India’s star athletes, Virat Kohli and Sunil Chhetri, are set to play in close proximity on Wednesday evening. As a result, the traffic police in Bengaluru are putting in extra effort to ensure smooth traffic flow.
At the Chinnaswamy, RCB and GT were each lining up for batting practice in their designated halves. The middle of the field was closed off for the diligent curator, who appeared to have put in extra hours as well.
The WPL concluded three weeks ago and since then, the heat and dry weather have caused the pitches in this location to appear visibly browner than usual. If this trend continues, RCB will not be bothered by it. They return home after securing back-to-back victories at the start of the season, a feat that has only been achieved twice before in 2014 and 2021. As they played, doubts were raised about the perceived lack of “home advantage” in Kolkata and Chennai.
Related Post
During any other season, the absence of home advantage may have been a significant factor for RCB. However, this time around will be a different story. In fact, it was at the Chinnaswamy stadium where RCB secured an extraordinary path to the playoffs last year by consecutively winning three out of their last six home games.
RCB is convinced that they have formed a team capable of overcoming the challenges posed by these difficult pitches. With a strong pace attack, a reliable spinner, and a batting line-up that goes deep, it is now their responsibility to demonstrate the validity of home advantage.
Surrounded by the overwhelming cheers for RCB, GT faces the task of exploring various options. Could Jos Buttler potentially partner with Shubman Gill at the top to inject some more vigor into their powerplay? Furthermore, there seems to be a feeling that their middle order lacks some experience, with Shahrukh Khan and Sherfane Rutherford possibly being better suited for numbers 4 and 5 in the batting lineup.
The absence of David Miller and Rahul Tewatia’s decline in hitting form may lead to added pressure on the top order. However, the team can rely on their strong bowling unit. Karnataka player Prasidh Krishna and returning Mohammed Siraj have experience at this venue, while the ever-reliable Rashid Khan is known for his consistent performances regardless of pitch conditions.
Allegiances
Miyaan, also known as DSP by RCB fans, has joined GT. He was the top wicket-taker for RCB in IPL 2024. Anuj Rawat, Sherfane Rutherford and Mahipal Lomror have all been part of RCB in the past. This will be their first encounter with their former team after leaving.
Updates on team information and potential starting lineup.
RCB may need to consider if Suyash Sharma is a good fit as their Impact Sub. There could be a decision to make between him and Rasikh Dar, who has shown improvement in death-bowling abilities.
The expected lineup for Royal Challengers Bengaluru includes Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar as captain, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeper, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal and either Suyash Sharma or Rasikh Dar.
GT will closely monitor the condition of Sai Sudharsan, who may have hurt his hamstring while playing against MI. If he is unable to play, Anuj Rawat could potentially be brought in.
What is the main inquiry?
After IPL 2023, the Chinnaswamy has proven to have a disappointing average and high economy rate for legspinners. Considering this, RCB may be questioning whether they should take a chance on Suyash Sharma or rely on Liam Livingstone and Krunal Pandya instead. This could potentially open up the opportunity to bring in either Swapnil Singh or Rasikh Dar as the Impact Sub.
Devdutt Padikkal has faced challenges with finding his stride and consistency while playing for teams such as Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals. However, he now brings a renewed drive for powerful hits as he returns to RCB. This was evident in his recent performance against Chennai Super Kings, where he confidently took on the spinners and scored 27 runs off just 14 balls. In fact, Padikkal has been designated to fill the same role as Shivam Dube does for CSK. It remains to be seen if he can maintain this level of output consistently.
Shubman Gill has shown a promising start to this season, currently striking at 173.17 after two games. Although he struggled in powerplay situations and away games last year, averaging only 20.75 with a strike rate of 115.28, these challenges will not hold him back as he returns to a high-scoring venue where he previously scored a remarkable 52-ball 104 in 2023.
The pitch and overall conditions must be taken into consideration.
In the last couple of days, there has been minimal dew affecting the teams. According to Mo Bobat, RCB’s director, the pitch is likely to be a typical Bengaluru one with high scoring potential. Interestingly, during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 knockout matches held in December, none of the seven games saw a score of over 200. Similarly, in the seven WPL matches played here, spinners had an advantage due to some roughness on the surface.
Vital figures
RCB have a 50% success rate on their home turf in the IPL since 2023, ranking them sixth among all teams. CSK and MI hold the top positions with win rates of 64.70 and 60, respectively.
Gill’s strike rate of 131.08 was the lowest among the 15 batters who scored 175 or more runs in the powerplays during IPL 2024. In the current year, he is maintaining a strike rate of 203.12 in this phase after just two games.
Due to Tewatia’s impressive skillset, he has been receiving fewer balls than expected. In 2022, his average number of deliveries per inning was 12.3. This decreased to 5.7 in 2023, but rose to 14.3 in 2024. Considering Miller’s absence from the team, is there an argument for Tewatia to be given a higher batting position?
The three upcoming games.
RCB has a schedule of no more than two consecutive home games in the first half. Following Wednesday’s match, they will face Mumbai Indians on April 7 at an away venue, and then return to their home ground to take on Delhi Capitals on April 10.
Following their match against RCB, GT will then travel to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 6, before heading back to play at home against Rajasthan Royals on April 9.
