Ahmedabad: A resurgent Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who have won six games on the trot, take on an unpredictable Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator of the Indian Premier League 2024 at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Wednesday, May 22.
While Rajasthan Royals came into the Play off after their final game in Guwahati against Kolkata Knight Riders was abandoned due to rain, Royal Challengers Bengaluru thrashed a formidable Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs to book the fourth spot in the playoffs.
So going into the game, the Faf Du Plessis-led side which boasts of power-hitters, may have an edge over Rajasthan Royals, who are sans Englishman Jos Buttler.
The RCB management would hope that the opening duo of Faf and star batter Virat Kohli take the opposition attack to task and fire on all cylinders. If the duo gets going, it will be extremely difficult to contain them, be it while setting a target or while chasing.
Kohli is in prime form and is the Orange Cap holder with a staggering 708 runs in 14 matches with an unbeaten 113 as his highest score. Kohli is the only player in the history of the Indian Premier League to have played for a single team and he is even more pumped up to win the title, which has eluded him since the inception of the cash-rich league.
Faf is the second-highest run scorer for RCB this season with 421 runs to his credit and he would surely like to lead from the front. For RCB, another crucial cog in the wheel is batter Rajat Patidar, who is in prime form. Patidar also has scored 361 runs and in case the opening duo fall cheaply, the onus will be on the Madhya Pradesh batter to steady the ship.
Another reason why RCB could have an edge over Rajasthan Royals is they possess an all-rounder like Glenn Maxwell, who can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition. Add to it, the experience of Dinesh Karthik, who has scored 315 runs this season and has played his role of a finisher to perfection, and RCB's batting unit looks stronger at least on paper.
Also the role of Cameron Green will be very crucial for the southern side, both with the bat and the ball. In terms of their bowling, left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, would be keen to put up another stellar show after putting up a match-winning show against the formidable CSK. But Dayal would need support from the likes of Mohammed Siraj, who has 13 wickets from 13 games. Dayal is the leading wicket-taker. The role of Kiwi quick Lockie Ferguson will also be crucial.
RCB part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell is known to have a golden arm and he would be equally keen to contribute with the ball.
Coming to Rajasthan Royals, they started their campaign on a blistering note but their morale would not be high as the side had suffered four losses in the business end of the league stage. However, the side, which boasts of several big names like Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sanju Samson, Trent Boult and Yashashvi Jaiswal, will be inching to grab their second title after winning the first and only one way back in 2008.
However, for that to happen, the onus will be on Jaiswal, the southpaw, and Sanju Samson, who have 348 and 504 runs respectively in the season so far. RR would miss the services of Jos Buttler, as he has flown back to England. And the pressure will be more on Jaiswal and Samson and Kumara Sangakkara and the entire support staff will be hoping that they fire in unison.
All eyes will also be on Riyan Parag, who has been a revelation and is the leading run-scorer for RR, this season, with 531 runs. West Indian Rovman Powell can play the role of a finisher but it is the RR top-order that would need to deliver on a crucial game.
RR will also bank on Trent Boult and Avesh Khan, who have picked 12 and 13 wickets respectively to run through the RCB line-up. An exciting contest is on the cards and the jam-packed crowd at the 'Motera' would expect a plethora of boundaries and sixes on Wednesday.
Whoever loses bows out of the cash-rich tournament, while whoever wins will wait for their opponent for the second qualifier to be held at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Match Starts at 7.30 PM.
