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Virat Kohli (Photo Credit BCCI/IPL/RCB/Twitter)
RCB fans must be delighted to see their team at the helm of the points table. It’s not something they are used to seeing, but they won’t mind. To be fair, the Virat Kohli led side has still not played their best cricket but they’ve improved with every game.
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Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers look to be in prime form. Also, the bowlers have been much, much better this season. This was one of RCB’s biggest miseries over the years but it seems that they’ve sorted it out. Mohammed Siraj has grown as a bowler while the inclusion of Kyle Jamieson has given them a genuine wicket-taking option. Yuzvendra Chahal also showed glimpses of a return to form. Harshal Patel has been magnificent as well.
Despite so many positives, RCB may be slightly worried about the form of Virat Kohli. No doubt, Maxwell and De Villiers are looking fabulous but we know that they can be inconsistent at times. Looking at RCB’s batting, they are a batsman short with Kyle Jamieson batting at 6. Any day, Maxwell and De Villiers fail, RCB can be under huge pressure and we have seen this against Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Rajasthan Royals are having a torrid tournament and their batting is a prime reason for their misery. They seem to be over-dependent on Sanju Samson. Once you get him, there is not much quality to follow. Yes, David Miller is there down the order but there is no one to support him. Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Rahul Tewatia are talented players but they’ve not converted their talent into performances and that has hurt the Royals.
Chetan Sakariya has been a real find while Morris has bowled well too. However, there is not much support on offer. Rahul Tewatia, Mustafizur Rahman and Jaydev Unadkat have been disappointing.
Pitch Report - The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The surface is giving signs of a slowdown. If that’s the case, spinners can be very handy.
Team News
Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB seems a batsman short. Also, Rajat Patidar has not lived up to the expectations. Maybe Kohli can bring Finn Allen in place of Rajast Patidar. They may also look to strengthen their batting by bringing in someone like Mohammed Azharuddeen in place of one of the all rounders.
X-Factor
AB de Villiers
The ‘Superman’ has got off to a blazing start in IPL 2021 and has played two match-winning knocks. If the top order can set a platform, De Villiers alone can make a difference of 30-40 runs in the actual target.
Probable XI
Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar/Finn Allen, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed/Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
Team News
Rajasthan Royals
After Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, the Royals were dealt with another major blow as Liam Livingstone opted-out of the IPL 2021 citing bio bubble fatigue.
X-Factor
It has to be Sanju Samson. The skipper already has a hundred to his name and has shown that he is capable of leading his team to a victory on his own.
Probable XI
Jos Buttler, Manan Vohra/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Shivam Dube, David Miller, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman
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