Champions League 2014 2nd Semi-Final prediction: Punjab (70%) expected to defeat Chennai (30%)

By Shashi Mittal On October 01, 2014

Prediction methodology

Prediction: Punjab (70%) predicted to defeat Chennai (30%) (Match scorecard)

Team form

Kings XI Punjab: The Kings XI Punjab have had an outstanding tournament so far, winning all four of their matches with relative ease.
Chennai Super Kings: The Chennai started their tournament on a shakey ground when they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders, but then came back to easily defeat the Dolphins. Their match against Lahore Lions was washed out, and then they defeated Perth Scorchers to finish second in the points table in Group A.

Venue

Hyderabad is not a typically high scoring ground like other Indian venues, and a score of 170 runs in the first innings is a defensible target. It is also a ground where the chasing team has performed much better than the team batting first, so expect the team winning the toss to bowl first in this match.

Prediction

The Kings XI Punjab have a powerful batting lineup that is a nightmare for any bowling team. This lineup can easily score or chase down 200+ runs, even on a ground like Hyderabad. They have got useful contributions from all of their top order batsmen in this tournament. The Super Kings will have a difficult time keeping this batting lineup in check, and especially given Dhoni's weakness in handling his bowlers in the death overs, it might be a long night for Chennai. The Kings XI are heavy favorites to win this match, and should be able to reach the finals without much difficulty.

The Super Kings have been riding a bit of luck to get to the semi-final stage of the tournament, but their luck is about to run out. Rain is not going to help them in this match as the weather is expected to be clear, but the toss might. Chennai have won only 50% of their matches batting first this year, while they have won 78% of their matches batting second. So their best bet is to win the toss, send Punjab to bat first, and hope to restrict them to a score of around 170. And then bank on their batting to chase down the target. If however they end up batting first, it will be curtains up for them even before the match starts.