The Kings XI Punjab will play their second Pool B match on Saturday at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh against the Barbados Tridents from the West Indies.
The Indian franchise will have the advantage of coming into that fixture already having had some valuable match practice against the Hobart Hurricanes from Australia, who they defeated by five wickets, which has also set them up nicely for a serious challenge to make the knockout stages.
Kings XI were concerned that their bowling attack might lack the penetration required to apply pressure to the Hurricanes batting lineup, when they lost Australian left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson ahead of the fixture due to a rib injury.
Sometimes adversity can throw up the most unlikely hero. Due to the four “foreigner” limit in the IPL, Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera didn’t play a single match during the 2014 IPL for Kings XI. However, Mitchell’s absence on Thursday opened up a place in the team for him, and he seized it with both hands.
Perera took two wickets in a three-over spell with the ball, just as importantly he conceded less than a run a ball. Then when the Kings XI were chasing their target of 145 for victory, he found himself coming to the middle at a pivotal moment in the game, with his side precariously placed on 77-5 after 10.5 overs.
An unbeaten 35 from just 20 balls saw his team home in relative comfort in the end, with still 14 balls remaining of their allotted 20 overs.
The Tridents who are making their first CLT20 appearance, can field a formidable lineup when they have a full squad to choose from. However, they will have to challenge for the silverware without key men; Kieron Pollard, Shoaib Malik and Dwayne Smith.
The Tridents regular skipper Pollard will led his IPL side the Mumbai Indians, but already find themselves eliminated, having failed to make it through the qualifying group into the main draw.
Meanwhile, Malik who was so influential in the CPL has opted to play for Big Bash League side Hobart Hurricanes for whom he scored 14 in Thursday defeat by Kings XI, and Smith who is playing for the Chennai Super Kings.