Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face Kings XI Punjab in the match 42 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The game is another do-or-die clash for the home side who are placed on the bottom of the league table with six points after 10 matches. Therefore, Virat Kohli-led unit will have to win all of their remaining matches to have any chance of making it to the next stage. In the previous meeting between both teams earlier in the competition, it was the RCB who came out on top with an eight-wicket margin.
Bangalore will come in the match high on confidence after registering a nail-biting one-run win in their previous match against Chennai Super Kings. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of captain Kohli, veteran right-hander AB de Villiers, England's Moeen Ali and Australia's Marcus Stoinis to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the pace trio of South Africa's Dale Steyn, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and spin duo of Pawan Negi and Yuzvendra Chahal to produce timely breakthroughs.
On other hand, the match will be an important one for the visitors as well as they are in a tricky situation after having 10 points in 10 matches. Therefore, a win will help improving Ravichandran Ashwin-led team's chances of making it to the next stage. In the previous match, Punjab suffered a five-wicket defeat against Delhi
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face Kings XI Punjab in the match 42 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The game is another do-or-die clash for the home side who are placed on the bottom of the league table with six points after 10 matches. Therefore, Virat Kohli-led unit will have to win all of their remaining matches to have any chance of making it to the next stage. In the previous meeting between both teams earlier in the competition, it was the RCB who came out on top with an eight-wicket margin.
Bangalore will come in the match high on confidence after registering a nail-biting one-run win in their previous match against Chennai Super Kings. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of captain Kohli, veteran right-hander AB de Villiers, England's Moeen Ali and Australia's Marcus Stoinis to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the pace trio of South Africa's Dale Steyn, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and spin duo of Pawan Negi and Yuzvendra Chahal to produce timely breakthroughs.
On other hand, the match will be an important one for the visitors as well as they are in a tricky situation after having 10 points in 10 matches. Therefore, a win will help improving Ravichandran Ashwin-led team's chances of making it to the next stage. In the previous match, Punjab suffered a five-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Lokesh Rahul, veteran West Indies opener Chris Gayle, South Africa's David Miller, young Mayank Agarwal and Mandeep Singh to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacers Sam Curran, Mohammed Shami and captain Ashwin to provide timely breakthroughs.
Pitch Conditions: The pitch at the venue is a batting paradise in general, but in the previous match RCB defended a modest total of 161 where pacers had a lot of impact.
Player Recommendations:
Virat Kohli (Batsman)
First in the list of key players features RCB's Virat Kohli. The right-hander is having an excellent tournament with the bat in hand for the franchise where he is the leading run-getter with 387 runs in 10 innings at an average of 38.70, which included two half-centuries and one hundred.
Lokesh Rahul (Wicketkeeper)
Second in the list of key players features Kings Xi Punjab's Lokesh Rahul. The wicketkeeper-batsman is having an excellent time in this year's IPL where he is the second-leading run-scorer for the franchise with 399 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57 and with a strike-rate of 127.88, which included one century and four fifties.
Moeen Ali (All-rounder)
Third in the list of key players features RCB's Moeen Ali. The England international is having a good time in this year's IPL where he has scored 216 runs with the bat in hand in nine innings at an average of 30.85 and strike-rate of 168.75. That's not it as with the ball in hand, Ali has claimed five wickets with an impressive economy-rate of just 6.68.
Dale Steyn (Bowler)
Last in the list of key players features RCB's Dale Steyn. The veteran pacer is having a great time since joining the franchise where he has claimed four wickets in just two matches at an impressive strike-rate of just 12.
Pick for uncapped player: Sarfraz Khan
Predicted Playing XI:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Parthiv Patel (wicketkeeper), Virat Kohli (captain), AB de Villiers, Moeen Ali, Marcus Stoinis, Akshdeep Nath, Pawan Negi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Dale Steyn, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj
Kings XI Punjab: Lokesh Rahul (wicketkeeper), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, David Miller, Sam Curran, Hardus Viljoen, Ravichandran Ashwin (captain), Mohammed Shami, M Ashwin
