RR vs RCB, IPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bengaluru are in desperate need of a win to get their campaign back on track, as they face the high-flying Royals
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) visit Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a crucial match at the 2024 Indian Premier League on Saturday, as the former aim to bring their campaign back on track after two straight losses. RCB have conceded defeats to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their past two games; their only win in the season so far came against Punjab Kings (PBKS),
Rajasthan Royals’ captain Sanju Samson and teammate Ravichandran Ashwin during the IPL 2024 (ANI)
While RCB sit at the eighth spot, emblematic of their struggles, RR’s unbeaten three-match run has propelled them to the second position, albeit masking their underlying issues. The common thread binding both teams is their underperforming top-order batting lineups.
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RCB boasts a formidable top-order comprising the likes of Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, and Rajat Patidar, all bursting with talent and explosive potential. However, barring star batter Virat Kohli, who currently holds the Orange Cap with 203 runs, none of them have managed to make significant contributions. Patidar showed glimpses of promise in the previous match but needs to shoulder more responsibility in bolstering the middle-order.
Similarly, Rajasthan Royals’ top-order, spearheaded by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler, has failed to fire consistently, leaving the onus on captain Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag to carry the batting load.
In terms of bowling, RR hold an advantage with pacers Trent Boult and Nandre Burger, along with leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, finding their rhythm early in the tournament. On the other hand, RCB’s bowling unit has struggled to make an impact, with experienced pacers leaking runs and failing to provide breakthroughs.
While left-arm pacer Yash Dayal and off-spinner Glenn Maxwell have managed to pick up wickets, their contributions have been insufficient to turn the tide in RCB’s favour.
As the two teams prepare to face off, RCB will be eager to capitalize on the familiar conditions at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, reminiscent of their home ground, the Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, they’ll need to address their bowling woes and find ways to exploit the vulnerabilities in Rajasthan’s batting lineup.
In contrast, Rajasthan will look to maintain their winning momentum and iron out the inconsistencies in their batting order, banking on their formidable bowling attack to maintain the upper hand against the struggling RCB batsmen.
Likely XIs
RR likely XI vs RCB if batting first Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c/wk), Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Dubey, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Nandre Burger
RR likely XI vs RCB if bowling first Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c/wk), Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Nandre Burger, Avesh Khan
RCB likely XI vs RR if batting first Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat (wk), Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj
RCB likely XI vs RR if bowling first Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat (wk), Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj, Mayank Dagar
