IPL returns to the Chinnaswamy and it promises to be a spectacle to behold as the Bangalore fans would be expectant, despite their team having under -performed in the last decade.
A sea of red would engulf any pink that would have made its way to the ‘RCB fortress’, but will the men in red finally give the city something to cheer about?
It’s been a long ten years for both Kings XI and RCB, as both franchises have come close to winning their maiden title, but have faltered at the final hurdle.
A new decade in the IPL has arrived but has it brought some luck for KXIP and RCB?
The script remained very much similar for RCB, who succumbed to a rather tame loss at the Eden Gardens against KKR, but KXIP seem to have found that ‘rejuvenated feel’ that they were desperately after.
Ashwin is trying to write his own little captaincy hand book at Kings XI and it worked in the first game against DD, largely thanks to a blistering half century by KL Rahul.
Virat Kohli will look for inspiration from the RCB crowd, hoping that the passionate supporters in the ground can help get the team over the line.
RCB once again find themselves top heavy but their management beleives that they have the required resources to call themselves ‘well balanced’. Didn’t seem so in the first game, but well, if RCB say so.
Kings XI would welcome Aaron Finch into their side, who has returned after his wedding in Australia, but will he find a place in the XI?
Kohli might opt for the same XI for this game, but if it doesn’t work out once again, expect them to get that 6th bowling option drafted into their side somehow.
Let’s get to business!
IPL Fantasy Guide(Fantasy Tips for RCB vs KXIP)
Transfer out: Chris Lynn, Rashid Khan, Ishan Kishan
Transfer in: Virat Kohli, ABD/KL Rahul, Mayank Markande/Khejroliya
I don’t have any players in my team for this game.
When RCB play at Chinnaswamy, you just need to have both ABD and Kohli in your side, but with the paucity of transfers, schedule constraints and the the overseas player limit, I’ll have to see if both of them can be drafted in tonight.
Virat Kohli comes in for sure. He seemed a little rusty in the first game, but coming in at number 3, it allows him to bat the way he wants and the way he does for India. He should be in familiar territory today and I expect him to go big.
Now, how do you solve the AB de Villiers conundrum?
You need to be a little brave here, breathe out your anxieties, and leave him out if RCB bat second.
The major reason for indulging in such blasphemy is AB de Villiers’ new batting position in the IPL and the fact that RCB have opted for two openers who have blasted bowling attacks all over the world.
Now, if the openers tee off in the 2nd innings, ABD will not have much to do and even if he gets a 10 ball 30, it wouldn’t cost me a lot and thus I am prepared to take that risk and leave him out.
I am forced to do away with ABD because my overseas players, Lynn, Rashid, Munro and Morris, all feature tomorrow.
In fact my entire team features tomorrow, as all my players are from MI, SRH, DD and KKR. (MI vs DD, KKR vs SRH).
But you can’t do away with an RCB game that takes place at the Chinnaswamy, can you?
So, if RCB bat second, de Villiers might not get too many balls to make a substantial impact and thus in that case I’ll get in KL Rahul, who was in exquisite form in the last game, scoring 50 of just 14 balls.
I won’t be making any more substitutions to my side for this game.
If you do have 60+ transfers left, you could get in Mujeeb Ur Rehman, but that will be a 50-50 call as the small Chinnaswamy stadium could severely bring down his ‘impact potential’.
Getting AB de Villiers in if RCB bat first has a big issue though, as I’ll be left with only 650,000 in that case and hence won’t be able to bring in any uncapped player from this game.
I will be getting in Mayank Markande into my team from tomorrow’ game between MI vs DD.
Also, I will have to make Kohli or ABD as my 2nd innings captain, despite them having batted first. But then you need to make such exceptions for exceptional players.
Hopefully, Kohli and ABD get a lot of catches in the 2nd innings.
However, if RCB bowl first, I’ll get in KL Rahul and Khejroliya into my side. Virat Kohli could then be my 2nd innings powerplayer and I can also get in an uncapped player from this game.
Match Powerplayer- AB de Villiers(if RCB bat first/KL Rahul(if KXIP bat first)
2nd innings Powerplayer- Virat Kohli
Fandromeda(Fantasy Tips for RCB vs KXIP)
Transfer out: Shikhar Dhawan, Rashid Khan, Rohit Sharma
Transfer in: Virat Kohli, ABD/KL Rahul, Andrew Tye/Mujeeb ur Rehman
Now, I already have Mayank Agarwal in my side for this game.
Again all the players I have in my side my play tomorrow, hence some tough calls will need to be taken.
I’ll need to transfer out Dhawan, Rohit and Rashid Khan in order to get in AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Andrew Tye.
I get in Tye instead of Mujeeb Ur Rehman primarily because of his death bowling skills and because of the small Bangalore boundaries.
But Tye’s death bowling skills would come in handy only if KXIP bowls first. Thus, if KXIP bowl second, I get in Mujeeb.
Now, with respect to KL Rahul and ABD, I will get in ABD only if RCB bat first, as explained in the IPL Fantasy League section.
Batting Powerplayer: ABD(if RCB bat first)/Virat Kohli(if RCB bat second)
Bowling Powerplayer: Andrew Tye/Mujeeb
