IPL 8 Qualifier 2 preview: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

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  • India's golden boys young and old; Kohli (l) and Dhoni.

    Two traditional IPL rivals battle it out for a place in the finals in the second qualifier in Ranchi on Friday (May 22), but it will be the battle between India’s outgoing and ingoing golden boys that will add real spice to the game.

    It will be a fascinating test of the leadership qualities and tactical approach of Chennai Super Kings’ old hand MS Dhoni and the new kid on the block, Virat Kohli, who takes his Royal Challengers Bangalore into battle.

    Another nail-biting encounter is on the cards with RCB’s run of form impressive compared to CSK’s inconsistency which has seen them stutter during the closing stages of a league stage they had dominated. Dhoni’s men were thrashed by eventual finalists Mumbai Indians in the 1st qualifier at the Wankhede earlier in the week, suffering their third defeat in 5 games. Meanwhile, RCB were dominant in victory over Rajasthan by 71 runs in the Eliminator to make it 3 wins from their last 5 games.

    Chennai are the most successful team in IPL history, winning back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 and reaching the finals a record five times in the seven previous editions of the IPL.

    Dhoni’s men have also enjoyed success over Kohli’s side this season, winning on both previous occasions the two teams met. Going in to this fixture, however, the momentum is clearly with Bangalore.

    Batting deep

    Brendon McCullum’s absence would hurt any top-order and the Super Kings are no different. Equally worrying has been the lack of runs scored by partner in crime Dwayne Smith who has mustered just 66 runs in his last 6 innings. Mike Hussey’s inclusion as McCullum’s replacement has yet to reap any kind of reward and a lack of partnerships in the middle order is of even greater concern for the two-time champions. Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina and Dhoni himself all need to contribute if their side are to progress.

    While the grass doesn’t tend to be greener on the other side, it is certainly more lush in the RCB camp. The devastating top-order of Chris Gayle, Kohli and AB de Villiers is rightly considered the best in the world and if one doesn’t fire it is so often the case that another steps up to the plate. Last time out was a case in point as, despite the failures of Kohli and Gayle against Rajasthan, RCB managed to post a total of 180 thanks to quick-fire fifties from De Villiers (66) and Mandeep Singh (54). It does mean that the Bangalore lower-order is yet to be tested, which could prove interesting if Chennai can make early breakthroughs.

    Bowling them over

    RCB has been rejuvenated by Mitchell Starc’s return from injury with the Aussie left-armer tormenting opposition and accounting for 19 wickets at an economy of 6.76. Australia’s World Cup winner is well backed by bowlers such as Harshal Patel and David Wiese, who have a combined tally of 31 wickets to their names, not to forget the heroics of lone spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is ranked third in the wicket-takers list with 21.

    Chennai are also well equipped in the bowling department with a classy unit backed up by Purple Cap holder Dwayne Bravo (23 wickets). The West Indies all-rounder, tipped to be this year’s MVP, has played a key role in restricting opponents in the death overs. Ashish Nehra and spinner R Ashwin have supported Bravo admirably but the collective effort from Ravindra Jadeja, Mohit Sharma and Pawan Negi has been pitiful as the tournament has worn on.

    Don’t write off Dhoni

    Kohli’s aggressive nature has paid off after suffering a poor start to the season and his side’s confidence levels are high following a run of good results in recent games.

    The defeat to Mumbai highlighted Chennai’s weaknesses but Dhoni will be confident enough to gather his troops at his home ground and make another dash for the finals.

    While Kohli’s side is all brash and extravagance, Dhoni’s players will be stronger for having experienced these occasions time and time again.

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