Picking a combined RCB-SRH playing XI for IPL 2024 ft. Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 30 of IPL 2024 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday, April 15. RCB are languishing in last place in the points table, having won only one of their six matches, while SRH are fourth, with six points from five games.
Bengaluru are on a four-match losing streak. In their previous game, they went down to Mumbai Indians by seven wickets at the Wankhede. Sent into bat by MI, RCB scored 196-8, which Mumbai chased down in just 15.3 overs.
Hyderabad, meanwhile, have won their last two matches in IPL 2024. In their previous game, they survived a late fightback from Shashank Singh (46* off 25) and Ashutosh Sharma (33* off 15) to register a two-run win in Mullanpur. Batting first, SRH put up 182-9 before restricting PBKS to 180-6.
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Openers: Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis and his partner at the top of the order, Virat Kohli, would open the batting in the combined RCB-SRH XI as well.
Du Plessis has made significant contributions with the willow in the last two games. He scored 44 off 33 against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur and 61 off 40 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede.
Despite registering a rare failure against MI, Kohli remains the leading run-getter in IPL 2024 heading into Monday's clash. In six matches, he has 319 runs at an average of 79.75 and a strike rate of 141.78.
Middle order/ All-rounders: Abhishek Sharma, Rajat Patidar, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Reddy, Dinesh Karthik
SRH's aggressive left-handed batter Abhishek Sharma has gone off the boil a bit since his cracking 63 off 23 against MI in Hyderabad.
Since that sensational knock, he has registered scores of 29, 37 and 16. Abhishek will be keen to get back among the runs. If needed, he can also chip in with his left-arm spin.
Rajat Patidar rediscovered his form with a blazing half-century against Mumbai Indians. The RCB batter clobbered 50 off 26, slamming three fours and four sixes. Bengaluru will hope for more of the same from Patidar in upcoming games.
SRH's hard-hitting keeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen began IPL 2024 with two smashing half-centuries against Kolkata and Mumbai, respectively. He has had a comparatively dry run since then, but it seems only a matter of time before Klaasen hits his straps again.
SRH all-rounder Nitish Reddy played a brilliant knock in his team's triumph over Punjab Kings. Reddy slammed 64 off 37 with the aid of four fours and five sixes to lift Hyderabad after a poor start. He also contributed on the field, taking a catch and picking the wicket of Jitesh Sharma.
Veteran RCB keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik would be the finisher in the combined XI. Karthik has played some terrific knocks in IPL 2024, leading Rohit Sharma to quip that he's pushing for a place in the T20 World Cup squad. The right-handed batter scored a scintillating 53* off 23 against MI, clobbering five fours and four sixes.
Bowlers: Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Reece Topley
SunRisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins would lead the combined RCB-SRH XI. Apart from captaining the side brilliantly, Cummins has been excellent with the ball as well. In five matches, he has claimed six wickets at an average of 24.33 and an economy rate of 7.30.
Cummins' pace-bowling partners Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan also feature in the combined XI.
After a slow start, Bhuvneshwar has come into his own in the last two games, registering figures of 1-28 and 2-32. Natarajan has also done a decent job with his left-arm pace bowling. In three matches, he has claimed five wickets, including a three-fer against KKR.
England's left-arm pacer Reece Topley is the only representative from RCB in the combined XI. He picked up 2-27 against Rajasthan Royals before going wicketless against MI, where he took a stunning catch to dismiss Rohit.