RCB & DC. (Photo Source: X/Twitter)
In an encounter important for both teams, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be hosting the Delhi Capitals in their penultimate league fixture. This will be the penultimate league fixture for DC as well.
Both teams are trying very hard to stay alive in the race to the playoffs in IPL 2024 and will be bolstered by wins in their respective previous fixtures. Fifties from Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar followed by a blitzkrieg from Cameron Green helped RCB put up a daunting 241 that proved a tad too tall for PBKS, especially without support from their own contributors Rilee Rossouw and Shashank Singh.
Delhi Capitals enjoyed a win over Rajasthan Royals in their last fixture. Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abhishek Porel made very aggressive fifties which with the support of Tristan Stubbs managed to give them a total beyond RR’s reach. Sanju Samson was the only one who fought for RR but that did not prove enough to take them over the line.
Also Check: IPL 2024 Points Table
M Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report:
Famously flat, the surface here showed a different picture altogether in the last game here when both RCB and Gujarat Titans collapsed at various points in their innings as life was slightly difficult in chasing just 147 for RCB. But that does not take away the penchant it has for high scores.
IPL Stats & Records at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
With four no results, 50 matches out of 93 have been won batting second here. The average first innings total is 167.
| Matches Played | Matches Won Batting First | Matches Won Batting Second | Matches Won Winning Toss | Matches Won Losing Toss | Matches With No Result | Highest Team Total | Lowest Team Total | Averages First Innings Total | Highest Total Successfully Chased |
| 93 | 39 | 50 | 50 | 39 | 4 | 287/3 | 82 | 166 | 213 |
RCB vs DC Strategies & Match-ups:
Imminently, a threat of rain looms, and so does the possibility of help for the new ball. Bowlers from both sides who will be asked to operate with the new ball will enjoy that phase of the innings as it is very crucial to their chances. The important matchups are: Yash Dayal vs Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mohammed Siraj vs Abhishek Porel, Swapnil Singh vs Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel vs Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav vs Faf du Plessis.
Player Battles to Watch Out For:
Virat Kohli vs Axar Patel:
As he is with most high-profile spinners, Kohli has scored slowly against Patel as well and has not been dismissed much. In 71 balls, Kohli has scored 78 runs at a strike rate of 109.85 while being dismissed once at an average of 71.
Also Check: IPL 2024 Orange Cap – Most Runs
David Warner vs Mohammed Siraj:
With Rishabh Pant unavailable for the Capitals, there is a heavy chance that Warner might return to their line-up. And he will be glad about having to go up against Mohammed Siraj from whom he has faced 37 deliveries in the IPL. In this time, Warner has scored 64 runs at a strike rate of 172.97 while being dismissed once at an average of 64.
X-Factors for RCB vs DC:
Royal Challengers Benagluru:
RCB’s resurgence has mostly been credited to their bowling efforts, especially as a team. But the X-Factor in their camp still remains with Orange Cap holder Virat Kohli. He has been the most consistent contributor with the bat in RCB’s resurgence and he will be up to the task.
Delhi Capitals:
Jake Fraser-McGurk will have to keep batting the way he has been in order to keep DC’s hopes alive. His top-order starts have been the most crucial aspect of DC this season and he will need to be at his best to overcome the possibly unhelpful new ball phase.