RCB vs RR, IPL 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals lock horns as fight for top 4 place heats up

Bengaluru: Men in Pink travel to the Garden City to face an Royal Challengers Bangalore outfit that’s been unpredictable this season so far.

"The important thing is that in this franchise, through good and bad, we stay even. We don't change the good things. We don't point fingers. We take responsibility. Because the next game comes along really quickly and we know that. That's the Rajasthan Royals' way."

These words from Kumar Sangakkara will serve as an inspiration when Rajasthan take on Bangalore here at Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

The two teams come into the tie on the back of contrasting performances in the league so far. While the Royals have hit the ground running with impressive performances that see them occupy the top spot on the IPL 2023 points table, Bangalore has had a mixed start with three wins from six matches and is fifth in the 10-team league.

In a team loaded with superstars, the two teams will be eager to make the best use of their resources and steer the side in the right direction as the fight for a place in the top four heats up.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for rolling out a belter of a track where the batsmen can enjoy their time. And it’s been no different in IPL 2023.

In the four matches played in Bengaluru, two have seen scores in excess of 200 in both innings, while the other two also were high-scoring affairs.

Defending any total at Chinnaswamy is not an easy task. But the hosts can take heart from having won four of the eight matches at this venue.

If one is to go by numbers alone, the toss could prove to be crucial on Sunday.

Teams prefer to chase at the Chinnaswamy with the chasing side taking away six of the last 10 matches at this venue. But with the batting depth that Rajasthan has, and the bowling powerhouse that includes Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravichandran Ashwin, the Men in Pink should be well-placed to tackle any situation that they are thrown into.

Talk about the Rajasthan bowling and one would barely start with the mention of Sandeep Sharma. In a team that houses some of the best bowling talents in the league, Sharma has seemingly made a name for himself with some industrious performance.

He was named a replacement for the injured Prasidh Krishna – the 29-year-old has earned respect among his team members with his hard work and disciplined bowling.

Be it the last over against Chennai Super Kings where he stopped MS Dhoni from swinging the match, or the five wickets that he’s taken at an economy of 7.13, Sharma has showcased his talent every time he’s called up. On Sunday, the Patiala-born player will be eagerly awaiting his turn to run into Virat Kohli at the Chinnaswamy.

Sharma has dismissed Kohli seven times in T20s, the most by any bowler. His habit of sticking to the stumps in the early overs has often troubled the Indian cricket star and the Royals will be counting on something similar on Sunday.

He is one of India’s upcoming stars, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has done everything to do justice to the hopes pinned on him. The swashbuckling opener has continued his domestic form into IPL 2023 and has amassed 180 runs in the six matches so far at an impressive strike rate of 142.85.

Jaiswal, along with Jos Buttler, is one of the key reasons behind Rajasthan's success this season, RR portal reported.

The Indian youngster, who started his IPL journey with Rajasthan in 2020, has complemented his senior partner in the opener’s role well and the two have been destructive in the Powerplay overs, helping them to great starts in the matches.

The 21-year-old, who’ll be playing his 50th IPL match on Sunday, has shown a drastic improvement in his batting when compared to previous seasons, proving himself to be a bonafide opener for the team.

On the Chinnaswamy pitch, Jaiswal’s no-holds-barred approach could prove to be the trump card for Rajasthan as a big show from the batsmen will be pivotal for the team against a side that has big hitters in Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell.

Coming into the tie on the back of a loss against a team that’s fired hot and cold this season so far, it’d be interesting to see how the team management approaches the tie.

Sangakkara has often spoken about not tinkering with a combination that’s delivered for the franchise. But given the nature of IPL 2023 and the toll it could take on the players, especially given the exhaustive travel this edition involves, it won’t be a surprise if Rajasthan rotate the squad and test the depths in the coming matches. (UNI)