Riding a wave of victories that have shimmered bright thanks to Chris Gayle's exploits, Royal Challengers Bangalore will square up against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.
Destruction and solidity are words far removed from each other but Gayle has blended both and gifted a high to RCB. His blistering knocks have helped RCB cast an imposing shadow on opponents as evident in six victories on the trot.
The host will, however, miss Daniel Vettori. Plagued by a knee injury, the skipper has returned to New Zealand for a short break.
Good outing
Stand-in skipper Virat Kohli had a good outing against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur and along with Gayle, has bolstered RCB's batting.
Interestingly when the teams clash, two gentlemen might briefly look at rival dugouts with nostalgia.
Gayle, played for KKR in the past and Kallis, former RCB stabiliser, is now busy as the Knight Riders' pivot. Interestingly, Gayle, who scored 463 runs from 16 matches for KKR, has amassed 398 for RCB with an average of 99.50 backed by a whopping strike-rate of 195.09.
Changes are afoot in the RCB stable after Tillakaratne Dilshan left for London.
Last week, Vettori said that Saurabh Tiwary might be fielded as an opener though Kohli remained guarded in the pre-match press conference and mentioned that a few combinations are being considered.
Among the bowlers, Zaheer Khan and S. Aravind have held their nerve while Vettori's run-choking ways will be missed.
Gritty persona
Gautam Gambhir's gritty persona that is immensely bigger than his small frame, has surely rubbed onto KKR. Gambhir (305 runs) has found support from Manoj Tiwary (277) and Kallis (341).
Brett Lee's pace and L. Balaji's craftiness are part of the KKR mix but the two bowlers are yet to impose themselves.
Both teams will peer at the skies on Saturday after thunder showers forced the cancellation of the practice sessions on Friday.
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