IPL 2015 Schedule: Upcoming Fixtures, Format, Odds, Live Stream Info and Picks
We’re not even a week into the 2015 Indian Premier League and already we’ve been treated to some remarkable matches, with narrow, tense wins and late comebacks thrilling spectators up and down the country.
In the coming weeks we’re set to sample even more quality contests too, as the respective teams involved do their utmost to build some early momentum.
Here’s a look at the matches to come, which teams are likely to emerge victorious and how the bookmakers are seeing things in various clashes. Let’s also take a closer examination of two players set to make a massive impact in Monday’s match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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| April 13 | 3:30 p.m | Royal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad | 8/15 | 13/8 | RCB |
| April 14 | 3:30 p.m | Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians | 23/20 | 4/6 | RR |
| April 15 | 3:30 p.m | Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils | 2/5 | 6/4 | KXIP |
| April 16 | 3:30 p.m | Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals | 8/13 | 10/11 | RR |
| April 17 | 3:30 p.m | Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings | 6/5 | 1/2 | CSK |
Odds courtesy of Oddschecker and accurate as of 10:30 p.m. (BST) April 12.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad
After looking as though they were going to lose their tournament opener to the Kolkata Knight Riders for long spells, a stunning late fightback saw Bangalore notch a thrilling three-wicket victory. They’ll be desperate to carry the impetus accrued from that match into this game with Hyderabad.
The Sunrisers were blown away by Chennai in their first match and will be keen to bounce back. They have some quality individual stars, but getting a victory over this formidable Royal Challengers outfit is going to be extremely difficult.
Chris Gayle, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Opening the batting, there is a lot of responsibility on the broad shoulders of Chris Gayle. And while throughout his career he’s been often accused of being a little naive in his attempts to hammer every delivery out of the park, his display against Kolkata was extremely mature.
The Caribbean star had to dig in during the early stages of the innings as illustrious names like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers failed to make an impression in pursuit of the Knight Riders’ total. But as he started running out of partners, Gayle upped the ante in spectacular style.
As noted by AltCricket, the style in which he accelerated was magnificent:
"Chris Gayle STATBYTE: First 28 balls: 34 runs Last 28 balls: 62 runs
— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) April 11, 2015"
Indeed, Bangalore were well behind the required rate as the end of the innings crept closer, but a flurry of boundaries from the West Indies star—including a plethora of brutal sixes—were crucial in the Royal Challengers getting to within touching distance of the total. Gayle was run out for 96 in the end, but by that point the damage had been done.
It was a superbly constructed innings from the 35-year-old, as noted by Freddie Wilde of ESPNcricinfo:
Against Hyderabad, Gayle needs to play with similar composure. Even though the 20-over format does demand players score quickly, there is still room for patient play, especially for openers looking to carry their bat from the first ball to the last. If Gayle can do that, Bangalore will win a lot more matches than they lose.
Trent Boult, Sunrisers Hyderabad
The man looking to prise out players like Gayle will be New Zealand star Trent Boult, who is the most dangerous bowler in the Hyderabad line-up.
The Black Caps seamer took a solitary wicket in the Sunrisers’ clash with Chennai and although the Super Kings’ stellar batting line-up got stuck into the rest of the Hyderabad bowling attack, Boult always looked like a major threat with the ball in hand.
As noted by the team’s official Twitter feed, he made some key contributions in the field too:
While the left-armer was dangerous in the opening stages of the match, the incision that made him one of the most fearsome bowlers at the 2015 World Cup wasn’t quite there. But against another quality batting setup here, Boult is going to have to up his level if Hyderabad are going to have any chance of stopping the Bangalore juggernaut.
He certainly has the temperament to do so and after his first game following a draining World Cup, hopefully some of the cobwebs will have been blown away. If Boult is at his best, the Sunrisers have a man capable of doing some major damage with the new ball in hand.
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