The first game of the 10th of October will see the Cobras play the Otago Volts at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium Hyderabad. This is Otago's first game, whereas Cobras have already played won game before this against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Cobras had won a high-scoring thriller in that game and a win here will mean that they are through to the second stage of the tournament with full points carried over. On the other hand, a win for the Otago Volts will mean that the last game of the group between Otago and Bangalore will prove to utmost crucial.

As shown in the first game that the Cape Cobras played in, J.P. Duminy played a master innings which can probably be compared with the century that Brendon McCullum had smashed against the Royal Challengers in the very first game of the IPL. His unbeaten not only saw the side through to a win but also ensured that Otago will be very careful about the preparations against him.

Having said that, it is not only Duminy, but even the likes of Herschelle Gibbs who will have to do their bit in the game. Over-reliance on one batsman could prove to be a side's undoing and that is what the Cobras will need to take care of.

This time around the game will be played in Hyderabad, and the pitch will be unknown quantity, meaning that Claud Henderson could still have a chance to get a loo-in after a rather ordinary performance in the previous game.

For the Otago side, there are enough experienced, international players who will make their task much easier. In Brendon McCullum, they have a batsman who can take the world by fire, whereas his brother Nathan Bracken is a good spinner in the shortest format of the game, as shown in the ICC World T20.

However, the good thing is that McCullum is not leading the side, which means that he can concentrate wholely on his batting - after he had had a rather nasty run in the last four months or so. This includes his bad show as the captain and more importantly as the batsman.

Ian Butler will be the bowler to look out for, but the fact is that, he is still overcoming the stomach virus that had hit him in South Africa. This will mean that the other, inexperienced quick bowlers will need to take some kind of responsibility in order start off the campaign on a good note!

Tag :- Brendon McCullum   Cape Cobras   Claud Henderson   Herschelle Gibbs   Nathan Bracken   Otago Volts   Royal Challengers Bangalore   South Africa