If the debutants under the stewardship of Mahela Jayawardene can upset the Daniel Vettori-led RCB at home, the importance and fame of the team among the locals will skyrocket. Also it will be a shot in the arm for the owners as the franchise was mired in various controversies in the lead up to the event. On paper, RCB top-order that boasts of names like AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Virat Kohli and the very talented Saurabh Tiwary can murder any opposition on a given day.
When it comes to batting, Kochi may face a few problems as they don't have a good Indian batsman in their line-up. Apart from Parthiv Patel who is an effective T20 player, there aren't any big Indian names. VVS Laxman is not likely to make much of a difference in this format. A lot will depend on how many times captain Jayawardene and New Zealand opener Brendon McCullum fire. McCullum who will forever be remembered for his unbeaten 73-ball-158 during the first edition hasn't really fired after that knock.
Sri Lankan Thisara Perera has been one of the better buys by Kochi as his all-round abilities are in sync with the demands of Twenty20 cricket. It was his little cameo in the final overs that helped Lanka post a difficult total against India in the World Cup final. When it comes to bowling, the two teams are on even keel. If RCB have a top quality seamer in Zaheer Khan and the best left-arm spinner in the world in skipper Vettori, Kochi will have the wily old Muttiah Muralitharan trying to pull a trick or two out of his bag.
Royal Challengers Bangalore : Daniel Vettori (capt), TM Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohammed Kaif, CM Gautham (wk), Zaheer Khan, Abhimanyu Mithun, Dirk Nannes, Ryan Ninnan/Abrar Kazi
Kochi Tuskers Kerala: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Brendon McCullum, Parthiv Patel (wk), VVS Laxman, Owais Shah/Brad Hodge, Ravindra Jadeja, Thisara Perera, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ramesh Powar, R Vinay Kumar, Muttiah Muralitharan.
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