What a performance from Chennai Super Kings yesterday. It was just pure joy for CSK fans to see their bowling unit shine like that. KKR did very well to restrict CSK to 193 after conceding 72 in the powerplay, but then CSK’s bowling didn’t let KKR capitalise on that at all and kept them out of the game throughout the chase. CSK’s bowling really stepped up yesterday, and CSK’s batting was pretty good too, except towards the end it felt like nothing was connecting with the bat for the batsmen.
CSK’s fielding, however, wasn’t that great yesterday, and that was surprising to see after the type of Grade A fielding they displayed in the last game against DC. However, whatever said and done, CSK have got the job done and have now won two on the trot for the first time in two years. Congrats CSK.
Now, on to today’s game as we dive into Match 23 of the 19th edition of the Tata IPL. It’s Virat Kohli vs Rishabh Pant, as LSG take on RCB at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. LSG will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to GT, and what better way to do that than by defeating the most in-form team in the IPL right now. Let’s dive into everything you need to know before you watch this exciting clash.
Expected Playing 11:
RCB:
- Virat Kohli
- Phil Salt
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (C)
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Tim David
- Romario Shephard
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Suyash Sharma
- Jacob Duffy
Impact Player- Rasikh Dar
LSG:
- Mitchell Marsh
- Aiden Markram
- Rishabh Pant (C & WK)
- Nicholas Pooran
- Ayush Badoni
- Abdul Samad
- Mukul Choudhary
- Mohammed Shami
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Avesh Khan
- Prince Yadav
Impact Player- Digvesh Rathi
Head to Head:
| Matches- | 6 |
| RCB Won- | 4 |
| LSG Won- | 2 |
| No Result- | 0 |
Pitch and Weather Conditions:
As we’ve seen in the last matches played in Bengaluru, high scores have been hit, with RCB bashing CSK’s bowling unit and scoring 250 runs, and today as well, you can expect similar conditions and another high-scoring clash at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bowlers are going to find it hard here, as always. Dew is expected for today’s game. It’s a hot day in Bengaluru, as temperatures are expected to reach around 32°C at 6 PM. No rain is expected.
Milestone Alert!
If Virat Kohli manages to get going and hit at least 2 more sixes, then he will officially join the 300 IPL sixes club alongside his former teammate Chris Gayle (357) and Mumbai Indians’ former captain Rohit Sharma (310).
Prediction:
We have to go with Royal Challengers Bengaluru for this one. They have been playing an unbelievable level of cricket over the past few weeks. They have clarity on roles, and each player is fulfilling their role to the best of their ability. We also saw a glimpse of what their bowling unit can do against MI. If they can continue this form, then there’s no stopping them.
However, LSG’s bowling is very good too. They are one of the few sides whose bowling has been consistently strong this IPL. If they can tame the RCB batsmen, then there are no guarantees about who will win this match. But the deal-breaker for LSG is their batting. In their four games so far, they have been asked to defend twice—against DC and GT—and they only managed to score 141 and 164 respectively, losing both matches. In the games they chased, against SRH and KKR, they had to chase 160 and 181, both of which went down to the final three balls.
Their batting is what’s holding them back right now. It’s not that they lack talent—they have players like Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram, and Mukul Choudhary—but they don’t have enough depth. Batting depth allows teams to recover even when the top order fails. Their No. 8 is Mohammad Shami, who is a pure bowler, and that’s a major concern, especially at a venue like the Chinnaswamy. If they can fix that, they can do wonders in this tournament. However, if LSG’s top order clicks and their bowlers execute well at Chinnaswamy, they are more than capable of pulling off an upset. If not, at least for this game, RCB have a higher chance of coming out on top.
If you want to see this heated rivalry go one more round, then tune into JioHotstar at 7:30 PM IST.
Until next time!
Thank you.
SlogVlog 