Bangalore keen to get act together against KXIP

bengaluru — Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will look to get their act together after an opening game defeat, as they take on Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.

RCB, led by star India captain Virat Kohli, lost to Kolkata Knight Riders after Sunil Narine snatched victory with a 17-ball fifty and Nitish Rana removed AB de Villiers and Kohli in the same over and then scored a vital 35.

RCB will now want their star batsmen Brendon McCullum and AB de Villiers, who blasted a 27ball 43 and a 23-ball 44, respectively, in the first game, to score big. McCullum reached a milestone in completing 9,000 T20 runs in the last match and that should boost his confidence.

Kohli did not look his imperious best in the previous game and he would want to come out all guns blazing against Punjab.

The likes of Quinton de Kock, Sarfaraz Khan and Chris Woakes did not fire against KKR and would want to improve if RCB want their batting to come good. Kohli could depend on Umesh Yadav and Woakes to deliver the goods again as they shared five wickets between them.

The star spin pair of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar failed in the last game, leaking 77 runs in 56 balls and claiming just one wicket.

Coming to the visitors, Punjab are coming into the game on the back of a win, having started the season on a resounding note, beating Delhi Daredevils by six wickets.

Lokesh Rahul, who is a local here, smashed the fastest-ever fifty in IPL history. Rahul had smashed six boundaries and four sixes in his 16-ball 51.

Punjab surprisingly dropped big-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle in the last game but he could open the innings as he knows the conditions well here.