RCB Vs CSK is a batsman's game

Durban: In 2008 during the home Test series between India and Australia, MS Dhoni was the stand-in skipper in the Mohali Test. As India won that game by 320 runs, calls for him being made the regular skipper for all formats of the game became louder. A game later, India Test captain Anil Kumble called it a day and it was none other than Dhoni who carried him on his shoulders off the ground in Delhi.

It will remain an enduring image of Indian cricket. One that gladdens the hearts of the true cricket lovers for the manner in which the baton was passed from one generation to another. And while generation next was definitively put in charge, it was one of those rare moments when you saw and knew that the future of Indian cricket was an embodiment of the values that had been held dear by a generation of cricketers who can be credited for having instilled a new order in world cricket. And the two men at the centre of it all could not have been more similar - calm, composed, achievers who believe in humility and grace.

The two are a very determined lot as well. If Dhoni proved his credentials in the longer format of the game, Kumble too was not one to be left behind as he adapted beautifully to the shortest format as he led the Royal Challengers Bangalore to great success in the second and third edition of the IPL.

And on Friday, the two will face off again in the first semi-final of the Champions League T20 at Kingsmead here. After a flop show at home in the first season of the tournament, the IPL teams have finally made their presence felt with Chennai and Bangalore qualifying for the semis, thereby ensuring that at least one will play in the summit clash.

The two teams made it to the semi-finals in contrasting fashion. Chennai picked up comprehensive wins in their first two games before losing to Victoria Bushrangers in the Super Over. With a must-win situation in their last league game, Chennai could only muster 136 runs, but then held their nerves to carve out an incredible 10-run win.

Bangalore, on the other hand, started with a bang before slumping to two defeats and finally they just managed to scrape through to the semi-finals with last-minute heroics in their final game against the Highveld Lions.

There's not much to choose from between these two champion sides except the fact that in a game that will be decided more by the batsmen than the bowlers, Bangalore have more big-hitters in the side.

Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli have been amongst the runs at the top, while Manish Pandey and Dillon du Preez have looked fluent. The only cause of concern has been the not-so-great form of Robin Uthappa and Ross Taylor. But everyone knows what the two are capable of if they come to the party and Kumble will be hoping just for that.

In contrast, Chennai's batting lineup has been steady with at least a couple of them finding the sweet spot of the bat every game. Michael Hussey has done a fine job in place of the woefully out of form Mathew Hayden, while Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, Anirudha Srikkanth have all played a good hand in one match or the other.

It also looks evenly matched in the bowling departments with three of Chennai's bowlers - Doug Bollinger, Muttiah Muralitharan and R Ashwin - in great form. Bangalore too has been served well by Dale Steyn, Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar. And Kumble has been the most economical bowler of the tournament.

This should be a cracker of a contest. It's too close to call, the good thing is one of the IPL teams will surely be in the final.