MATCH PREVIEW
Follow UsA 51-run defeat against Biratnagar Kings on December 13 (Friday) has put Chitwan Rhinos in a difficult position to qualify for the next stage of Nepal Premier League 2024. The Rhinos now have six points after as many games and need to defeat table-toppers Janakpur Bolts if they want to give themselves a good chance of qualifying for the playoffs.
Despite losing to the Kings by a substantial margin, Chitwan’s NRR still reads +0.467, which is more than Karnali Yaks (+0.095), who are currently placed at No.3 on the points table. Even if the Rhinos beat Biratnagar, they will need a couple of results to go in their favour.
Pokhara Avengers and Kathmandu Gurkhas are set to face each other on December 14 (Saturday), and whoever wins that game, the Rhinos will want them to either lose their last fixture or not win by a big margin so that their NRR stays below Chitwan’s. Both Pokhara and Kathmandu currently have two wins in five games.
What's worked for the Rhinos?
The Rhinos have been the best team when it comes to bowling in the powerplay. They have taken the most wickets (18) in the first six overs and have the second-best average (11.1). Rjian Dhakal (8) and Sohail Tanvir (7) have the most wickets in this phase.
Even against the Kings, the Rhinos took three wickets in the first two overs but lost the plot thereafter. They allowed them to post a total of 181/5, which cost them two crucial points.
What has held them back?
The Rhinos have been the best team in the powerplay, but they have also been the worst in the last five overs. Their economy of 9.8 is the worst amongst all eight teams. In the batting department, Ravi Bopara (189 runs @ 37.80) is the only one who has shown consistency.
Should they consider any changes?
In the last match, Hassan Eisakhil was brought into the XI in place of Luc Benkenstein but could only manage a score of 5. The Rhinos don’t have too many options at the bench but could consider having their skipper Kushal Malla at three. He has a good strike rate in the powerplay but his strike rate in the other two phases have been very low.
Rhinos likely XI: Santosh Karki, Hassan Eisakhil, Ravi Bopara, Kushal Malla (capt), Basil Hameed, Amar Routela, Deepak Bohara, Sohail Tanvir, Rijan Dhakal, Bipin Rawal (wk), Ranjit Kumar
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