Captain Cool v Captain hot – CSK v RCB Qualifier 2

Captain Cool v Captain hot – CSK v RCB Qualifier 2:

It is probably the most waited game of the season 8 of Pepsi IPL 2015, the clash of the titans. It has been a season of ups and downs for both the Super Kings and the Royal Challengers. The Super Kings finishing at the top of the table with 18 points in their 14 games, which is countered by RCB’s 16 points in 14 games. Although the Super Kings started their season flamboyantly winning all their matches up until their fourth match that they lost against the Royals. Since then, it has been a tale of twist and turns for the Men in Yellow. Dhoni and Co. have been consistent for the past 7 years and have succeeded in proceeding through to the play offs on each occasion. Despite their stormy ride through the season, they have managed to be in the top tiers to get a second chance on the cherry. The Qualifier 1 of Pepsi IPL 2015 didn’t turn out to be fruitful for the CSK.

RCB, the team which had many expectations from the beginning did not start their campaign very well. At a point of time, it seemed that the play offs are out of their reach but like a fairy tale, the arrival of Mitchell Starc provided them the spark they lacked. The bowling attack grew more lethal with the presence of Starc, young Chahal and Harshal Patel also added to the armory of RCB bowling unit. All said and done, the captaincy of young and aggressive Virat Kohli, or should I say a mixture of both turned out to be the game changer for RCB. Kohli has been the key player for RCB for quite some time now and his maturity in captaincy amplified with the progression of time. Many critics consider him hot headed but the present Indian test Captain proved them wrong by showing his skills on the field. RCB has now a daunting task ahead.

When it comes to captaincy no one seems to have a better record than MS Dhoni. It seems like the statistics are also molded in favor of the Captain Cool. He doesn’t seem to be rushed at any point of time. A captain, who has accomplished 77 wins with a thunderous win percentage of 61.11%, is by far THE best Captain of IPL in any season combined together. Dhoni always believed in his players and doesn’t like to change the team too much, which portrays his level of confidence and content as a Captain. Mr. Cool seems to cherish pressure situations; it’s like he is in quest for them and wants to excel at any opportunity he gets. The most successful Indian Captain almost foresees the game situation decently well which supplements his success rate as a captain.

At the other end is Mr. Aggression who is young, and has the talent that has contributed to the success and development of Indian cricket. He has been a phenomenon in the Indian and World Cricket. Records tend to be of flickering importance as he breaks through each and every record, be it the fastest to 5000 ODI runs or 21 centuries in ODIs. The style icon barely puts a wrong foot, since his inclusion in the IPL; he has developed as a player and also as a Captain. The Captaincy he portrays imparts a lot of courage and sense of skills, the way he manages the big guns is a commendable task which is hard to attain. Many did not believe that he could handle captaincy but he proved them wrong. Statistics are also not bad for the batting sensation of India as a captain. With 27 wins at a win percentage of 53.84% requires caliber.

On one hand, we have captain cool up against Mr. Aggression on the other. It will be a battle of Ice and Fire at the JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi tonight. Both teams will wish to play their skins out in order to proceed through to Eden Gardens for the Grand Finale. The temperament of both the captains will be tested at their best. The one who keeps his cards ready and sets a ploy to overpower the other on the field and in the mind will be the final winner. It’s going to be a cracker of a Qualifier.