IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's RR vs RCB match
It's a 'Royal' match of the two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum in IPL 2024. Rajasthan Royals (RR) are unbeaten and have looked like early playoff contenders while Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RR) are struggling for wins home and away and seem like they could be out of that race pretty soon.
A lot of it goes to their bowling attacks. RR, having retained almost the entire core from the past seasons, have fine-tuned the entry points and match-ups for each bowler. They almost always come on top thanks to their specific plans and quick adaptability according to the opponent and conditions.
RCB, meanwhile, have a quite different set-up in IPL 2024. They are still learning about the likes of Yash Dayal and Mayank Dar and the seniors have been constantly outsmarted by the planning and execution of their opposition bowlers. Add to that the batting woes and RCB look like a team out of their depth.
Considering all of it, we have tried to predict three bowlers who could pick up the most wickets on Saturday:
#3 Reece Topley
Which of the RCB bowlers could come good on the day is anybody's guess because of the on-and-off form they all have been in.
And our calculated guess is Reece Topley. The English left-arm seamer played his first game in a while against Lucknow Super Giants and put in a decent performance, taking the wicket of Quinton de Kock of a slow full-toss.
His skills suit the Sawai Mansingh Stadium where there's a bit of movement available with the new ball and the longish boundaries help pace variations later on. RR batters, except Jos Buttler, haven't played Topley much either.
It'd take some luck and help from his fielders but this could be the match Topley cements himself as RCB's best overseas bowler for IPL 2024.
#2 Trent Boult
Another left-arm seamer Trent Boult is in red-hot form, having blown away his former club Mumbai Indians with early wickets in the powerplay, taking his tournament tally to five wickets from three matches at an average of 17.2.
RCB are likely to be perfectly in his range at his new home now. Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell have all struggled against his left-arm swing in T20s in the past and there's no sign that this round would be different.
He has four wickets from five matches in Jaipur so far but two of those matches were earlier in IPL 2024 when he hadn't quite hit form. Now, Boult looks as good as ever and it'd require a spirited effort from the visitors to keep him at bay.
#1 Yuzvendra Chahal
There couldn't be a better IPL match for Yuzvendra Chahal to show RCB what they missed after not retaining him a couple of years ago. The Jaipur pitch supports leg-spinners to the tilt and Chahal enjoys a brilliant average of 23.70 here for his 10 wickets in nine matches, including best figures of 4/29.
With six wickets in three games, the 33-year-old has the most wickets for a spinner in IPL 2024 and looks in superb form. His pace variation has been vintage so far in the season and he has been quite brave too.
RCB's out-of-form batters would be cursing the scheduling for having to face him when he's putting up a charge for the 2024 T20 World Cup.