Why RR And RCB Hold A Great Chance This Season?
IPL 2021 was a split affair. The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic threw the league in disarray. BCCI, the parent board was hellbent on hosting the IPL in India despite multiple warnings. The tournament was scheduled in multiple venues across the country. Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad were the four venues where the games were played. Here in this article, we have discussed Why RR And RCB Hold A Great Chance This Season?
What were the consequences?
The tournament spread across the country increased the risk percentage. It all came falling down quite quickly when players started testing positive. This eventually led to the league being suspended midway. The rest of the tournament had to be completed in UAE in the later part of the year.
What are the learnings for this season?
The IPL 2022 will be a ten-team affair. There was huge speculation about the venues where the games will be hosted. The BCCI seems to have learned its lesson. They have decided to host the entire IPL in and around two cities. IPL 2022 will be completely staged (at least the league games) in Mumbai and Pune. There will be three venues (Wankhede, Brabourne, and DY Patil) in Mumbai that will host the major part of the games. MCA stadium in Pune will complete the quartet.
What does it mean for teams like RR and RCB?
The pitches in Mumbai and Pune typically aid stroke-making. These are true wickets where the batsmen can go through their shots easily. The bounce on these surfaces is true where batters can back themselves to hit through the line. Outfields on all these venues are fast. The ball travels quite well, especially in Wankhede and MCA stadiums. Stroke makers who like the ball coming onto the bat relish batting here. There is little to no fear about the ball getting stuck or being two-paced. Hence teams having big hitters will have a field day playing at these venues.
Does this mean RR and RCB have a great chance this season?
Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore have loved playing on true wickets. Their batsmen fancy their chances on small grounds, fast outfields, and batting belters. These two teams have skilled power hitters who are capable of striking it right from ball one.
The likes of Sanju Samson, Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler all have great strengths against pace bowling as compared to spin. They will surely love playing at these venues. This IPL will surely be a run-feast. Hence it is quite likely that teams with the batting arsenal like RR and RCB will make it to the next stage. We can’t wait for the boundaries to flow!
