VIRAT KOHLI has a chance to finally win the Indian Premier League (IPL) as his Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) prepare to face Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 on Thursday (May 29) in Mullanpur, Punjab.
Kohli’s RCB secured second place by chasing 228 to beat Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. Punjab Kings topped the table and now host RCB in a match that sends the winners straight to the final in Ahmedabad on June 3. Even if Bengaluru lose on Thursday, they will have another chance to reach the final against the winners of Friday’s eliminator between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians.
Kohli, 36, recently retired from Tests and T20 internationals but still wants to lift the IPL trophy. "I had two heartbreaks in my life in 2016," he told JioStar. "First was the World T20 and then the IPL final." Kohli has been in fine form this season, scoring 602 runs at an average of 60.20, with eight half-centuries, including 54 against Lucknow. He is the highest run-scorer in IPL history and has spent all 18 seasons with Bengaluru.
RCB, who have lost three finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016, believe this could be their year. Injuries have been a concern, but pacer Josh Hazlewood is expected to be fit after returning to the squad on Sunday. Tim David is also available for selection. Jitesh Sharma, who played his best IPL innings on Tuesday, adds depth to the middle-order. Phil Salt’s aggressive batting in the powerplay and Kohli’s consistent scoring remain key.
Punjab Kings, meanwhile, are in the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Under Iyer’s captaincy and head coach Ricky Ponting, they have turned things around after years of inconsistency. "Every team's missing players," Ponting said. "We’d like to think we’ve got good depth, and be able to cover for Marco, despite it being a big miss." They will miss Marco Jansen, who has returned to South Africa’s camp ahead of the Test final. Azmatullah Omarzai could take his place, while Kyle Jamieson will look to bowl well up front.
The opening duo of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya has provided strong starts, giving a platform for Iyer and Josh Inglis to build on. Shashank Singh has been effective in the finishing role, and Marcus Stoinis has found form with the bat.
Punjab will hope for a strong performance from leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who missed the last two games due to a finger injury but is expected to return. Harpreet Brar’s accuracy and Arshdeep Singh’s consistent pace bowling have been key for Punjab.
The pitch in Mullanpur has seen totals of 200 in the first innings only once in four games, making the conditions unpredictable. Punjab will take confidence from their ability to defend 111 against KKR last month at this venue.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians, who will play Gujarat Titans in the eliminator, have lost England’s Will Jacks and South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch due to international duty. Gujarat Titans, champions on debut in 2022, will be without Jos Buttler but still have strong batting led by Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, the top two scorers this season with 679 and 649 runs, respectively.
Gill will also lead India for the first time on their five-Test tour of England starting June 20 at Headingley.
Both Punjab Kings and RCB see Thursday’s game as a key step towards their ultimate goal of winning the IPL.
(With inputs from agencies)
(Photo credit: PTI)