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Things are looking good for Chitwan Rhinos. They did well to bounce back after a minor blip against Karnali Yaks, with a win over Sudurpaschim Royals and now find themselves in a good position to make it through to the playoffs.
However, despite winning three out of their four games, they cannot afford to take anything for granted. With the platform set, the Rhinos will look to add to their three wins and get closer to booking their place in the next round. It will not be easy as they will be up against Rohit Paudel-led Lumbini Lions, who have plenty of talented players at their disposal.
Can Rhinos' stars continue their good form?
It was heartening to see Hassan Eisakhil finally get some runs on the board in the last game. His fifty proved vital as the Rhinos defeated Sudurpaschim Royals comfortably.
What has worked for them is their brilliant display with the ball in the powerplay. They have taken the most wickets (13) in the first six and have the best average (10.4) and strike rate (11.1) in that period. Left-arm pacers Sohail Tanvir and Rijan Dhakal have accounted for 10 of those wickets.
They will be up against a team that has the worst record in powerplay. In this phase, they have just two wickets at an alarming ball per wicket ratio of 118 and have struck once every 72 deliveries - the worst in all the parameters.
Safe to say, this match could be decided in the powerplay itself.
Ravi Bopara has been the most consistent performer for the Rhinos, scoring 51, 59* and 36 in the last three innings. However, Tanvir's form will be a cause for concern, having picked up just one wicket in the last two matches after bagging eight scalps in his first two.
We have also seen Amar Routela chip in with little cameos with both bat and ball, while the Rhinos would like to see Nicol Loftie-Eaton perform well with the bat. He has not done too poorly with the ball either, having picked up three wickets in two matches.
What do Rhinos have to be wary of?
ROHIT PAUDEL! The national team captain been in top form in the tournament with scores of 46, 95, 5 and 35 in NPL 2024 so far. He is the highest run-getter in the tournament with 181 runs at a strike rate of 137.12. Thomas Moores (SR 132.94) and Bibek Yadav (SR 153.12) too have been vital figures with the bat for the Lions, and the Rhinos will hope to keep them quiet.
Picking up wickets (21 wickets at 33) has been an issue in the tournament for Lumbini. While they were abysmal in the first six overs, as mentioned earlier, they pulled things back after that, picking up 19 wickets at 24 (SR 16.6). Having lost all their four matches so far, Lumbini will come out all guns blazing, as they literally have nothing to lose at this point.
Any changes for the Rhinos?
The current team seems like a settled unit, which is great news for the Rhinos, as it is vital to go all the way. With overseas and local players contributing well, do not be surprised if Chitwan goes all the way in the tournament.
Likely XI: Santosh Kirki, Hassan Eisakhil, Bipin Rawal (wk), Kushal Malla (c), Ravi Bopara, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Amar Routela, Rijan Dhakal, Ranjit Kumar, Deepak Bohora, Sohail Tanvir
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