Dew factor will gain more sense
The first week of the IPL has already shown that dew will play a major role in the tournament and it will only gain more significance as the pitches get slower, said Australian limited overs skipper and RCB opener Aaron Finch. The teams are expectedly preferring to chase after winning the toss with pitch getting easier in the second half and a wet ball making life tougher for the bowlers. "The dew will play a big part in the tournament. The last three games, the game at Sharjah (CSK vs RR) and our game here (Dubai), there was more dew than expected,” said Finch. “I think as the games go on and there will be lots of games played over and over on the same wickets, the wickets will get slower and the dew factor will become even more.”
Morris recovering from side strain
South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris is unlikely to be available for RCB's match against Kings XI Punjab on Thursday after suffering a side strain, the team's Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson said. “Chris Morris unfortunately picked up a slight side strain a few days ago, he would have played a huge role through the middle and death overs, his batting would have had a huge impact as well,” Hesson said in a video posted by on RCB's Twitter handle. “This does change the balance of our side, he is a three in one cricketer, he is not easy to replace and as a result, we had to change the structure of our side. “Hopefully, Chris will come into consideration for selection in a game or two, we will continue to monitor him,” he added.
Holder replaces Mitchell Marsh
Australian and Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was on Wednesday ruled out of the remainder of the IPL with an ankle injury he suffered in the team's opener against RCB. West Indies captain Jason Holder has been named as Marsh's replacement and is expected to join the Sunrisers squad soon in the UAE. “Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out due to injury. We wish him a speedy recovery. Jason Holder will replace him for #Dream11IPL 2020,” Sunrisers posted on its official Twitter handle.
rayudu could miss one more game
A mild hamstring niggle is likely to keep CSK' in-form batsman Ambati Rayudu out for one more IPL match. Rayudu, who played a blazing 71-run knock in the tournament opener against Mumbai Indians, missed CSK's second match against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday night due to the injury. “It is not a serious injury. He has a mild niggle in hamstring. His participation in next game will be known only on match day,” CSK's chief executive officer Kasi Viswanathan told PTI.
Gill focal point of KKR batting
Shubman Gill is a “terrific” batsman and is the focal point of the Kolkata Knight Riders batting unit, feels former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris. Gill, 21, has played a total of 28 matches for KKR in which he has amassed 506 runs. “I've been the number one cheerleader since the last 18 months. Since Shubman Gill has been around I can say I'm at the top of that fanboy list and I think Gill is a fabulous cricketer. I think he's a terrific, talented batsman,” Styris said while speaking on Star Sports show Game Plan. “Shubman Gill, now with the loss of Robin (Uthappa) and Gautam Gambhir at KKR, is a leader, the focal point of that batting unit. He is best batsman of KKR,” he added.