Follow UsThe Indian Premier League is funny, isn’t it? At one stage, you top the league and at the other, you find yourself just one win over the likes of struggling Delhi, Punjab and two wins over the messy Kolkata. That’s how the tournament has panned out for Bangalore, they have lost more games than they have won in their last five.
Bangalore have moved their top-order around but the result has remained the same: disappointment. The inclusion of Rajat Patidar has only added more to their concerns of a monotonous batting unit, stacked with plenty of right-handers. While it is yet unclear whether Mahipal Lomror is fit and available for selection, expect nothing to change at the top for Bangalore.
On the other hand, there is Gujarat Titans, a side none predicted to be stable at the top of this ten-team competition. Arguably, the Hardik Pandya-led side have found match-winners from No.1 to 11 in the playing XI. Last game, they were bolstered by the form of Wriddhiman Saha, which in essential solves a lot of their issues.
However, there are some concerning factors, including the form of Shubman Gill, who since the stupendous touch has failed to keep his form up, which happens even to the best of batters. But Gujarat would need him to pick back his form at the earliest, which in hindsight, would make them one of the strongest units in the competition.
Gujarat’s bowling unit has been in smashing form but against Hyderabad, with the exception of Mohammed Shami, they were delivered a stern warning that nothing is guaranteed in the shortest format. The trio of Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson would be crucial for the Titans in their clash against Bangalore, considering the weakness of the opposition.
When Gujarat’s bowlers meet Bangalore’s batters
Like every team in this competition, Gujarat have their strong suit, which has been their bowling. In eight games this season, Gujarat bowlers have picked up 54 wickets, third-best in the competition with 19 wickets in the powerplay, the most for any franchise. Their new-ball bowlers, Shami, Yash Dayal and Alzarri Joseph have been quite effective in the tournament.
On the other hand, are Bangalore, a side that has struggled high-time in the powerplay with the bat. RCB are just behind KKR in terms of most wickets (16) lost in the first six overs, at a strike-rate of 108.6, the worst in this year’s competition, scoring a boundary every seventh delivery – well above the tournament average of 5.52.
Three out of the four batters who have played in the powerplay for the franchise have been underpar. In nine encounters, skipper Faf has just scored 104 runs in the powerplay, at a strike-rate of 88.1, having played 118 deliveries. Kohli, who moved to the top of the order, only averages 6.8, which really should be what decides the contest.
Given that both Kohli and Faf have shown considerable weakness against left-arm seamers in the tournament, it would be a riveting contest against the Gujarat bowling unit, which has an in-form Yash Dayal. Add to that, the form of Shami, it would be integral for RCB to start well in the crucial clash.
RCB need to keep an eye on their death bowling
While it is almost evident to attribute RCB’s downfall to their batting, a fair share of the blame has to fall on the shoulders of their bowling unit. In Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel, RCB have an excellent pace unit but they have struggled big time at the death, conceding 11.5 RPO, a phase where Gujarat have known to produce destructive results.
Batting second, the Titans have scored at a run-rate of 12.9 at the death, averaging 36 runs/wicket scoring a boundary every 3.2 deliveries. In Gujarat’s last four run-chases, they have mauled down 64, 62, 56 and 70 runs, showing their strength at the death. That’s exactly where RCB would be looking towards Harshal to pull them back.
In the first four games of the season, the Haryana pacer picked up six wickets but since then, he has only scalped four times, averaging 34.5 conceding runs at 9.9, showing his evident struggle. At the death, the right-arm pacer has only picked up two wickets this season in comparison to the 21 that he picked in 2021. So, if RCB are to strengthen their bowling at the death, it might keep them alive in the competition.
Predicted Playing XI and Team Combination
Despite the results not falling their way, expect no changes to RCB’s playing XI. If at all any exception, it might be the inclusion of Mahipal Lomror for Rajat Patidar given the one-dimensional batting order.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar/Mahipal Lomror, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammad Siraj
A winning team will never see a change and rightfully so. Gujarat have done so well in this season’s competition and have also found their best playing XI. So, any changes might only be to injuries or fitness concerns.
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya (c), Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami