Time to rise for Sunrisers and Royal Challengers
The Royal Challengers Bangalore are full of fizz, having registered two consecutive victories, against the Delhi Daredevils and Chennai’s strong Super Kings. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad seem to be fizzling out, evident from three straight defeats at home. Both teams will eye the upper echelons of IPL as teams in the bottom half of the table take to the field on Tuesday.
Given their perceived firepower the visitors were expected to be in the top bracket at this stage of the tournament. However, the big guns have misfired, big time, and find themselves in the fifth spot.
It would be a match- up between the batting stalwarts of RCB and the bowling machinations of SRH at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here. Bangalore’s run- raising would once again revolve around the destructive AB de Villiers, who stands sixth on the batting charts having aggregated 343 runs at an impressive average of 42.87. Big buy Yuvraj Singh ranks 11th on that list with 308 ( 38.50) and would want to break into the Top 10 at least to justify his heavy price tag.
However, Virat Kohli’s batting form is the visitors’ worry. The RCB captain averages a sub- par 18.10 in 11 matches. Chris ‘ storm’ Gayle too has been calm on the field in the seven games he has played this season, averaging just 25.14.
They will be up against Purple Cap owner Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Dale Steyn, whose sting has been missing though.
The big South African battle between Steyn and ABD will be an interesting sub- plot. The latter had blown his country- man to bits in the previous encounter between the teams to trigger an improbable win for RCB at home. A combative Steyn would be itching to get back.
Seamers Varun Aaron, Mitchell Starc and leggie Yuzvendra Chahal will have to shoulder the RCB bowling responsibilities up against inform bats such as Aussies David Warner and Aaron Finch, of whom compatriot Starc knows more than a thing or two. Whether he will be able to exploit the chinks remains to be seen.