Rajasthan Royals face tough opener
When the glitz and the glamour of the build-up to the Indian Premier
League makes way for cricket action Saturday, past form will not count
for much.
Defending champions the Rajasthan Royals could find it tough this
time around, starting with their opening clash against Bangalore Royal
Challengers in the second match of a double header which gets the
five-week, 2009 tournament underway.
Rajasthan Royals team co-owner Shilpa Shetty (R) and
Australian born Rajasthan Royals cricketer Shane Warne (L)
wave to the public as IPL cricket teams parade in the street
of Cape Town on open buses on Friday. AFP |
Mumbai Indians meet Chennai Super Kings, who were runners-up last
year, in the early match.
The relocation of the world’s richest cricket league from India to
South Africa means that conditions will be different, with seam bowlers
likely to get far more assistance than they did in the inaugural
tournament in India last year.
The Royals had an early taste of the Newlands pitch in a warm-up
match last weekend when batsmen struggled to play the sort of dominating
innings that marked the first IPL.
It is a major blow for the champions will be without all-rounder
Shane Watson and left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir, two of the main
match-winners for the underdogs who spent the least money on players but
carried away the 1.2-million-dollar prize money.
The Royals, who will again be led by veteran Australian leg-spinner
Shane Warne, will hope that Indian fast bowler Munaf Patel and South
Africa’s Morne Morkel can compensate for the loss of the two stars.
In contrast to the Royals, the Challengers spent big but achieved
little in the first IPL, finishing seventh of the eight teams.
They are likely to be an improved side, however, with star English
signing Kevin Pietersen leading the team in the only stages of the
tournament and tough South African Ray Jennings cracking the whip as
coach. The Bangalore team will be boosted by the signing of Indian
batsman Robin Uthappa, while South African fast bowler Dale Steyn is
likely to be more effective on his home country pitches than he was in
India. South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis and leading Indian
batsman Rahul Dravid will be expected to improve on mediocre
performances last time.
The battle between the Mumbai and Chennai franchises should get the
tournament off to a cracking start.
Mumbai Indians will be led by Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar, who
missed most of the first series because of injury.
With teams only able to field four non-Indian players, Mumbai have a
stronger core of Indian stars than some of their rivals, with Tendulkar
and Test bowlers Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh in their squad.
Overseas aces include Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, West Indian
Dwayne Bravo and South Africa’s JP Duminy.
Chennai Super Kings were runners-up last year and will again provide
a formidable challenge. |