Eyes on Bangalore's top-order in battle for supremacy against in-form Lucknow

Over the years, the Indian Premier League has produced inspiring tales of success - of people coming from humble backgrounds and making it big in the most riveting franchise cricket in the world. 

However, this edition of the extravaganza has been headlined by one man who refused to give up after being down and out of the national side post a dismal performance in the 2019 World Cup. 

Well, you guessed it right, we are talking about Dinesh Karthik.

At the ripe age of 36, it is fair to say that Karthik is erring on the wrong side of 30, especially to make a comeback to the national set-up. However, such have been the exploits of the right-handed batter that he has single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of the side and ensured that Royal Challengers Bangalore get over the line.

"I have bigger goals, and I have been working really hard to do something special for the country. I am doing everything to be part of the Indian team, Karthik said in a post-match interview after his heroics against the Capitals. 

After the retirement of AB de Villiers and amidst the chaos surrounding the batting unit of the Challengers, they unearthed a star in Karthik, not only for them but also for the Indian team in the future.

With the T20 World Cup set to commence Down Under later this year, Karthik has presented a strong case for himself to make a comeback, and millions of fans of Indian cricket would hope another wicket-keeper batter finishes off in style at the mega event. 

Bangalore plagued by inconsistency at the top

Coming at number five or lower, Karthik has scored the bulk of the runs for them and amassed 197 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 209.6. While this is a staggering record for a finisher, it also showcases the glaring issue surrounding the batting unit of the Men in Red. 

Over the years, Bangalore have always been a star-studded batting unit, and this edition is no different. After a change in guard ahead of the season, they started in a commanding fashion as Faf du Plessis enthralled fans at the DY Patil stadium with a blistering 88 on his captaincy debut for the side. 

However, things have gone downhill for him and former skipper Virat Kohli in the six matches played this far. The duo have managed to score 154 and 119 runs, respectively, adding enormous pressure on the middle and the lower middle-order of the team. 

While the lack of runs is an area of concern, the pace at which they are scored in the powerplay is also alarming. In the six innings, Bangalore have managed to score a boundary every 7.4 deliveries in the powerplay, which is second-worst among all the teams.

With the lack of impetus at the top, Bangalore have time and again crawled out of these challenging situation courtesy of Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed. While all the hype and attention has been on the exploits of Karthik, Shahbaz, at the other end, has silently gone about his business and ensured Bangalore are well on course to get over the line. The southpaw has scored 145 runs in four innings at an average of 48.33 and a strike rate of 154.3 and is slowly proving to be one of the finds of the tournament. 

Skipper leads from the front for Lucknow 

While the red army is in dire need of runs at the top, a young Bengaluru boy plying all his trade at the Chinnaswamy stadium on the domestic circuit is currently at the helm of the Lucknow side and in a scintillating form. 

The 30-year-old is second on the list of leading run-scorers in the tournament, with 235 runs in six innings at an average of 47 and a strike rate of 144.2 and is complimented well by a destructive South African batter in Quinton de Kock. 

The southpaw has been in sublime form and often taken the attack to the opposition bowling unit, allowing Rahul to play the anchor role. With an overall partnership of 232 runs in six innings, which is the most by an opening combination, the duo have ensured that the Super Giants get off to a steady start on most occasions. 

Can Lucknow counter the spin threat?

While Lucknow boasts of a formidable opening combination, they will be tested to their absolute hilt against the spin combination of Glenn Maxwell and Wanindu Hasaranga. 

In an era of match-ups, it is fair to say the duo will have a significant role to play against de Kock, who has struggled against the spinners and been dismissed on four occasions out of the five times he has faced spin this season. 

With the openers shouldering the bulk of the responsibility of the side, du Plessis would be keen to unleash his spinners and create inroads in the relatively untested batting unit. 

Probable XI:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, Harshal Patel, Suyash Prabhudessai, Mohammed Siraj.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Manish Pandey, Dushmantha Chameera, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan