Can RCB’s derailed train finally get back on right track?

Last season, these two sides - Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants - put on a spectacle for the neutral fans. Both the contests between them were feisty, with tempers flaring all around at the venue. 

In case you don’t remember, nearly a year ago, on April 10, these two sides met in a classic, where LSG chased down 213. If you don’t remember the score, you will most definitely remember Avesh Khan hurling down his helmet as if he had won a war (almost). 

It even led to Naveen-ul-Haq having a tussle with Virat Kohli, which required an intervention from KL Rahul before Gautam Gambhir had a go at Kohli. Kohli gave it back in equal measures when RCB beat LSG in their backyard in a low-scoring humdinger. 

Despite having no previous rivalry, this contest became a cult classic last year. But most of the main characters are gone, and what is left is Kohli, who since has reunited well with Naveen, with the duo sharing a warm moment during the ODI World Cup. 

But can the rivalry live up to its last year's billing?

RCB vs LSG Head-to-Head 

Overall -  Games 4 | RCB 3 | LSG 1

At Chinnaswamy Stadium - Game 1 | LSG 1 | RCB 0

Venue and Condition Details

Since 2023, captains have made it clear that the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is a chasing venue. However, on occasions, the teams batting first have sprung a surprise, with four wins out of the nine games for teams batting first. 

It is a high-scoring venue, with an average first innings score of 192 since last year. In the two games this year, the teams batting first have struggled, with an average of just 28.8. But come the second innings, the average has jumped to 36.8, and the run rate to 9.2. 

Plus, the factor of bowling first with conditions helping the seamers will always influence the toss-winning captains to bowl first. 

Weather Forecast

Very unlike of Bengaluru, the weather has been severely hot and humid, with the maximum temperature on April 2 (Tuesday) expected to be 36 degrees Celsius. Humidity is set at 33%, with no rain forecast. 

Things to watch out for

Will RCB drop Alzarri Joseph?

0/38, 1/43 and 0/34 (2 overs). 

Alzarri Joseph hasn’t lived up to the billing just yet, with a price tag of INR 11.5 crore for the Windies pacer. Neither has he come good in the powerplay, where he is yet to pick up a wicket in this IPL, his economy rate reads a ghastly 11.7. 

His only wicket in the season has come in the middle overs, but even then, he has conceded runs at nearly 11 an over. If you forget these two, then comes the sealing point: his economy rate of 12.8 is costly. 

That’s where someone like Reece Topley could come in. Let’s be fair; RCB’s bowling in the powerplay hasn’t clicked either, where Yash Dayal (75 average) and Mohammed Siraj (71) have struggled. So, Topley, who is known for his swing-bowling, could really make a difference in that segment. 

Krunal Pandya could yet again be a game-changer

Krunal Pandya often goes under the radar because he never puts up big scores on the board. But his contributions are quite handy in a setup like Lucknow’s, where his skills have improved every day. 

Only in Lucknow’s last fixture, against Punjab, the left-hander smacked a stunning 43*, striking at 195 to take them to a match-winning total. The only thing that he hasn’t done yet in the season is strike with the ball. That’s where the game against RCB could be crucial for the left-arm spinner. 

Krunal has an incredible record against RCB - 12 wickets @6.9 ER. Moreover, he is coming into the IPL season on the back of a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) season, where he picked up seven wickets with an ER of 6. 

RCB have only scored 45 runs off 60 deliveries against left-arm spinners, having the lowest run rate in the competition (4.5 RR). So, it could well be set up perfectly for Krunal. 

Probable XIs

RCB’s Probable XI: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Cameron Green, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat (wk), Dinesh Karthik (IP), Mayank Dagar, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal, Reece Topley, Karn Sharma (IP)

LSG’s Probable XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran (c), Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Naveen-ul-Haq (IP)

Telecast and Streaming Details

The match will be live on Star Sports Network and live-streamed on Jio Cinema. The game will start at 7.30 PM, with the toss happening at 7:00 PM. 

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