There is another double header in the Indian Premier League on Sunday which begins with two sides looking to separate themselves from what is an increasing logjam in the IPL 2023 table when the Royal Challengers Bangalore host the Rajasthan Royals.
The Rajasthan Royals sit on top of the table but only courtesy of their impressive net run rate. Bangalore are in the middle of the pack but a win would move them into the top five heading into the second half of the campaign.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
It has been an up and down start to the season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. They have three wins to their name but they also have three defeats and already you are beginning to wonder whether their poor record in this competition when they are using their home ground is going to continue. There isn’t a need to panic just yet but the congested nature of this table means that if you fall behind the wins to losses count you are losing a lot of ground so this is a big match.
There have been a couple of issues for Bangalore which need ironing out both for this match and the second half of the season. Their top four or so are scoring runs but nothing behind them are so they have failed to really maximise the platforms which have been laid. The other concern is at one end their death bowling is an absolute mess and if that doesn’t get tidied out quickly then Bangalore could soon find themselves trailing too many teams for comfort.
Rajasthan Royals
The Rajasthan Royals have been a very good team this term and four wins from their opening six matches highlights just how well they have started the season. Their net run rate, which is almost double any other team in the competition is just another indication of how well they have gone. I always say it but often when teams lose in a final of one of these tournaments they can sometimes suffer a hangover period but that hasn’t been the case with Rajasthan.
Their batting will always be a strength of theirs. Jos Buttler is one of the best white ball batters going around today, if not the best, while the likes of Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer are very reliable players in their roles too. If there is a weakness it comes at the end of the innings with the ball but that isn’t always about to be exposed because Trent Boult is so good with the new ball and their spin attack is so good that it is rare for top order batters to still be at the crease late in the innings.
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Key Players
If there is a player who could negate the Rajasthan Royals’ spinners then it could be Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell is very astute at hitting spinners out of the park and even his mishits will go for six at the Chinnaswamy.
The lack of a second death bowler could be a real issue for the Royal Challengers Bangalore here because Shimron Hetmyer is as clean a hitter of the cricket ball at the end of the innings as there is on the circuit and this ground certainly isn’t big enough to contain him.
Betting
I’m a little concerned about how the Royal Challengers Bangalore have gone against spin this season and if anyone has the tools to trouble them in that department then it is the Rajasthan Royals, who have Yuzvendra Chahal in their ranks who will know every inch of this square having played for the Royal Challengers for so long. Adam Zampa has also played here as a home player so he is another who could be utilised as well.
When you throw in R Ashwin on top of that there is no shortage of spinners which could be the difference maker for Rajasthan. If this is a straight up six hitting shootout then the Royals can more than hold their own in that department as well and so I just think that Rajasthan match up well to the Royal Challengers. With a top six which is in decent nick and an attack which should suit the potentially dry nature of the pitch in a day game, I like Rajasthan Royals here.
Tips
Back Rajasthan Royals to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with Betway
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