Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru, looking to find form at home, will be desperate for a win against Rajasthan Royals on Thursday. RCB have been the team to lose at home this season after losing three consecutive matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Despite their reputation as an invincible team away from home, the home defeats have left the team reeling. RCB batsmen and bowlers have struggled to perform to their potential while playing at Chinnaswamy. Thus, Thursday's match against Royals has created intense curiosity among RCB fans.
In the three matches played at home in the current season, Rajat Patidar's team has scored 169 for 8, 163 for 7 and 95 for 9 (in 14 overs). RCB, which has been scoring 9 to 10 runs per over at other stadiums, has seen its pace drop to 7-8 runs per over at Chinnaswamy. The team's batting line-up has been strengthened by the return of opener run machine Virat Kohli. Another RCB opening batsman, Phil Salt, has failed to perform as expected, which has been a setback for the team. Similarly, the team has high hopes on Devdutt Padikkal and captain Rajat Patidar.
Struggle in the points table
RCB is currently third in the points table with 10 points. Punjab Kings and Lucknow have also earned 10 points. Mumbai Indians are also hoping to slowly climb up. Therefore, maintaining the run rate is also important for RCB. The run rate will play a crucial role in eventually entering the playoffs.
Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, are mired in a losing streak. The absence of captain Sanju Samson for the match is a setback. He also missed the previous match against Delhi Capitals due to injury. This will see Riyan Parag take over as captain of the team. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Parag, Shimron Hetmyer and Nitish Rana have been consistent performers and are supporting the team. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the youngest player in the IPL, made his debut against Delhi in the previous match. Sports fans have placed their hopes on Vaibhav, who managed to put in a remarkable performance despite the team's loss. The team, which is ranked 8th in the points table, is worried about not getting bowling. Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, and Sandeep Sharma need to provide support to the team by putting in a coordinated performance.
How is the Chinnaswamy pitch?
Chinnaswamy Stadium is a very balanced pitch. Batsmen can also benefit here. Wickets can be taken down. This IPL season, Bengaluru has been dominated by fast bowlers, taking 68% of the wickets. The winner of the toss is more likely to choose to field.
Venue: Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Match Starts At: 7.30 PM
Live Broadcast: Star Sports
RCB Probable Playing Eleven
Rajat Patidar (captain), Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Player: Devdutt Padikkal
Rajasthan Royals Probable Playing XI
Riyan Parag (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Nitish Rana, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande
Impact Player: Vaibhav Suryavanshi
