IPL 2022, RCB vs RR Highlights: Riyan Parag, Kuldeep Sen help Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore win toss, opt to bowl.

“This pitch has been used before, this is the same pitch where KKR chased down 161 in the 15th over. There is plenty of grass on the surface, but it looks abrasive, it means it could grip a bit and could be uneven as well.”

Both the sides have already met earlier in the competition, with Bangalore winning the contest by four wickets. Dinesh Karthik had then overshadowed Jos Buttler's 47-ball 70, as he along with Shahbaz Ahmed playing match-defining knocks in the middle.

Karthik had then played an unbeaten 44 off 23 deliveries while Ahmed had chipped in with a 26-ball 45 as RCB completed the 170-run chase with five balls to spare. 

If we look at the head-to-head record, Bangalore have a slender edge over their opponents. In total 23 matches, RCB have won 13 times, while Rajasthan have secured victories in the remaining 10. 

Often projected as the best death bowler, Harshal Patel stands second in chart among the leading wicket-takers in RCB camp. Josh Hazlewood is another custodian, who can stop the Royals batters from firing big with his Test match length. 

Mohammed Siraj has leaked runs at an economy of almost ten and will need to pull his socks. 

Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who with eleven wickets is the leading wicket-taker from RCB, will also hope to produce a strong show against a formidable Rajasthan batting unit.

The biggest concern for Royals is their fifth bowling option. Obed McCoy has often leaked runs as witnessed in the clash against Delhi Capitals. Riyan Parag has not been exceptional with either bat or the ball, so does this open the gate for Jimmy Neesham, who can chip in with few crucial overs in the middle? 

If both McCoy and Parag are dropped from the game, Navdeep Saini can also be included in the playing XI as the third bowling option.

Here is how the RR playing XI could look like:

Buttler, Padikkal, Samson, Shubham Garhwal, Hetmyer, Neesham, Ashwin, Chahal, Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Saini 

Apart from Jos Buttler, openers Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Sanju Samon have been capitalising on the platform laid down by the English batter. Apart from the duo, Shimron Hetmyer has fulfilled his role with flying colours as a finisher. 

The encounter is between two star studded sides but if we have to pick one it will be Rajasthan opener Jos Buttler. The right-handed batter has been in sublime form, and has already hammered three centuries this season.

Looking at their current form, RCB head into the contest on the back of a crushing nine-wicket defeat against SRH. Rajasthan, on the other hand, have secured consecutive wins but the credit goes to the batters, who helped them edge past the 200-run mark in both the encounters. 

The RCB batters will be up against the likes of Trent Boult, who has troubled Kohli on previous occasions with his incoming deliveries. Apart from the Kiwi pacer, the team also have Prasidh Krishna, who is likely to share the new ball duties with Boult. 

Yuzvendra Chahal, who was a vital cog for RCB until the previous edition, will now be up against his former franchise, making this tussle very interesting. Ashwin too will look to get into the wickets. The carrom-ball specialist has been very good in checking the runs, but it will be a cherry on top of a cake if both the Rajasthan spinners click simultaneously against Bangalore.

Kohli was dismissed on consecutive golden ducks in the previous two matches. The first was against Lucknow Super Giants, which was a poor shot selection or maybe you can say the fielder was present at the right place at the right time. 

However, the second in which RCB were bundled out for 68, Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Marco Jansen with a gem of a delivery, pitched slightly up coming towards the batter, which took the outside edge and was caught at slips. 

While the fans expect better of Kohli, considering the stature he holds in terms of batting, former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar called it ‘anxiety’. 

"If a batsman has played even half a dozen deliveries, you notice whether his foot is moving or his batting is not coming right," batting great Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

"But when a batsman gets out on the first ball, I think it's just the anxiety."

Once Virat Kohli's teammate in the RCB camp, Daniel Vettori stongly believes Kohli will return back to form and dismissed all the talks revolving around mental fatigue and being overcooked. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo recently, the ex-Kiwi spinner said: “People talk about him being mentally fatigued, but I think he's better than that, I think he's bigger than that.”

"I think he'll find a way to battle through it and the way is through that aggressive nature."

He also pointed out ways, which could help the star Indian batter at this low phase. 

"I think this is the time when he'd turn to his friends, his closest confidantes and maybe a mentor from when he was young," said Vettori.

"I think space is the key, and understanding and respect for him as a player," he added.

It has been one of the worst possible outing for Virat Kohli, with the former RCB skipper just managing 119 runs from 8 outings. In the previous two innings, the right-handed batter was dismissed on golden duck.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik(w), Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj, Jason Behrendorff, Mahipal Lomror, Finn Allen, Sherfane Rutherford, Siddarth Kaul, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Chama V Milind, Rajat Patidar, Akash Deep, Aneeshwar Gautam

Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Karun Nair, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy, Yuzvendra Chahal, James Neesham, Rassie van der Dussen, Navdeep Saini, KC Cariappa, Daryl Mitchell, Tejas Baroka, Kuldip Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anunay Singh, Kuldeep Sen, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Garhwal

**Nathan Coulter Nile, Rajasthan Royals, bowler is out of IPL 2022 due to injury

Hello and welcome to the LIVE COVERAGE of the Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals. The match is being played at the MCA Stadium in Pune and the toss will take place at 7:00 pm. Stay tuned for live updates!