Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 39th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the MCA Stadium in Pune. The Faf du Plessis side witnessed a forgettable outing in their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) after being all out for just 68 and there wasn’t a lot that they could have done with the total.
Anuj Rawat has been inconsistent at the top of the order and they might be tempted to bring in Mahipal Lamror who isn’t a bad option while pushing Virat Kohli to open the innings for RCB. On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals have two close encounters in their last couple of matches and Jos Buttler has been a complete masterclass at the top of the order.
ALSO READ: Match 39 (RCB vs RR) – Probable XI And Fantasy XI
RR’s bowling seemed to have conceded a plethora of runs in the last couple of matches but a lot will go down into the pitches as well which had been a belter in the last two games for the side. They might consider replacing Obed McCoy with either Navdeep Saini or Kuldeep Sen. The two old rivals have locked horns with each other 26 times in IPL so far and it is RCB that has enjoyed the fair share of success against RR with 13 wins.
Ahead of the epic clash, here’s a look at the key player battles to watch out for.
#1 Virat Kohli vs Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin will feel Virat Kohli got lucky after being run out in their reverse clash. With the out-of-form batter looking for some luck going his way, Ashwin will be hoping to cash in on the factor. Kohli averages 162 against the tweaker who has dismissed him just once in 20 innings. While Yuzvendra Chahal has been instrumental for RR, Ashwin is content stifling the attack. However, he will be keen to send back a struggling Kohli who is yet to get his form in the tournament.
#2 Josh Hazlewood vs Jos Buttler
With Josh Hazlewood back in the RCB side, he will be a tough competitor for Jos Buttler, who has been in splendid form in IPL 2022 so far. With 491 runs from seven matches, the Englishman is averaging 81.83 and maintaining a strike-rate of 161.51. He has already scored three centuries this season. Hazlewood has been dependable for RCB as he has scalped 8 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 14.62. Buttler has never been dismissed by the Aussie pacer in the IPL, but has fallen to him five times in Tests and ODIs.
#3 Dinesh Karthik vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Dinesh Karthik was dismissed for a duck in RCB’s last match against SRH. However, there’s no denying that he is going through a purple patch in his career. He has single-handedly helped his side win multiple games this season. Up against Karthik will be Yuzvendra Chahal, Rajasthan’s most-successful bowler with 18 wickets so far in IPL 2022. He was stellar in their last game against Bangalore and will be gunning for another encore.
