers from the first over and has outshone Chris Gayle in the two previous occasion. He plays some lovely shots and can clear the boundary with ease.
Saurabh Tiwary: He shot to limelight with his performances for the Mumbai Indians in the first three edition of IPL. He joined RCB in the fourth season and has not played a substantial innings since then. There is a lot of pressure on this young man to perform. Tiwary will be hoping to play a big role in this match as otherwise it will be very difficult for him to maintain his place in the side.
Zaheer Khan: He was the only bowler who did not go for runs in the match against Rajasthan Royals. Zaheer has been the premier Indian fast bowler for a long time and he has started to play the role for RCB as well. Zaheer will be looking to take some early wickets in his spell. He has a very good track record against Ganguly and would look to capitalize on that early on in the innings.
Daniel Vettori: The skipper of RCB will be looking to bowl a match winning spell in front of the home crowd. He has been economical in the series but has failed to take wickets regularly. Pune warriors’ middle order is in very good form and it will be up to this skilled left-armer to not let them get away. He is very effective with the bat as well and can play some quick-fire innings.
By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News
