IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's RCB vs GT
The IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday is the hardest to predict, at least with regards to which bowler might emerge as the highest wicket-taker.
The two sides met only recently in the reverse fixture in Ahmedabad and saw 404 runs scored - the highest between them - and RCB didn't even bat the entire 20 overs. They are now coming to a ground where the most recent match saw over 500 runs scored - the most ever in the competition's history.
At the moment, it's a match between, quite simply, the worst-performing bowling attacks at the toughest venue for bowlers. Below, we have tried to pick three bowlers who can have the biggest say on the proceedings, even if it's not much compared to the batters:
#3 Yash Dayal
Left-arm quick Yash Dayal has been a shining silver lining for RCB in IPL 2024. When RCB started the season with several home games, he picked up a wicket each in the first four matches and was often unlucky to have not picked more because of either dropped catches or RCB not utilizing him well in the powerplay.
He had a tough game in Ahmedabad but there has often been a bit of movement available off the pitch under the lights at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and Dayal could be the best to utilize that against the likes of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. If the fielders support him, this could be Dayal's day.
#2 Swapnil Singh
wapnil Singh, 33, has been a happy revelation for RCB in IPL 2024. The left-arm spinner has three wickets in the last two games and played an extremely crucial role in RCB's wins. In Ahmedabad, he looked to be a handful against GT's right-handers heavy top-order and the same might continue on Saturday.
His wicket-taking knack hasn't looked like one that'll stop after two games. GT's right-handers are good manipulators of spin but would come to the Chinnaswamy with the knowledge that they'll need to hit spinners and pacers alike to win, which would create opportunities for Singh's subtle variations to come into the picture.
#1 R Sai Kishore
The few games that GT dropped R Sai Kishore in the middle of IPL 2024 now seem like crimes. The Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner has outperformed both Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed this season and by a decent margin. Even in the last match against RCB at home, he was the only GT bowler to pick up a wicket.
Although RCB, and especially Virat Kohli, managed him well in the last game, most of their batters also have a negative match-up against left-arm spin. Chinnaswamy has offered a hint of help for spinners occasionally this season but not all bowlers have used it well.
Sai Kishore, with his smart pace variation and height, could have an excellent game if he and GT play their cards right.