Clash of the "Royals": RCB vs RR

With both the teams recovering from back to back defeats, this will be the perfect chance for redemption, for Royal Challengers Bangalore as well as the Rajasthan Royals.

After starting the campaign well, the Rajasthan Royals seem to have lost their way. The team from Bangalore on the other hand, could’ve easily won their last game, but will now have to figure out a way from this blip in form.

The game is very crucial for Vettori if he wants to keep his captaincy, after many experts have criticized him after last game’s choice of bowlers at the dead and suggested Gayle or Kohli to lead the team.

Head to Head: Of the seven times the teams have met, the Royal Challengers hold the advantage with 4 wins over Rajasthan’s 3, a stat which the latter would like to even.

Key Players:

Rajasthan Royals

1. Ajinkya Rahane: The youngster has been in good form this season with the orange cap on his head till yesterday, when Du Plessis decided to try it on. He has been a good product from the domestic front that this tournament has offered and would look to snatch the cap back.

2. Johan Botha: The South African has produced a very controlled bowling effort. Even though he hasn’t got too many wickets, if he gets one of those crucial batsmen to walk back to the pavilion, the captain would have no complaints with his choice.

3. Rahul Dravid: Though he hasn’t really hit the right note, playing on his home ground today would be something he’d look forward to. Not only that, but his experience of playing with the Royal Challengers would come handy.

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

1. Chris Gayle: I don’t think there is even any need to mention the havoc he can create. Once the Jamaican gets going, the bowlers just see the balls flying all around the stadium. Keeping him quiet, would be a very difficult task, as his Achilles heel is yet to be found.

2. Virat Kohli: Still recovering from the shock of giving away the last match they played, Kohli will be looking to make amends soon. He has proved what a consistent figure he is with the bat and would hope to be in the news for the right reasons by the end of this game.

3. Muttiah Muralitharan: The legendary spinner has been a great buy for Vijay Mallya. Right from the first game, the best of batsmen are finding him hard to handle. His commitment in the field as well as bowling of course, could prove crucial in this tie.

Man to watch: Daniel Vettori would be an important man in today’s game. With the ball as well as the bat. His captaining decisions would also be under the spotlight.

Prediction: It will be a tight contest with Bangalore squeezing out a win in the decisive moments of the game.

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https://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/15/searching-for-a-hayden-csk-finds-du-plessis/

https://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/15/ipl-awards-the-ambani-brothers-award/