PREVIEW
Follow UsChitwan Rhinos started the Nepal Premier League 2024 with two consecutive wins but suffered a last-over defeat against Karnali Yaks in their last fixture.
The Rhinos could only get 130/7 against the Yaks. They managed to take the game till the final over but Zeeshan Maqsood finished the game with a boundary off the penultimate delivery.
Chitwan will now be up against Sudur Paschim Royals on December 8 (Sunday). The Royals have won all their three encounters, with Dipendra Singh Airee leading them from the front.
Chitwan Rhinos’ areas of improvement
Ravi Bopara and Sohail Tanvir are undoubtedly Chitwan’s most accomplished players, but the team has been a bit over-reliant on the two experienced campaigners so far in the tournament, and that will have to change if the Rhinos want to progress further into the competition.
Bopara has slammed 121 runs in three games at an average of more than 60 but no other batter from the Rhinos has even touched the 80-run mark. Kushal Malla is the second-highest run-scorer, with 72 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 118.03.
Even in the bowling department, Tanvir has claimed eight wickets at an average of 5.62 and an economy rate of close to 4, but the others haven’t done as well as they would have liked. Rijan Dhakal has been decent but the fact remains that Tanvir and Bopara need some support and they need it now.
What should Chitwan Rhinos be wary of?
Unlike the Rhinos, the Royals have multiple players who have done well. They have three batters with more than 100 runs and five bowlers with at least five wickets.
The Royals have quite a few players up their ranks but none of them are as dangerous as Airee. That’s right, Chitwan will be extremely wary of Sudur Paschim skipper Airee.
In three innings, the middle-order batter has smoked 139 runs at an average of 139 and a strike rate of 204.41. 57* off 24, 43 off 25 and 39* off 19 - this is what Airee has done so far in the NPL 2024.
If Chitwan want to get back to winning ways, they will have to find a way to get rid of Airee as soon as possible.
Changes expected in the Chitwan lineup?
Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton replaced Hassan Eisakhil in the last fixture but the former could only manage nine runs with the bat. He picked up 1/16 in three overs and is likely to get at least a couple more games.
Despite the defeat, the Rhinos could stick with the same line-up, until and unless an ill-time injury causes any disturbances.
Chitwan Rhinos’ Probable Playing 11
Luc Benkenstein, Deepak Bohara, Bipin Rawal (wk), Ravi Bopara, Kushal Malla (capt), Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Sohail Tanvir, Amar Routela, Sharad Vesawkar, Santosh Karki, Rijan Dhakal
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