Closing out matches is an art. The end-game skills are vital for a side to make the most from a position of advantage. In this terrain, all the escape routes are cut for the opposition.
Here, a side has to overcome the pressure that accompanies stunning success. Often, the mind holds the key. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla's ‘blues' at the death meant Kings XI Punjab snatched defeat from the clutches of victory at Mohali. There was a dramatic change in the narrative as Mumbai Indians came roaring back in an extraordinary jail-break.
It will once again be ‘underdog' versus ‘favourite' when Kings XI takes on the defending champion, Chennai Super Kings, at Chepauk on Saturday.
Can Kings XI pull off what it failed to accomplish in its previous match, where the chance of victory appeared and then disappeared. The task will be harder against a Super Kings team that can be very tough to beat near the finish line. This is a side with an aggressive body language and handles tense situations capably.
Hurricane Albie Morkel's blitz at the finish blew away the Royal Challengers when the Bangalore team was staring at a win. After that tumultuous game, Morkel flew back to South Africa to attend the funeral of a close friend. In Morkel's absence, Nuwan Kulasekara impressed with his skill and fight.
Kulasekara can bowl his seamers with control, mix his pace and send those precise yorkers in the end overs. He has also shown the heart for crunch situations.
Now, with the game-changing Morkel back and Kulasekara cementing his spot, Super Kings finds itself in a situation where it has to leave out paceman Doug Bollinger.
Having Bollinger in the XI has its own advantages. He lends left-arm variety to the pace attack and can hustle the opposition with bounce. To his credit, Bollinger did send down a terrific penultimate over against Rajasthan Royals at Chepauk.
Given that only four overseas players can figure in the eleven, it will not be an easy selection issue for Super Kings. But then, depth in the ranks is not such a bad thing.
For CSK, which has nine points from eight matches, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has managed the overs well. The opening pair of the in-form Faf du Plessis and S. Badrinath has provided solidity and shape to the innings. Once the start is sound, this outfit has plenty of batting firepower to propel the innings. It can also get potent left-right combinations into play to unsettle the bowling.
Gilchrist misses out
Kings XI Punjab, with six points from eight matches, is over-dependent on the batting strength of overseas stars Shaun Marsh and David Hussey. The legendary Adam Gilchrist will miss this match too because of a hamstring strain. Yet, if CSK is lax, Marsh and Hussey can alter scripts.
Kings XI lacks bowling depth, with paceman Praveen Kumar's inability to strike — he has just two wickets in eight games — hurting the side. The nip has been missing in Praveen's bowling. However, all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, now an English citizen, is a crafty bowler and a busy batsman.
Can Kings XI punch above its weight in the lion's den?
