The IPL 2020 edition is set to start with quite a few hiccups. After Chennai Super Kings’ multiple Covid-19 cases, Delhi Capitals reported their first positive case of an assistant physiotherapist in their contingent. The franchise released a statement saying that the physio has been in quarantine and has not come in contact with other members of the team.
The individual had tested negative twice before he was diagnosed positive for the third time and is currently at the IPL isolation facility in Dubai for the next 14 days. “After 14 days of quarantine, he will have to produce two negative reports to be able to join the Delhi Capitals squad. The franchise’s medical team is in constant touch with him, and wishes him a speedy recovery”, said the statement.
Prior to this, Rajasthan Royals’ fielding coach Dishant Yagnik tested positive for COVID-19 before the team flew to Dubai. The former wicketkeeper-batsman’s case was detected on August 12 and stayed back in India while the support staff and players traveled to UAE. The team posted a picture of him on Twitter saying he has tested negative twice and is thus ready to join the squad.
On the other hand, CSK had a cluster of cases, infecting more than 10 people from their camp. Due to this, the commencement of their training sessions in Dubai was postponed to September 1. The infected members were shifted to a different hotel from the one the team was housed in. As the Super Kings finished runners up in 2019, the first match of the season is to be held between them and the defending champions Mumbai Indians. But the rise in cases in the camp had put everything on hold delaying the schedule as well.
An official statement from BCCI said that a total of 1988 RT-PCR COVID tests were carried out between August 20-28 across all participant groups in the UAE, which include players, support staff, team management, BCCI staff, IPL operational team, hotel and ground transport staff.
IPL 2020 full schedule: The upcoming 13th edition will be held in the three venues of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah in the UAE, and Dubai.
IPL 2020 schedule, date, match timings: After much delay, the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council, announced the schedule of the 2020 season on Sunday. The first match will be held on September 19 at Abu Dhabi, where Mumbai Indians led by Rohit Sharma will face Chennai Super Kings captained by MS Dhoni.
For the third time, the IPL season has been moved out of India as the Covid-19 cases see a sharp surge in the country. The upcoming 13th edition will be held in the three venues of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah in the UAE, and Dubai. “After the tournament opener on Saturday, Dubai will host its first game on Sunday when Delhi Capitals take on Kings XI Punjab followed by the third match on Monday between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore”, said the official statement.
On 22 September, the action will shift to Sharjah where Chennai Super Kings will face Rajasthan Royals. The statement said that the evening matches will start at 7:30 PM IST and 6:00 PM UAE time. There will be 10 doubleheaders, out of which 24 matches will be held in Dubai, 20 in Abu Dhabi, and 12 in Sharjah.
Check the entire schedule here:
As Covid-19 took over the world and the entire globe faced a standstill, all kinds of events and sports league got delayed this year. Originally, IPL 2020 was scheduled to be held from March 29 to May 24 but got postponed due to the pandemic. The schedule was expected to be out in the last week of August but after 13 members of the CSK camp tested positive for Covid-19, things got delayed even further.
56 encounters will be played across 46 days as the league stage will conclude with Sunrisers Hyderabad facing Mumbai Indians on November 3. However, the details for the playoff fixtures are yet to be announced.
Earlier in August, the IPL governing council had revealed that the final will take place on November 10.
CPL 2020 Match 30: SLZ vs JT Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SLZ vs JAM Dream11 Prediction Today September 6 2020 | St. Lucia Zouks vs Jamaica Tallawahs Key Players | Tarouba Pitch Report
It’s time for the final league game of the 2020 edition of the CPL as the Jamaica Tallawahs and St Lucia Zouks battle it out in Match 30 in a dead rubber game with absolutely nothing to play for.
Both teams lost their penultimate games of the league stage on Saturday. They have already qualified for the Semi Finals, and with the Semi Final lineup decided as well, the match has no impact on the tournament. The Zouks will take on the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2nd Semi Final on Tuesday, which will be preceded by the clash between the Trinbago Knight Riders and the Jamaica Tallawahs on the same day.
The Jamaica Tallawahs failed to defend a total of 163 as the Tridents chased the highest total in the CPL 2020. Russell and Blackwood’s half centuries were undone by Jason Holder’s 42-ball-69 in the chase as Carter anchored the innings well and led the side to an unlikely victory. The Tallawahs were impressive in their batting but the bowling let them down.
The Tallawahs are winless in their last three games and have been inconsistent throughout the tournament. You feel that their hopes of winning the trophy rely on the Talisman Andre Russell.
On the other hand, the Zouks met runaway leader Trinbago Knight Riders who registered their 9th consecutive league win and are unstoppable this season. After TKR put on 175 on the board, it was always going to be an uphill task for the Darren Sammy-led side and they fell short by 23 runs in the end.
Andre Russell was promoted to No. 4 last evening and he scored a half century. Russell now has three half centuries in his last four knocks. The Zouks will have something to worry about.
Jermaine Blackwood opened for the first time in the tournament and he anchored the innings with a well made 74. He may well open against the Zouks.
Glenn Phillips is the second-highest run-scorer in CPL 2020 (265).
Roston Chase scored a fifty in the two teams’ earlier meeting in CPL 2020, which was overshadowed by Asif Ali’s superb 47 off 27 balls.
Mujeeb ur Rahman has picked only one wicket in his last four matches and his form has tapered off. He holds the key for Tallawahs in the Semi Final and will be interesting to see how he bounces back.
Scott Kuggeleijn is the second-highest wicket taker in CPL 2020 and much of Zouk’s success can be attributed to his bowling.
CPL 2020 Match 30: SLZ vs JT Preview Dream11: Roston Chase to make an impact?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: JT 9 wins, Zouks 5 wins.
Andre Fletcher needs two more runs to score 500 runs in matches between the two teams.
Roston Chase scored 52 runs when the two team met earlier in the tournament
Possible Playing 11
St. Lucia Zouks: 1. Andre Fletcher (wk), 2. Rakheem Cornwall/Kimani Melius, 3. Mark Deyal, 4. Roston Chase, 5. Najibullah Zadran, 6. Mohammad Nabi, 7. Darren Sammy (c), 8. Leniko Boucher, 9. Scott Kuggeleijn, 10. Kesrick Williams, 11. Zahir Khan
Unlike the rest of the tournament, the wicket for the matches on Saturday was good for batters with all four teams scoring in excess of 150. The wicket can be expected to be the same for the last game of the league stage.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
CPL 2020 Match 30: SLZ vs JAM Preview Dream11
Option 2:
CPL 2020 Match 30: SLZ vs JAM Preview Dream11
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Match Prediction
Dre Russ was in the mood against the Tridents and he looked in the rhythm. If the pitch is faster like the games on Saturday, Tallawahs will fancy their chances against the Zouks.
CPL 2020 Match 29: TKR vs SKN Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | TKR vs SKN Dream11 Prediction Today 6 September 2020 | Trinbago Knight Riders vs St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots Key Players | Tarouba Pitch Report
We are into the last few games of the league stages of CPL 2020. We already have the 4 teams qualified for the semi-finals in Trinbago, Guyana, St.Lucia, and Jamaica. The unbeaten Trinbago Knight Riders will play against the bottom-placed St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
Trinbago is in red hot form winning 9 out of 9 matches played this season. Their senior players are performing well and their bowlers have also assisted them well. Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Tim Seifert, and everyone else has performed very well for them. As they are now qualified for the semis they can make some changes and do some experiments in this match.
St.Kitts and Nevis Patriots would desperately want this tournament to end. Nothing has gone their way so far. Their batting has failed miserably and the bowling too hasn’t been great after the initial few games. Over-dependence on the top order and lack of batting, depth has proved to be very costly for them. They will want to win this game and finish this season well.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Darren Bravo has 257 runs against the Patriots. He scored a fifty in the last game.
Kieron Pollard is in superb form. He is making some useful contributions lower down the order and is also chipping in with few wickets with the ball. He scored 42 (21) and picked three wickets in the last game.
Evin Lewis has most runs in TKR vs SKN games. He has 342 runs against TKR.
Lendl Simmons hit 96 vs SKN earlier this week.
DJ Bravo has 20 wickets against the Patriots.
Sunil Narine against the left-handers in the middle-order of the Patriots will be very important. Also, Narine has been making useful contributions at the top, striking at 150.53 in his four matches to date. His batting scores in CPL 2020: 50 (28), 53 (38), 8 (16), and 29 (11).
Colin Munro has 294 runs against SKN. He was rested in the last game but is in great form this CPL scoring 207 runs in 8 games.
Sheldon Cottrell has 18 wickets against TKR.
Chris Lynn finally showed some glimpses of coming back in form, He’d like to finish this CPL with a big score.
Joshua da Silva looked in good touch in the last two games.
CPL 2020 Match 29: TKR vs SKN Dream11: Dwayne Bravo for more wickets?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-Head: 15 Matches, 11 TKR, and 4 SKN.
Trinbago Knight Riders have dominated the Patriots and are unbeaten in 9 games this season.
TKR has won 3 out of 4 games at The Brian Lara Stadium.
Possible Playing 11
Both teams could make plenty of changes for this this game.
SKN Possible Playing XI: 1. Evin Lewis, 2. Chris Lynn, 3. Joshua Da Silva, 4. Denesh Ramdin (wk), 5. Ben Dunk 6. Colin Archibald/Sohail Tanvir, 7. Rayad Emrit (c), 8. Imran Khan, 9. Sheldon Cottrell 10. Alzarri Joseph, 11. Jon-Russ Jaggesar
Colin Munro has a small fracture in his finger, so it is unlikely that he will play.
TKR Possible Playing XI: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Sunil Narine/Tion Webster, 3. Tim Seifert (wk), 4. Darren Bravo, 5. Kieron Pollard (c), 6. Dwayne Bravo, 7. Sikandar Raza, 8. Akeal Hossain, 9. Khary Pierre, 10. Fawad Ahmed, 11. Jayden Seales
Tarouba Pitch and Weather Report
TKR have hit 170+ in each of their last three games, so they enjoy batting on this surface. The pitch at The Brian Lara Stadium has assisted the batters a bit more in the last few games compared to the initial games. With some good batters in both sides, we can expect a good high scoring encounter, especially if TKR bats first. Spinners and Pacers with variations will continue to get assistance from the wicket.
There is a chance of some rain throughout the day.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1 (if Sunil Narine plays):
CPL 2020 Match 29 TKR vs SKN Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
CPL 2020 Match 29 TKR vs SKN Dream11 Prediction
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Match Prediction
TKR are clear favorites of this game. Their squad is very balanced and batters and bowlers have performed exceptionally well when compared with the Patriots. Patriots will want to win this game and finish this season on a high, but it might be too hard for them.
Written by Robin Rounder – follow Robin on Twitter today.
ENG vs AUS 2nd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs AUS 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs Australia 2nd T20 Key Players | Southampton Pitch Report
It’s just not an England-Australia series without drama. No matter the format, you can count on these two sides to leave you on the edge of your seat, as well as deliver key talking points. And now, with this match on free-to-air TV in England, millions of eyes will be glued to the television screen to see how the action unfolds.
The crowd may have been absent, but the first T20I had everything. Talking points were aplenty, none more so than Australia’sincredible fall to be left stranded short when victory seemed inevitable. Some suggest a six-month layoff from international cricket is to blame. Others suggest Australia’s middle order woes – those seen in the 2019 50-over World Cup – are resurfacing again. Whatever the reasons may be, Australia needs to overcome them and deliver a strong performance in the second T20I to level the series.
England showcased their never-give-up attitude in white-ball cricket. Players believing in and expressing themselves has been a key ingredient in their white-ball rise in the past five years, and was on show in the opening T20I as the game looked gone. However, as England produced late with the ball, like Australia, they will want an improved batting performance. So, can they seal the series?
Aaron Finch loves this ground. He batted beautifully two days ago (46 off 32 balls) on the same ground he smashed 156 off 63 balls in 2013. Finch vs England: 10 T20Is, 471 runs, avg. 67.28, SR 183.98.
David Warner previously averaged 17.66 in nine T20Is vs England. However, his 58 off 47 balls in the opening T20I was further confirmation of why he is one of the all-time great T20 players.
Dawid Malan was man of the match in the first T20I (66 off 43 balls). He now has an incredible eight 50+ scores in his 14 T20Is to date (avg. 51.58, SR 149.15).
Jos Buttler’s 44 off 29 balls in the first T20I was a warning shot. Can he make another strong impact, this time with Bairstow, Morgan and Banton contributing?
Steve Smith has taken his white-ball batting to another level in the past year, actually striking better than David Warner in this period – 148.89 (avg. 67).
Australia needs greater consistency from Glenn Maxwell. He has 261 runs in 10 T20Is vs England, but that includes an unbeaten century (103*). So, can he improve on a record that sees him score 158 runs in the remaining nine matches?
Jofra Archer played a key role in the last match. He has a strong record of 123 wickets in 96 T20 matches, after returning figures of 2/32 in the opening T20I.
Ashton Agar has 10 wickets in four T20Is in 2020, including 2/32 in the opening match. He came back well after a Jos Buttler onslaught early. Adil Rashid also bowled beautifully for 2/29.
Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will be key. Starc, who went wicketless in the first T20I, has taken 12 wickets in nine T20Is since October last year. Cummins has been strong, too, with the same number: 12 wickets in nine T20Is.
Tom Curran and Chris Jordan produced nerves of steel at the death. Given their death bowling prowess, one can back either or both of them to take wickets at the death.
Kane Richardson performed in the last match, taking 2/13 in three overs.
ENG vs AUS 2nd T20I Preview Dream11 Prediction: Dawid Malan is quickly becoming a key T20I player for England.
Stats and Facts
Australia were 124/1 after 14.1 overs, chasing 163. They needed 39 off 35 balls with Smith and Warner at the crease, but failed to win.
Dawid Malan’s average of 51.58 is the highest of any player with at least 500 runs in T20Is.
David Warner and Aaron Finch have crossed 1,000 runs together as a pair in T20Is. They became the ninth pair to do so.
This will be the first England-Australia match live on BBC TV since the 1997 Oval Test.
Possible Playing 11
Will England look to change anything? Probably not, unless there is an injury or forced change.
England: 1. Jos Buttler (wk), 2. Jonny Bairstow, 3. Dawid Malan, 4. Tom Banton, 5. Eoin Morgan (c), 6. Moeen Ali, 7. Tom Curran, 8. Chris Jordan, 9. Adil Rashid, 10. Jofra Archer, 11. Mark Wood
Australia have questions to answer regarding their middle order. However, given that they picked a certain combination for the first game, they could look to give it another chance here.
Australia: 1. David Warner, 2. Aaron Finch (c), 3. Steve Smith, 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. Marcus Stoinis, 6. Alex Carey (wk), 7. Ashton Agar, 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Kane Richardson, 11. Adam Zampa
Ageas Bowl Southampton Pitch and Weather Report
The second T20I will be played on the same pitch as the first. England captain Eoin Morgan said that Jos Buttler made batting look easier than it was, which suggests the track was a little slow. Given that the same pitch will be used, one can expect that the dry pitch will bring the spinners and cutters into the game even more.
The weather forecast looks promising for this match, with little-to-no rain expected.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
ENG vs AUS 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
ENG vs AUS 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction
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Match Prediction
Head or heart? My heart says Australia can bounce back, given the positive signs they showed in the opening T20I. However, it ultimately depends on how well they recover from such disappointment. One thing that is almost certain, though, and that is that we are in for another potential cracker.
CPL 2020 Match 28: JT vs BT Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | JAM vs BAR Dream11 Prediction Today 5 September 2020 | Jamaica Tallawahs vs Barbados Tridents Key Players | Tarouba Pitch Report
As the tournament came towards its business end, eyes were fixed on this clash which was a potential playoff before the Semi Finals. For so long, both the Tallawahs and Tridents were fighting neck-and-neck to seal a top four place, but it is now confirmed that only one of these two teams will feature in the Semi Finals.
Thanks to Barbados Tridents’ inept batting, they have become the first defending CPL champions to miss the playoffs in the following season. In fact, “inept” is a kind way to describe their batting performances in CPL 2020, regularly underperforming to now sit with just two wins from nine games. This game is now nothing more than an attempt to gain some pride for the Tridents, who will be out to end a terrible campaign with a win.
For Jamaica Tallawahs, it is about gaining momentum heading into the Semi Finals. Glenn Phillips and Mujeeb ur Rahman have been their main stars with bat and ball respectively, and if they can put together a team display today, that can only enhance belief ahead of their shot at the Title. So, nothing less than a solid performance will be the order of the day for the Tallawahs.
Glenn Phillips is the second-highest run-scorer in CPL 2020 (248). He has played two less games than current highest run-scorer Shimron Hetmyer (267).
Can Phillips gain some revenge on Barbados after he scored a duck against them earlier this season?
Mujeeb ur Rahman has the second-most wickets in CPL 2020 (13). He took 3/14 against Barbados earlier this season, and will be a dangerous customer today against the Tridents’ fragile batting.
Kyle Mayers was man of the match in the earlier meeting between these two teams (85 off 59 balls).
Andre Russell is unbeaten in his last three knocks, which includes two half centuries: 52* (37), 23* (21) and 50* (23).
Sandeep Lamichhane has 10 wickets in eight games in CPL 2020, at a superb economy rate of 4.85.
Can Rashid Khan make one final impact with bat and ball this season? He has taken 10 wickets in nine games, and could get another chance higher up the order to make an impact.
It has been a disappointing season by Jason Holder’s standards. The Barbados captain is averaging just 15 with the bat, to go with nine wickets in as many games.
Carlos Brathwaite has taken six wickets in his last three bowling efforts.
CPL 2020 Match 28: JAM vs BAR Preview Dream11 – Can Jason Holder inspire one final win?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 15, BT 6, JT 8.
Barbados beat Jamaica earlier in CPL 2020, which remains one of just two wins this season.
Barbados have failed to pass 100 in each of their last three matches.
Shai Hope was left out of Barbados’ last game against Guyana, but it did nothing to improve their batting. So, it remains to be seen if he returns today.
The Tridents have struggled badly at Tarouba in recent matches, failing to cross 100 in their last three games. Spin is expected to play a key role once again, so the likes of Mujeeb and Lamichhane will be dangerous for Jamaica.
There is a chance of some showers during the day in Trinidad.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
CPL 2020 Match 28 JAM vs BAR Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
CPL 2020 Match 28 JAM vs BAR Dream11 Prediction
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Match Prediction
On current form, it is hard to see Barbados winning. Barbados certainly have the talent to beat Jamaica, but it depends on their state of mind given that their season is over. Jamaica start as favourites and will win if they play with smarts and discipline.
The sixth edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will kick off on October 25. However, the entire tournament will be played in Sydney, due to COVID-19.
A number of states in Australia have travel and border restrictions in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Also, Victoria is a no-go zone, as the state is currently in stage four lockdown after a huge spike in cases and deaths over the past couple of months. So, to ensure the tournament can go ahead as smoothly as possible, all 59 games will be held in a Sydney hub.
Alastair Dobson, the head of both the men’s and women’s BBL tournaments, thanked the New South Wales (NSW) Government for their support. He also said that work was underway to organise for overseas players to arrive in Australia and participate in the tournament, in a year where Australia hosted a successful Women’s T20 World Cup.
“We want to thank the NSW Government for their willingness to work together to deliver the WBBL|06 competition in Sydney,” Dobson said.
“We are incredibly proud to deliver a full season of rebel WBBL|06 and would like to thank the NSW Government, our partners States & Territories Associations, the Australian Cricketers’ Association as well as – in particular Cricket NSW – for rallying together at this challenging time to deliver a safe and successful tournament.
“We can achieve great things together and the spirit of cooperation has been truly uplifting. Thanks must also go to our broadcasters, partners, players and staff for their outstanding support as we navigate what has been a challenging period.”
The WBBL will form a key part of the Australian women’s season, which is to begin with the national team taking on New Zealand in three T20Is and three ODIs starting later this month. These matches will be the first instances of international sport taking place in Australia since March.
“The ICC Women’s World Cup Final will forever be an iconic moment in our game’s history, and we are committed to carrying that momentum into the season ahead,” Dobson said. “The likes of Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt and Beth Mooney have become household names in Australia and it will be brilliant watching them showcasing their talent and skills for their respective clubs this summer.”
This has been the slogan of RCB fans since 2018, but the franchise hasn’t qualified for the playoffs for the past three editions. As is the case with the franchise’s highly optimistic fans every year, this year they will have renewed expectations from the Virat Kohli-led side.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore have been perennial underachievers in spite of boasting some big names in their squads over the years. This year, the three-time runners-up have revamped their coaching setup, letting go of Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra due to poor performances in the 2019 edition, in which the team bagged the wooden spoon.
RCB have roped in Kiwi Mike Hesson and former Aussie batsman Simon Katich in the capacity of Head of Cricket Operations and Head Coach respectively. Until now, the franchise’s preparations have almost been spot on.
The team only retained Moeen Ali and AB De Villiers among foreign players and released every other overseas player, including the likes of Tim Southee, Colin De Grandhomme and Marcus Stoinis. What followed after taking this bold decision was the execution of some meticulous planning on the auction table, bagging the likes of Chris Morris, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn and Josh Philippe, to name a few.
With the IPL all set to kick start on the 19th of September in UAE, here is the analysis of the RCB squad. We take up the yearly question, can the Royal Challengers Bangalore finally get their hands on the coveted trophy?
Squad
Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Gurkeerat Mann, Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Adam Zampa, Dale Steyn, Isuru Udana, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Chris Morris, Pavan Deshpande Parthiv Patel, Joshua Philippe, Shahbaz Ahamad
RCB IPL 2020 Preview: Will Virat Kohli finally lift the IPL trophy this season?
Talking Points
Who will be the keeper and middle order batsmen?
One of the major talking points of the RCB batting is the opening combination and who will be the No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 batsmen in the middle order. Parthiv Patel was impressive last season with 373 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 139. But the wicket keeper’s performance post-powerplay has been mediocre, as his strike rate slumps to 125 and averages just 15 after the first six overs.
So, it remains to be seen if the franchise persists with Patel as the gloveman. They can try out the alternative of Josh Phillipe or as their recent tweet suggested, AB de Villiers, who has also been wearing gloves in the practice sessions.
This also gives them a chance to play Devdutt Padikkal who has been in top-notch form in the domestic season and also has attracted praise from Hesson. “Being a local Karnataka lad (Devdutt Paddikal), this domestic season has shown an ability to step up quickly. To have such an excellent season when only 19 is very heartening for RCB for sure,” Mike Hesson said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo in December last year.
Padikkal scored 400 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy 2019 and was the second-highest run scorer of that edition, with an average of 50 and a strike rate of 171.
Another major question for the Virat Kohli-led side is the batting position of AB de Villiers. The Protea played the first three matches of the 2019 edition at No. 4, before he was promoted to No. 3. In recent seasons, he has evidently struggled against spinners and has had a considerable difference in his strike rate against the pacers. RCB also have better players of spin who can play in the middle order with Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali and Devdutt Padikkal in their ranks.
AB vs spin in IPL in the last 3 years:
320 balls, 423 runs, 132 SR, 25 RPW
That's average. You don't want to start him in a phase where spinners feel at home.
— Alagappan Vijayakumar (@IndianMourinho) May 26, 2020
AB vs Pace in IPL in the last 3 years:
405 balls, 715 runs, 176 SR, 89 RPW
— Alagappan Vijayakumar (@IndianMourinho) May 26, 2020
Mr. 360 will mostly be playing No. 4 or No. 5 depending on the situation but you can expect him to play the role of the finisher for the franchise.
Strengths
Spin bowling attack
WIth the IPL moving to UAE, spin is expected to be the flavour of the season. The Royal Challengers have arguably one of the best spin bowling attacks with Yuzvendra Chahal, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Washington Sundar in the squad. They have also signed Adam Zampa as a replacement of Kane Richardson and the Aussie will prove as an excellent backup pick.
As of now, the team has two leg spinners and a slow left arm spinner as frontline bowlers, as well as two spin bowling all rounders. Indeed, RCB possesses one of the most well-rounded spin attacks in the eight-team league.
RCB IPL 2020 Preview: The classy Yuzvendra Chahal will have a key role to play in UAE.
Indian core
For the first time in over a decade, RCB can claim to have a core group of Indian players. Along with a certain captain Kohli, they have their leading wicket taker Chahal. To complement the two Indian star players, Shivam Dube, Navdeep Saini and one of Washington Sundar and Pawan Negi will be sure starter in the playing XI. The champion sides of the past, CSK, KKR and MI, have had great domestic talents and RCB potentially have the best Indian players in the IPL.
Backup options
With only four overseas slots available, some big names can warm the bench for the franchise, which may include the likes of Dale Steyn and Adam Zampa. The team has done excellent work on the auction table and that reflects in their bench strength. Along with Steyn and Zampa, players like Isuru Udana, Mohammad Siraj, Pawan Negi and Josh Phillipe can be perfect replacements if any of the first players are in bad form or pick an injury over the course of the tournament.
Kohli and ABD
For a long time in spite of the constant changes in the squad, a constant for RCB has been the presence of Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers. Though the franchise has been over-dependent on the duo, they have single-handedly led RCB to a lot of victories. This year, the expectations will be no different.
Weaknesses
Backing players
One of the major problems for the franchise has been the constant chopping and changing of players in the playing XI. Last season, the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Dube failed in the first 5 matches and were dropped for the remainder of the tournament.
For quite a few seasons now, RCB’s problem has been not backing players and dropping them after a few failures. If they decide to play the young players like Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal or even Moeen Ali, they should be given a fair run of games at a batting position and they decide their fate.
Middle order
As of now the batting order of the three-time runners up is uncertain. One aspect that may haunt the franchise, is the shuffling of batting order, which they have done in the past. The batsmen should be given a fair run for sometime.
Prediction
Unlike the past few seasons or for the first time since 2015, RCB seems to have a strong group of core players and start the tournament with some strategy and planning. The team has been over-reliant on Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers, but with Chris Morris and a better Indian core in their ranks, RCB have what it takes to reach the playoffs this season.
CPL 2020 Match 27: TKR vs SLZ Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | TKR vs SLZ Dream11 Prediction Today 5 September 2020 | Trinbago Knight Riders vs St. Lucia Zouks Key Players | Tarouba Pitch Report
Is this the dress rehearsal for a Semi Final or Final in this coming week?
In match 27, St. Lucia Zouks have the opportunity for a major confidence boost. They come up against Trinbago Knight Riders, who have without a doubt been the best side in CPL 2020, and if the Zouks can get a win, it will set them up nicely for the remainder of the tournament.
However, the Zouks need to improve their batting. 92 and 109/7 have been their past two efforts, and if they are to challenge TKR, as well as make an impact in the Semi Finals, they need to improve this aspect of their game. Another challenge also awaits for their bowlers against TKR’s excellent top six, so how the Zouks approach this match will be interesting.
Incredibly, Lendl Simmons is now TKR’s top scorer in CPL 2020. Nearly half of his 210 runs came in his last game, striking 96 vs St. Kitts. Can he back it up and hit top form at the business end of the season?
Colin Munro is next with 207, and is enjoying a strong tournament (avg. 34.50, SR 133.54).
Andre Fletcher has the most runs in TKR-SLZ matches (370, avg. 26.43).
Sunil Narine was rested last game vs St. Kitts. If he returns in this game, back him to make a big impact. His batting in CPL 2020: 50 (28), 53 (38), 8 (16), and 29 (11). His bowling: five wickets in four games, at an economy rate of 4.87.
Kieron Pollard was also rested last game. The TKR skipper has the highest strike rate of any player in CPL 2020 with a minimum of 20 runs (206.25).
Mohammad Nabi has the fourth-most wickets in CPL 2020 (11). This goes with 135 runs at an average of 27.00 and SR 131, which included a solid 30* (22) when he played TKR earlier this season.
SLZ need Roston Chase back and firing. He missed their last game with a slight niggle. Chase is SLZ’s top run-scorer in CPL 2020 (170, avg. 34.00), and has six wickets at an economy rate of just 4.64.
Dwayne Bravo took 2/7 vs SLZ earlier this season. He has taken at least one wicket in each of his last four matches.
Scott Kuggeleijn is the third-highest wicket-taker in CPL 2020 (12). His seam bowling teammate, Kesrick Williams, has 10 wickets in eight games in CPL 2020.
CPL 2020 Match 27 TKR vs SLZ Preview Dream11: Can Nabi influence this game?
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 15, TKR 11, SLZ 2, NR 2.
TKR beat SLZ by six wickets via the D/L method earlier this season.
Darren Bravo has 215 runs vs SLZ at a superb average of 107.50.
Possible Playing 11
Trinbago Knight Riders: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Sunil Narine/Tian Webster, 3. Colin Munro, 4. Darren Bravo, 5. Tim Seifert (wk), 6. Kieron Pollard (c), 7. Dwayne Bravo, 8. Sikandar Raza, 9. Khary Pierre, 10. Anderson Philip/Jayden Seales, 11. Fawad Ahmed
St. Lucia Zouks: 1. Andre Fletcher (wk), 2. Rakheem Cornwall, 3. Leniko Boucher/Mark Deyal, 4. Roston Chase, 5. Najibullah Zadran, 6. Mohammad Nabi, 7. Darren Sammy (c), 8. Javelle Glen, 9. Scott Kuggeleijn, 10. Kesrick Williams, 11. Chemar Holder
Tarouba Pitch and Weather Report
As the case in most days of the tournament so far, there is a chance of rain throughout the day in Trinidad. In terms of the pitch, expect the spinners to have a say once again. However, TKR have been far-and-away the best batting team in CPL 2020, striking 170+ in each of their past two games when batting first.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
CPL 2020 Match 27: TKR vs SLZ Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
CPL 2020 Match 27: TKR vs SLZ Dream11 Prediction
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Match Prediction
Provided TKR are at full strength, they should prove too strong for St. Lucia. However, with SLZ’s all-rounders and bowlers capable of causing problems, they will be banking on them for a good game.
IPL 2020 is just around the corner, and each and every IPL fan is eagerly waiting for it to start. The 13th edition of the league will be played in UAE this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the situation is not great in India. This IPL is even more special as it will continue the run of cricket we have seen after the complete stoppage of the game due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every season of the IPL is full of surprises and unexpected performances for the fans. This article will list three things that, we as fans, will love to see in this year’s IPL. Here goes:
3. Youngsters Taking the Centre Stage
3 things fans will love to see in IPL 2020: Can Shubman Gill make a huge impact?
IPL has been a huge platform for youngsters from India, as well as around the globe to showcase their skills and they have also done the same. Fans will be very delighted if the youngsters step up and win the Orange Cap, Purple Cap or both in this year’s IPL.
Players like Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, etc. have already shown how capable they are. They are all an important part of their respective squads at a very young age and also are the contenders for the Orange Cap this cap season.
While there are quite a few youngsters in the bowling department as well who can win the Purple Cap. Deepak Chahar, Shreyas Gopal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, etc. are very exciting to watch with the ball in hand and can win the Purple Cap this season.
Everyone apart from the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians fans will agree that we are bored of seeing them playing the finals and winning. There have been 12 seasons of the IPL and these two have won seven times (4 MI and 3 CSK) between them. Kolkata Knight Riders have won two, while Sunrisers and Rajasthan Royals each have one Title to their name. We have not got a new champion since Sunrisers’ title triumph in 2016.
Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab are the ones without any title. Also, it seems like an eternity when Rajasthan Royals won in 2008. They have very strong squads at least, on paper, and can win the tournament if they perform well. Fans and the cricketing community would love seeing a new IPL champion this year. After all, everyone likes to see a tournament with very tough competition and it’s high time that the Indian Premier League gets a new champion.
1. MS Dhoni
Plenty of attention will be on MS Dhoni in IPL 2020
MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on 15th August, after being out of action for over a year. This made his fans very emotional as they won’t be seeing their favorite in the blue jersey ever again. Arguably the best limited-overs captain in cricketing history and the only captain to win every ICC trophy, Dhoni is a legend of the game and has millions of followers around the globe.
Being out of action for over a year and with the stature of player Dhoni is, fans will be very excited and will be waiting eagerly to see “Thala” back in action on the field this year. Even without any crowd in the stadiums, it will be the biggest highlight of this season when he steps back onto the field and do what he has been known for all these years.
So, these were the three things that we think the fans will love to see in IPL 2020. Anything else you’d like to see?
Thanks for reading!
Written by Robin Rounder – follow Robin on Twitter today.
