FANTASY
Follow UsWhile Chennai Super Kings would walk into this encounter, on the back of their impressive get-out-of-the-jail win against Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore would be looking to get rid of the ghost that haunted them against Kolkata Knight Riders. The last time these two sides clashed in the tournament, we witnessed one of the greatest all-round from Ravindra Jadeja, who not only smacked 36 runs off the last over but also picked up 3 wickets for just 13 runs.
CSK find themselves merry at the top half of the table but the race for top-two with Delhi will keep them running. The Men in Yellow would also be blessed by the availability of their English all-rounder Sam Curran, who finished his quarantine.
RCB, on the other hand, who began the tournament on a high, have withered away since then with just two wins out of their last five clashes in the league, at 10 points in the third place. If Mumbai do get a win over Kolkata Knight Riders in Thursday’s encounter, RCB will be lingering in fourth place.
Head to Head
Overall
Matches - 27 | Chennai - 17 | Bangalore - 9
Last 5 matches
Chennai – W3 | Bangalore – W2
Ground Details
The wait would be finally over when these two sides take on each in the high-scoring venue at Sharjah. Since the start of the 2020 edition of the IPL, Sharjah has served as one of the most-batting friendly grounds, having the best average first-innings score (176) in the Middle East while being demonic to the bowlers. 56% of the games at the venue have been won by the team chasing, which gives a clear indication of how the surface usually plays out in Sharjah.
66% of the wickets (336) at the venue have been taken by pacers while the spinners have accounted for the other 34% (170). The scoring rate at the venue has been at 8.9 RPO, with an average of 31.3 per every wicket lost, at a strike rate of 147.9 for the batters. While these two teams have never clashed at the venue, it has not really been a lucky venue for either of the two sides.
CSK have just one win at the venue alongside three losses while RCB have come away with just two wins. 7 out of the 12 games at the venue (IPL 2020) have been won by sides chasing, a ploy that might very well be used by the two sides.
Suggested Team
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Based on your preferences, the platform will guide you to create the ideal fantasy XI.
Suggested captain
24-year-old Ruturaj Gaikwad’s form is not to be ignored. Barring the one failure against Mumbai Indians (4), the right-handed opener has scored three fifties in his last five appearances, with the other score being 33 off 25 against RCB. With 284 runs already in the tournament, there is no question over why he should be a top-contender for being the captain in your fantasy side.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Gaikwad to score between 32-48 runs against RCB
X-factors
Dwayne Bravo’s scintillating turnaround is a story for ages. Coming into the clash against Mumbai, Bravo not only showed the entire world that he could win trophies but also showed an eye for regaining his form and fitness. The all-rounder scored a vital 23 (8) and picked up three wickets for just 25 runs. With RCB being one of Bravo’s favourites, expect the Caribbean all-rounder to be amongst the action.
A lot of CSK’s success with the ball could be attributed to the success of their swing bowler Deepak Chahar. In this year’s competition, the pacer has accounted for 10 wickets, with most (9) of his wickets coming in the powerplay, an area of weakness for RCB. While he has picked up the least number of wickets against RCB, expect the pacer to turn it around on August 23 (Friday).
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Chahar to take between 1-2 wickets against RCB
While Virat Kohli’s form might be patchy at its best, his numbers against CSK definitely would paint a different tale. Against CSK, Kohli has scored 895 runs, averaging 40.68 with a high-score of 90*, which incidentally also came in the Middle East. Kohli’s average of 29 might be one of his worst seasons in the competition but expect the Indian skipper to turn his way around against one of his favourite opponents.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Kohli to score between 13-19 runs against CSK
Player match-ups
While Glenn Maxwell has been a threat at this venue, his form against Ravindra Jadeja makes for a curious case-study. Against the Chennai all-rounder, Maxwell has only scored 21 runs in 18 deliveries while being dismissed four times. Maxwell’s batting strike-rate reads at 116.67 but Jadeja’s bowling strike-rate against him, 4.5, choose your battle wisely.
Playing XI
Chennai Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Sam Curran Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Srikar Bharat (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Kyle Jamieson, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal