IPL 2018| CSK are favorites to lift IPL trophy, says Vivian Richards
Sir Vivian Richards has picked up two-time title holders Chennai Super Kings as the favorites to claim the IPL 2018 trophy ahead of the qualifier game on Tuesday. The former Windies cricketer also praised the efforts of Rishabh Pant and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman for their batting and bowling display.
CSK has undoubtedly been one of the most successful sides in IPL. Barring the two years that saw them suspended from the league, they managed to finish in the top four on all eight previous occasions. Staying out of the league hasn’t changed their potential as they finished second this time and would be facing Sunrisers Hyderabad in the qualifier match.
Given that the yellow army
“CSK like every past year, have proven to be strong and do what they do best. With a skipper like Dhoni, sharp-minded and a lightning-quick wicketkeeper, Chennai is bound to do well. As important as the skipper is, the men in yellow have worked brilliantly together; whether it be Lungi Ngidi's perfect length bowling or Suresh Raina’s smart batting, they have found the formula to work as one,” he wrote in his TOI column.
Talking about the SRH squad, Richards heaped praise on their skipper Kane Williamson, who has led his team brilliantly despite the absence of their star players David Warner and an in-out Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
“Despite the absence of star players, Sunrisers Hyderabad stood stronger than ever. Williamson stepped up and proved to be the Orange Army’s savior. The way he rotated his bowlers in the game against MI whilst defending a mere 118 runs was monumental and that commenced a six-match winning streak.”
The World-Cup winning West Indian captain was also impressed with the young guns in the tournament and held up the efforts of 20-year-old Rishabh Pant and 17-year-old Mujeeb Rahman for their quality display of batting and bowling.
"We have seen the rise of young players like Rishabh Pant, whose batting has been exceptional to watch this season, Rashid Khan’s stupendous spin bowling, Mujeeb’s exceptional spells,
Giving his insights about the first qualifier, Richards stated it was hard to predict the winners of the upcoming games, but all of them are ready to roar.
“The qualifiers starting tonight, are not going to be like any other game. With teams already knowing their rhythm, it will be very hard to predict a winner in the upcoming games. The league started more than a month ago with eight brilliant squads, and now it is down to the final four. All four franchises have tasted the feeling of being champions in the past and will be readying themselves for yet another triumph,” he concluded.
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