3 players who will be under pressure in the game between RCB and KKR
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chhinaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Wednesday, April 26. The last time the two sides met, almost three weeks back, it was the Knight Riders who emerged victorious by a massive margin of 81 runs at Eden Gardens.
However, the fortunes of the two sides have been quite contrasting in recent times. While RCB are on a two-match winning streak and already have eight points in the bag, KKR are on a four-game losing streak. KKR are eighth in the points table and are in desperate need of a win to turn their campaign around.
As such, tonight's game promises to be an interesting one with some big names due to take the field. RCB will hope for Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj to continue their good form and on the other hand, KKR will hope for an improved showing as a collective group.
A few players from both teams, though, will be under pressure to do well owing to various reasons. Here's a look at three such players.
#1 Mahipal Lomror
In four innings so far, Mahipal Lomror has scored only 41 runs at a horrendous strike rate of 107.89 with a best of 26.
The southpaw should thank his lucky stars for not being criticized as much as he should have been owing to his poor performances. RCB's strong top order has ensured that criticism of the middle order is lesser than warranted.
Lomror, a member of the middle order, must get his act together and repay the faith that the franchise has shown in him. The tournament has reached the mid-way stage and so it is important for Lomror to step up because there could be instances where the top three does not fire.
He will be under massive pressure as there may not be too much patience left in the team's management.
#2 Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav had a brilliant run in IPL 2022, which also helped him make a brief comeback into India's T20 setup.
He was expected to be a key player for the Knight Riders but his performances have been terrible, to say the least. The 35-year-old has featured in seven games so far but has managed to pick up only one wicket. Moreover, his economy rate of 9.44 hasn't helped his team's cause either.
Yadav's poor run has coincided with his team's struggles in this year's IPL and as such, they will be hoping for an improved performance from their senior pro. Another failure tonight could prompt the management to consider replacing him with Vaibhav Arora or Harshit Rana.
#3 David Willey
David Willey, the left-arm fast-medium bowler from England, has had a pretty good run in this year's IPL, having picked up three wickets in as many games but will still be under massive pressure tonight. Reports suggest that Josh Hazlewood is very close to attaining full fitness and once he is available, Willey will have to make room for the Australian's inclusion.
As such, David Willey will hope for another strong performance in tonight's game against KKR. Although he has picked up only three wickets so far, his economy of 6.17 is outstanding and he also comes with batting credentials.
If Willey can put up a strong showing with the bat, he will make RCB think twice before dropping him as the side has a weak middle order.