After a nail-biting finish to their last game, the Rajasthan Royals are returning to the pitch with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Both the teams in top shape will have to face each other in a heated battle to have a chance to lift the trophy once again.
The Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are in the 3rd and 4th place on the leaderboard. RCB barely made it to the Eliminator after a monumental comeback in the tournament. The Royals sit comfortably in third place with 8 wins in the tournament and only 4 losses.
With each team excited to get a shot at the esteemed IPL trophy, the Eliminator promises to be an exciting rematch between RCB and RR. The winner will take a giant step towards securing their place in the grand finale, while the loser will get another shot at glory in the second qualifier round.
Rajasthan Royals Team Preview
RR was the first team to secure the top spot with 16 points but four consecutive losses undid all the hard work they put in initially. The team therefore remained at 16 points. Their last league game ended in a washout against KKR due to rain. Neither team could play a single ball before the match got called off and the teams each received one point from the match. This brought RR’s new total to 17 points. They would have kept second place but SRH won their final league game against PBKS and got 17 points. SRH booked the second spot because they have a higher net run rate than RR.
Sanju Samson, Rajasthan’s captain, brings substantial IPL experience to this Eliminator, boasting an average of 56 this season and having smashed 47 fours in total. Accompanying him is the left-handed Indian international, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has registered just one score of 50+ runs in his last five innings. Nonetheless, if he remains at the crease for an extended period, he possesses the capability to turn the game in favor of his team against RCB. The Rajasthan Royals will miss Jos Buttler, who was crucial to their success during the league stage at the beginning of the tournament. RR also has the experienced bowler Yuzvendra Chahal, the spinner who is the only player in the history of the IPL to have picked up over 200 wickets. He has also taken between 12 and 27 wickets each season from 2014 onwards.
The team won six out of their first seven games and seemed unbeatable at one point. However, a less impressive second half meant that they finished third on the table and will now have to play the eliminator.
RR Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (C & WK), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Team Preview
RCB pulled a reverse RR. Initially, they suffered throughout the tournament losing most of their games. At the halfway stage of the league rounds, RCB was at the bottom of the table. But like any good comeback story, RCB showed fans why they are the people’s champions and fought their way to 4th place on the table. They performed this monumental feat by winning 6 out of the 7 games they played in the latter half of the tournament.
RCB’s batting lineup is remarkable with Virat Kohli currently having scored the most runs in the tournament. He also scored 47 runs from just 29 balls in his previous game. Joining him is RCB; ‘s captain Faf du Plessis who scored 54 runs out of 34 balls in their game against CSK. They also have a solid all-rounder in Glenn Maxwell who has proven himself as one of the players who puts runs on the board even in dire situations. He is also a skilled wicket taker, claiming his first victim with his very first ball bowled in his last game. RCB also has Yash Dayal, the left-arm pacer who got two big wickets in Daryl Mitchell and MS Dhoni against CSK. Although he was expensive, he was once again RCB’s biggest wicket taking threat.
This is the ninth time the Royal Challengers have made it to the playoffs. They’ve made their way to the finals from the qualifiers twice previously. However, despite being a strong team, RCB has never lifted the trophy.
RCB Predicted XI: Faf Du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar, Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat (WK), Mayank Dagar, Reece Topley, Mohammad Siraj, Yash Dayal
RR VS RCB Head to Head
RR and RCB last faced each other in the league stage where RCB came out as the losing team. However, of the 30 games the teams have played against each other, RCB has come out with victory more times than RR. RCB won a total of 15 games while RR won 12. The other 3 games had no results. That being said, RR’s victory in the last battle between these two was brought about by Jos Buttler, who has since gone back to England and will be unavailable this time around.
RR VS RCB Weather and Pitch Conditions
The match is expected to take place on a warm evening with clear skies and dry conditions throughout. The temperature at the start of the game will be around 43°C (109°F), dropping slightly as the night progresses. The hot weather may benefit the team batting second as the bowlers might tire under these conditions.
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is famous for its pitches that are favorable to batsmen. Since 2021, the average score in the first innings of T20s here has been 188 runs, indicating that both RR and RCB will try to achieve high scores if they win the toss and choose to bat first. The pitch generally allows for good stroke-making, but spinners might face some difficulty initially. However, the pitch tends to slow down in the second innings, which could give spinners an advantage.
The hot weather and the pitch’s batting-friendly nature in Ahmedabad suggest that it will be a high-scoring match. Although both teams have strong bowling attacks, the lack of swing and early assistance for spinners might make it a day for the batsmen. The team that wins the toss and sets a big total will have a significant advantage, but the team batting second can’t be completely discounted, especially if they chase under the lights with slightly cooler temperatures.
RR VS RCB Betting Odds
RR 2.10 – 1.75 RCB (bet365)
Betting Tip: RR Vs RCB Winning Prediction
The lineups for both RR and RCB seem capable of winning the game. However, the Rajasthan Royals will be going into the game handicapped due to not just their losing streak but also the lack of Joss Butler. Butler was RR’s strongest batsman and was responsible for putting up large numbers on the board. Without him, the team is at a disadvantage. RCB on the other hand, are going strong with their winning streak. The Royal Challengers are here for a fight and we will definitely get a spectacle when the match begins.
Based on the above, we have our money on RCB, given their current form and batting prowess, and overall versatility.
This match is expected to be a nerve-wracking battle. Both teams have to prove themselves on the pitch, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. RCB may have an advantage due to their current form, but underestimating RR’s fighting spirit would be a mistake. Nevertheless, there are plenty of successful bets to be made by those with a sharp intuition.