Final Sneak Preview: Deccan Chargers vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore
JOHANNESBURG: Here's a sneak preview of the final of the DLF Indian Premier League between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers at the Wanderers here on Sunday.
What's at stake: The chance to end a fairytale run with the crown, the glittering DLF Indian Premier League title and Rs 2.4 crore as prize money.
Form guide: Anil Kumble's side have been victorious in their last five matches including two victories over Chennai Super Kings and one over Deccan Chargers. Adam Gilchrist’s Deccan Chargers have been pretty up and down with their form and will hope that one of their big guns fires one more time.
Top guns: The biggest batting contribution for Royal Challengers Bangalore has come from Jacques Kallis (346 runs) while Ross Taylor (253), Rahul Dravid (262) and Virat Kohli (239) have been consistent too. Manish Pandey has caught the eye with two blazing knocks in successive games while Mark Boucher is known to be a fantastic finishers. Anil Kumble’s 17 wickets make him the key man while Praveen Kumar (13) and Roelef van der Merwe (nine) have chipped in with good efforts. Kallis has contributed with testing sensible overs early on in the innings. For Deccan Chargers, Adam Gilchrist (495), Rohit Sharma (338) and Herschelle Gibbs (318) have been the key batsmen. Of course, Andrew Symonds (216), who joined the side recently and has played seven games is another big player. Among the bowlers, RP Singh (22 wickets) and Pragyan Ojha (15) are vital cogs in the wheel but the side misses the thrust of Fidel Edwards. Then again, Ryan Harris, Rohit, Symonds and Suman offer the captain choice.
Captain vs captain: Royal Challengers Bangalore have shown a remarkable resurgence under the man they call Jumbo. To his credit, he has been ready to think on his feet to find answers to challenges that have come their way. Adam Gilchrist has led by example and has constantly motivated the side to perform to potential. Like Kumble, the veteran marshals his resources well.
Key battles: Besides the captains' battle with one another on the tactical front, it will be interesting to see how the Deccan Chargers face the spin combine of Kumble and Roelof van der Merwe. And, Harris and RP Singh’s contest with the hero of the moment Manish Pandey as well as Pragyan Ojha's match up with Rahul Dravid will all be fascinating duels.
What happened in the league games: The teams traded a win each. On April 22, at Newlands in Cape Town, Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma hit five sixes each and helped Deccan Chargers beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 24 runs. And on May 21, at SuperSport Park in Centurion near Pretoria, Mike Pandey’s unbeaten 114 set up Royal Challengers Bangalore's 12-run victory that saw then finish third in the round robin.
What's at stake: The chance to end a fairytale run with the crown, the glittering DLF Indian Premier League title and Rs 2.4 crore as prize money.
Form guide: Anil Kumble's side have been victorious in their last five matches including two victories over Chennai Super Kings and one over Deccan Chargers. Adam Gilchrist’s Deccan Chargers have been pretty up and down with their form and will hope that one of their big guns fires one more time.
Top guns: The biggest batting contribution for Royal Challengers Bangalore has come from Jacques Kallis (346 runs) while Ross Taylor (253), Rahul Dravid (262) and Virat Kohli (239) have been consistent too. Manish Pandey has caught the eye with two blazing knocks in successive games while Mark Boucher is known to be a fantastic finishers. Anil Kumble’s 17 wickets make him the key man while Praveen Kumar (13) and Roelef van der Merwe (nine) have chipped in with good efforts. Kallis has contributed with testing sensible overs early on in the innings. For Deccan Chargers, Adam Gilchrist (495), Rohit Sharma (338) and Herschelle Gibbs (318) have been the key batsmen. Of course, Andrew Symonds (216), who joined the side recently and has played seven games is another big player. Among the bowlers, RP Singh (22 wickets) and Pragyan Ojha (15) are vital cogs in the wheel but the side misses the thrust of Fidel Edwards. Then again, Ryan Harris, Rohit, Symonds and Suman offer the captain choice.
Captain vs captain: Royal Challengers Bangalore have shown a remarkable resurgence under the man they call Jumbo. To his credit, he has been ready to think on his feet to find answers to challenges that have come their way. Adam Gilchrist has led by example and has constantly motivated the side to perform to potential. Like Kumble, the veteran marshals his resources well.
Key battles: Besides the captains' battle with one another on the tactical front, it will be interesting to see how the Deccan Chargers face the spin combine of Kumble and Roelof van der Merwe. And, Harris and RP Singh’s contest with the hero of the moment Manish Pandey as well as Pragyan Ojha's match up with Rahul Dravid will all be fascinating duels.
What happened in the league games: The teams traded a win each. On April 22, at Newlands in Cape Town, Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma hit five sixes each and helped Deccan Chargers beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 24 runs. And on May 21, at SuperSport Park in Centurion near Pretoria, Mike Pandey’s unbeaten 114 set up Royal Challengers Bangalore's 12-run victory that saw then finish third in the round robin.
