The Champions League moves to Newlands in Cape Town, which will host its
first game, between Auckland and Kolkata Knight Riders. The IPL 2012
winners, Knight Riders, got off to a terrible start on Saturday, losing
heavily to Delhi Daredevils in Centurion. Chasing 161, Knight Riders
were reeling at 3 for 3, undone by pace and movement. It was a puzzling
decision by the captain Gautam Gambhir, to chase on a ground that
heavily favours the team batting first under lights. Five of their
batsmen got hit and Delhi's four-man pace attack was too imposing to
tackle.
Knight Riders will be up against a team making its debut in the main
round of the Champions League. Auckland arrived in South Africa two
weeks before the qualifying round to acclimatise and things have gone
smoothly for them, with victories in both their qualifying matches. Kyle
Mills has been parsimonious - he had figures of 4-1-6-2 against Sialkot
Stallions - and Azhar Mahmood has been among the wickets. Sterner tests
lie ahead, when they come up against franchise teams that have the best
foreign Twenty20 talent.
Watch out for...
Azhar Mahmood demolished Hampshire with bat and ball, becoming
only the sixth player to take five wickets and score a fifty in a
Twenty20 match. He may not be an international player anymore but he is
enjoying a second coming as a freelance T20 specialist. Gareth Hopkins,
the Auckland captain, emphasised the experience Mahmood brings to the
unit. His game-changing abilities made him an asset during his
on-and-off career for Pakistan and, at 37, his skills haven't
diminished.
Brendon McCullum began his World Twenty20 campaign with a blazing
123 against Bangladesh in Pallekele - his second T20 international
century. His CLT20 campaign wasn't so special though, getting out for a
second-ball duck. Knight Riders also lost Jacques Kallis to an injury
before he could open his account. If Kallis misses out, McCullum's
contributions at the top will be all the more crucial.
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