Mumbai, Highveld clash in CLT20 curtain-raiser

The stage is all set for the much awaited Champions League Twenty20 to get underway and it will be Mumbai colliding with Highveld for the inaugural match at Johannesburg.

Mumbai, the team from the sub-continent under the charismatic leadership of Sachin Tendulkar had done wonders in the third edition of IPL and were the runners-up. The team has got enough firepower in the line-up which makes them the top contenders for the title. In the batting department, they have classical Tendulkar, Dhawan and Duminy backed up by prodigies like Tiwary and Rayudu, who have carried their brilliant form from IPL and showed good hands in the warm-up game. Kieron Pollard, whose name itself is enough to give shivers to many bowlers, has the brute ability to take the attack to the opposition and he alone is capable of completely turning the game on its head. The presence of Malinga, Zaheer and Harbhajan make a rosy picture for the bowling line-up and all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Ryan McLaren are more than handy. 

Highveld could be considered as the underdogs entering into the contest but due to the fact that they are the runners-up of the local T20 championship, the opposition can’t afford to take them lightly. The team under the captaincy of Alviro Petersen has fared exceedingly well this season and has utility players apt for this exciting format of the game. They have a seasoned campaigner in Neil McKenzie and young talents like VB van Jaarsveld, Jonathan Vandiar, Robert Frylinck and Ethan O’Reilly who all have performed nicely in the recent past. The home conditions will be an added advantage and expect them to excel and even spring a surprise to the opposition. 

All in all, expect a close fought encounter between these two sides with the mighty Mumbai side edging out the Highveld due to more balanced and settled unit.