*RR VS RCB PREVIEW- MATCH 60:*
*THE BUILD UP:*
We are reaching dangerous territory now with a win that will keep the sides in good stead and alive till the playoffs whereas a slip up, and that too, by a fair margin, should dent not just their confidence but also their morale as a playing group. Keeping this in mind, today’s day encounter is no different with both RR and RCB searching for wins so that they can strengthen their chances to make it into the Top4.
RCB were high on confidence and were particularly admirative of their bowling when they managed to defend a partly total of 126 but two successive defeats having failed to defend 186 and 200 against DC and MI respectively, have put them under some pressure. They will hope their big guns with the bowl step up and rise to the occasion, providing them breakthroughs at regular intervals. Siraj, Hasaranga and Harshal will have a very specific role to play in this.
RR, on the other hand, have reignited their campaign now. Three defeats in a row seemed to have taken the juice out of what had started as a perfect season for Rajasthan. Two of those losses came in an unsuccessful defense of 212 and 214, with the match being dragged till the final over sandwiched between a batting collapse of 118 - before Yashasvi Jaiswal and Yuzvendra Chahal brought Royals back on track and kicking to make it to the playoffs.
*RCB PROBABLE XI:*
Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Suyash Prabhudesai, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik, Shahbaz Ahmed/Kedar Jadhav, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Avinash Singh/Vyshak Vijaykumar, Josh Hazlewood
RCB have a lovely opportunity to introduce the Kashmiri, Avinash Singh. Vyshak in his limited outings hasn’t produced consistent results and this could well be the perfect time to try out Avinash. Who knows with his pace he could rattle out a few RR batters today?
Virat Kohli Will have to be vary of what Sandeep brings to the table. The RR pacer has had the edge over the batting maestro and today gives him another opportunity to play his trump card. Kohli got out to Trent Boult, the first ball of the game last time, can it be a repeat?
*IMPACT PLAYER STRATEGY:*
Mohammad Siraj will come in as the impact substitute in this case scenario with Prabhudesai playing a similar role if RCB bat second.
*RR PROBABLE XI:*
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (C, wk), Joe Root, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal
All eyes will be on Jaiswal once again because of his straggering run of form. His hundred coupled with his Aggresive 98* was enough to catch the limelight. Now all boils down to how he will fare against a bowling lineup that does much better in a day game compared to night games?
Jos Buttler needs 8 runs to break into the 400-run club this year. He's also just one away from 150 career sixes in the tournament. He has an opportunity today with RCB bowling under the pump and feeling the pressure.
*IMPACT PLAYER STRATEGY:*
Devdutt Padikkal could play this role when RR bat second but if they bat first, expect KM Asif to be the impact substitute.
*MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE GAME:*
*FOR RCB:*
Highest run getter- Faf Duplisses/Glenn Maxwell
Highest wicket taker- Wanindu Hasaranga/Mohammad Siraj
*FOR RR:*
Highest run getter- Yashasvi Jaiswal/Sanju Samson
Highest wicket taker- Trent Boult/Yuzi Chahal
*FOR THIS GAME:*
RCB to win this game