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Preview: M16 - RPS vs RCB
22 Apr, 2016
Preview: M16 - RPS vs RCB
22 Apr, 2016
What
Rising Pune Supergiants, one of the two new teams to compete in VIVO IPL 2016, will play their first-ever home match when they play host to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The campaigns of both the teams have been somewhat similar, and it is therefore not surprising that they occupy places in the lower half of the standings. The MS Dhoni-led Rising Pune Supergiants began their IPL campaign with a win over the defending champions Mumbai Indians, but have since then dropped games against the Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab. In both the matches they lost, RPS had a sufficient number of runs on the board, but yet the opposition notched up convincing wins.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are possibly yet to figure out their preferred starting XI; this can be established from the fact that the team made half a dozen changes in their previous match. The team is deprived of atleast three of their first-choice players – Chris Gayle has returned home for the birth of his child, while Mitchell Starc and Samuel Badree are out injured. Despite the absence of Gayle, RCB have a formidable batting line-up; their top order is capable of causing plenty of damage, and in the middle they have the exuberant Sarfaraz Khan, who seems to be relishing the role of finisher and getting adventurous by the day. The worry though for RCB has been their bowling attack, which has been the most ineffective among all teams – leaking runs at the rate of 9.53.
When
22 April 2016, 2000 Hrs IST
Where
MCA International Stadium, Pune
Weather
Temperature: Max 29°c, Min 23°c
Humidity: Max 57%
Wind: 11kmph
The Protagonists
One has got to expect one of Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane or Kevin Pietersen to play the big innings given they bat in the top three. du Plessis is the man in form, having notched up two half-centuries in three innings, and the expectations will be that he keep accumulating runs.
There is a case for MS Dhoni, who applied the finishing touches nicely in the match against the Gujarat Lions, to move up the order to number four. On the bowling front, Murugan Ashwin is the team’s top wicket-taker; however, for RPS to succeed, they need the other Ashwin in their ranks – the off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin – to start taking wickets too so the team can exert pressure from both ends.
Where RCB are concerned, look no further than the captain Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, who have been involved in partnerships of 157, 107 and 59 in the three matches. Together, they have together contributed to the extent of 63.1% of the runs scored by the RCB batsmen. Given how brittle their bowling attack has appeared, RCB will need a few more runs than the par score at the venue, and this is where the likes of Shane Watson and Sarfaraz Khan will be expected to come into the equation.
Trivia
RCB are the only team to concede runs at more than nine runs per over; their overall economy rate in VIVO IPL 2016 is 9.53. They are also the team that concedes the highest percentage of runs through boundaries; so far in the competition, 62.02% of the runs scored against them have been in the form of boundaries.
Ravichandran Ashwin is yet to dismiss Virat Kohli in the IPL. The RCB captain has so far scored 115 runs off 83 runs against his India teammate.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have so far played 3 matches at the MCA International Stadium in Pune and have been victorious in each one of them.
Teams winning the toss have opted to bat first in 17 of the 21 IPL matches played in Pune so far.
What Next
Both teams will be seen in action next on April 24. MS Dhoni and team will stay put at home and host the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Royal Challengers Bangalore will head to Rajkot to take on Gujarat Lions.
