RCB lock horns with SRH — Cricket returns to the grand theatre of Chinnaswamy
Lights. Camera. Action. Over the next couple of months, the grand colosseum of the IPL will once more entertain millions of fans across the length and breadth of India and beyond. As Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening game of the tournament, there is a connecting point to this year’s IPL — after a gap of nearly one year, the Chinnaswamy Stadium will host a game of cricket. It wouldn’t just be a day of celebrating the game of leather and willow; it is also a day of remembering the 11 fans who lost their lives in a tragic incident near the Chinnaswamy last year.
The build-up to the game says something about the nervous energy not just among the fans but also the administrators. Security is quite strict in and around the ground. A couple of days before the start of the tournament, fire brigade services were out in full force. The gates have been renovated, and new ones have come up too. One could notice changes in spectator-holding capacity as organisers look to manage the crowd better. On the big day, there are also plans to regulate parking and traffic.
There could be a mix of nervous energy and excitement in the RCB camp too. After all, they are looking to defend the title. In the pre-match press conference, head coach Andy Flower said, “Of course, we are the holders from last year, but this is a brand-new year, and we’re all looking forward to the challenge. One of the truths in life is that change is always there.”
The RCB think tank also has to find a solution to plug the massive hole left by Josh Hazlewood’s absence for the first couple of games. The veteran seamer didn’t just pick up 22 wickets in the 2025 IPL but also bowled the tough overs at different stages of RCB’s glorious campaign. His ability to extract bounce — and the way he watches a batter’s feet with hawk-like precision in the slog overs — will be missed. In his place, Jacob Duffy could come into the equation.
The New Zealand seamer was intent on bowling hard lengths in the practice matches. That wasn’t exactly the case during New Zealand’s games in India over the last couple of months. Meanwhile, RCB captain Rajat Patidar will be hoping to regain his mojo after grappling with form during the second half of the 2025–26 domestic season. In RCB’s practice sessions, he showed glimpses of his former self with some sumptuous lofted shots against spin. However, there were also moments when it felt as if he was still searching for form.
RCB also have a couple of tricky selection calls to make. Can Mangesh Yadav take the place of Yash Dayal? What about Jacob Bethell replacing Tim David? The left-handed batter has had long stints with both bat and ball in net sessions. Yesterday, one of his bazooka hits smashed into the window panes of the press box. Who knows? The prodigiously talented batter might just make it into the playing XI.
What about the SRH camp then? On expected lines, SRH coach Daniel Vettori said it would take around 10–15 days to assess when Pat Cummins can make a comeback. Cummins, though, has already joined the squad and was keeping an eye on SRH’s practice sessions. Interim captain Ishan Kishan essayed some crackerjack strokes down the ground and over midwicket, while Travis Head seemed keen to ask the pace bowlers to tuck him up for room as much as possible.
As for their pace-bowling unit, Eshan Malinga had a long net session. Brydon Carse, his competitor, can also strike a few meaty blows down the order. Onkar Tarmale, the tall quick, could also be close to making the playing XI. There is also a school of thought that Nitish Kumar Reddy might open the bowling. The only caveat to that ploy — he would be up against Kohli, a superb player of fast bowling. So, they might still consider using Harsh Dubey from one end. Dubey could also be a useful option against Phil Salt.
Last but not least, what about the pitch? It is a fresh one, so there could be a little more bounce and carry. Last year, on occasions, the tracks at the Chinnaswamy offered a hint of assistance for the fast bowlers upfront.
Possible XIs:
SRH — Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Liam Livingstone, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Brydon Carse/Eshan Malinga, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat. The likes of Zeeshan Ansari, Onkar Tarmale, Shivang Kumar and Aniket Verma could be in the mix as impact substitutes.
RCB — Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David/Jacob Bethell, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma. Rasikh Dar, Venkatesh Iyer and Mangesh Yadav are more or less set to be in the mix as impact substitutes.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news
Also read Watching him time and strike the ball, I think he’s at the peak of his prowess: Flower on Kohli
The post RCB lock horns with SRH — Cricket returns to the grand theatre of Chinnaswamy appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
Comments
Post a Comment