Reason for this question is that after every loss or a bad day of test especially in recent times, talks of replacing him as captain with Rohit in ODI/T20 and now Rahane in tests start happening after literally one day and before anyone says "it's just a minority" no it's not, I literally hear this stuff everywhere from social media to real life, also in this reddit as if he's having Tendulkar run of bad captaincy and batting form.
So is Kohli a bad captain that is on the verge of being replaced? Comment your thoughts on that.
In my opinion, aside from T20 (even there I've mixed thoughts) I don't think so and I like Rohit more than Kohli. His stats as captain prove that's he doing better than previous captains while improving his own performance as well. So where does these talks come from?
Popular rhetoric's are, well Kohli has to face weaker teams compared to Ganguly and Dhoni who faced the 2000's greats. That's something I partially agree on, teams overall were definitely more better back in 2000's and early 2010's but the drop in form for the teams hasn't been that harsh and there's New Zealand that has gotten better than before.
Another one is, Kohli has the best Indian team at hand so he should be doing better. Mixed thoughts about this, he has best looking bowling attack but for ODI's he has the great top 3 in form of Dhawan, Rohit and himself but the middle order has been inconsistent compared to what Ganguly and Dhoni (until last years as captain) had and for tests batting was way better then compared to what it is now with Kohli and Pujara lifting most of the burden with help of bowlers. Well he has been doing better but it's not as good as what fans expect because the team is not 2000's Australia, that kinda team combination rarely happens.
For ODI's/T20's the sentiment slowly kept getting popular as India came close but didn't win ICC tournaments and 2019 loss along with this year of 2020 with NZ tour and now 36/9 has accelerated that. Kohli after great run hasn't been able to deliver a ICC tournament win that's true but it's not something that started with him, Dhoni also couldn't deliver WT20 2014 and WC 2014. So it's less about captaincy issue and more about India choking at knockout moments. Same in T20's, what happens in IPL with RCB isn't replicated with India but what happens in ODI's tournaments with India is replicated so using Kohli, Rohit comparison based on IPL there also feels unfair, MI and RCB are just two different caliber of teams.
And for tests, there was a bad NZ tour this year but guess what it's the NZ team that went on to become first NZ squad to get it No 1 rank in tests, so that was a formidable opponent and before 36/9 India had the advantage, it's just one day of bad batting from them and great bowling from Aus that led to that. Yes there was those SA and England tour in 2018 but they ran way closer than what results showed. Kohli's performance during the term he's been captain has also been better than when he is not, he has made sure to deliver under his own captaincy ICC Knockouts aside.
I'd agree for coaching, fielding or selection staff change but still not sure about changing captaincy atleast based on fan pressure. One thing is for sure, whoever will become long term captain (not Rahane, Rohit, people close to retire) after Kohli has big shoes to fill in.

I love KL Rahul the batsman, and I still am a sucker for his batting, but my god whatever he's done thus far in IPL 2020 has high-key been infuriating.
Look, I can understand his approach. Since he's the captain, and since he feels the team's middle-order is unreliable, he feels there's a need to take the game deep. I have no problem with it, but if you're gonna take the game deep, you "need" to ensure that you at least have a 70-80% success rate. Rahul has wasted balls and fucked it up in all but one match this season (RCB) and he just doesn't seem to learn. If he knows that he's incapable of finishing matches off, he should at least be a bit more free with his approach. Right now his fifties are hurting the team more than they're helping.
When Punjab have batted first, he has put too much pressure on the likes of Maxwell Pooran and Sarfaraz by batting too slow and getting out at the wrong time and when they have chased, he has never been able to take the team over the line even once.
His approach today, particularly after Agarwal got out, was unacceptable. He showed no intent whatsoever and even when Prabhsimran walked in (what an idiotic fucking move), he was taking singles instead of attempting to put the ball away.
No one is asking him to bat like Russell, but is a SR of 140 too much to ask for? Man, Rahul has had a SR below 130 in all but one match and in most matches, he's batted more than 35 balls. That's so so so hurtful to the side.
You can't be pulling off this bullshit, not learn from your mistakes, and come out and say that "Strike Rate is overrated".
I miss the Rahul of 2018. I'm so fucking done with this responsible batting bullshit. If Warner and Bairstow can trust a middle-order of Garg, Samad and Pandey, then you have no business worrying about Pooran, Maxwell and Mandeep. Rahul was pulling this off even when KXIP fielded seven specialist batsman in the first 3 games.

When RCB management made bad auction decisions and let Rahul and Gayle go to KXIP, RCB's batting strength was duo of ABD and Kohli with bunch of inexperienced batsmen. Getting Kohli and ABD together meant winning the match for oppositions. A pattern started emerging where both of them got out frequently to release the pressure against spinners in the middle overs. They were equally bad against googlies in 2018 and 2019 season. Kohli averaged 6 against googlies with SR of 104.35 (4 dismissals). ABD fared worse with average of 5.2 at 83.87 SR (5 dismissals). Following are some matches where both of them got out together and team lost momentum -
IPL 2018 3rd Match - RCB vs KKR - RCB were cruising hard on 127 for 2 after 14.1 overs. ABD had just hit previous ball for a six but trying to slog another one, he hit the next one straight to fielder. Kohli followed him to pavilion next ball. This was first IPL match after both KL & Gayle left. RCB could only score 50 more runs in 5.3 overs and KKR chased the target with 7 balls left in batting paradise.
IPL 2018 35th Match - RCB vs CSK - RCB were 47 for 1 after 6 overs with Kohli struggling to middle the ball. Dhoni introduced Jadeja into the attack and Kohli fell first ball trying to pound on arm ball. ABD replaces him and faces two dot balls in the same over. Spin is introduced from the othe end and ABD gives a simple catch to Dhoni off Bhajji after failing to hit a reverse sweep. RCB could only reach 127 after 20 overs with the help of Tim Southee's 36 off 26 at the end. They never recovered from Kohli and AB's back to back dismissals. CSK won the match easily.
IPL 2018 39th Match - RCB vs SRH - RCB were 71/2 after 9 overs chasing 146. Target was looking easy at that stage but Rashid's latest over saw Kohli getting dropped in slips and ABD missing a wild swing. Sakib was re-introduced to capitalise on that and he delivered by sending Kohli off in same over. Part 1 of Job was done. Rashid unleashed back to back googlies (ABD's kryptonite) in next over and ABD was also taken care of. RCB needed 67 of 56 deliveries at that stage but they failed in a spectacular fashion (At one point they just needed 19 off 2 overs with 5 wickets in hand and 2 settled batsmen in the middle).
IPL 2019 14th Match - RCB vs RR - RCB were 48 for 0 after Powerplay. Leggie Gowtham was making sure Kohli doesn't rotate strike much and waste balls by denying Parthiv strike who was striking at nearly 170 in first 6 overs. When field opened, Kohli tried to jab first ball through point for single but he misread Gopal's googly. He got out very next ball (bowled), trying to play the googly through covers. ABD replaced him and Gopal bowled 3 more googlies. ABD wasn't able to read the ball so like a tailender in test match, he realised best form of defence is attack. Gopal came back with 3 more googlies in next over and mistimed the shot every single time and gave a simple return catch to bowler. When he got out, RCB were 71 for 2 after 8.3 overs. They only added 87 more runs in 69 balls and lost the match as expected.
IPL 2019 49th Match - RCB vs RR - It was just a 5 over run curtailed fixture. Kohli and ABD opened the innings and scored 23 runs in first over. Gopal was sent in to control the duo but Kohli had realised googly barrage was coming. He scored 12 off first 3 deliveries none of which were classic leg breaks. Kohli expected another googly but it was a classic leg break and he is caught near boundary. Gopal learned from his mistake and bowled leg break to ABD also as he gave a simple catch to Parag. Gopal completed his hat trick next ball. RCB scored 35 off first 9 deliveries and 27 off next 21 with 7 wickets lost. 62 was enough to make sure RCB wins but some teams had realised Kohli and ABD can be kept in check through quality spin bowling.
IPL 2020 6th Match - KXIP vs RCB - RCB were reeling in at 11 for 3 after 4 overs. ABD started attacking pacers from the start so KXIP brought in Bishnoi for 6th over. ABD attacked his bad length by smoking him for 3 fours in an over. KXIP didn't back down and brought in Murugan Ashwin from other end. Although he didn't get any wickets that over, he troubled both Finch and ABD with mix of leggies and googlies. Finch got out in Bishnoi's next over, failing to read his first googly of the day. Ashwin set up a trap for ABD by setting field for a googly and bowling leg spin. ABD survived first ball but got out next ball hitting the ball straight to sweeper cover. RCB's hopes ended with ABD and KXIP went back to pacers because leggies had done their job by deception.
Now coming to KXIP vs RCB return match where they sent ABD down the order at 6. That move was heavily criticised by everyone. In all the matches i mentioned when ABD and Kohli got out, only left handers i.e. Moeen and Parthiv showed any kind of intent to prevent a collapse. Kohli said, "We had a chat, a message from outside about left-right combination and we wanted to go with it because they had two leggies. Sometimes things don't come off. We're pretty happy with the decisions we took, but it didn't come off". It is clear their analyst did his research and figured ABD and Kohli batting together in the middle overs against quality spin is too big of a risk, more so because Ashwin and Bishnoi have very good googlies. Ashwin had already accounted for Finch's wicket with 13.3 overs left and spin duo was on. If ABD and Kohli were to get out together, team would've surely collapsed as they were playing without Gurkeerat and there were only 4 all rounders left.
Kohli said after KKR match,"The management have brought in a proper culture. We have a plan A, we have a plan B, and people are executing it that's why it's looking good". Sundar was sent in to prevent collapse first and then attack after getting set with Kohli looking for singles. When Sundar got out, they switched to Plan B as team had only reached 86 for 3 after 10.3 overs. Dube played the aggressive role against spinners but he struggles against Jordan's pace. What made matters worse is Kohli and ABD got out together once again (the whole reason this plan was made) to Shami, after seeing off leggies. Cameos from Morris and Udana took them to respectable total but it wasn't enough to stop KXIP. Gurkeerat was brought back next match to replace Dube as he instills more confidence to prevent a collpase.
It was a strategic move that failed and coped criticism for it but it wasn't without merit. Moreover, it wasn't Kohli's plan as his brand of cricket is based on intent, confidence and hardwork, not on stats analysis. It is a good thing Kohli is finally listening to his support staff by using stats based approach like MI but MI never saves Pollard from any type of bowler. ABD shouldn't be saved from any bowler either. Stats based approach works more during bowling anyways as RR's weird batting approach based on stats has already proven it does more harm than good. Hopefully they don't use any weird batting order to hide from out-of-practice Tahir and out-of-form Jadeja.

With one game remaining and the Vikings eliminated from playoff contention, there is nothing to look forward to other than a better draft pick and personal accolades/milestones for the players.
The statistical milestones that are up for grabs for Cousins/Cook/Thielen/Jefferson can be found here:
https://old.reddit.com/minnesotavikings/comments/kkax87/personal_recordmilestone_watch_for_week_17/
At the top of that list has to be Jefferson and the rookie receiving yards record. This is going to be a really in depth post, but in short, he has a rare opportunity in terms of team circumstance and opponent to have a career day, and legitimately challenge the rookie receiving yards record.
Jefferson's Current Place in History for Rookie Receivers
Going into Week 17, Jefferson has no shot at challenging the rookie receptions record (2003 Anquan Boldin with 101 catches, Jefferson is at 79), or rookie TD record (1998 Randy Moss with 17 TD, Jefferson with 7). In rookie receiving yards, however, he currently ranks 5th all-time:

Receiver	Season	Games	Yards going into Final Game	Yards in Last Game	Final Yardage Total	Yards Behind Season Leader (Rank)
Bill Groman	1960	14	1,323	150	1,473	0 (1st)
Anquan Boldin	2003	16	1,350	27	1,377	319 (3rd)
Randy Moss	1998	16	1,281	32	1,313	111 (3rd)
Odell Beckham Jr.	2014	12	1,120	185	1,305	393 (10th)
Justin Jefferson	2020	15	1,267	TBD	TBD	149 (8th)

In order to pass each player on the list, he would need to put up these totals:

Rank	Receiver	Receiving Yards	Jefferson Yards Needed to Pass	Games With Required Yardage
1	Groman (1960)	1,473	207	0/15
2	Boldin (2003)	1,377	111	4/15
3	Moss (1998)	1,313	47	10/15
4	Beckham Jr. (2014)	1,305	39	12/15

Team Situation - Nothing to Play For
The Vikings officially cannot make the playoffs. Since Mike Zimmer took over in 2014, the Vikings have played a total of 3 meaningless games:
Week 16 in 2014: L 37-35 to Dolphins (7-7) Week 17 in 2014: W 13-9 vs. Bears (3-12) Week 17 in 2016: W 38-10 vs. Bears (3-12)
2016 Week 17:
QB Bradford - 3,627 yards, 17 TD coming into Week 17 - Up 24-10 at half, kept in all game - 25/33, 250 yards, 3 TD
RB Jerrick McKinnon and RB Matt Asiata - Peterson injured for most of season - McKinnon had 143-450-1, Asiata had 113-388-6 coming in - McKinnon had 16-89-1 + 3-21-1, Asiata had 8-14-0, 3-31-0
WR Diggs, WR Thielen, TE Rudolph - Diggs injured for Week 17 - Thielen had 68 (91 targets)-960-5, Rudolph had 72 (117 targets)-723-6 - Thielen had 1 (1)-7-0, Rudolph had 11 (15)-117-1 - Major disparity considering the milestone, but Bears had great corners with no Diggs to draw attention away and Bradford loved Rudolph as a security blanket.
Zimmer never rested skill position players in the 2014 games. Old Greg Jennings played all 16. Peterson was injured that entire year.
The above tells me that even though it was a meaningless game, he gave his starters ample opportunity and didn't pull them in a blowout. The Thielen thing is interesting though, he only needed 40 yards for 1,000, ran the most routes on the team, and was targeted once vs. Rudolph's 15.
When a game doesn't matter and you're just letting your starters pile up stats, it leads me to believe he may do this again.
Detroit Lions Historically Poor Coverage
The Lions are the worst coverage team in the NFL. Not only this, but they're one of the worst coverage teams in NFL history.
In terms of advanced analytics, PFF has them at a 29.4 coverage grade. The next worse this year is the Jaguars at 33.1. The median is 61.9 and the best is Washington at 84.3.
The only teams with a worse grade since PFF started recording stats in 2006 are:
2014 Washington: 28.6 2010 Texans: 28.7 2010 Jaguars: 29.3
In terms of more simple receiving stats, the Lions have allowed the 10th most yards per passing attempt since 1970, along with the 2nd highest passer rating of all-time (since 1940):

Team	Season	Completions/Attempts	Passing Yards	Yards/Attempt	TD-INT	Passer Rating
NYJ	1975	180/316	2719	8.604	26-15	94.9
BAL	1981	301/491	4128	8.407	37-16	100.6
DET	2008	304/444	3716	8.369	25-4	110.8
NOR	2015	372/544	4544	8.353	45-9	116.2
RAM	1991	259/434	3545	8.168	25-11	95.6
NWE	1989	259/449	3666	8.165	27-16	91.6
ATL	1989	259/437	3554	8.133	19-20	82.5
BAL	1978	191/357	2901	8.126	29-17	90.4
NWE	1990	218/374	3021	8.078	21-24	89.9
DET	2020	355/517	4175	8.075	35-7	111.3

The numbers also weight heavily towards receivers. These are the 6 teams that have allow more than 9 yards per target to WRs:

Team	Completions Allowed	Targets	Yards Allowed	Yards/Target
Lions	225	316	3067	9.71
Eagles	201	290	2673	9.22
Vikings	192	286	2626	9.18
Falcons	224	331	3005	9.08
Cowboys	190	290	2621	9.04
Jaguars	205	297	2676	9.01

15 teams in the league allow fewer than 8 yards per target to WRs.
Every metric points towards the Lions being not only the worst pass defense in the league, but one of the worst ever, and one of the worst at defending against WRs.
Looking At Lions Performance vs. Top 2 WRs Each Game
Assuming Jefferson and Thielen are good to go in Week 17, they'll form their usual 2-headed monster that demands attention. I thought it would be worthwhile to look at how each receiver has done in each game.
Yards per Route Run simply calculates the number of yards divided by the number of routes a player has run. For reference, among the top 100 most targeted receivers, these are the top 5 this season:

1. Davante Adams - 3.01 Y/RR
2. Corey Davis - 2.67 Y/RR
3. Julio Jones - 2.60 Y/RR
4. Justin Jefferson - 2.60 Y/RR
5. Calvin Ridley - 2.55 Y/RR

These are the two WR in the middle:

1. Tyler Locket - 1.65 Y/RR
2. Robert Woods - 1.65 Y/RR

And these are the 5 at the bottom:

1. Larry Fitzgerald - 0.92 Y/RR
2. Demarcus Robinson - 0.89 Y/RR
3. Greg Ward - 0.88 Y/RR
4. Isaiah Wright - 0.84 Y/RR
5. Jeff Smith - 0.83 Y/RR

This is the weekly breakdown for the 2 receivers on each team that ran the most routes:

Receiver	Primary Corner	Routes	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Y/RR
Allen Robinson	Oruwariye	36	9	5	74	2.06
Anthony Miller	McRae	22	6	4	76	3.45
Allen Lazard	Oruwariye	27	5	3	45	1.67
Marquez Valdes-Scantling	Okudah	24	7	3	64	2.67
DeAndre Hopkins	Okudah	36	12	10	137	3.81
Larry Fitzgerald	Roberts	33	3	1	0	0.00
Tre'Quan Smith	Trufant	25	4	4	54	2.16
Emmanuel Sanders	Okudah	24	9	6	93	3.88
D.J. Chark	Oruwariye	43	14	7	45	1.05
Keelan Cole	Roberts	38	9	6	143	3.76
Calvin Ridley	Okudah	42	7	5	69	1.64
Julio Jones	Oruwariye	40	9	8	97	2.43
Zach Pascal	Coleman	30	6	3	44	1.47
Marcus Johnson	Okudah	23	4	2	39	1.70
Adam Thielen	Trufant (SHADOW)	21	5	2	38	1.81
Justin Jefferson	Okudah	19	4	3	64	3.37
Terry McLaurin	Trufant (SHADOW)	57	8	7	95	1.67
Cam Sims	Oruwariye	55	5	4	54	0.98
D.J. Moore	Oruwariye	32	9	7	127	3.97
Robby Anderson	Trufant	31	9	7	46	1.48
Brandin Cooks	Coleman	30	5	5	85	2.83
Will Fuller	Oruwariye	28	7	6	171	6.11
Allen Robinson	Roberts	35	7	6	75	2.14
Darnell Mooney	Oruwariye	35	6	4	43	1.23
Davante Adams	Oruwariye	37	10	7	115	3.11
Marquez Valdes-Scantling	Coleman	28	6	6	85	3.04
A.J. Brown	Oruwariye	28	7	5	44	1.57
Corey Davis	Oruwariye	27	6	4	110	4.07
Mike Evans	Roberts	39	12	10	181	4.64
Chris Godwin	Coleman	30	9	5	84	2.80
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wide Receiver 1	N/A	518	120	86	1228	2.37
Wide Receiver 2	N/A	457	99	69	1169	2.56
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total for Top 2 WR	N/A	975	219	155	2397	2.46

Funny enough, Jefferson was the only top 2 receiver they faced that ran fewer than 20 routes in a game.
So, in other words, the aggregate #1 WR that faced the Lions this year would be the #8 WR in the league by yards per route run, just behind #7 Stefon Diggs. The aggregate #2 WR that the Lions faced this year would be the #5 WR in the league by yards per route run, just behind Jefferson and just ahead of Ridley. The average of the top 2 WR would be the #6 WR in the league, behind Calvin Ridley, but ahead of A.J. Brown.
How the Lions deficiencies benefit Jefferson's Game
It's simple to say that a team has a bad pass D, but it's important to look at how those yards are being accumulated. If I could describe the Lions Pass D as simple as possible, it's that they are very prone to giving up huge plays. They aren't "bend don't break" at all, they have massive lapses consistently. This is something that benefits Jefferson's game as a receiver that makes his living in intermediate and deep game.
Most 20+ yard receptions this season:
Calvin Ridley - 23 Travis Kelce - 23 Justin Jefferson - 22 Allen Robinson - 21 Tyreek Hill - 20
Most 20+ yard receptions allowed (sorted by WR 20+ yard receptions allowed):

Teams	20+ Yard Receptions Allowed	20+ Yard Receptions Allowed to WR
Lions	60	44
Falcons	59	44
Vikings	56	44
Colts	51	40
Dolphins	52	39
Eagles	49	39
Texans	49	38
Cowboys	48	38
Bengals	56	37
Panthers	49	36
Broncos	53	36
Seahawks	51	36
Steelers	44	36
Saints	43	36
Jaguars	51	35
Titans	47	35
Jaguars	46	34
Browns	44	34
49ers	41	33
Bears	49	32
Jets	48	32
Chiefs	45	32
Patriots	41	31
Chargers	42	30
Chiefs	48	29
Cardinals	45	29
Giants	41	28
Bills	37	28
Packers	37	26
Washington	35	26
Rams	32	25
Ravens	37	22

The interesting thing about this is that the Lions have allowed 24 total and 18 from WR in just the last 5 games, the exact point when they changed coaches and shifted from Okudah and Trufant as their primary corners due to injury to their current set-up, which I will get into below. Also remember that the Lions don't have as many pass attempts against compared to most teams, but they're still right up there in volume due to their inefficiency.
The QB statistics in their last 5 games are: 121/161 (75.2%), 1,591 yards (9.88 yards/attempt), 17 TD-0 INT, 141.08 passer rating
Lions Personnel
The Lions corners have been a mess this year. Darius Slay left for Philly so they signed Desmond Trufant from Atlanta. He's been dealing with injuries all year and is on the injured reserve.
Jeff Okudah was the 3rd overall pick, who they threw right into the fire much like we did with Gladney and Dantzler. He lost playing time and is also on the injured reserve. He graded out as the worst corner in the league in numerous metrics. Trufant wasn't far ahead of him when he was playing.
Justin Coleman was injured in Week 1, but returned to his usual role in the slot after has been a constant in the slot all year. Last season he was statistically one of the worst corners in the league. He was targeted 2nd most and gave up the 4th most yards.
With the multiple injuries to corners occurring in Week 1, Amani Oruwariye was thrust into a starting role right off the bat, and has been relied on as an outside corner every week. He was a 5th round pick in 2019, being used sparingly in his rookie year towards the end of the year. With all the injuries to corners this year, he's literally played double the coverage snaps over the next highest corner.
Darryl Roberts was their #5 CB coming into the year. They signed him to a 1 year deal after he struggled last year and lost his job on the Jets. He filled in in the slot when Coleman + Trufant went down but has been used exclusively as an outside corner since the more recent injuries to Trufant/Okudah.
They've used a couple different practice squad guys, but most recently Tramaine Brock just as a healthy body. He saw some playing time against the Bucs with Roberts struggling.
Here are the stats for all the players in the secondary, with Jefferson added in for reference. I've also added in the Lions rank/100 for the 100 CBs with the most cover snaps (roughly 3 corners per team), and the safeties rank out of the 64 safeties with the most cover snaps (roughly 2 safeties per team):

Player	Jefferson	Oruwariye - LCB	Coleman - SCB	Roberts - RCB	Harmon - SS	Walker - FS	Okudah - LCB (IR)
Routes or Cover Snaps	487	508	253	248	546	372	251
Slot %	31.42%	11.42%	81.03%	60.48%	12.92% (Box %)	48.74% (Box %)	11.16%
Targets	109	75	41	44	21	45	50
Receptions	79	41	34	31	13	34	38
Pass Breakups	N/A	5	1	2	1	2	2
Catch %	72.48%	54.67%	82.93%	70.45%	61.90%	75.56%	76.00%
Yards	1267	720	334	369	238	410	579
Air Yards Per Reception	10.92	10.24	4.97	9.68	8.38	6.26	10.32
YAC per Reception	5.11	7.32	4.85	2.23	9.92	5.79	4.92
Yards per Reception	16.04	17.56	9.82	11.90	18.31	12.06	15.24
Snaps Per Target	4.47	6.77 (46/100)	6.17 (65/100)	5.64 (81/100)	26.00 (10/64)	8.30 (57/64)	5.02 (98/100)
Snaps Per Reception	6.16	12.39 (23/100)	7.44 (92/100)	8.00 (82/100)	42.00 (11/64)	10.90 (59/64)	6.61 (100/100)
Yards per Target	11.62	9.6	8.15	8.39	11.33	9.11	11.58
Yards per Snap	2.60 (4th)	1.42 (75/100)	1.32 (66/100)	1.49 (85/100)	0.44 (21/64)	1.10 (63/64)	2.31 (100/100)
% of Targets with 5+ Yards Separation	9.70%	1.10%	0.00%	2.40%	N/A	N/A	6.50%
PFF Receiving/Coverage Grade	90.4 (2nd)	52.0 (79/100)	52.1 (76/100)	53.1 (70/100)	67.1 (25/64)	43.3 (60/64)	30.1 (100/100)

Corner Utilization for the Lions
All you need to know is that since the coaching change the Lions corner use has been the same every game. Oruwariye will log slot snaps when no one is one his side, but he lines up at LCB 100% of the time.
Roberts on the other hand is the opposite. He will trail into the slot less than Oruwariye, but in terms of his outside snaps, he lines up on the right side 100% of the time. In the slot, Coleman almost exclusively plays thee.
They have been really simplifying playing a lot of man coverage since the coaching change. They were criticized heavily for playing too much man coverage before under Patricia:
https://www.espn.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/37084/analyzing-the-detroit-lions-in-man-defense-vs-zone
Of course with an interim coach there's only so much you can do to implement new strategies, and Patricia has been so heavy on man coverage over the years that it's easier to just play the season out and worry about big scale changes with a new coach next year.
Man coverage should bode well for Jefferson, who has among the best #s in the league at beating single coverage. Lions also bring their safety up in the box more than most, leaving a single high safety to defend, which will be good for Jefferson with Thielen drawing attention.
This is a rare match-up where I wouldn't worry at all about the match-up. You could argue that matching up more vs. Oruwariye would be better due to his propensity to give up the big play. But with Roberts' shakiness on the other side and Coleman giving up so much consistent production on the inside, there's really no bad option here. Vikings love using Jefferson on both sides and in the slot a lot, so I see no use changing anything up.
For whatever it's worth, Patricia and the Lions identified Thielen as the Vikings #1 in their first match-up, choosing to use Trufant as their shadow (Trufant on Thielen and McLaurin are the Lions only two shadows of the year). That being said, this is irrelevant for this game, Lions usage has been completely stagnant.
Big plays against members of the Lions Secondary
As mentioned before, the big thing in this match-up is big plays. Here are all the 20+ yard gains that Oruwariye/Roberts/Coleman/Harmon/Walker gave up. I also added the one from Brock in as he saw spot duty against the Bucs.
Oruwariye (Lions #1 Outside Corner):
https://streamable.com/9pv48t
Roberts (Lions #2 Outside Corner):
https://streamable.com/f55whl
Coleman (Lions Slot Corner):
https://streamable.com/lvh1ga
Brock (Lions Depth Corner):
https://streamable.com/j0lwnh
Harmon/Walker (Lions Safeties):
https://streamable.com/2txip5
Bottom Line
While the season is over, I think this is something to look forward to. You only get one shot at putting up rookie numbers, and it's something that will be etched in history for whatever he finishes with.
I think this is just a flat-out rare circumstance that could lead to a huge boom game:

• Vikings eliminated from playoffs, game script won't be as important
• Passing defense opponent who ranks among the worst of all-time, not just this season
• Lions coaching change midseason and lack of personnel among corners has led to them simplifying everything where you know exactly what to expect

If you want to swing for the fence, there have been 12 yardage totals by rookies that if Jefferson joined that group, it would put him into the #1 spot:

Player	Season	Receptions	Yards
Jerry Butler	1979	10	255
Jerry Rice	1985	10	241
Justin Blackmon	2012	7	236
Eddie Kennison	1996	5	226
Anquan Boldin	2003	10	217
Harlon Hill	1954	7	214
Mark Carrier	1987	8	212
Jackie Smith	1963	9	212
Sammy White	1976	7	210
Mike Evans	2014	7	209
Rod Gardner	2001	6	208
Red Phillips	1958	8	208

It has been a really weird IPL till now, Teams literally lost the matches because of the really weird decision made by team managements which doesn't even make sense to normal cricket fans, some of them are outrageous and frustrating to watch...what do you think is the most brain dead of all?

1. KKR not bowling Ferguson after he took 5 wickets in the last game when they needed to defend 82 runs.

2.punjab sending newbie prabsimran instead of maxwell.

1. RCB sending ABD at no.6

4.CSK persisting with kj.
5.punjab persisting with maxwell inspite of his lack of game awareness.
6.KKR'S batting order.
7.RR'S unsettled batting order after 10 freaking games..
8.punjab sending pooran in the 1st superover instead of gayle against Mumbai.
9.Smith giving 19th over to unadkath instead of archer against RCB.

1. CSK not even trying Imran tahir atleast in one match till now.

Feel free to add what you feel is brain dead stuff happened in IPL 2020.

2018 season: KL Rahul crossed 40 mark 7 times during the season. His SR was more than 140 in 6 of those innings but his team ended up losing 3 out of 6 matches. In one of those matches, his team fell short by 3 runs chasing 186, after he got out with SR of 156.67.
His lowest SR was 135.71 (95 off 70) in a match where KXIP failed to chase 159. In this match, 2nd highest score was 11 off 16 balls by Stoinis. KL's runs went in vain most of the time because KXIP middle order shat the bed.
2019 season: He crossed 40 mark 8 times this season. 4 of them came at SR of 140+ (lost 3, won 1). 2 out of 3 matches where he scored more than 40 (with SR of 150+) and got out chasing, ended in losses. Third match was won where he got out in 10th over but he had already scored 71 runs with SR of 197.
KXIP won 3 out of 4 matches where he struck at less than 140. In 2 of those 3 matches, he remained not out and guided his team home (third match was won where his team batted first).
2020 season: Kings XI has won only one match this season. In that match, KL was 75 off 53 at one stage but scored 57 more runs in next 16 balls. His SR in other 3 matches where he crossed 40 have been less than 130 (similar to RCB match at one point) but he failed to get going after that.
Many people here (mostly non KXIP fans) are claiming he is playing for orange cap selfishly without thinking about his team. He is actually doing the opposite by curbing his natural attacking game (check 2018 season and India games for reference) to take the game till the end because he doesn't trust his team mates anymore. He is backing himself to play dual role of anchor and finisher. He is the same guy who saw Dhoni fail to score 8 runs in last over chasing 246 (from the non-striker end).
It is somewhat understandable he doesn't trust his team mates to finish the games for KXIP because they have failed to do so in last 2 seasons. His thinking definitely needs to change for KXIP to succeed. But the change has to start from KXIP management and support staff. KXIP management is known to blame captains for losses even when they are giving their best (Ashwin/Yuvi/Bailey). The pressure of winning matches is getting to him and it is negatively affecting the team.

Delhi Capitals is the only team, which can boast of 4 Indian national team players in their top order and still have Ajinkya Rahane warming the benches. Surprisingly, Marcus Stoinis is playing the finisher role well, which he could not do last year for RCB. Rishabh Pant has not yet had standout innings and not striking the ball as effortlessly as he does, but expect him to come good. If the pitches slow down in the later half, it will be interesting to see how their batsmen react, since they like the ball coming onto the bat.
As they have 4 Indian batsmen at the top, they can field two quality international quicks in Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. Their spin department looks good with the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin this year. If pitches slow down in UAE in the second half of the IPL, Sandeep Lamichhane can come in place of either Rabada or Nortje.
Ricky Ponting is one of the most brilliant coaching minds at the IPL. When he took over Delhi in 2018, they were in disarray. Although Delhi did not do well in 2018, their Pre-auction transfer and Auction buy strategies after that have been excellent.
Mumbai Indians, the most successful team of the IPL, keep faith in their core set of players year after year. All of their top 5 batsmen scored 50+ this season. They are getting 190+ scores effortlessly, even on the bigger Abu Dhabi and Dubai grounds. Usually, Kieron Pollard gains form in the second half of the IPL, but this time he has been in terrific touch from the start. He is even bowling for them after many years. It looked like the teams figured out Hardik Pandya's hitting zones and kept him relatively quiet in the last two games. But, he is a brilliant cricketer, so expect him to become better. If Hardik starts bowling, it will add more balance to the MI squad.
The only concern for them will be their spin department. They formed this team keeping Wankhede stadium in mind, which helps the pace bowlers. Mumbai traditionally used spin defensively to choke the oppositions in the middle and attack with pace in the powerplay and at the death. They are playing Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya, but they are struggling against left handlers. Everybody expected them to get a spinner as the replacement for Lasith Malinga, but they went for another quick in James Pattinson, but he has been brilliant too. Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and James Pattinson are providing them great starts and masking their spin inadequacy. The only match their quicks did not take an early wicket in the powerplay, against RCB, they struggled and conceded 201 runs. It will be interesting to see how they progress if the pitches favor spin in the second half.
Pacers are ruling this IPL till now. Delhi Capitals with Kagiso Rabada - Anrich Nortje in their ranks and Mumbai Indians with pace bowling riches in Jasprit Bumrah - Trent Boult - James Pattinson, are at the top of the table deservedly. These two teams face-off in Abu Dhabi tomorrow (11 October 2020). We were served some hot delicious thrillers, along with 2 Super overs for dessert, in the first ten days of this IPL. However, we have witnessed so many cold one-sided affairs after that. I hope it will be a cracking contest tomorrow.

Although the retention policy isn't final yet, most probably 3-5 players will be allowed for retention s+RTM. If only 3 players are allowed, it's pretty much decided that Kohli, de Villiers and Chahal will stay. In case of 5 retentions, 2 guys out of Padikkal, Morris and Sundar will make it.
First, we need good openers (one attacking and one who is more of an anchor). If Padikkal stays, then he'll hold one slot for sure. The contenders for other opener(s) in my opinion are:

1. Aaron Finch (lots of experience and could trash bowlers asf in Chinnaswamy)
2. Tom Banton (if KKR let him go, which they probably will)
3. Prithvi Shaw (DC will probably let him go, since they already have many better contenders for the 5 retentions. Although he will have to learn to not throw his wicket away)
4. Chris Lynn (MI won't probably retain him, since he didn't even get a game and guys like Kishan, SKY, de Kock have made solid cases for themselves so atleast one of these may get to stay and the retentions of Rohit, Bumrah and Pollard are pretty much fixed)
5. Jason Roy
6. Johnny Bairstow (has had amazing time with SRH, but if the 2 overseas player retention policy stays, then SRH will want to keep Warner and Rashid. )
7. Wriddhiman Saha (unlikely that SRH will let him go, but could be a good addition to our openers)
8. Josh Philippe
9. Colin Munro
10. Quinton de Kock (if MI decide to retain Pollard and Boult/Malinga)
11. Shai Hope
12. Evin Lewis

I feel we should go all out in the auction for one of the mentioned players (mostly an overseas player) and then also go for another Indian capped/uncapped opener like Parthiv, Jaiswal, Rahane, Tripathi, Utappha as a backup.
After the openers and Virat, AB at 3 and 4, we need another good middle order batsman at no. 5 and a finisher at 6. The reason we lost all those matches in second half of IPL 2020 is because our middle order was a bit too frail. AB can't always win games for us. As little as 10-15 runs scored more by the middle ordeor one of Phillipe/Finch could have won us 3-4 more games. Possibilities for 5&6:

1. Kane Williamson (will be most probably let go by SRH because of the 2 overseas players policy. )
2. Mandeep Singh
3. Aditya Tare
4. Dinesh Karthik (with Virat and AB in the lineup, he'll be under less pressure than he was this year, and can play freely. )
5. Andre Russell/Sunil Narine/Eoin Morgan ( KKR may retain only one or two at the most of these three.) 6.Jos ButtleSteve Smith/Ben Stokes (RR can keep only one of these, since they will absolutely retain Archer.)
6. Joe Root
7. Other all rounders like Moeen Ali, de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes (could be our MVP), Tom Curran, Sam Curran, Marcus Stoinis.
8. Suresh Raina (there's nothing more lethal than having Raina, Kohli and de Villiers in the same lineup)
9. Glenn Maxwell (has sucked since 2014, but might play with a little more intent in IPL 2021since T20 WC 2021 is in India)
10. Suggest more

We should go for atleast 2 of the above mentioned players. Third, we need a tier 1 fast bowler to get us wickets. Contenders:

1. Mitchell Starc (I'm sure he'll play IPL 2021 since the T20 WC after that is scheduled in India)
2. Trent Boult (possible if MI retain Pollard and Malinga)
3. Pat Cummins (unlikely that KKR will keep him)
4. Lockie Ferguson (possible if KKR keep Russell and Narine)
5. Chris Morris (had a good few games this year. Very handy with the bat as well)
6. Kagiso Rabada/Anrich Nortje (if DC keep Stoinis, only one of Rabada and Nortje can stay)
7. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
8. Lasith Malinga (possible if he plays and MI don't retain him)
9. Suggest more.

RCB management should keep 20-25 crores ready for these 5-6 players.

RR is a top heavy lineup with jos the boss and steve smith opening the batting and the splendid samson at 3 RCB will be looking to get a early break through and keep the sanju storm quiet even if they can keep then quiet in the batting they still have explosive all rounders down the order 1 of them being the HERO OF SHARJAH 2020 -Rahul Tewatia
even if rcbs weak bowling gets away with this they will have to play the swing of rajpoot the pace of archers arrows (balls) even if the top order gets through this they still have to play the mysteries of gopal and will have to play the short balls of curran
if RCBS 11 can withstand all these challenges in the rr 11 they will be the true VICTORS(the CHALLENGERS)#PLAYBOLD #ESCN

Last season, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost seven out of their first eight matches. At a time when most teams contending for a playoff spot were beginning to ascend, RCB were barely finding their footing. The faint ray of hope generated from wins in their next three matches was quickly shut out by a defeat against Delhi Capitals. A batting order that found different ways to come short and a bowling lineup that was just far too expensive, they almost let MS Dhoni chase down 28 in the last over at M Chinnaswamy.
In light of their sorry recent history, hiring former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson as Director of Cricket could turn out to be their most important move ahead of IPL 2020. Hesson, who guided New Zealand to their first World Cup final appearance in 2015 and built the framework for a repeat in 2019, made his name as an astute judge of talent. It fits almost seamlessly into RCB’s biggest mission ahead of the auction and next summer’s IPL – build a strong and sustainable team around Kohli and de Villiers.
At a press conference, Hesson spoke about the importance of smart recruitment. “There will be a big focus on recruitment. Once the auction gets completed, the work starts then, not a week before the tournament starts. We would have clarity in the roles we want the players to perform.”
This autumn, Hesson spent a lot of time in Surat, Gujarat, watching India’s domestic T20 tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. “During Vijay Hazare and Mushtaq Ali Trophy, we would like to see players we want to fit in. It’s more about finding out how players build context around performance, conditions and pressure situations.”
A lot of Hesson’s attention has been drawn towards Devdutt Padikkal, a name that is now on the lips of everyone interested in Indian cricket. The 19-year-old left-hander, playing in a Karnataka team with established international batsmen like KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, and Manish Pandey, was the highest run-scorer in both the Vijay Hazare (50 over) and Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments. At the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 580 runs at a remarkable average of 64.44 and a strike-rate of 175.

IPL 2020 Trade window

▪Transfers: None
▪Players released: Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetymer, Akshdeep Nath, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Colin De Grandhomme, Prayas Ray Barman, Tim Southee, Kulwant Khejroliya, Himmat Singh, Heinrich Klaasen, Chama Milind, Dale Steyn.
▪How they shape up: Rs 27.9 cr available, twelve slots to fill (six overseas).

In a major cleanout last month, Royal Challengers Bangalore released as many as 12 players, including Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, and Colin de Grandhomme. RCB pinned a lot of hopes on Hetmyer last season and will be disappointed with how he could never really find his form. When someone like Hetmyer gets going, as he did in their last league game, he propels the whole team forward. If Hetmyer can hit some sort of groove in the current series against India, Hesson will be tempted to at least look at him as a middle-order option, given they have six overseas slots to fill.
The team management seems to have a lot of faith in Shivam Dube, and given his attributes, it is understandable why they let go of similar all-rounders in Stoinis and De Grandhomme. Washington Sundar and Moeen Ali have been retained too, so Hesson may be looking to build the lower-order all-round core around those three.
The 12 available slots open up enough space for Hesson to rebuild the entire team one year before the 2021 auction, where many currently retained players – across all teams – will be placed for auction again.

Major holes to plug

Middle order

A big chunk of their spending at December's auction will have to be on top and middle-order batting. Their recent releases mean that only four main batsmen –Kohli, AB, Padikkal, and Parthiv remain on their roster. The middle-order has been RCB’s biggest aching joint over the years, and their two match-winners in Kohli and de Villiers often bat with the pressure of finding very little backup if they get out early. RCB will, without doubt, look at both Indian and overseas options, so expect them to chase a lot of experience, because a good middle order will go a long way in stabilising their batting.

Seam bowling

Seam bowling is another area RCB need to strengthen. Between Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj, they have a solid Indian core, but the release of Dale Steyn, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Tim Southee have left enough overseas gaps to fill. They will have their eyes on players like Antrich Nortje, Alzarri Joseph, and Beuran Hendricks, all of whom should come at reasonable prices.

The Virat-sized problem

Between now and the beginning of IPL 2020, the RCB team management has its task cut out. They will not only have to set up a team which can support and complement the talents of Virat and AB, but also bring those two back to their best, because, in recent years, they have been slightly below par.
At IPL 2019, Kohli and De Villiers, as is the norm, ended up as the highest run-scorers for RCB, but a deeper look revealed a problem. Between both, they could only muster eight scores above 50 over 27 innings. At the 2018 edition, their aggregate was 10 in 25 innings. Compared to their glorious summer of 2016, when they crossed a half-century 18 times in 32 combined innings, their recent numbers paint a bleak picture given that they are the two batting mainstays of the team. Bending in further with the magnifying glass, there is an even more worrisome statistic that will look new coach Simon Katich in the eye: across the last two seasons, Kohli has crossed fifty a mere seven times in 28 innings.
It isn’t every day that we talk of a Kohli statistic and the numbers don’t put him on top of some mountain. His run aggregates, average, and strike-rate over these two seasons are still very healthy, but healthy, purely in the context of run-making, isn’t enough for Virat. He will know it better than most that 30s and 40s, especially at the strike-rates he operates at, aren’t enough. Simply put, RCB need to find a way for Kohli to become the run-machine that he is for India. If Virat plays well, RCB will too.

On the radar

Chris Lynn

The bidding war for Maxwell is one of the most fascinating sights at an IPL auction. His numbers in the IPL are middling at best, disappointing if you consider his stature and ability, but still, year after year, many franchises have spent good money on him just in the hope to see his true self.
Maxwell is returning from a voluntary break from cricket and will be raring to get back to the sport he has often lit up. He is in good form too. The last time he batted in a T20, against Sri Lanka at Adelaide this October, he scored 62 off 28 balls. A veteran of 251 T20s, his ability to change the course of the game in the blink of an eye will not be lost on a team that is desperately looking for match-winners. He is an ODI World Cup winner for Australia, and RCB could use his leadership in a team that has often looked bereft of ideas. This auction, Maxwell’s IPL record and potential price might not align, but he could just be a risk worth taking.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

The latest pearl from the grounds of Mumbai is a 17 year-old left-hander who already has a domestic double century. In this October's Vijay Hazare Trophy, Jaiswal opened the batting for Mumbai and scored hundreds against Kerala and Goa within a week, before rounding off his golden run with a 203 against Jharkand. In only the six matches that he played in the tournament, Jaiswal hit 25 sixes, the second highest in the entire tournament.
Jaiswal is a certainty to open the batting for India at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa next year, and between him and Padikkal, RCB could land themselves a really young and dynamic Indian opening partnership, which will also free up overseas slots for other areas.

Adam Milne

Keeping with this pattern of left-field choices, Milne is likely to fly under the radar for most IPL franchises. He hasn’t played international or first class cricket in a year, through injuries, but his spell with Kent and performances in this year’s Vitality Blast will encourage Hesson, who has previously worked with him for New Zealand. Milne is an proven T20 bowler with a career average of only 22.32 and economy of 7.65 runs an over across 96 matches.
Death bowling at Chinnaswamy can be a challenge, and with the releases of Steyn and Southee, RCB will desperately be looking at overseas options. Milne will likely not cost RCB much, and if they can land him, he will allow them to rotate between Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, and Mohammed Siraj.
Given a strong, well-rounded team that is built to excel in different conditions, there is no reason why a lineup with Virat, AB, Moeen and Yuzvendra Chahal should not succeed, but then, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be familiar with a question like this. It is about time they break the pattern and bring success to the Chinnaswamy, much like the Karnataka cricket team have done this year.

With just one day to go for the announcing the list of retained/released players list, whom do you want to see in the list of released players?
My Prediction:

1. Ricky Bhui
2. Yusuf Pathan
3. Deepak Hooda
4. Siddarth Kaul
5. Martin Guptill

Target List at Auctions:

1. Domestic Opener (Jay Bista, Devudutt Palikal - if released by RCB, Abhimanyu Eswaran)
2. Domestic bowling allrounder (likes of Sharukh Khan - TNPL star)
3. International Middle/lower-order batting allrounder (Glenn Maxwell, Jimmy Neesham)
4. Domestic Leg Spinner (Satyajeet Bachhav)

My Ideal starting XI for IPL 2020

1. Warner
2. Jay Bista
3. Manish Pandey
4. Vijay Shankar
5. J Bairstow
6. Glen Maxwell
7. Abhishek Sharma/Sharukh Khan
8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
9. Rashid Khan
10. Khaleel Ahmed
11. Sandeep Sharma

Intentionally dropped J Bairstow from opening to strengthen middle-order.