Two teams who are in a must-win situation will face each other at the beautiful stadium in Dharamsala. Both Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings will know that they can’t afford to lose the match as that will almost end their campaign in the tournament.
Defending champions CSK are on 17 points and will almost make it to the playoffs if they collect to points from this match. KXIP on the other hand will have to win both their remaining matches to have any chance qualifying for the playoff.
Let’s have a look at some of the players who can make the difference in this match.
Kings XI Punjab:
Mandeep Singh: He has been one of the shining points for Punjab. He is very young but has displayed a lot of maturity in the tournament so far. His skipper has already rated him as a player to watch in the future. Mandeep opens the innings and look to take the attack to the opposition bowler very early in his innings.
David Hussey: He has been the most consistent batsmen for Kings XI. He is captaining the side in the absence of Adam Gilchrist and has done a great job. Hussey is very crucial for Punjab in the middle order as he can rotate the strike beautifully and can play some big shots at the end. Punjab will be hoping for one captain’s like innings from this Aussie gentleman.
Parvinder Awana: He is in the list of the top wicket-takers in this competition and that proves how effective he has been. Awana bowled a fiery spell against Daredevils and he will be looking to bowl one such spell here. He bowls at a rapid pace and is dangerous with the new ball.
Azhar Mahmmod: Mahmood is one of the most experienced players when it comes to T20 cricket. He has played in almost all the conditions and his inclusion has helped Punjab a lot. He is a very intelligent bowler and assesses the situation beautifully. He is dangerous with the bat as well.
Chennai Super Kings:
Michael Hussey: He joined the team late because of his national duty and struggled in the initial few matches, but now he is in top gear. He made an attacking half-century against Kolkata Knight Riders and looked very comfortable on the crease. Hussey is one of the best batsmen going around and CSK will be hoping for a solid start from this classy Aussie.
Dwayne Bravo: Chennai will remember his last ball six against KKR for a long time. Bravo has been doing well with the bat and has won Chennai matches in the last over. He can hit the ball a long distance and is very effective with the ball as well.
Ben Hilfenhaus: Hilfenhaus has given Chennai an edge over other teams. He is deadly dangerous with the new ball and has a habit of picking important wickets. He has already made a difference to some of the results and will be itching to bowl against some of his Aussie counterparts.
R Ashwin: Ashwin is in the list of the most economical bowlers of the tournament, but he has struggled to pick wickets. He is a witty customer and never allows the batsmen to settle against him. The tournament is coming to its end and MS Dhoni will want his star spinner to raise the standard of his game.
By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News
