
Jeetwin
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Toss - RCB bowl first
There were never any doubts what the captain was going to do after winning the toss and Kohli decides to chase. RCB are going in to this contest with the same XI but KXIP have made two changes. K Gowtham and Jordan had put in poor performances the other night and as a result, Jimmy Neesham comes in. Murugan Ashwin also gets a go and that means KXIP will have two leggies in their XI.
Teams:
Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w/c), Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Sarfaraz Khan, James Neesham, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Sheldon Cottrell, Ravi Bishnoi
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Shivam Dube, Josh Philippe(w), Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav, Dale Steyn, Yuzvendra Chahal
Build up
As the saying goes though, 'the show must go on'. And that brings us to day 6 of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League. Two teams that had contrasting starts to their campaign will face each other tonight in what promises to be an interesting contest. Royal Challengers Bangalore were on the brink of losing their first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad before springing back to life right at the death to snatch a win. Kings XI Punjab on the other hand snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Delhi Capitals despite needing just a solitary run from the last three deliveries of the run chase. They were blown away in the ensuing Super Over. Their morale would have definitely been crushed whereas RCB's would be the exact opposite.
Both teams found plenty of positives though and they will be looking to make the most out of it. For KXIP, Mayank Agarwal stood tall finally after being promoted as an opener. He managed to hold the innings together and unleash a flurry of shots whenever required before falling agonisingly short. For RCB, Devdutt Padikkal brought a lot of cheer with an enterprising fifty on IPL debut. But RCB's team combination was under the scanner in their opening game with Josh Phillippe slotted in at number 5. How much of an impact can he make from that spot? Aaron Finch certainly thinks he can deliver as a finisher but we will have to wait and watch. Chris Morris is likely to be unavailable tonight as well and the onus will be on Dale Steyn to lead that bowling attack once again.
Yuzvendra Chahal was magnificent with the wet ball and RCB will be relying on him big time in case they are asked to bowl second again. But can Chahal shoulder the burden on his own? He needs support from at least a couple of bowlers against this exciting batting lineup. KL, the new KXIP captain, failed to fire in the opening game and will be itching to get going tonight. Chris Jordan was smashed across all corners of the ground and it will be interesting to see if KXIP ditch him straightaway. Toss and team news coming up shortly. Hopefully, we are in for a cracker.
Gone too soon
The world mourns the untimely demise of one of the greats of the game. Dean Jones, known popularly as professor Deano over the years post his playing days, has passed away aged 59. He was working on the IPL 2020 broadcast from a studio in Mumbai and suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday (September 24). Jones' legacy is well documented in the cricketing world. One of the pioneers of the one-day game during his time, he was a vital cog in that Australian side that went on to capture its first world title in 1987.
Overall, in 164 games, Jones scored over 6000 runs and finished with an incredible average of 44.61. He hit 11 centuries in his Test career as well, averaging over 46. His 210 in the tied Test of Madras in 1986 will remain a part of cricket's folklore forever. Over the years, Jones managed to captivate audience worldwide with his commentary and has also enjoyed coaching stints. Deano will definitely be missed.
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