Preview: M11 - RCB vs RR
What
Match 11 of VIVO IPL 2018 will be a battle of the Royals.
Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the Rajasthan Royals, both teams fresh from a win in their most-recent matches.
RCB will be bustling after they opened their account in their match against Kings XI Punjab on Friday night. After their bowlers dismissed the visitors for 155, there was a bit of drama in RCB’s run-chase; but AB de Villiers’s experience and ability to swing matches in an instant ensured they got over their line and got their first points on the board. The RCB management will be worried about the form of Chris Woakes; the Englishman has picked up 5 wickets, but it is the 72 runs he has conceded in 7.5 overs that is cause for worry. After the win against KXIP, captain Virat Kohli also admitted that his team needed to string together partnerships in the middle overs and not lose wickets in a cluster. Sarfaraz Khan has had two poor outings and he will be under pressure – particularly given the variety of quality middle-order options RCB have; it is expected that the team will continue with the young lad, at least for now.
Rajasthan Royals lost their opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but came back strongly in the rain-affected contest against the Delhi Daredevils. Playing their first match at Jaipur in nearly five years, RR recovered from a poor start to post a reasonable total when their innings was prematurely terminated. Their bowlers did just enough to deny the Daredevils in the shortened run chase. Their three big buys in the IPL Player Auction 2018 – Ben Stokes, Jaydev Unadkat and D’Arcy Short – are yet to make a significant contribution; the RR management will be hoping they can come good in this match. The exciting all-rounder Jofra Archer has arrived and is available for selection; it will be interesting to see if the 23-year old is given a go at the expense of Ben Laughlin.
When
15 April 2018, 1600Hrs (IST)
Where
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Impact Batsmen
As has been the case for a few years now, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers will be at the centre of RCB’s batting plans. The RCB skipper has had two starts this but has failed to convert it to a big score; he will be itching to get a big one in this one, the added motivation being the opportunity to set right his poor record against the Rajasthan Royals. De Villiers scored a match-winning half-century in the previous match and he will be keen to continue where he left off in the last match. Quinton de Kock’s 45 against SRH got overshadowed by de Villiers’ late innings blitz, but the left-hander showcased good temperament and timed the ball well while at the crease.
D’Arcy Short has not had the opportunity to showcase what he is capable of; the left-hander has been run out in both his innings so far and will be keen to get cracking on a fantastic batting surface in Bengaluru. Ben Stokes has had two quiet outings too, while Jos Buttler made a quickfire 29 against DD. RR will expect the three overseas batsmen to contribute in excess of 100 runs.
Impact Bowlers
Umesh Yadav, who struck thrice in an over in the previous match, has bowled with plenty of fire. He appears to be pumped up, has run in hard and has bowled quick in the two matches so far; the pacer from Vidarbha is enjoying his bowling and hence the results – 5 wickets in two matches. The Rajasthan Royals will hope Jaydev Unadkat will be able to have a bigger impact than he has had so far in the competition; the left-arm pacer has picked up only 2 wickets, conceding 52 runs in his five overs.
RR will also bank on their local players to give a good account of themselves; the leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal and the off-spinner K Gowtham have played plenty of cricket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium – their home ground in domestic cricket.
Team Head to Head
Overall: Matches – 16, Royal Challengers Bangalore won – 8, Rajasthan Royals won – 7, No Result – 1
At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium: Matches – 6, Royal Challengers Bangalore won – 2, Rajasthan Royals won – 3, No Result – 1
Trivia
Rajasthan Royals’ D’Arcy Short has been run out twice in two matches this season.
Ben Stokes has dismissed Virat Kohli on 5 occasions so far in his career – including once in IPL 2017.
While AB de Villiers averages 48.50 against the Rajasthan Royals, Virat Kohli averages 19.85 – his lowest against any of the IPL teams.
What Next
Royal Challengers Bangalore will play their third match in five days when they visit the Mumbai Indians on April 17. Rajasthan Royals’ next will be their home fixture against the Kolkata Knight Riders, scheduled to be played on April 18.