ILP 2011 - Punjab vs Chennai ( Match 9)

Punjab won the toss and decided to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings in Mohali on Wednesday. Click here for updates.

Brief Preview

After an epic India Pakistan ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi final, the PCA stadium is ready to host its first Indian T20 league game this season. Gilchrist and his men will be looking for some change in fortune as they take on the last year champs in their home turf. Mohali managed a pauperly performance with the bat, after a complete top order collapse to some good bowling by Pune. However, they went in for a completely new side this season, and to expect them to perform straight away would be a little harsh. The young side will be looking to their captain for some inspiration.

As far as the local boys are concerned Karthik, Nayar and company will be looking to make some useful contribution with the bat. The Mohali bowling too does not look like much of a threat, and to add to it they did drop a few straightforward chances in their first game. Chennai might not have had a start they would have liked, but they will certainly take the result. They managed to scrape through against Kolkata with a two-run victory and will be looking for a comprehensive win against an unsettled Mohali side.
The men from the south managed a decent show with the bat with Anirudha grabbing the opportunity as an opener. The middle order too chipped in and the side managed a good total on board. The bowling however did not come to the party and has been guilty in the past and would certainly want to correct it. Still early days in the season, both teams will look to get some rhythm going. Chennai almost has the same side, hence should not take long to get into the groove. This is the best time for Mohali to do some experiment with the squad and try to get a combination going. Chandigarh is one of the most sporting wicktets in the country, which should make it a good contest between bat and ball.

Teams

Chennai Super Kings: S Anirudha, M Vijay, S Raina, SB Styris, MS Dhoni (Captain&WK), JA Morkel, R Ashwin, SB Jakati, TG Southee, S Randiv

Kings' XI Punjab: AC Gilchrist (Captain&WK), SE Marsh, KD Karthik, Sunny Singh, AM Nayar, PC Valthaty, R McLaren, P Kumar, RJ Harris, PP Chawla, BA Bhatt

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