IPL 2013 Preview: Middle-order the worry for Pune Warriors against Adam Gilchrist’s Kings XI Punjab

Adam Gilchrist returns to India to lead Kings XI Punjab in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League for one last time in 2013. His team begins its campaign against the Pune Warriors in the Subrata Roy Sahara stadium on Sunday where the home side will chase their first points of the season.

The Punjab side has a promising squad with an astute leader but their failure to do well in the early stages of the tournament on previous occasions has cost them dearly © AFP

By Prakash Govindasreenivasan

Pune: Apr 6, 2013

Adam Gilchrist returns to India to lead Kings XI Punjab in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League for one last time in 2013. His team begins its campaign against the Pune Warriors in the Subrata Roy Sahara stadium on Sunday where the home side will chase their first points of the season.

The Pune Warriors India were shocked by the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday when the latter defended a paltry total of 128. Pune’s splendid effort in the field was undone by poor batting and an overtly cautious approach.

Yet, the Angelo Mathews-led side will not be too bogged down by the defeat. They will look to sharpen the rough edges and come hard at the Kings XI Punjab.

Mathews has the second youngest squad of the league at his disposal and will hope to see some of the youngsters take initiative. Having said that, opener Robin Uthappa and middle-order big-hitter Ross Taylor will need to shoulder a lot of responsibility.

The biggest problem Pune faced was in the middle overs when they just couldn’t get the scoreboard ticking. Despite a small target, the lack of runs got the better of the middle-order and they imploded. On Sunday, they will look to set the tone for their innings from the start.

Pune’s bowling unit should be unchanged for the game on Sunday.

As for the Kings XI Punjab, skipper Adam Gilchrist will be the most vital cog for his team’s performances this year. Playing in his final season, one can expect him to play a few blinders to help Punjab push for the title.

The Punjab side has a promising squad with an astute leader but their failure to do well in the early stages of the tournament on previous occasions has cost them dearly. Like the Rajasthan Royals, the Kings XI Punjab have also fielded a lot of Indian domestic talent in the last few seasons. The presence of David Hussey, Azhar Mahmood and Dimitri Mascarenhas will help bring in a good balance to the side. The Indian players — Mandeep Singh, Parvinder Awana and Gurkeerat Singh Mann — will also be crucial.

As for the Pune Warriors India, the likes of Abhishek Nayar, Taylor and Yuvraj Singh will have to step up and bat to their potential if they are to avoid their second consecutive defeat.

On paper, an enthusiastic Kings XI side seems stronger than the dodgy Pune Warriors India, but matches are hardly won on paper.

Teams:

Pune Warriors India (Probable XI): Manish Pandey, Robin Uthappa (wk), Marlon Samuels, Yuvraj Singh, Ross Taylor, Abhishek Nayar, Angelo Mathews (c), Mitchell Marsh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rahul Sharma, Ashok Dinda.

Kings XI Punjab (Probable XI): Adam Gilchrist (c & wk), Nitin Saini, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, David Hussey, Bipul Sharma, Mandeep Singh, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Azhar Mahmood, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Parvinder Awana.

Time: 16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT

(Prakash Govindasreenivasan is an Editorial consultant at CricketCountry and a sports fanatic, with a soft corner for cricket. After studying journalism for two years, came the first big high in his professional life – the opportunity to interview his hero Adam Gilchrist and talking about his magnificent 149 in the 2007 World Cup final. While not following cricket, he is busy rooting for Chelsea FC)