Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Two of the most disappointing teams so far?
It’s still early days in IPL 2018, but a loss for either team will heap plenty of pressure with a number of other teams displaying far more quality than these two have dished up so far.
What can we say about Royal Challengers Bangalore? Year after year, they promise plenty and deliver little, and it’s about time they show us more of their potential. Despite a pretty heavy defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians, a team who hadn’t yet won a game in the tournament, at least we saw RCB finally try to address the issue of their team balance, by promoting Virat Kohli to opener and bringing in Corey Anderson. On paper, they could make so much of their squad, but they desperately need to stop conceding 200+ scores – they can forget their chances of making an impact in this competition if they continue to do this.
Delhi Daredevils have also underwhelmed so far. After such an amazing win in Mumbai, DD were absolutely thrashed in Kolkata. Their bowling remains a concern – they were on the end of KL Rahul’s onslaught on game one, conceded nearly 200 in Mumbai and then 200 in Kolkata. Their batting has shown flashes of brilliance – namely Jason Roy’s match-winning knock in Mumbai, but like RCB, they have been too inconsistent. Here is their chance to get their season well and truly up and running.
Key to a Royal Challengers Bangalore win
RCB simply aren’t executing well enough with the ball. The addition of Corey Anderson as another bowling option was a step in the right direction, after three games where they stuck with a team that didn’t provide them with many options outside their main five bowlers. However, perhaps Moeen Ali would offer more with the ball, delivering a quiet over or two in the middle?
Whatever your opinion is on the all-rounder RCB should pick, you can’t deny they have been extremely poor with the ball in the death overs. And that’s being kind. In the last five overs against RR, they conceded 88 runs. Against MI, it was 70. In the death overs, Umesh Yadav is going at 15.20, Chris Woakes 10.89 and Kulwant Khejroliya 13.63. This is unacceptable if you have dreams of winning the IPL.
It was the magic of Umesh Yadav in the powerplay against KXIP that helped deliver their first win. Can their bowling attack come together and put on a good show to get their second win? It is important they keep picking up regular wickets to stifle DD’s progress, and ensure there aren’t any set batsmen for when the death overs come around.
Because no matter how good your batting line up is, you just can’t keep conceding massive totals and expect to be successful.
Key to a Delhi Daredevils win
Like RCB, DD have had a problem in conceding too many big totals so far. Poor bowling will be punished against a strong RCB top order – DD concede 10.75 an over in the powerplay so far in IPL 2018, the worst of any team. They must guard against this.
There has been criticism in parts of Virat Kohli’s slowing down in the big chase against Mumbai, but one thing is for certain – the middle order of RCB doesn’t evoke much faith.
Basically, the key to any team’s win against RCB at the moment is this: take advantage of a wayward bowling attack, by keeping wickets in hand ready to launch in the last five, and get into the RCB top order as soon as possible.
Simple brief. Can DD deliver?
Predicted teams:
RCB coach Daniel Vettori spoke of his frustration at this team’s death bowling. How about more of a focus on putting together a well-drilled bowling attack, champ? Expect RCB to go with the same top order and five main bowlers, but what about the all-rounder? Corey Anderson had a night to forget in Mumbai, and could be replaced by either Colin de Grandhomme or Moeen Ali.
Royal Challengers Bangalore XI: 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Virat Kohli (c), 3. AB de Villiers, 4. Mandeep Singh, 5. Sarfraz Khan, 6. Corey Anderson/Colin de Grandhomme/Moeen Ali, 7. Washington Sundar, 8. Chris Woakes, 9. Umesh Yadav, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal
Don’t expect DD to make too many changes despite their disappointing time in Kolkata.
Delhi Daredevils XI: 1. Gautam Gambhir (c), 2. Jason Roy, 3. Shreyas Iyer, 4. Rishabh Pant (wk), 5. Glenn Maxwell, 6. Vijay Shankar, 7. Chris Morris, 8. Rahul Tewatia, 9. Mohammed Shami, 10. Shahbaz Nadeem, 11. Trent Boult
Stats and Facts:
- Head-to-Head: Matches: 19, RCB 12, DD 7. Since 2011, RCB have won 10 and lost just once against DD.
- Virat Kohli will be keen to continue his runscoring form. He has scored 661 runs at an average of 73.44 against DD.
- Yuzvendra Chahal to open the bowling for RCB? Jason Roy doesn’t like legspin too much, dismissed 12 times in 22 innings in T20s since 2015.
- In Australia’s limited overs tour of India in 2017, Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Glenn Maxwell four times for just 18 runs.
- Gautam Gambhir has the most runs by a player against RCB in IPL (644).
Prediction:
The winner of the other game today (KKR v KXIP) will go top of the table. The loser here will be stuck at the bottom.
Both sides are struggling to get going, but both have the potential to do so and cause damage. RCB, at home, might have enough to sneak home and get a very important 2nd win in IPL 2018. This is providing rain doesn’t ruin the game!
