Rajasthan Royals will lock horns against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday at 3:30 PM IST. The match will take place at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. Rajasthan Royals have lost their previous match against Delhi Capitals. They have been in a good position in the run chase. However, they have screwed it up completely at the later stage of the game. Rajasthan Royals have won 3 matches so far and this game is a must-win for them.
On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore have lost their previous match against Kings XI Punjab. However, they have played good cricket so far in this tournament. Virat Kohli’s men will be eyeing to get back to winning track from this match.
Pitch Report:
The toss is going to be an important factor in this season. Previously we have seen the captains choosing to chase the total in T20 matches. However, in this tournament, the team batting second is facing problems to chase down the total because of various factors. The pitches are getting slow in the second innings. Captains will surely assess the condition ahead of the match and choose batting or bowling first according to their team strength. Batting first teams are getting a slight advantage as the ball has started to turn a bit more and the ground sizes are big except Sharjah.
Head To Head Record:
Total Matches Played: 22
Rajasthan Royals Won: 10
Royal Challengers Bangalore Won: 9
No Results: 3
Predicted Starting XI; Rajasthan Royals Vs Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Rajasthan Royals:
Jos Buttler, Robin Uthappa, Steve Smith, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Tyagi.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Virat Kohli (C), Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, AB De Villiers, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Chris Morris, Yuzi Chahal, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Isuru Udana.
Key Players:
Rajasthan Royals:
Jos Buttler
Ben Stokes
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Virat Kohli
Chris Morris
Captain And Vice-Captain Selection:
Captain Choices: Jos Buttler, Virat Kohli
Vice-Captain Choices: Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Chris Morris, AB de Villiers
Probable Winner: Royal Challengers Bangalore
The team management of Rajasthan Royals will be concerned about the form of their captain Steve Smith. Steve Smith has got two big scores in the first two matches of the season. Rajasthan Royals have won those two matches. So, it is quite evident that Rajasthan Royals need Steve Smith at his best to get good results in their favour. Jos Buttler has also not been at his best in this season. They are trying Ben Stokes as an opener which is not his preferred position. As a result of this, Rajasthan Royals do not have a designated finisher in their side who will close the games out for them. The management will certainly have to think about these issues and get back strongly in the tournament.
On the other hand, there might not be any change in the starting XI of Royal Challengers Bangalore in this match. Few decisions in the previous match have not gone in their way. However, they have a strong core who have the potential to deliver on their own day.
