Destiny wants us to win again: du Plessis

CSK batsman hopes his team makes the most of their fortune and defends title

When the Royal Challengers Bangalore were chasing a modest 133 against the beleaguered Deccan Chargers, the Chennai Super Kings turned from cricketers to fans for a day. Crammed in a hotel room, they cheered their hearts out for the Chargers. There was pandemonium in the room and emotions flowing in abundance. The sharp brains that plot the demise of their opponents on the cricket field, gave in to superstitions. Coach, Stephen Fleming, was shut out of the team room because the players thought he brought ill luck for the Chargers.

In the end, CSK got what they were desperately hoping for – a very unlikely DC victory and with it a berth in the playoffs of IPL 2012. They now play the eliminator against the Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru. 

Ahead of the knockout game, iplt20.com caught up with CSK’s highest run-getter in the tournament, Faf du Plessis. The amicable South African admitted the team was “very lucky” to still be in the tournament and said it’s now imperative for them to make the most of their fortune and lift the trophy for the third time. He revelled in the fact that it was two South Africans – Dale Steyn and JP Duminy from DC – who knocked RCB out to give CSK a playoff spot.

Does the team consider itself fortunate to be here?

Very lucky, to be honest. I did not think it would be possible for us to get through. When it is one result going in your favour, it is asking for a lot; but to have three results going in your favour, it is next to impossible.

Destiny wants you to win the third IPL in a row.

Well, that’s what we are thinking now because we shouldn’t be here but we are here. You have to think that someone is on our side to push us to get another trophy.

Did the team watch the DC v RCB match closely?

We were watching all three games. We were watching the RR game, which they lost and we were cheering for MI – which we never do – and then, the RCB one. To be honest with you, I saw the first two matches, but the third one I just said, “I don’t see DC beating the powerhouse that RCB has”. The previous day, Albie [Morkel] and I had sent out a Tweet to Dale Steyn saying “Please do us a favour and just get some early wickets,” and he was just unbelievable. He took three wickets for eight runs. Another South African, JP Duminy, too scored big runs. It was the two South Africans who came to the party to see CSK through.

We heard that the team had sent coach Stephen Fleming out of the room during that match?

Yeah, it was really funny. The whole team was sitting there and cheering. Fleming went out and RCB started to struggle. He returned after while to join the whole hype of watching the game. As he entered the room, everyone shouted, “Get out” and he was like “I don’t know why should I get out”. He went to his room and things started to go well for DC again. He tried to come in once again, but we denied him entry into the room. He was only allowed in when the last ball was bowled.

CSK has lost both their league matches to MI. Will that play on your minds?

No. In fact, I think something that CSK has done very well as compared to MI is crossing the final hurdle. MI has been fantastic always in the round robin, but sometimes they haven’t gone past the knockout stage. We have been there, we have done it and we know how to do it. So, for us the important thing now is to understand that everything that has happened up till now is gone. The inconsistency is gone. In the past, we have been the better side in the big games, so that’s what matters in this game.

What is the biggest threat from MI?

To have someone like [Lasith] Malinga is a great boost. He plays a key role in the bowling department and how we play him is going to be very important. He has done well in the matches against CSK. They have got good finishers and so do we; the only difference between the two teams is Malinga, who’s the best T20 bowler in the world. For us, [Ben] Hilfenhaus has been doing well with the new ball, which is something we lacked until he came. That adds strength to our team.

CSK’s game in Bengaluru was washed out, whereas MI beat RCB here. Will they have better knowledge of the conditions?

It is a really good wicket and we have got a really strong batting line-up. It was unfortunate that we missed out on the game because of the rains. There is a true bounce on the wicket, which the batsmen will relish. Hopefully, our powerhouse batting will put some runs on the board.

Hilfenhaus and Michael Hussey have put you on the brink. What do you think are your chances of getting a game?

That’s up to the selectors. I was sick for two games; I had bad viral fever. That created a chance for Michael to come back in to the setup and he has done well. Now, it’s a difficult one for the selectors, because I have been doing really well and so is Hussey. Luckily, I don’t have to make that decision.

But it’s not easy to leave out your highest run-scorer of the season.

That’s the theory. In the previous game, they went for Michael and the thinking behind that was that he has been doing well and I was sick and 90 percent fit. Now, I am back to 100 percent and I obviously want to play. But it’s up to Fleming and MS [Dhoni] and what they think will be the best team on that day.

Road to Playoffs: DD

The Delhi Daredevils have dominated the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League and so it comes as no surprise that they hold pole position at the end of the league phase.

Having finished at the bottom of the table in 2011, they picked the best team combination for the 2012 season. Careful introspection and strategic choices have earned them league phase glory. Virender Sehawg, the biggest weapon in their artillery, was one of the top four run-scorers in the first season and held the top spot in 2009 as well. Much is expected of him as the team get into the crunch games.

Virender Sehawg

The Daredevils take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in the first playoff in Pune. The head-to-head result for the teams reads 1-1.

IPL 2012: The Delhi Daredevils started their campaign with two away games, winning the first against KKR and losing the next to RCB in Bangalore.

Of the five losses that the table-toppers have faced only two have been at home. The Royal Challengers Bangalore are the only team against whom they have lost both their matches.

Irfan Pathan got DD off to a winning start with a 42-run 20-ball cameo after Morne Morkel helped wrap up the KKR innings for a paltry 97. The pace whiz from South Africa won them their first home game, against CSK, while left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem impressed with a 3-0-9-0 in the same match. The left-arm spinner was their Man-of-the-Match when they beat the Mumbai Indians in their own backyard next.

Kevin Pieterson, who joined the side along with vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene in DD’s third game of the tournament, helped register a five-wicket win over DC, while the latter has anchored quite a few DD innings. Pietersen was replaced by the explosive opener David Warner who was instrumental in defeating DC with a 109-run innings. But skipper Virender Sehwag, who won them three consecutive games – against PWI, MI and RR – was the one who made them serious contenders for a place in the playoffs.

Apart from the senior pacemen, young Umesh Yadav played a significant role by claiming three wickets each time against KXIP and helped dismiss the opposition for modest totals.

Batting star: Skipper Virender Sehwag is undoubtedly the team’s batting mainstay with three consecutive match-winning knocks in the middle phase. The captain scored 87 not out to beat PWI after they had been defeated at home earlier. He scored 73 to help set MI a 207-run target. He then made 63 against RR in a match that DD won by one run after setting the Royals a 152-run target.

Having played only 14 matches, Sehwag, who has scored 484 runs, is in fifth position on the Orange Cap table.

Bowling star: The Purple Cap-holder of IPL 2012 with 25 wickets from 15 matches, Morne Morkel is undoubtedly the bowling star for DD. With two for 19 against the defending champions, the South African paceman won them their first home game.

X-factor: One of the most balanced sides in the IPL, the Daredevils have a power-packed batting line-up. Apart from the dangerous openers Sehwag and Warner, they have Ross Taylor who has struck form at the business end of the tournament with a 26-ball 55 in a closely fought encounter against RCB. DD’s top-order batting, with players boasting of big-match temperament, will be their best shot at IPL 2012 glory.

IPL 2012 Preview: Match 57 – PWI v RCB

Deflated Pune Warriors India host confident Royal Challengers Bangalore

What

The two points on offer in Match 57 of DLF IPL 2012 will be more critical for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (who are in contention for a place in the playoffs) than to their hosts, Pune Warriors India (who are in the bottom-half of the table and are not playoff contenders).

RCB have 13 points from 12 matches, and they seem to be finding form at just the right time, after an indifferent start to the tournament. After winning just four of their first ten matches, the 2011 runners-up came up trumps in a close contest against the Deccan Chargers and then decimated the Mumbai Indians in their own backyard. The two consecutive victories have meant that RCB are firmly in contention to be among the four teams who will progress to the playoffs.

When

Friday, May 11, 2012, 08:00 p.m.

Where

Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune

The Protagonists

Four Pune Warriors India players – Robin Uthappa, Sourav Ganguly, Steve Smith and Jesse Ryder – have scored in excess of 200 runs in the season. This clearly indicates that their batsmen have been scoring runs. However, the strike-rate of the first two has been a matter of concern. Uthappa – who has a reputation of being a swashbuckling batsman – has been far from it and has a strike-rate of 115.35. Meanwhile, his skipper has scored his 261 runs at marginally over a run a ball. With only pride to play for, expect the PWI batsmen to be charged up, play freely and express themselves.

RCB’s IPL campaign for the majority of 2011 and all of 2012 has ridden on the shoulders of Chris Gayle. The Jamaican, who was asked by team owner, Dr. Vijay Mallya, to bat for a majority of the innings, has taken the request seriously and has shown the inclination to bat long. In six of the ten innings this season, Gayle has consumed more than six overs. This illustrates just how well he has applied himself, sized up the situation and then opened his broad shoulders to inflict damage on the opposition.

AB de Villiers too has been in sparkling form for the 2011 finalists; the South African comes in to bat after the damage inflicted by “Gayle-storm”. He plays those impact cameos towards the end of the innings, which have proven to be quite useful for his team.

Previous Meetings

The Royal Challengers Bangalore emerged victorious in both their previous meetings against the Pune Warriors India last season. On the first occasion, RCB posted 181 for five in their home game and then restricted their opponents to 155 for five to win by 26 runs.

When the two teams met the second time, RCB restricted their opponents to 182 for six, and then chased it down off the very last ball to register a six-wicket victory.

Trivia

Among players who’ve scored 500 runs or more in the Indian Premier League, Chris Gayle has the highest boundary percentage. 74.28 percent of his 1586 runs have been scored through hits to and over the fence.

56.64 percent of the runs conceded by the Royal Challengers Bangalore this season have been through boundaries; they’ve conceded 164 fours and 67 sixes in the tournament so far.

What next?

Pune Warriors India’s next fixture will be against the Rajasthan Royals on May 13, while the Royal Challengers Bangalore will head back home and host the Mumbai Indians on May 14.