IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today’s RCB vs PBKS match
It's the Red Derby in IPL 2024! For a long time it seemed like the Punjab Kings (PBKS) were living in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s shadow with similar jersies and players from Bengaluru switching allegiances constantly.
Some of that is still continuing with Sanjay Bangar getting sacked at Chinnaswamy and getting a job in Mohali. However, PBKS' win over Delhi Capitals where the whole team came through with a complete team performance on the back of a new tactical-shrewdness, the shoots of a good team looked visibly green.
RCB, meanwhile, are going back to their toxic relationship with Chinnaswamy, with fans hoping they have talked it out and would finally be able to get a string of home wins. The loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) didn't seem like a body blow given Chepauk's IPL history but a loss here would surely start some panic shivers.
Although Chinnaswamy is a graveyard for bowlers, it's generally the 'who manages to get hit less' part that decides IPL games. And, below, we have tried to predict the three bowlers who can have the biggest say:
#3 Yash Dayal
It's a left-field choice, sure but after coming on as the Impact Player, Yash Dayal was RCB's best bowler in the IPL 2024 opener. On a pitch which had only a tad bit of help for the fast-bowlers, he made the ball move and got the wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad, while troubling other top-order batters too.
Chinnaswamy has often offered help for fast-bowlers and over the years, it has witnessed inspired spells of fast-bowling leading to heaps of wickets early on. Even if Dayal doesn't produce something similar, he could get a couple of wickets early on which would put him among the top wicket-takers on a batting den.
#2 Harshal Patel
Irrespective of what happened in the final over of the last match against Abhishek Porel, Harshal Patel was excellent against DC. His image has been ruined a bit due to last-over assaults before as well but he's an absolutely gun pacer in the middle-overs and looked back to his best in Mullanpur in that phase.
This is the first time he'll be returning to Chinnaswamy after leaving RCB and there would surely be some extra motivation there. In 23 matches here, he has 20 wickets at an average of 33.65 - which is better than most. RCB's middle-order might try to go extra hard against him which could create some opportunities.
#1 Arshdeep Singh
Like Dayal was for RCB, Arshdeep was for PBKS against the Capitals. The in-form left-arm seamer helped get things underway in Mullanpur by getting Mitchell Marsh out. He was then used like the strike bowler and attack-leader, like always, and came back to snap up Sumit Kumar before the close of the innings.
Even though he hasn't been able to get exceptional returns while playing for India, Arshdeep plays the same role always for the Kings in the IPL and is successful more often than not. RCB's top order isn't bereft of struggles against the new ball.
Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell don't have great IPL numbers against left-arm seam. Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat showed good fight in the last match but the former has never really looked comfortable against Arshdeep either and has lost his wicket to him in the last two games.