We've almost arrived towards the fag end of the league stages of the 15th edition of IPL. So far, there have been some amazing and entertaining games. This one might probably decide the fate of one team. It's going to be a tight battle between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
GT has been good so far in the ongoing season. They have a balanced line-up. Their current form has been good as they're on a winning streak. RCB on the other hand has been inconsistent throughout the season. Their previous loss against PBKS has pushed them to a must win situation against the table toppers.
Team News:
Gujarat Titans:
They're looking like a well oiled unit. Their opening pair of Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill has been amongst runs. Though Saha hasn't played the entire season, he has performed well so far. Their middle order is very good as well. The likes of Sai Sudarshan, Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan form a good middle order. Even Alzarri Joseph can bat a bit lower down the order.
Their bowling has been really good as well. Mohammed Shami has been at his best and is among the wickets. Lockie Ferguson has been good too. The return of Rashid Khan has been a big plus for the team. Yash Dayal has been impressive so far. Hardik bowling some overs has been a big positive for them. The addition of R Sai Kishore has been good as well.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
They've been inconsistent so far in the season. Their opening pair can't be trusted every time. The addition of Rajat Patidar and Mahipal Lomror has strengthened the middle order. Glenn Maxwell returning back to form has been a big plus for them. Shahbaz Ahmed has tapered off a bit, but Dinesh Karthik is finishing the job for the team with perfection.
Their bowling has been good overall. Josh Hazlewood is a complete bowler. Harshal Patel does his job in middle and death overs. Wanindu Hasaranga has been a tremendous performer so far. But their retained pacer Mohammad Siraj has let the team down.
They've got the part time bowlers like Shahbaz Ahmed, Glenn Maxwell, and Mahipal Lomror, who can bowl some overs and then up the game. But inconsistency is the problem of the team. They face a stiff challenge from GT in their last league match. It'd be interesting to see whether RCB can give their best against the table toppers.
Probable Playing XIs:
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudarshan, Hardik Pandya (C), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Alazarri Joseph, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf Du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammad Siraj, Josh Hazlewood
Key Stats:
- Harshal Patel is just 4 wickets away from completing 100 wickets in IPL.
- Mohammed Shami is just 3 wickets away from completing 100 wickets in IPL.
- Royal Challengers Bangalore are yet to win a game in the ongoing season by chasing a total of over 155 runs.
- In their previous encounter, Gujarat Titans had beaten Royal Challengers Bangalore comprehensively by 6 wickets.
Pitch and conditions:
The battle of 'Royal vs Titan' will take place at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. It has short boundaries all over. The pitch is very good to bat on, but also has assistance for the pacers early on and for the spinners in the middle overs. It's been two paced so far in the season and the audience can expect a competitive game.
When, where and how to watch?
The match between GT and RCB will start at 7:30pm IST on 19th May 2022. It'll take place in Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. With the match happening on Thursday, there might be a decent crowd for the available occupancy.
The TV airing of the match will be available on the Star Sports network. The live streaming of the match will be available in the Disney plus hotstar app for the mobile and laptop users.
Dream11 team:
