MATCH PREVIEW
Follow UsDespite their loss to the Lumbini Lions, Chitwan Rhinos have their fate in their own hands as far as Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2024 playoffs qualification is concerned. They look to get back to winning ways against a wounded Biratnagar Kings, who lost their previous match to Pokhara Avengers in a super over.
The Rhinos have three wins out of five matches and need to win their last two matches, starting with the one against the Kings, to comfortably sail through to the playoffs. The Kings, on the other hand, have just one win in five games and after a close game, will be hungrier to get over the line.
What's worked for the Rhinos?
> Their powerplay bowling has been the backbone of their good show in the tournament so far. They have taken the second-most wickets (15) in the first six and have the best economy rate (5.6) in phase. Sohail Tanvir (6) and Rijan Dhakal (6) have picked up the most wickets in the powerplay in the powerplay and will once again be key if the Rhinos are to get off to a good start.
> Ravi Bopara's consistency has been quite impressive. He has induced momentum into the innings, especially in the middle phase, with a strike rate of 136 and has teed off at the death as his strike rate of 170 in the phase depicts. Bopara is Rhinos' leading run-getter this season with 169 runs at 42.25 to go with a healthy strike rate of nearly 140.
What has held them back?
> Sohail Tanvir has had a very indifferent form in the NPL 2024 so far. He picked up eight wickets in the first two matches, including a fifer, but in the next three, he has managed just one scalp. While Dhakal has done well to ensure that the veteran is not missed, it would certainly bode well for the Rhinos if Tanvir, too, is among the wickets.
> Their performances with the bat, especially in the powerplay and middle-overs have not been as good as they would have liked. While they have put a price on their wickets as their average of 24.4 (second-best) and balls per wicket of 21.4 (second-best) in the first 15 overs depicts, it is their run-rate of 6.8that has let them down. In the first six, they have managed to score at just 6.6 an over, and in the middle phase they have scored at 7 - both of which need to improve.
Should they consider any changes?
> The Rhinos should consider bringing back Hassan Eisalhil into the XI. For someone who strikes at 120.5 in the powerplay and 151.7 in the middle-overs, it should be a no-brainer. He was replaced by Luc Benkenstein in the previous match after the Afghanistan batter had scored a vital fifty in the previous game against Sudurpaschim Royals, and ideally, he should be able to make his way back into the XI.
> The Rhinos could consider having their skipper Kushal Malla at three. He has batted four or below in the tournament so far and has come into bat in the powerplay more often than not. He has struck at close to 139 in the first six, and in the next two phases, he has a strike rate of 104.3 and 114.3, respectively.
Pushing him to three will ensure that he gets a chance to play even more deliveries, and with the field restrictions, he could smash a few valuable boundaries for his team at the top rather than waiting for him to do that in the latter stages.
Rhinos likely XI: Hassan Eisalhil, Luc Benkenstein, Santosh Karki, Kushal Malla (c), Ravi Bopara, Bipin Rawal (wk), Amar Routela, Nar Sarki, Sohail Tanvir, Ranjit Kumar, Rijan Dhakal
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