RCB vs SRH: Its RCBs Batting Versus SRHs Bowling

IPL has given many interesting matches whenever Hyderabad and Bangalore have faced each other at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

VIVO IPL 2018: RCB need to overcome the tough bowling test of SRH to stay in the IPL

Be it the super over in 2013, or a last over finish in 2014, or a rain-curtailed boundary-stepping thriller in 2015, or high scoring matches in 2016 and 2017, both the teams have always entertained the cricket fans.

The mood in the two dressing rooms are quite opposite before the match on Monday (May 7). This is because Hyderabad is currently sitting at the top of the table while Bangalore are staring at a condition of potential elimination from the league.

SRH have won four consecutive matches, among which three of them came because of their bowling department, that too without their main bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The batting is also turning out to be good with the skipper Kane Williamson leading from the front. In the previous match against Delhi, Alex Hales’ counter-attacking batting combined with Yusuf Pathan’s late blitz secured the win.

However Hyderabad’s middle-order has always been a problem. This is why they bought reliable middle-order batsmen in the likes of Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan in the 2018 auctions. While Pandey has not yet lived up to the franchise’s expectations, the other two players have performed quite well.

The problem of Royal Challengers Bangalore has always been their over-dependence on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. The inconsistencies of Brendon McCullum and Quinton de Kock have also led to their lack of wins. Mandeep Singh has also failed to convert his starts into good scores.

Moreover their team selection has always raised questions, as they should have brought Parthiv Patel long before into the squad, as the Indian wicket-keeper scored a half century in his solo chance.

The bowlers of RCB have also failed. But they should not be held at guilt much because of the dimensions of the Chinnaswamy stadium that, even a mishit would end up into the crowds. Only Umesh Yadav has stood apart and Yuzvendra Chahal’s not-so-good form have hurt RCB.

Hyderabad, on one hand would love to continue their fairytale journey, and on the other they would like to test their bowling against Bangalore’s star-studded batting line-up, so that mistakes creep up before going into the play-offs. Bangalore would have to win the match, as a defeat would surely end their journey in this year’s IPL.

Venue− Rajiv Gandhi International cricket stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad

SRH Probable XI: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma/Basil Thampi

RCB Probable XI: Parthiv Patel (wk), Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Murugan Ashwin/Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal