IPL 2018, CSK vs RCB: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) probable playing XI against Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Having won their last game against Mumbai Indians at home, Royal Challengers Bangalore are left with 3 wins out of the 8 games played. They need to go on a winning spree in their remaining matches if they want to make it to the playoffs.
A Chennai side whose bowling attack is caught in all kinds of sixes and sevens is perhaps the best bet for Virat Kohli's side - who rely on their heavyweight batting - to continue their winning run.
Let's dive straight into the probable lineup for RCB in this 4:00 PM game that will take place at MCA Stadium in Pune.
Manan Vohra: RCB's experiment to send Vohra up the order as an opener - the same position where he earned a name for himself while playing for Kings XI Punjab in seasons gone by, worked wonders as he scored a well-paced 45 off 31 against Mumbai. Kohli will not want to tinker with him in the lineup and will only hope that Vohra continues to deliver.
Brendon McCullum: With Quinton de Kock set to miss the game due to him deciding to fly home to attend a marriage, McCullum will once again move on to the opening spot in the lineup. A threat on any given day, McCullum may also have to don the keeping gloves in the absence of De Kock.
Virat Kohli: Kohli is unsurprisingly the leading run scorer for the Royal Challengers Bangalore having scored 349 runs from 8 innings so far. With CSK being a good batting unit - 3 of their players have scored above 300 runs this season - it goes without saying that RCB will need their skipper to come through with a big score again.
AB de Villiers: The South African swashbuckler missed the last two games due to a viral infection but is all set to return to the team for this encounter. ABD definitely adds to RCB's batting prowess and a vital contribution from him would be expected on a batsman-friendly Pune pitch. He could also be asked to keep wickets to fill in for the absent De Kock.
Mandeep Singh: The Punjab-born lad has been the middle order enforcer of sorts for Bangalore and has often steadied the ship for Virat Kohli and Co. in case there's a flurry of wickets. Despite only scoring 14 runs in his last outing, Mandeep has already racked up more than 200 runs this season and would be looking to build on his performances so far.
Colin de Grandhomme: Colin de Grandhomme or 'CDG', as the name on the back of his jersey suggests, is the finisher in the RCB lineup who will once again be tasked with using his brute force to smack a few boundaries all around the park. He is a useful medium pacer too and will be bowling a couple of overs or more as per the circumstances.
Washington Sundar: Coming into the IPL on the back of a brilliant Nidahas Trophy where he topped the wicket-taking charts, it is safe to say that Washington Sundar has had a rather poor IPL so far.
He has taken only 4 wickets and has given away runs at a poor economy rate of 9.60. However, he will still be preferred in this game because of CSK's prevalent struggle against spin bowling.
Tim Southee: The Kiwi quick will spearhead RCB's bowling attack and will not only just be one of the opening bowlers but is also one of Virat Kohli's best death bowling options. Southee has only played two games so far but has bowled with an economy of 7.37 and hence will be useful in curtailing the flow of the runs.
Umesh Yadav: Umesh Yadav has been surprisingly good for RCB this season, having picked up 11 wickets in 8 games, becoming Bangalore's highest wicket-taker so far this season. He would be looking to exploit Suresh Raina's weakness against short-pitched deliveries with his pace and bounce.
Mohammed Siraj: The right-arm pacer has failed to replicate his success from last season where he picked 10 wickets in just 6 games. However, Siraj can still baffle any batsman with his quickness. Virat Kohli will be hoping that today is the day when he finally delivers.
Yuzvendra Chahal: The second-highest wicket-taker for RCB after Umesh Yadav, Chahal uses his leg break to fox opposition batsmen. A mainstay in RCB's squad over the years, Chahal had healthy figures of 2 for 26 the last time these two sides played.
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