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Preview: M50 - RCB vs KXIP
18 May, 2016
Preview: M50 - RCB vs KXIP
18 May, 2016
What
Match 50 of VIVO IPL 2016 is yet another win-to-stay-alive contest for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who will be pitted against Kings XI Punjab.
RCB are one of six teams in the race to qualify for the Playoffs; they have 12 points from as many matches and need this win to stay in the hunt for a top four finish. The team didn’t have the best of starts to the season; they won only two of their first seven matches. But they’ve turned up the heat with some stunning performances in the second half and are now a force to reckon with. In their last two matches, they’ve annihilated the Gujarat Lions – defeating them by a record 144 runs, before chasing down 184 against Kolkata Knight Riders in grand style.
Kings XI Punjab cannot make it to the Playoffs; they have 4 wins from 12 matches. They too have competed well in the second half of the league stage, but have just not been able to pull the lid on their opponents on occasions. Among their most-recent matches, they’ve lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by 9 runs, lost to RCB by 1 run and most-recently lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last over. KXIP have an opportunity to settle scores with RCB for that agonising defeat at Mohali. Can Murali Vijay and company go just that little further on Wednesday?
When
18 May 2016, 2000 Hrs IST
Where
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Weather
Temperature: Max 25°c, Min 24°c
Humidity: Max 91%
Wind: 13kmph
The Protagonists
Royal Challengers Bangalore perhaps have the best top four in the competition – Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Shane Watson. Virat and de Villiers have been nothing short of sensational; captain Kohli has already amassed an all-time season high of 752 runs, while de Villiers has played the knockout innings, scoring 597 runs at a strike-rate of 173.54. Gayle has joined the party too; after his 31-ball 49, the Jamaican sent a message out to RCB fans in Bengaluru, asking them to be prepared to be cheer and celebrate [LINK http://www.iplt20.com/news/2016/features/7811/beware-the-universe-boss-is-here].
Since taking over captaincy, Murali Vijay has added a leaf of consistency to his batting; he has scored three half-centuries in six innings as captain. Hashim Amla’s presence at the top lends calm and solidity to the batting order; the South African will need to take more responsibility now – with the team missing out on the services of Glenn Maxwell. On the bowling front, the two Sharmas – Mohit and Sandeep – will have added responsibility in the absence of Marcus Stoinis, who is reportedly injured and unavailable.
Head to Head
Kings XI Punjab have a 10-7 win-loss record in IPL matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In matches played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium too, KXIP have a 4-3 record against their hosts RCB.
In the last three meetings between the two teams though, the home team has managed to protect its territory; KXIP won their home matches in 2015 and earlier this season, while RCB won their home match by a whopping 138 runs in 2015.
Trivia
RCB’s batting stats in a line: they’ve scored the most runs (2197), have the highest scoring rate (9.54), have the highest boundary percentage (59.86%), have hit the most sixes (104) and most fours (184), their batsmen have posted the most 50-plus scores (18) – yet have lost the fewest wickets (51) among all teams.
The average first innings total in VIVO IPL 2016 matches in Bengaluru is 199. We’ve had first innings totals of 227-4, 191-5, 185-7, 191-6, 151-6 and 248-3 in the six matches so far.
What Next
Royal Challengers Bangalore will feature next in the final league fixture of the season when they take on the Delhi Daredevils at Naya Raipur on May 22. Kings XI Punjab meanwhile play their last outing of the season against Rising Pune Supergiants at Visakhapatnam on May 21.
