The State of Play
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s remarkable run to the IPL 2024 play-offs means they go into tomorrow’s Eliminator with the Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad as favourites.
It has been an incredible turnaround in fortunes for Faf du Plessis’ side who were languishing at the foot of the table a month ago with a talented side hopelessly out of form and seemingly drifting towards the end of a disappointing season.
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Since then they have won six matches in a row to gatecrash the top four and head into the post-season with the most momentum of any of the teams taking part.
Their new-found confidence was demonstrated superbly in their winer-takes-all clash with the Chennai Super Kings at the weekend.
A solid top-four effort which saw each of their opening quartet make at least 38 enabled them to reach 218 for five from 20 overs before an equally impressive effort with the ball helped restrict CSK to just 191 in reply – the wickets spread out across five bowlers.
They also have plenty of players for the big occasion with Du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell in their ranks.
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If RCB are in great form, the same cannot be said for the Royals.
While the Royal Challengers were struggling, the Royals were flying high at the other end of the table.
They won seven of their first eight games to get plenty of points on the board and set a platform that ultimately enabled them to qualify given the collapse that followed.
Sanju Samson’s men are on a rotten run of form, losing four games on the trot prior to Sunday’s washout against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Both teams have key absentees for the game due to the start of England’s home T20 series against Pakistan that gets underway at Headingley tomorrow.
RR are shorn of opener Jos Buttler while RCB have to do without Will Jacks and Reece Topley.
The winner of this game will play the loser of qualifier one, between the Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad for a place in Sunday’s final.
Prepping up for precision. Yash is fully Dayal’d in for tomorrow! 👊#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/GJEVzkEM9f
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 21, 2024
Expected line-ups
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Kohli, Du Plessis (c), Patidar, Green, Karthik (wk), Maxwell, Lomror, Dayal, Sharma, Siraj, Ferguson
Rajasthan Royals: Jaiswal, Kohler-Cadmore, Samson (c, wk), Parag, Ashwin, Jurel, Powell, Burger, Boult, Khan, Sharma
How to watch
Sky have the rights to show the IPL to UK viewers in 2024 and will broadcast every game live. Wednesday’s match will be shown on Sky Sports Cricket from 2.50pm BST.
In India, the games can be streamed on the Jio Cinema app and website. They are also available across the Star Sports Network.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore is ready for MORE! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ELF4WEOoR0
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 21, 2024
Prediction
Momentum is everything in top-level sport. And these two teams could not have a bigger difference in that regard coming into this game.
RR have been very poor in recent games and that’s a funk that will be hard to get out of on such a big occasion.
Also, RCB’s greater strength in depth means it’s easier for them to cope with the absence of Jacks and Topley than it is for the Royals to lose Buttler.
Add it all together and we’re going for the Royal Challengers to get the job done and take a significant step towards the final.
