Dubai: Which team will be the first to reach the Indian Premier League (IPL) final? Table toppers Gujarat Lions take on second placed Royal Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday and the winners will get a direct berth in the final.
The losers of this match will have to battle the winners of the eliminator clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday in the second qualifier on Friday.
The IPL is heading towards an exciting finish with the competition being intense and the best four having reached the play-off stage.
The Bangalore-Gujarat match to be played in front of the Bangalore crowd is indeed an advantage for the home team. Moreover, with Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli in incredible form, Gujarat will have to really raise the standard of their game.
If they can display the same form they did during the start of the IPL and not allow themselves to slump, they can win.
Gujarat as debutants reaching the IPL final will indeed be a remarkable achievement.
Skipper Suresh Raina has been outstanding not only as a performer but an inspiring captain. His approach to the game was the main reason that lifted the team.
After qualifying for the play-off, Raina, when asked about the reason behind his team’s win, said: “Understanding how to enjoy the T20 format was a challenge. We worked really hard as a unit. You need to enjoy the practice sessions.”
For Gujarat, Bangalore are indeed a huge challenge.
Bangalore’s batting line-up is really remarkable and all that the team needs is for one of their top players to click.
AB De Villiers and Chris Gayle are real destroyers of bowling attacks. These players, backed by Kohli’s focus to keep winning, offer a huge advantage to their team. Kohli, who likes to start every game afresh, will also give Gujarat plenty to ponder.
“My focus is to take the team through. You have to start afresh. You need to make every day count. It is all about keeping that thin line between confidence and overconfidence,” said Kohli.
In Bangalore’s last encounter against Gujarat, they recorded the biggest ever victory in the history of the IPL by 144 runs. Kohil (109) and De Villiers (129n.o) thrashed the Gujarat attack. It is just such a performance Bangalore will be expecting once more.
All eyes will be on Kohli again as he will complete 1,000 runs in a single edition of the IPL if he gets another 81 runs.
The clash between Hyderabad and Kolkata is bound to be a keen tussle. It’s a fact that Hyderabad have been outstanding under David Warner’s captaincy but Kolkata are capable of upsetting them.
Yousuf Pathan’s return to form is a big boost for Kolkata.
He is a player who can win matches single-handedly.
The Kolkata skipper has decided to give him more overs to bat, removing his role as a finisher and that can do wonders.
Hyderabad lost their last match to Kolkata by only 22 runs and will try to lift their game. Their bowling attack, which boasts the promising pacer in Mustafizur Rahman besides Bhuvneshwar Kumar, can destroy any batting line-up. Whatever the outcome, the upcoming clashes promise the best of Twenty20 cricket.
