IPL 9: Eagles, Royal Challengers Bangalore in battle of big birds

SRH mentor V.V.S. Laxman (left) greets Virat Kohli on Friday. (Photo: Surendra P.)

It’s a match that befits a Saturday night — big boys, glamour galore and a fair share of fizz. Cricket fans could not have asked for a better game this weekend than the one between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore who are at each other’s throats in their effort to climb higher on the slippery IPL table.

Only two points separate the sides but the Eagles are looking down at the Royal Challengers lurking second last on the eight-team grid. Having gone through five, RCB have played a game less than their rivals though and would look to pull level.

Taking into consideration the fowl that is face of the flagship cold beverage owners of RCB produce, the game could be termed the Battle of Big Birds. That should get the Saturday night spirits soaring at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium — the Eagles’ home.

The match features three of the top five run-getters in the season so far in Virat Kohli, David Warner and AB de Villiers. Given the batting beauty that the wicket laid out is supposed to be, a run-feast is on the card.

The return of big-hitting Chris Gayle undoubtedly adds a lot more muscle to the batting-heavy RCB but its bowling should worry captain Kohli. The previous match against Gujarat Lions exposed their near-bare bowling ammunition as they could not defend 180. The lack of teeth deprives RCB of that cutting edge when it comes to turning arms over and provides them with much less shots to fire at the flying Eagles.

The Sunrisers would look to bank on their impressive record at home when they run into their explosive opponents. However, they need to shake off the rust that showed up in the game against Rising Pune Supergiants, polish their skills and come out shining.

On the bowling front, the Sunrisers have the right combination in left-arm seamers Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman. The former’s return from injury has pumped in loads of experience and bolstered the bowling while the latter has proved more than a handful for rival batsmen with his lethal line of attack. Add Bhuvneshwar Kumar — second on the leading wicket-takers’ list — to that and the bowling equation swings the Sunrisers way.

That said, competitors from both sides make for unadulterated entertainment on the field. With such a band playing, supporters would be swaying in the stands for sure.