Mohali: A controversy-laden first two games at their back, Kings XI Punjab will look to exploit familiar conditions in their first home match of the IPL when they take on Mumbai Indians here Saturday.
It has been a roller-coaster ride for KXIP, having to endure a controversy involving their captain Ravichandran Ashwin who ‘Mankaded’ Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler in their first match, an act which was legal but criticised by some as against the ‘Spirit of Cricket’. In their second game against Kolkata Knight Riders, Ashwin’s team was penalised for not keeping four men in the 30-yard circle and Andre Russell made full use of the reprieve to take the game away from KXIP.
Ashwin and Co. will now look to forget all these unsavoury happenings of the first two games and start afresh in their first match at the PCA Stadium on Saturday. With the tournament still in its early stages and the two teams having won a game each, the balance is not tilted in anyone’s favour and the Saturday’s tie is expected to be a keenly fought one. On the other hand, Delhi Capitals will be playing on their home turf but there is a possibility that the conditions may turn out to be favourable for the visiting Kolkata Knight Riders when the two teams clash in an IPL match here Saturday.
In the last match too, it was Chennai Super Kings who exploited the slow conditions at Kotla better than the home side with their spinners taking full advantage of the track on which batting became challenging as the game wore on. KKR also have a world-class spin bowling attack led by India’s premier bowler Kuldeep Yadav. The wily Sunil Narine, along with Piyush Chawla, makes it a very potent attack. Both Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant have been in good form but it remains to be seen if the Feroze Shah Kotla track and the KKR spin trio allow them to free their arms. Pant has made an inspiring start this season with blistering knocks (78 and 25) in the first two games and Dhawan too has been in good nick.
Both of them know the conditions well and would require to use their knowledge in suitably planning their batting. But more than anything, the Delhi spinners — Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatiya and Amit Mishra — will have to be on top form while dealing with the KKR batsmen. (PTI)
