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Preview: M19 - GL vs RCB
24 Apr, 2016
Preview: M19 - GL vs RCB
23 Apr, 2016
What
Match 19 of VIVO IPL 2016 will see the Gujarat Lions take on Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Unbeaten in their first three matches, the Gujarat Lions were stopped in their tracks in their previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. It was the first time the team was batting first in the competition, and after losing their man-in-form Aaron Finch without a run on the board, the Lions never recovered. Several batsmen attempted to hit the ball out of the ground and were caught on the boundary. The one player who did very well was their captain Suresh Raina, who timed the ball well and played some eye-catching drives in his 75.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have two wins from their four outings. In their most recent outing on Friday, RCB staved off a late surge from Rising Pune Supergiants to win by 13 runs. The bowling continues to be a worry for the team, who have so far conceded totals of 182, 192, 171 and 172 to their opponents.
When
24 April 2016, 1600 Hrs IST
Where
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
Weather
Temperature: Max 39°c, Min 36°c
Humidity: Max 31%
Wind: 15kmph
The Protagonists
In their three wins this season, Aaron Finch’s scores read 74, 50 and 67*, and the Australian took home the Man of the Match awards on all three occasions. Brendon McCullum has had a very quiet tournament so far and he will be keen to make a contribution to the team. The captain Raina must be feeling good too after his half-century in the previous match. With the match beginning at 4pm on what is expected to be a warm afternoon, it is expected that the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Pravin Tambe will have a huge role to play.
RCB have the two best batsmen in the world at the moment batting for them; Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have not only contributed as individuals, but as a pair have given the opposition plenty of trouble, stitching together partnerships of 157, 107, 59 and 155 in the four matches.
Trivia
Royal Challengers Bangalore are the only team with an overall scoring rate of more than nine runs per over in VIVO IPL 2016; Virat Kohli’s team have scored at the rate of 9.67 in their four matches.
Virat Kohli has not won a single toss so far in VIVO IPL 2016, and RCB have been asked to bat in each one of those matches.
In their four matches so far this season, the Lions have had opening partnerships of 1, 85, 12 and 0.
What Next
The Gujarat Lions, after playing back-to-back home matches, head out to the National Capital Delhi to take on the Delhi Daredevils on April 27. Virat Kohli and co., who would have played three matches in the span of five days, will enjoy a five day breather before their return fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 30.
