What
Kings XI Punjab couldn’t have timed their four-match winning streak any better. Just when the doors to the playoffs were about to be shut on them, they got out of a five-match slump and are now serious contenders for a top four spot.
Deccan Chargers have managed only five wins from their 13 matches and will be playing for pride. The team will be without the services of their captain Kumar Sangakkara (who has joined the Sri Lankan team for their series in England).
When
Saturday, May 21, 2011, 4:00 p.m.
Where
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala
The Protagonists
As has been the case all season, for Kings XI Punjab to compete, they need their top-order to fire – just like they did in their previous match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Skipper Adam Gilchrist came good in the previous outing, slamming a 53-ball century against RCB, and he will be hoping to carry the same form into this crucial tie. Paul Valthaty, whose form had slumped in the middle part of the tournament, is also back to his run-scoring ways. Shaun Marsh – the Orange Cap-holder – has been a consistent performer for his team.
It would be fair to say the Deccan Chargers find themselves at No. 8 on the points table mainly because the batting unit hasn’t fired. Despite having players like Sangakkara, JP Duminy, Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White, the team has failed to click as a batting unit. The overseas batsmen have especially been disappointing; Duminy has only one half-century in nine innings, Daniel Christian has only managed 190 runs in 13 innings, while Cameron White has a highest score of 31* in five innings.
Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn form the best new-ball pair, and in Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha Deccan Chargers have perhaps the best spin bowling combination among all the teams. If only all the individuals could fire together, DC would be a far more dangerous team than they’ve been all season.
Previous Meetings
It was one-way traffic in meetings between the Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers in the first two seasons; KXIP won all four of their matches against DC in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
DC won both their fixtures in the 2010 season – winning their home fixture by six runs, and chasing down 175 in their away fixture at Dharamsala. KXIP made it 5-2 in the first meeting between these teams earlier this season when they thrashed DC by eight wickets in their chase of 166, getting past the finish line with 14 balls to spare.
Trivia
Adam Gilchrist became the fourth batsman in the world to score three hundreds in Twenty20 cricket when he scored a ton against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The others to do so are Ian Harvey, Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle.
Kings XI Punjab’s 111-run victory in the previous match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore was the second-biggest win in the history of IPL.
Dharamsala has produced high-scoring contests in all four matches it has staged. First innings totals in the four matches played there have been: 174 for three, 192 for three, 170 for six and 232 for two.
What next?
This will be the final league fixture of the season for both KXIP and DC. While this fixture will mean the end of the road for DC, KXIP, should they win, will keep a close eye on other results to see if they can progress to the playoffs.
Kings XI Punjab couldn’t have timed their four-match winning streak any better. Just when the doors to the playoffs were about to be shut on them, they got out of a five-match slump and are now serious contenders for a top four spot.
Deccan Chargers have managed only five wins from their 13 matches and will be playing for pride. The team will be without the services of their captain Kumar Sangakkara (who has joined the Sri Lankan team for their series in England).
When
Saturday, May 21, 2011, 4:00 p.m.
Where
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala
The Protagonists
As has been the case all season, for Kings XI Punjab to compete, they need their top-order to fire – just like they did in their previous match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Skipper Adam Gilchrist came good in the previous outing, slamming a 53-ball century against RCB, and he will be hoping to carry the same form into this crucial tie. Paul Valthaty, whose form had slumped in the middle part of the tournament, is also back to his run-scoring ways. Shaun Marsh – the Orange Cap-holder – has been a consistent performer for his team.
It would be fair to say the Deccan Chargers find themselves at No. 8 on the points table mainly because the batting unit hasn’t fired. Despite having players like Sangakkara, JP Duminy, Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White, the team has failed to click as a batting unit. The overseas batsmen have especially been disappointing; Duminy has only one half-century in nine innings, Daniel Christian has only managed 190 runs in 13 innings, while Cameron White has a highest score of 31* in five innings.
Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn form the best new-ball pair, and in Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha Deccan Chargers have perhaps the best spin bowling combination among all the teams. If only all the individuals could fire together, DC would be a far more dangerous team than they’ve been all season.
Previous Meetings
It was one-way traffic in meetings between the Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers in the first two seasons; KXIP won all four of their matches against DC in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
DC won both their fixtures in the 2010 season – winning their home fixture by six runs, and chasing down 175 in their away fixture at Dharamsala. KXIP made it 5-2 in the first meeting between these teams earlier this season when they thrashed DC by eight wickets in their chase of 166, getting past the finish line with 14 balls to spare.
Trivia
Adam Gilchrist became the fourth batsman in the world to score three hundreds in Twenty20 cricket when he scored a ton against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The others to do so are Ian Harvey, Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle.
Kings XI Punjab’s 111-run victory in the previous match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore was the second-biggest win in the history of IPL.
Dharamsala has produced high-scoring contests in all four matches it has staged. First innings totals in the four matches played there have been: 174 for three, 192 for three, 170 for six and 232 for two.
What next?
This will be the final league fixture of the season for both KXIP and DC. While this fixture will mean the end of the road for DC, KXIP, should they win, will keep a close eye on other results to see if they can progress to the playoffs.
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