As the lights glow at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for the 19th edition of the IPL, the spotlight is as much on the debutants as the superstars. While the likes of Virat Kohli and Travis Head often draw the loudest cheers, three players are onto the field to realise a lifelong dream.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to bowl first, handing out two caps, while Ishan Kishan, leading SRH in Pat Cummins’ absence, unveiled a new explosive talent of his own.
Jacob Duffy (RCB): The International Workhorse
At 31, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy is finally getting his IPL break. With Josh Hazlewood sidelined, RCB has turned to the Otago veteran to lead the overseas pace attack.
Duffy is no stranger to the big stage; he once reached the pinnacle as the World’s No. 1 ranked T20I bowler and famously took a four-wicket haul on his international debut. Known for his hit-the-deck lengths and subtle variations, Duffy is expected to be the tactical anchor RCB needs in the powerplay and did well, finishing with 3 wickets for 22 runs.
Abhinandan Singh (RCB): The Scouting ‘X-Factor’
The most heartwarming story of the night is that of Abhinandan Singh. The 28-year-old right-arm pacer has bypassed the traditional route to stardom, earning an IPL debut before even playing an official game for his state side.
A product of the UPT20 League, Abhinandan’s raw pace and ability to extract bounce caught the eyes of RCB scouts. His inclusion in the XI ahead of the highly-rated Mangesh Yadav is a testament to his performance in the nets and his potential to be the tournament’s first breakout uncapped star.
Salil Arora (SRH): The new six-hitting sensation
Sunrisers Hyderabad has a reputation for explosive batting, and Salil Arora fits that mold perfectly. The 23-year-old from Punjab was a human highlight reel in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he smashed 28 sixes, a tally second only to his current franchise captain, Ishan Kishan.
Arora’s ability to clear the ropes with ease made him a priority at the auction, and tonight he gets the nod ahead of Liam Livingstone. Batting in a lineup that features Head and Klaasen, Arora’s debut provides SRH with a terrifying depth of power-hitters.
Playing XIs at a glance
RCB XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma.
SRH XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C/WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Eshan Malinga, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat.