Follow UsThe Titans pull back
After a stunning run that saw them winning eight out of their first nine games, Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans have lost their way in the previous week, having registered a couple of losses. The apparent weaknesses, which were hidden by some magnificent bowling and impeccable finishing touches of Rahul Tewatia and David Miller, surfaced in the first week of May to ensure the playing field for the play-offs race become even more open.
Against Punjab Kings, the entire batting order, barring B Sai Sudharshan, came crashing down. Only Rashid Khan maintained some sort of semblance with the ball to ensure that it was not an embarrassment overall, but that showed the lacunae in the side which could be exploited further in important stages of the tournament.
A struggling Mumbai Indians later put one past the Titans in their second game of the week. Despite a solid opening partnership between Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, the Titans’ middle-order messed up a straightforward run-chase and even conceded the top spot to Lucknow Super Giants. As we approach the last phase of the league stage, they can’t afford any more slip-ups if they harbour hopes of having two shots at making the final.
What’s up with SRH?
After losing two games in a row at the start of the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad made a stunning comeback to register five consecutive wins. Not only did they seem like a genuine title contender, the improbable individual performances further made them a unit having all bases covered. However, the last week has provided them with a reality check beyond their comprehension.
Since beating Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 23, the Kane Williamson-led side haven’t won a single encounter and lost both of their games in the previous week. Not just their batting has come under the scanner, but also the bowling, the strong suit that helped them the winning streak, have failed to contribute in the same way. Barring Bhuvneshwar Kumar, inconsistency has become the major facet of their pacers, with even someone like Umran Malik, who played a big role in their resurgence, failing to turn up. Will the next week see a change in their fortune to solidify their hopes of making it to the next stage of the competition?
Rajasthan finally chase one
One of the unluckiest captains in the Indian Premier League, in terms of toss, Sanju Samson finally led his side to a victory while chasing. It is commendable that despite losing 10 tosses so far, they have seven wins to show for it. It came to a point where things seemed really bizarre and at one point, even cumbersome to many. Could this come to haunt them at some point in time? Well, if that was not the case, a win batting second would rest the cause for now.
Punjab Kings suffered the wrath of it on Saturday, with the entire batting order coming together to chase the total down. Returning to the side, Yashasvi Jaiswal played a massive hand by scoring 68 off 30 balls whereas Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson’s cameo gave a wholesome touch to it. If they continue this for a while, surely we have a campaign in our hands.
RCB get back on track
Royal Challengers Bangalore have blown hot and cold this season, but on the back of two solid wins in the last two games, they are finally back on track. If getting the better of CSK was about how disciplined they were with the ball, the next game against Sunrisers brought their all-round prowess to the force, ensuring a versatile mix with the play-offs race heating up.
The most impressive aspect of Bangalore’s recent performances was the way their spinners stepped up. Wanindu Hasaranga has already proven his mettle and now Glenn Maxwell has joined the party to ensure that their spin unit has a complete look into it. Surely, Kohli has his own problems to deal with and RCB are suffering big-time because of the same but the fans would be more than happy if the side can maintain the overall tempo.