Royal Challengers Bangalore v Warriors – Champions League T20 – Match Preview
After the recently concluded Qualifiers stage, the big guns will kick start the group stages of the Champions League T20 with the first match being played against Indian Premier League’s Royal Challengers Bangalore and South African domestic side, Warriors, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on September 23, 2011.
The fans hardly witnessed a spectacle during the qualifiers and one must agree that the quality of cricket left many disappointed. While it could be due to the pressure of making it to the group stages that got the better of the players, the only team which did justice to their berth was Trinidad & Tobago.
However, with the beginning of the main phase, expectations are on the rise, given the explosive teams on display.
Warriors, the losing finalists of the last season, have a potent squad possessing many greats from the Proteas side, hoping to go one step further this time around. Their bowling attack holds the key to their success, with the likes of Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Rusty Theron and veteran, Makhaya Ntini.
With excellent seamers in the side, they also have Nicky Boje and Johan Botha as their main weapons in the spin bowling department.
The batting lineup looks a little weak though, especially with Davy Jacobs preferring to play for the Mumbai Indians. The player was their main star in 2010, but with him having a mediocre outing in the Pro 20 season, it remains to be seen what impact he has with the Mumbai outfit.
Overall, with the likes of Mark Boucher and Colin Ingram in the team, one expects them to offer solidarity to the batting line-up.
Their counterparts, Royal Challengers, are blessed with a wealth of superstars as well, which arguably makes them one of the favorites to lift the trophy at the third time of asking.
Skipper Daniel Vettori will be in a fix over the 'four overseas players' regulation, with him being an automatic selection, he will have to choose between AB De Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dirk Nannes and Chris Gayle.
The first pick on the list will be the Caribbean dynamite, who took the fourth edition of the IPL by storm. Gayle turned the fortunes of the team with his explosive batting, making 608 runs in 12 matches at an extraordinary average of 67.55 to go with a stupendous strike rate of 183.13.
With Zaheer Khan out injured, the team will have to play Dirk Nannes, which leaves one open spot and two worthy contenders, De Villiers and Dilshan.
The Bangalore outfit sports a strong batting contingent, supplemented by Indian prodigy Virat Kohli.
The stadium holds a crowd of 40,000, and a full house is expected for the high-voltage clash. The pitch will offer assistance to spinners, only if Gayle and co have an off-day, otherwise a high-scoring match is anticipated.
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