img source:sportswhoop.com
RCB V/S RR (15TH Match) : Pre-Match Analysis (Today’s Match Predictions )
Head-to- Head
The Indian Premier league has taken off exceptionally well and the points table has started to unfold as every team has played at least 3 matches in this edition. Now the first double-header of the IPL 2020 edition has arrived! Match number 15 of the IPL is set to take place and will see two teams battle it out against each other in the first match of a jam packed Saturdayin order to take lead in the points table and continue a good streak going forward as both teams are comfortably placed at number 4 and 5 of the points table. We are talking about The RR - Rajasthan and the RCB - Bangalore who are placed at the 4th and 5th spot, respectively with 4 points to each team. RR - Rajasthan is placed ahead of the latter because of a higher net run rate.
Now, the RCB is coming off win against the MI - Mumbai, but that can rather be called a narrow escape than a convincing win as the match ended in a super over and the RCB barely managed to cross the line after they gave away a match where they started off really well. The batting order has all its hopes on AB de Villiers as skipper Virat Kohli has looked completely out of touch in this edition. They’ll be hoping their skipper’s game improves going forward.
Another concern for the RCB will be their death over bowling which has been really bad, given their previous encounter. On the other hand, RR - Rajasthan have had a formidable start to their campaign winning two out of two before putting their guards down against a good bowling side, the KKR. The likes of Sanju Samson and Rahul Tewatia have shown some really good batting performances which is a good sign for them. The worry for them at the moment is that their two big guns Jos Butler and Steve Smith have both failed to fire at the top leaving strong dent in the batting line up. They will be hoping that their batting takes a turn for good. The bowling has looked stable with Jofra Archer firing from all ends.
Pitch Conditions
The match will be played at the Sheik Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Here, Teams batting first have an upper hand generally. The pitch will be slow, and the ball does turn here a lot, so both teams will look to earn some extra runs at the beginning.
Moreover, dew will also play an important factor so whoever wins the toss will look to bat first. The ball will spin and also help the medium pacers as it has in the past, which is good news for the RCB - Bangalore, given the fact that they have some really good spinners in their line-up.
Batting :
RR:
There are some big names in their line – up in the form of Steve Smith, Jos Butler, Robin Uthappa, David Miller, and Ben Stokes. They also have young guns like Sanju Samson and Rahul Tewatia who have played some explosive innings in this edition and have showcased some really good skills. There is a young Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting to explode but has played just the 1 match yet, so it will be really interesting to see what he is up to in their next outing. Given his skills in the Under-19 tournaments this young gun is a healthy addition to their arsenal. RR - Rajasthan have struggled to finish matches in the past so they’ll be looking for some stability in the batting department and will look to finish matches more comfortably.
RCB :
The RCB boast of some really strong batsmen including the best batsmen in the world Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in their line-up. There is Aron Finch and Moeen Ali and also a certain Josh Phillipe, if they want to go for some interesting options. Youngsters Devdutt Padikkal, Shivam Dube, Pawan Negi, Shahbaz Ahmed and Washington Sundar provide them plenty of options to choose from. Parthiv Patel has not yet seen the light of the day yet but may soon come on to the field if required. They also have some formidable all-rounders in the form of Chris Morris and Isuru Udana. The batting department looks sorted, they just need their skipper to fire and they are good to go for a strong finish in every match.
Bowling :
RR:
They have bunch of good options in their bowling line-up. Starting off with Jaydev Unadkat, Varun Aron, Jofra Archer and Oshane Thomas. Then there is Ankit Rajpoot who has been doing a decent job lately accompanied by Mayank Markande, Akash Singh and Kartik Tyagi. Andrew Tye is also present in the line-up and it will be interesting to see how they use the Australian. The bowlers have done a decent job for the Royals so far but to move up in the points table they would need their bowlers to restrict the opposition to a small total so that the batting department can finish the job.
RCB :
The Bangalore team looks as strong in the bowling department as they are in the batting department.Navdeep Saini has been refreshing to watch and did an exceptional job in their previous match, bowling in the death overs. Umesh Yadav is going through a rough patch but is still looking promising. Dale Steyn is looking like a mere shadow of the kind player he is and may soon turn things around for himself. Mohammed Siraj and Kane Richardson add a lot of depth to the line-up while the star of the show this year has been Yuzvendra Chahal with some really good performances.
History :
Both the teams have played against each other on 21 occasions in the IPL so far and Rajasthan holds a 10-8 head-to-head win record over the RCB while 3 matches had no result. RR - Rajasthan have a title under their belt and will look to make a place in the play-offs while the RCB - Bangalore, despite reaching the play-offs on a few occasions have not been able to secure their first title which will be on their mind when they take on the field in this edition.
Probable Playing XI :
RR :
• Steve Smith (C )
• Jos Butler (WK)
• Sanju Samson
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Riyan Parag
• Rahul Tewatia
• Tom Curran
• Shreyas Gopal
• Jofra Archer
• Jaydev Unadkat
• Ankit Rajpoot
RCB :
• Devdutt Padikkal
• Virat Kohli ( C )
• AB de Villiers ( WK )
• Aron Finch
• Shivam Dube
• Washington Sundar
• Gurkeerat Singh Mann
• Yuzvendra Chahal
• Isuru Udana
• Adam Zampa
• Navdeep Saini
Match Prediction :
Looking at both teams on the paper, it seems like the RR - Rajasthan have a formidable line-up, a team that can take on any team in the league. The problem is that their team is not looking strong enough to win a high-scoring match which can be the case against the RCB. Steve Smith is looking average, Robin Uthappa has failed to make decent starts count and so has Jos Butler.
On the other hand, the Royals must be beaming with confidence after their Super-over win against the Mumbai franchise. Apart from Skipper Kohli the team is looking pretty stable in the middle-order and also has a strong bowling attack which can definitely cause problems for the Royals.
Sportswhoop’s pick for the day: RCB - Bangalore
Our Fantasy Pick Team for Dream 11
Wicket-keeper –
• AB de Villiers
Batsmen –
• Virat Kohli
• Steve Smith
• Devdutt Padikkal
• Aron Finch
All- rounders –
• Washington Sundar
• Shivam Dube
Bowlers –
• Tom Curran
• Shreyas Gopal
• Jofra Archer
• Jaydev Unadkat
Disclaimer :
The selection made here are an assumption of the author and are not a reflection of the actual points you may earn during play.
