We're almost through the first half of the 15th edition of IPL. So far, there have been some amazing and entertaining games. This one promises to be something similar. It's going to be a tight battle between 'Royal' Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan 'Royals'.
RCB have been good so far in the ongoing season. But their recent loss against SRH was terrible. They were dismissed for just 68 runs. They would want to forget their performance and look forward. RR on the other hand, are full of confidence, thanks to their two 'cap holders' and the support to them from the other players.
Team News:
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
The drawbacks are clearly visible. Their top order isn't just good enough. Anuj Rawat has been highly disappointing barring his performance against Mumbai Indians. Virat Kohli is in the worst form of his life. He has been dismissed for back to back golden ducks for the first time in his IPL career.
Though Faf has performed only in two games, he's still doing fine and one could expect a big performance from him against RR. The middle order of RCB has been really good. The likes of Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suyash Prabhudesai and Dinesh Karthik have become the vital part of their batting lineup.
Their bowling is looking good as a unit. Mohammad Siraj has made a mini comeback after some early failures. Josh Hazlewood has been sensational ever since he joined RCB. Harshal Patel hasn't done much wrong. Wanindu Hasaranga gives them important breakthroughs in the middle overs, though he's expensive. Then they've so many options to choose for the completion of fifth bowling option. Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed and Suyash Prabhudesai can all bowl some overs.
Rajasthan Royals:
So far, their two 'cap holders' have carried them well. Jos Buttler has been in the form of his life. He's scoring runs for fun at an incredibly consistent rate and a very good strike rate. He's challenging some of the records in a single season of IPL. Yuzvendra Chahal too, has been phenomenal. He just keeps performing day in and day out.
To aid them is a well supportive unit. In terms of batting, Buttler has got the big support of Shimron Hetmyer. The likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Sanju Samson have chipped in with useful contributions. With the ball, Ravichandran Ashwin has been economical. Prasidh is evolving well as a death bowler. As a unit, their bowling is looking good.
But they haven't been challenged well enough so far. There might arrive some instances where someone else other than Buttler and Chahal might've to step up. RR faltered when one such case appeared against Gujarat Titans. So they have to address such cases, if arrived.
Playing XIs:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf Du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Mahipal Lomror/Rajat Patidhar, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudesai, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammad Siraj, Josh Hazlewood
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Karun Nair, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Obed McCoy, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna
Key Stats:
- Jos Buttler is just one century away from equalling the record of most IPL hundreds in a single season.
- Ravichandran Ashwin is just 1 wicket away from becoming the eighth bowler to claim 150 IPL wickets.
- Rajasthan Royals are the only team to win all their matches in the ongoing season by batting first.
- Both the teams have faced each other for 25 times in IPL. RCB have won 13 of them, while RR have managed to win 10 of them. The other two matches ended with no result.
Pitch and conditions:
The battle of 'Royals' will take place in MCA stadium, Pune. 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 RCB and RR will start at 7:30pm IST on 26th April 2022. It will take place in MCA stadium, Pune. With the match happening on Tuesday, there might be 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.
Dream 11 Team:
