The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will play the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 49 of IPL 2022 on 4 May, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Gahunje, Pune.
As the IPL heads into the business end of the season, Chennai are probably regretting not changing their captaincy sooner. Chennai beat Sunrisers Hyderabad, five places above them on the points table, immediately after M.S. Dhoni took the reins from Ravindra Jadeja. It is probably too little too late, but if they have any faint hopes of retaining their title, they know they will, from this point on, have to be perfect.
Bangalore are under a different pressure of a different sort. Having started the season as pre-tournament favourites, they know that there is still work to be done secure a playoffs spot before they can begin thinking about the bigger picture.
And they come into this match off contrasting results. While Chennai beat Hyderabad by 13 runs, with Ruturaj Gaikwad unlucky to fall for 99, Bangalore went down by six wickets at the hands of table toppers Gujarat Titans.
As ever in an IPL match, the toss is important. The pitch in Pune has a tendency to favour the batters initially, but the spinners can expect to come into play as the game progresses into the night. Historically, the chasing team is at a disadvantage.
Likely XIs:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, Devon Conway, Ambati Rayudu, Simarjeet Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, M.S. Dhoni (c & wk), Mitchell Santner, Dwaine Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Choudhary
Fantasy tips:
- This will be an opportune moment for Bangalore captain du Plessis to make a big score, pick him;
- Pick Gaikwad as he missed out on three figures by one run last time, and he will be looking to maintain his form;
- Santner’s left arm spin – and batting – can have a valuable part to play for CSK.
Prediction:
Momentum is a very important factor at this stage of the season, and CSK have it, especially with the old war horse Dhoni back as captain. He will want to ensure that his side keep their faint hopes flickering for a little while longer yet.
Streaming:
‘Match 49 between RCB and CSK will start at 19:30 on Wednesday, 4 May. You can watch the match on the Star Network and Hotstar.