IPL 6: Match 21 - RCB vs DD - Royal Challengers Bangalore Preview

RCB have featured in more closely-contested matches than any other team in this IPL. If the match against SRH was a thriller which went till the Super Over, their previous match against CSK was one with frequently swinging fortunes. It was unfortunate that it had to end with a moment of mediocrity from RP Singh but such situations would be a good learning experience not only for the bowler but also for their young captain. Against a collectively misfiring DD unit, RCB will look to continue their unbeaten run at the M Chinnaswamy stadium this evening.

Chris Gayle, as usual, will be a force to reckon with. He loves the ball coming on to the bat and would definitely be looking forward to facing the Delhi seamers on a sporting Chinnaswamy track. The added responsibility of captaincy seems to have brought out the best in Kohli – the batsman. AB de Villiers is the third pillar of their batting. His 111 runs in 3 innings so far have also come at a fast clip.

Moises Henriques would consider himself extremely unlucky to miss out in the match against CSK. Not only has he picked up 4 wickets in the three matches he has played, his contribution with the bat against SRH was also impressive. That he lost his place to Dan Christian, who was ordinary in his first outing, was even more baffling in the end. But for an injury, Henriques will expect to walk into the side for today’s match.

Muralitharan was forced to sit out of the CSK match because of the ban on Sri Lankan players to play in Tamil Nadu. That resulted in quite a few changes to the bowling line-up. The players coming in – Rampaul, who took 3 wickets and Syed Mohammad, who took 2 wickets for 15 runs in 3 overs, have pushed their case for selection in today’s game. RCB spent heavily in the auction to beef up their bowling department and have still not reaped rewards for the same.

It will be interesting to see if RCB ask de Villiers to keep wickets so that they can accommodate an extra batsman – Saurabh Tiwary for example, to provide that cushion against the risk of a sub-par bowling performance.

Players to watch out for:

Chris Gayle – He has played both of his dazzling knocks in IPL 6 at the Chinnaswamy. When he gets going, it’s difficult to stop him and the opposition captain feels that the game is slipping away from him.

Virat Kohli – He’s the current Orange Cap holder with 256 runs at an average of 64 and strike rate of 143. He will look to further widen the gulf between him and the second batsman on the run-getters’ list in this IPL.

Vinay Kumar – After a good start in the first two matches, he has had a rather forgettable outing in the next 3. He is third on the wicket-takers’ list in this IPL but he would want to bring down his current economy rate of 8.45 in this season.

X-Factor:

Moises Henriques – He should make a comeback to the team this evening and reclaim his role as the all-rounder in the squad.

Strategy:

RCB should look to bowl first and allow its bowlers to bowl under lesser pressure. With the fire-power in their batting line-up, they will back themselves to chase any score on a track as good as Chinnaswamy’s.