We are past the halfway mark in the Indian Premier League 2022 and the competition for the top 4 keeps getting intense. We are now into match 49 which witnesses a clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Chennai had won the first game against RCB by 23 runs, giving them their first victory of the season. Bangalore has lost three of their last four games and will need to win this one to keep their playoffs hopes alive. With five wins in ten games, they are currently in fifth place in the points table.
CSK has won three of their last nine games, and the change in captaincy paid off in the most recent contest. The team would like to win the next five games in order to go to the playoffs.
RCB vs CSK – Match Details
Match #49
Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium, Pune
Date & Time: May 4, 7:30 PM IST
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network for Television and Disney + Hotstar app for live streaming.
Pitch Report
So far, both batters and bowlers have benefited from the pitch at MCA Stadium. There have been some good scores in previous encounters, but new ball bowlers have also had an impact.
The captain who wins the toss will want to field first and then chase the target due to the dew factor.
Top Performers
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Faf du Plessis, the former CSK opener and current RCB captain, would aim to make a statement against his former side by doing well with the bat. Du Plessis has made some vital contributions for his club in a few games, but he hasn’t been at his best. The right-handed batter will be looking to hit a massive home run for his side and put two important points on the board.
Moreover, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s leading run-scorer is Faf du Plessis. In ten matches, he has scored 278 runs with a strike rate of 27.80.
Chennai Super Kings
Mukesh Choudhary, the pacer, was outstanding in his previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. For his team, the left-arm bowler took four key wickets. In that match, though, he was fairly costly, giving up 46 runs in four overs. In his first encounter with the new ball, the 25-year-old will look to clear out the RCB top order.
Predicted XI
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood.
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Mitchell Santner/Dwayne Bravo, Dwaine Pretorius, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theekshana.
