2012 Champions League T20: Match Preview – Kolkata Knight Riders V Delhi Daredevils
The 2012 IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to kick start their Champions League T20 campaign against Delhi Daredevils, here at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 today, October 13, 2012.
Kolkata Knight Riders squad was formed keeping in view the spin friendly conditions in the subcontinent, and could struggle on the bouncy South African pitches. Their batting will depend largely on skipper Gautam Gambhir, who had led the side from the front in the Indian Premier League, earlier this year. Veteran South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 import Brendon McCullum will be the other two key players in KKR’s batting line-up.
Despite struggling in the last few months, Kallis will be the key with both bat and ball in home conditions. McCullum comes into the side on the back of some impressive performances in the World T20 in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, and his role behind the stumps only adds more value to the side.
However, the IPL champions may need a shift from the bowling plans they had used in the IPL, as most of the bowlers in their attack rely on subtle change of variations rather than raw pace. The variations that worked for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sunil-Philip-Narine-c91869 is a certain choice, and the Knight Riders will be hoping the mystery Trinidad spinner can spin his magic yet again.
"There are no favourites in this format, but we have the potential. I look around in the dressing room, and see a lot of greats of the game. If all of us play to our potential, we can go a long way in this competition," said Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper Gautam Gambhir when asked about his side’s chances in the league.
On the other side of the coin, the Delhi Daredevils boast perhaps the most formidable batting line-up in the tournament. All of their top five batsmen, including the likes of David Warner, Virender Sehwag, Mahela Jayawardene, Kevin Pietersen and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/LRPL-Taylor-c1849, are capable of winning matches single-handedly.
Led by Mahela Jayawardene this year, the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World T20, in Sri Lanka.
The Delhi http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Naman-Ojha-c2057. Hard-hitting Irfan Pathan will fill in the all-rounder’s place in the side.
Their Morne Morkel-led pace attack has enough firepower to create problems for opposition batsmen on bouncy South African pitches. Ajit Agarkar and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Umesh-Yadav-c94625 are likely to form the pace bowling trio with Morkel, while Pawan will be the only specialist spinner in the side, with assistance from Pietersen and Venugopal Rao.
The two teams have played each other nine times in the past and King http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319’s Knight Riders marginally lead the head to head by 5-4.
Probable Squads:
Kolkata Knight Riders: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brett-Lee-c48419, L Balaji, Sunil Narine.
Delhi Daredevils: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/M-Morkel-c73528.
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