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Aakash Chopra opined that RCB are likely to have a better IPL than Sunrisers Hyderabad, which is certainly contrary to the performances of the two teams in the recent editions of the prestigious league. The IPL 2020 purple cap list has been updated, check here. He reasoned that the Sunrisers Hyderabad seem to have gotten a little weaker than usual, with their bowling not as potent as it used to be earlier....

Chopra made this observation while reviewing the KL Rahul-led team’s loss to the inaugural IPL winners, in a video shared on his YouTube channel. Aakash Chopra pointed out that KXIP had not got off to the best of starts, with Ben Stokes pulling off a stunner to dismiss Mandeep Singh in the first over before Chris Gayle went on a blitzkrieg. The reputed commentator observed that the destructive Jamaican’s batting records would put mere mortals to shame....

He made this observation while previewing the Shreyas Iyer-led side’s IPL 2020 clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in a video shared on his YouTube channel. Aakash Chopra started by highlighting that the Delhi Capitals have hit a rough patch in their last three encounters, with their batting superstars not contributing much either. The reputed commentator added that the Delhi Capitals will have to address their batting issues, with Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant required to contribute more....

Under the leadership of David Warner, they will look to go the full distance just like they did in 2016, and there’s no reason why they can’t. SRH seem to have all bases covered ahead of IPL 2020, with the wealth of young Indian talent being one of the stand-outs of their roster. SRH have always had a number of match-winners - both Indian and overseas - in their side, and their IPL 2020 squad is no different....

The strategy was quite clear: to get in a strike bowler and some experience in the middle order. They went all out for Pat Cummins, who became the second most expensive buy in the history of IPL. Eoin Morgan will add to the experience in the middle order. The likes of Tom Banton and Rahul Tripathi can be used at the top in the KKR XI. Varun Chakravarthy and M Siddharth were bought after they impressed skipper Dinesh Karthik in the domestic circuit....

The 37-year-old had earlier pulled out of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) owing to personal reasons. Rohit Sharma revealed that the team management is looking at the likes of James Pattinson, Dhawal Kulkarni and Mohsin Khan to do a job similar to that of Malinga, but he understands that it is not going to be easy. Lasith Malinga has picked up 170 wickets from 122 matches in his IPL career at an economy rate of just over 7....

Both teams come into this match having registered wins in their last game and RCB will be wary of the dismal record they have against CSK. That said, the arrival of the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Kyle Jamieson has bolstered the Bangalore side. Both all-rounders have been impressive for the team and will be keen to prove their mettle against a seasoned CSK side. We take a look at some of the player battles to watch in this encounter:...

The move was made ahead of IPL 2021 slated to start on April 9 (Friday). According to The Hindu, teams playing their games in Maharashtra will be allowed to practice and then travel to their respective hotels during the night curfew that has been imposed to contain the spread of the pandemic. Get the complete IPL schedule 2021 here. Following the massive surge in COVID-19 cases, the State Government rang in the changes by announcing ‘Break the Chain’— a move that sees Section 144 and night curfew from 8 PM to 7 AM on weekdays....

Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a resounding comeback after handing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) a nine-wicket defeat. They take on the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday (September 23) who will be looking to get their first win of the second leg. It’s not just the KKR comeback that matters in the scrimmage, but also the player battles between the quality players of both sides. We take a look at some of the clashes to watch out for when these two teams meet in the UAE leg of the IPL for the first time....

During his appearance on Star Sports Cricket Connected, Parthiv Patel spoke at length about Glenn Maxwell, explaining why the Aussie will be crucial for RCB this season. From Parthiv’s perspective, Bangalore will rely a lot on Maxwell in the upcoming IPL season since the rest of their middle-order lacks experience. When asked if the Royal Challengers Bangalore could use Glenn Maxwell to his full potential, Parthiv Patel replied: Parthiv Patel concluded by saying the Royal Challengers Bangalore would expect Glenn Maxwell to justify his hefty price tag of ₹14....

Having won 5 games out of the 9 played, KKR are in the running for a playoffs spot and are currently the third-placed side in the IPL points table. They would be looking to seal their berth into the business end of the tournament as soon as possible. On the other hand, Mumbai are already on the brink and need to win all their remaining games. Without further ado, let us look at how the Knight Riders may line up to fend off the defending champions on their own turf:...

The RCB, like always, are a batting-heavy side this season, but have invested faith in pace bowlers like Tim Southee, Nathan Coulter-Nile (8 matches, 15 wickets in IPL 2017), Chris Woakes (91 runs and 8 wickets in 8 T20Is), Umesh Yadav (94 wickets in 91 IPL matches) and Mohammed Siraj (10 wickets in 6 IPL matches). From the domestic circuit, RCB has picked up the likes of Navdeep Saini (13 wickets in 14 T20s) and Kulwant Khejroliya (14 wickets in 10 T20s,), who have been pretty impressive in the domestic season....

A few franchises have also changed their coaching staff. Gary Kirsten has replaced Daniel Vettori at RCB and Mike Hesson will join the KXIP camp for the next season. Some of the noteworthy released players include Axar Patel, Yuvraj Singh and Aaron Finch by KXIP, Glenn Maxwell and Gautam Gambhir by DD and Jaydev Unadkat by the Rajasthan Royals. While all of these will be available for selection in the auction, there are also a few players who can make an entry into the IPL based on their strong ODI performances....

Some of these players justified their price tag by performing well but some did not, as they could not live up to the expectations. We saw many players becoming millionaires at the IPL 2019 auctions as well. While it was expected for some players to get a huge amount, there were some who surprised everyone by bagging a hefty sum. Here, we take a look at three players who may not be able to justify their price tag in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League....

Like the previous seasons, Royal Challengers Bangalore boasts of a strong line-up and again start as the favorites to win the trophy this season. But for that to happen, RCB would have to field in the best possible combination. With the difficulty level getting raised every season, the Royals cannot afford to commit even the slightest of mistakes. Opening combination would remain a worry for the side. They have traded out Quinton de Kock and released Brendon McCullum....

Defeating KXIP is a lot easier said than done. Kings XI shouldn’t be underestimated as they gave a tough fight against CSK in the previous season, even winning one game against them. Under Mike Hesson’s coaching, the team would definitely show a complete level of brilliance in the match. Sam Curran’s final over bowling was impressive during the previous game against DC. As CSK is a much bigger threat the team would fire on all cylinders during Saturday....

But there is another big problem, their net run rate. Currently, their NRR of -0.683 is the worst amongst every other team and with just three games remaining, it looks quite unrealistic to turn things around on that very aspect. So, can RCB qualify to playoffs even with their poor NRR? A mathematical answer is a hopeful “Yes!” And here’s how it can work out in the favor of Virat’s RCB....

The IPL 2019 season is set to begin on March 23 this season. the fans and followers are eagerly waiting to know which players would make in the team’s playing XI and who will be seen warming benches. In a bid to intensify these thoughts, we’ll try to have a look at what should be Chennai Super Kings’ ideal playing XI for the 2019 season of the Indian Premier League....

Head to Head Overall Stats: In 25 head to head IPL games, MI have won 16 of them. Head to Head at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium: The RCB have not gathered much success against MI on their home ground. They have won just two out of nine head to head fixtures against the Mumbai Indians here. Pitch Report: Chinnaswamy Stadium’s short boundaries, flat deck and high altitude makes it a batting paradise in the T20 format....

Prithvi Shaw has the steely resolve to make big contribution in any format of the game. Though he missed his first IPL century by one run against Kolkata Knight Riders, he thrilled millions of cricket fans across the country with his explosive batting. Shaw smashed 99 off 55 balls with 12 fours and three sixes. And the interesting thing is that he was confident of hitting the ball wherever he wanted....