Who will win the Indian Premier League's 4th edition? - Opinion
With the 70-match league phase over, all the cricket fans have only one question to ask, who will win the Indian Premier League’s 4th edition and why?
Though it will be premature to pick a winner out of the four teams that have qualified for the play-offs, but taking a look at the results of the first round can serve to form an opinion.
Among the four qualifying teams, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, the Bangalore side seems to be in a better position to clinch the tournament title.
This assessment is not merely based upon their table standings but on their team’s composition. They have performed above expectations in the current league.
From their 9 previous games, they have won 8 and lost just one to Kings XI Punjab. Overall, they have won 9 out of their 14 games.
Their victories can be attributed to a cohesive effort by both the batsmen and the bowlers. There is no denying the fact that the Bangalore side has some star players in all departments of the game.
Bowlers like Sreenath Aravind, Zaheer Khan and Nuwan Pradeep have proved that they can deliver well on almost all types of wickets.
Zaheer is the top Indian pacer, possessing match-winning skills. He finished up the ICC World Cup 2011 as the joint highest wicket taker with 21 wickets. The Royals rely on him heavily and he always comes up to the expectations.
The skipper, Daniel Vettori and AB de Villiers have exhibited excellent all-round performances in this tournament. They have proved to be consistent with both the bat and ball.
Coming to the batting line-up, Bangalore’s strength is evident. Though the Challengers have some great batsmen like Virat Kohli, Villiers, Mayank Agarwal and Vettori, there is one man who can single handedly win matches for his side, the Caribbean dynamite,
Chris Gayle.
The brash and brilliant West Indies batsman, who joined the side in the midst of the tournament, has perked up his side miraculously. In a feat we don’t get to hear about often, Gayle has grabbed 7 consecutive victories for the Royal Challengers.
Having played just 9 games in the tournament, he has emerged as the top scorer. With 511 runs to his name, with an exquisite average of 85.16, Gayle is the only player in this edition to have scored two centuries so far.
Vettori considers Gayle a blessing from the heavens. He has indeed changed Bangalore’s fortunes and there is no denying the fact that without Gayle, the Royals would have had a very slim chance of qualifying for the semis.
Bangalore’s last victory against Chennai was courtesy of Gayle’s blazing batting. He stayed on the ground and fought till the last ball. His 75 runs with the help of 4 fours and 6 sixes enabled Bangalore to take the top slot.
In the 1st semi-final game, which is regarded as Qualifier 1, Royal Challengers Bangalore are to take on Chennai Super Kings, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Tuesday, May 24.
The Bangalore side and their management seem to be very confident about the upcoming game and hope to see themselves in the Final.
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