Six teams in action in the 2nd weekend of the 18th edition of Indian Premier League. One emotional homecoming and two farewell matches form the key narratives.
Hardik Pandya’s homecoming
Hardik Pandya’s previous visit to Ahmedabad as the captain of Mumbai Indians didn’t go the way he would have imagined. Hardik, the guy who led the Gujarat Titans to the title in their inaugural season in 2022, decided to move back to the Mumbai Indians, with whom he won 4 IPL titles.
Though the Titans faithful may have given him a tough time on his captaincy debut with the Mumbai Indians, Hardik’s star has only continued to rise. His pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs cemented his status as a national hero. Even the once-hostile Mumbai crowd warmly embraced him during last year’s World Cup celebrations.
As Hardik prepares to take the field in Ahmedabad once more, he’ll be hoping for a similarly rapturous reception from the home crowd. Time, it seems, has the power to change everything.
Suryakumar Yadav in the spotlight
4, 9, 1, 48, 0, 12, 14, 0, 2, 29 – Those are the runs made by Suryakumar Yadav in his last 10 T20 innings. Mumbai Indians returned with empty hands in the previous mega auction cycle and they would like to have their best batter back in form. Suryakumar crossed 400 runs only once in the previous 3 IPL seasons, and that was also the only season in which the Mumbai Indians made it to the playoffs.
Derby day in Visakhapatnam
Delhi and Hyderabad are separated by 1559 Kilometres, and yet the Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad will be playing an unlikely derby game in Visakhapatnam on Sunday afternoon. Delhi Capitals are coming off a sensational win against Lucknow Super Giants at the same venue and will be hoping to remain unbeaten at their secondary home. Sunrisers Hyderabad, will be looking to bounce back to winning ways after suffering a heavy defeat against Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday.
Australian openers vs Australian Pacers
Maverick openers against veteran pacers, it’s going to be an all Australian affair in Visakhapatnam when Delhi Capitals host Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday afternoon.
Mitchell Starc owned Travis Head whenever the two faced each other in a competitive game. Five dismissals in 7 meetings, including 4 ducks, with one of them coming in last year’s playoffs match in Ahmedabad. It’s a sorry looking stat for Travis Head. Head has started the ongoing IPL season in fine fashion with scores of 67 and 47. Mitchell Starc took 3 wickets in his only game of the season against Lucknow Super Giants.
Jake Fraser-McGurk and Pat Cummins faced each other for the first time in IPL 2024. The 22 year-old opener took 11 runs in just 3 balls against the senior pacer.
MS Dhoni’s ‘home game’ in Guwahati
Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni will be playing their first ever IPL match in Guwahati. One can expect the yellow jerseys to outnumber the pink ones. Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag will be looking to register his first win as IPL captain in front of his home crowd.
Weekend fixtures
Gujarat Titans v Mumbai Indians – Saturday, Live from Ahmedabad at 7:30 PM
Delhi Capitals v Sunrisers Hyderabad – Sunday, Live from Visakhapatnam at 3:30 PM
Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings – Sunday, Live from Guwahati at 7:30 PM
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