While the stage is set for a high voltage Champions League T20 (CLT20) opener in Hyderabad on Wednesday, September 17, the weather gods look like spoiling the party. A low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal is likely to cross Andhra Coast and move inland giving rain in Hyderabad Tuesday night onwards. Hence, chances are that rain will curtail play, if not totally washing it out. Therefore team winning the toss will look to bowl first and Coaches and Captains will be busy looking at the Duckworth- Lewis score sheet to know the exact target.
The match is between Chennai Super Kings, the CLT20 winners of 2010 & current Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders. Buoyed by its thumping success in the IPL T20 tournament this year, KKR is raring to go for the kill in the Champions League but their build-up to the tournament has been plagued by injuries to Chris Lynn and Morne Morkel and the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, who failed to get an NOC from the Bangladesh Cricket Association. Led by a ‘no-nonsense’ Gautam Gambhir, the team has not given a good account of itself in the CLT20 competitions so far. Even though they reached the Group Stage in 2011 and 2012 editions, they failed to go beyond. Besides Gambhir, KKR boasts of some high-octane performers such as Jacques Kallis, Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan, though it is missing the services of Shakib and Morkel. Shakib has not been given NOC, while Morkel is injured.
The Kolkata side has practiced hard, including playing a practice match with Hyderabad XI, at the Rajiv Gandhi cricket stadium here on Tuesday. In the 20 overs practice match yesterday, Kallis scored 58 runs (43b, 3x4, 4x6).
The 2010 champions, Chennai, led by Team India captain MS Dhoni, is equally poised to put its best foot forward. In a shot in the arm for the team, seasoned Dwayne Bravo is back in the side.
Though, cricket lovers would be praying for a full game, only weather gods will decide how long will the match last.!!
Picture Courtesy: ibnlive.com
