IPL 2019 | Departure of foreign players may affect the teams, feels Gautam Gambhir

45 matches have been played so far in this season, where Chennai Super Kings tops the table with 16 points constituting of eight wins out of 12 matches. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals with 14 points apiece, but the former side sits second with higher Net Run Rate of 0.537.

All eight teams are heated up and giving their best to make it to the playoffs in the business end of the tournament. Some teams like Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad may suffer badly, since some of their star batsmen have returned to their respective countries for the upcoming World Cup preparations. KKR former captain Gautam Gambhir has opined that the departure of some foreign batsman may affect the team’s batting line up.

“Now is the time foreign recruits are heading home for their World Cup preparations. Clearly Rajasthan Royals will be hurt the most, losing the backbone of their outfit. RCB too will miss their foreign recruits, especially Moeen Ali. A left-handed batsman in the late middle order is a big advantage which any team wants to have. The most interesting one to note will be Sunrisers Hyderabad”, Gambhir said, reported TOI. 

Gambhir feels that the upcoming matches in IPL 2019 will be an interesting phase of the season, while Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals will be fighting for the top position in the points table, other teams will be trying to at least make it to the playoffs.

"It is the most interesting phase of this season's IPL. I can't recall such a closely contested one. While Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi are close to qualification for playoffs, five teams are still in fray to claim the fourth spot and join the Big Daddies. The reasons for such a close points table are aplenty. They largely revolve around the conditions in which the matches are played and the team combinations." former KKR Captain said.

Kolkata Knight Riders have had a topsy turvy run this season. They won four out five matches in the start of the season after which a winless streak continued for six games now and are placed seventh on the points table. Gambhir on addressing this opined that KKR skipper must get some support from the team’s senior players to improve their performance in the upcoming matches.

“Dinesh Karthik needs support from the senior members of the team. Sometimes, as a leader, you want someone to put his arm around you and say, "Things will happen, skipper", Gambhir concluded.

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