 This is the biggest game of the Champions League T20. Royal Challengers
Bangalore will face the Delhi Daredevils in the second match of the 17th
of October at the M.Chinnaswamy, with a lot hinging on the result of the first
game. Because, if the first game sees the Cobras beat Victoria, then Bangalore
is out even before going into the game, with only Delhi from the IPL teams having
an outside chance of making it through to the semi-finals. And that will mean
that if Bangalore beat Delhi in the game, both the IPL sides will be out of the
tournament.
Click for Live Score Card of Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi DaredevilsBangalore will go into the game having already lost their first game of the
League stage to the Victorian Bushrangers. The batting had been a problem for
the Bangalore side in that game, something that had been their biggest area
of strength. But also what was the problem was the absence of Jacques Kallis,
who was injured in the previous game and did not take part in this one. That
meant that the Royal Challengers Bangalore went in a batsman and a bowler
short and weren't able to adjust to the situation.
This time around, it is not known whether Bangalore will have the services
of the all-rounder, but what they definitely know is that even without him,
the batting will need to click beyond the top three. The lower order cannot
afford to rest on their laurels, especially with a bowling line-up with Dirk
Nannes and Glen McGrath in it. For some surprising reason, McGrath wasn't
a part of the side in the first game of the tournament, but the same resurrected
for the second game and the Daredevils had gone on to rout the opposition, Wayamba.
Anil Kumble and Dale Steyn's lack of form is a definite issue for the
Bangalore side.
For Delhi, it will be the batting that will play a part in getting them through
in the game. This will need all the three batsmen at the top - or at least two
of the three - in Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag and Dilshan - to fire and get
the score up. For some reason, one thinks that Owais Shah could be replaced
given his lack of form in the middle order, and a Manoj Tiwari could be called
up. Apart from that though, it was pleasing to watch Dinesh Karthik perform
the way he did in the previous game, and if not a repeat, he could be expected
to hit a cameo of sorts down the order.
Delhi would be our favourites going into the game.
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