IPL 2010 : Match 23 : KKR vs KINGS' XI Punjab
A must-win for both teams
- Tiwary, Dinda set to play in place of Pujara, IshantLOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI
Sourav Ganguly and David Hussey in Mohali, on FridayChandigarh: The buzz among the janata here and in neighbouring Mohali has been about two speed merchants with jumbo reputations, Brett Lee and Shane Bond, going flat out on Saturday evening.
For much of Friday, though, within the cricket fraternity there was talk that the script may read differently if the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) looked at options beyond Bond.
Late in the evening, however, word came that Bond would make his fourth appearance on the trot for KKR, this time against the Kings XI Punjab.
Apparently, the team management had been looking at only playing batsmen in the four slots for players from overseas. The idea then got dumped.
Had that happened, the XI would have featured Chris Gayle, David Hussey, Owais Shah and Angelo Mathews. The last-named to be utilised as a bowler, too.
Now, it seems either Shah or Mathews will have to make way for Hussey, who is hours away from his maiden KKR appearance in IPL III.
Fact remains that Bond hasn’t made the impact expected of him. He has gone wicketless in two matches and wasn’t even given a fourth over in the last outing, against the Mumbai Indians.
According to a well-placed source of The Telegraph, there could be many changes from the last KKR XI. Ishant Sharma is set to be dropped, while Cheteshwar Pujara won’t be playing either.
Ashok Dinda is tipped to take Ishant’s place, with Manoj Tiwary looking a certainty for the slot held by Pujara.
Harpreet Singh faces the axe as well. His place may go to a specialist bowler.
Clearly, these are bad times for Ishant, who got left out from the Team India XV for the World T20.
“I didn’t tell him a lot of things, just said bad luck... He appeared to have taken his omission pretty well,” coach Dav Whatmore said, speaking exclusively.
That was before news came that Ishant wasn’t being considered for the match against the Kings XI. So, Dav could have to repeat the ‘bad luck’ bit!
Captain Sourav Ganguly, by the way, woke up with a tummy upset, but regained energy rather quickly and didn’t miss the day’s nets.
Murali Kartik, who hurt himself in the bathroom the other day, has been declared fit.
As for Lee (who has done a Bond by quitting Test cricket), he has recovered “100 per cent” and is almost certain to figure in the home team’s XI.
While the Knights have two wins in IPL III, the Kings XI have managed one. For both, then, there’s much work to be done.
Indeed, Kumar Sangakkara and his men haven’t played with a regal touch, while Sourav and Co. have hardly dazzled as knights.
Match starts: 8 pm.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100327/jsp/sports/story_12269551.jsp
AuthorTopic: IPL 2010 : Match 23 : KKR vs KINGS' XI Punjab (Read 4686 times)
