It’s do or die for the Royal Challengers Bangalore as they face the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru on Thursday evening.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore still have an outside chance of making the play-offs, however, things are largely out of their own hands.
The Sunrisers are safe with the knowledge that they’ve already qualified for the play-offs but will want to lay down a marker against the best batting unit (on paper) in the competition.
RCB vs SRH | Thursday 19 May | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 16:30
To Win Match
Royal Challengers Bangalore 72/100
Tie 35/1
Sunrisers Hyderabad 23/20
Royal Challengers Bangalore
It’s squeaky bum time for the Royal Challengers who realistically need to win both of their next two matches if they want to book a spot in the play-offs. Of course, big victories – like that against the Kings XI Punjab last time out – will help their cause with NRR sure to come into play.
Much of the responsibility will lie at the feet of AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Umesh Yadav. The trio have been the only players in an expensively assembled squad who have performed with any degree of consistency this season.
Kohli is averaging 57.11 for the tournament with 514 runs while de Villiers – who has had three fewer innings – has scored 358 at 51.14. The duo have scored just under half of the franchise’s runs this season. They’ll need to be at their very best here against the competition’s most miserly attack.
The Bangalore outfit have once again been royally let down by their bowlers. Only Yadav has stood out and performed with any sort of consistency. Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj have shone in spurts but need to knuckle down as we enter the business end of the IPL. Any more slip-ups from this attack could see their franchise eliminated from the tournament.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
While the Sunrisers can rest easy knowing that they’ve already secured their place in the play-off, however, they’ll desperately want to finish top of the pile come the end of the regular season. Winning against the Royal Challengers on Thursday will go a long way in ensuring this happens.
They were on a fine run of six straight wins sandwiched between home and away defeats at the hands of the Chennai Super Kings. This much does seem to suggest that they’re vulnerable against gun batting line-ups (CSK have scored more runs in this competition than any other franchise.
Batting wise, Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson will have to carry the team again. The two have been in sensational touch this season and will fancy their chances against a bowling attack that has struggled to keep things tight.
The Sunrisers have bossed the head to head since 2016, winning four out of five matches and one of 2017’s clashes having to be abandoned due to weather. They’ll be all too aware of this and will bank on the likes of Khan, Shakib and Sandeep Sharma to starve the RCB top order of runs.
Verdict: Sunrisers Hyderabad 23/20
The Sunrisers have been sensational this season and traditionally find things pretty easy against the Royal Challengers. Back them to come out on top and just about end RCB’s hopes of achieving a play-off berth.
