RCB vs LSG Match Preview
The opening pair of Du Plessis and Virat Kohli has done a good job so far as after putting up a 148-run stand against Mumbai, they followed it up with another 44-run partnership. The onus is now on the middle order batting to step up the attack.
The intent that Faf du Plessis has shown in the pwerplay is remarkable. He has also been in great form leading up to the IPL and could be a great option for captain.
Michael Bracewell and Glenn Maxwell have both squandered away good starts and the team will be expecting a big inning from them as they return to the home ground. Dinesh Kartik, who impressed everyone with his finishing skills in the last season, failed to get going against KKR.
The RCB do have some depth in their batting thanks to all-rounders like David Willey and Shahbaz Ahmed but it is again the middle order which holds the key for them. David Willey, who is replacing an injured Reece Topley, impressed the fans with his disciplined bowling, but more will be expected from the likes of Mohammad Siraj and Harshal Patel, who haven’t been in the best of forms with the ball so far.
KL Rahul has shepherded his team well and has made effective decisions when it comes to field placements or bowling changes. His form too seems to have improved as he finally got some runs under his belt in the match against SRH.
He will be looking to put up a good opening partnership with Kyle Mayers here. One area of concern for the team will be the form of Deepak Hooda, who has failed to score runs. Krunal Pandya showcased his all-round talent in the last match by picking up 3 wickets and scoring 34 runs. Quinton de Kock is also available for selection and it will be interesting to see till when can LSG keep him on the bench.
Surely one out of Stoinis or Shepherd have to make way for him?
In addition to Krunal, the Super Giants have two other all-rounders in the form of Marcus Stoinis and Romario Shepherd, which gives them a lot of flexibility. However, both haven’t been that good with the bat so far. Amit Mishra, who was playing his first game of the season in the team’s latest fixture, was brilliant with the ball and will likely pair up with Ravi Bishnoi here.
While we wait for updates regarding the match fitness of Mark Wood, Jaydev Unadkat likely head the pace attack.
Weather Report
The weather is expected to remain clear with temperatures of between 25-30 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore is excellent to bat on. The average first-inning score of around 170 can be considered a par score and teams will be looking to set a target of close to 200 to give the bowlers some headroom. There is some grass on the pitch, which will provide some assistance to seamers.
Notable stats
Faf Du Plessis’ Consistent Batting
Faf Du Plessis has been a consistent performer with the bat in the IPL. In his last 10 games, he has scored 309 runs at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 136.72.
Team News
RCB may choose to stick with the same team but we think LSG will change up its team to try and get more depth in its batting lineup.
RCB vs LSG Probable 11
RCB Playing 11
- Virat Kohli
- Faf Du Plessis (C)
- Dinesh Karthik (Wk)
- Glenn Maxwell
- Michael Bracewell
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- David Willey
- Karn Sharma
- Harshal Patel
- Mohammad Siraj
- Akash Deep
LSG Playing 11
- Kyle Mayers
- KL Rahul (C)
- Deepak Hooda
- Marcus Stoinis
- Romario Shepherd
- Krunal Pandya
- Nicholas Pooran (Wk)
- Amit Mishra
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Jaydev Unadkat
- Yash Thakur
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Royal Challengers to win this contest. They ate yet to be defeated by the Super Giants after playing 2 head-to-head contests, and also have a solid record at home. The top-order batting looks in good shape for them, and the depth in batting gives them an edge.
Top Picks
Ravi Bishnoi: Ravi Bishnoi has had an excellent start to the season and has picked up 6 wickets in 3 matches. His economy rate is also pretty good at 6.25 runs per over.
Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli scored a blistering half-century in his last appearance here and has an excellent record in home games. With the bowling of the LSG not exactly the best in the league, we are expecting another good inning from him.
Glenn Maxwell: Glenn Maxwell has scored 2336 in his IPL career at a phenomenal strike rate of 153.99. He had got a good start in the last match here and is due for a big inning.
RCB vs LSG Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: N Pooran, D Karthik
Batters: V Kohli (C), L Rahul, F du Plessis
All-rounders: G Maxwell, K Pandya, K Mayers (VC)
Bowlers: M Siraj, R Bishnoi, D Willey
