RCB vs RR: Preview, head-to-head, pitch report and Dream11
What's the story
The match number 49 of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League would see Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Rajasthan Royals. The match will be held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday. Both would look to seal a big victory tomorrow to have an outside chance to qualify for the play-offs. Here we present the match preview for this tie.
Latest story
Bangalore endure a heartbreak, Rajasthan overcome Hyderabad
On Sunday, RCB fans endured a heartbreak, as their team lost by 16 runs against Delhi Capitals. An ordinary performance by Kohli and his boys helped DC reach the play-offs. On the other hand, Rajasthan put up a strong fight and ensured that they overcame Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets. Rajasthan have won the last two matches and would look to continue their streak.
Team news
Kohli, AB de Villiers and Sanju Samson in focus
Kohli and AB de Villiers would undoubtedly hog the limelight. Parthiv Patel has been in good touch as well. Like last match, he would hope to give RCB a brisk start. For Rajasthan, Sanju Samson played a mature innings of 48* in the last match, while skipper Steve Smith is expected to play bold. IPL12 centurion Ajinkya Rahane can anchor the innings as well.
Head-to-head
Rajasthan have a slender edge over Bangalore
The head-to-head encounters between the sides have been intense. In 20 IPL matches, Bangalore have won eight, while Rajasthan have won 10. Out of 17 matches in India, Bangalore have won seven, while Rajasthan have pocketed eight. In Bengaluru, there have been eight matches between them, with the hosts winning two, whereas, Rajasthan have emerged victorious four times. The previous tie saw Rajasthan triumph.
Pitch report
A run feast awaits at Chinnaswamy
The Bengaluru track has traditionally favored the batsmen. It has been no different this season, as on average, runs between 170-180 have been scored on this pitch. Moreover, the side batting first has won three of the five matches played here this season. Thus, the team winning the toss would want to bat first.
Predicted XI
Here's the predicted XI
RCB: Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli (captain), AB de Villiers, Marcus Stoinis, Heinrich Klaasen, Shivam Dube, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal. RR: Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith (captain), Riyan Parag, Ashton Turner, Liam Livingstone, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Varun Aaron, Oshane Thomas. Dream XI: Parthiv, Rahane, Livingstone, AB, Kohli, Parag, Stoinis, Sundar, Unadkat, Thomas, Chahal.
Match details
When, where and how to watch
Match: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR). Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Time: 8 PM (IST). Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1, 2, Select 1 and other regional channels of Star Sports. Where to watch (Online): Hotstar.