All roads lead to Chinnaswamy as RCB and CSK lock horns for play-off spot

It all started with the iconic Southern Derby in this year’s IPL and it looks like the fate of the table boils down to the second round of that hallowed rivalry between RCB and CSK. With the fourth spot of the points table still up for grabs, both the teams will be hopeful of squeezing out their all to sail through.

Despite a shaky start for the Royal Challengers, they regrouped themselves phenomenally well and rode on some imperious all-round display that bagged them five wins on the bounce and pretty comprehensive ones to bring them in contention for the play-offs. Unfortunately for Faf and his men, they will be without the likes of Will Jacks and Reece Topley who have flown back home for international duties.

CSK will be hopeful of pulling another double against their southern counterparts as they still remain in the lead for the furious race to play-offs. With three wins from the last five games, the numbers certainly look promising. However, with everything at stake, there is another important spoiler that looms large and that is the threat of rain. With high chances of precipitation in the forthcoming hours, a washout will only result in a heartbreak for the RCB fans.

Venue Watch:

This year’s surface at Chinnaswamy has been one of those rare ones which had promised assistance to the bowlers. It is a balanced track and we can expect some ferocious rivalry between the willow and the leather. The team chasing will have a slight advantage because of the dew.

Personal battles to watch out for:

Faf du Plessis vs Tushar Deshpande:

The last couple of games have been slightly reticent for the RCB captain but it goes without a saying that if the Protean striker comes to life, it can very well be kingdom come for the bowlers. With a strike rate of 168.34 and most of it coming in the powerplay. Faf du Plessis’s hard-hitting flair has proven to be quite a game-changer this season for the Royal Challengers. Tushar Deshpande has been a revamped version of himself in this year’s edition with 16 wickets to his name but a much more controlled economy rate which reads 8.52. This clash between the youngster and the seasoned campaigner can be one to watch out for.

Virat Kohli vs Ravindra Jadeja

Virat’s dream run in the tournament has been a showcase of impeccable class and control. With 661 runs in his repertoire, he will have a chance to accentuate the chasm between him and Ruturaj Gaikwad who is his closest pursuer in the race. Virat’s presence in the mix underlines the heat that RCB brings to the mix. His India team compatriot, Ravindra Jadeja, however, has proven to be quite a thorn in the batters’ flesh this season. Jaddu has claimed eight scalps at an economy rate of 7.47 which makes a priceless option for his skipper, particularly in this year’s edition where the batters have run riot.

Mohammed Siraj vs Ruturaj Gaikwad

Siraj has braved an early storm to come back stronger and now with the final group stage fixture remaining, he would be hoping to add to his already impressive tally which reads a staggering 12 wickets at an economy rate of 9.30. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been the second highest run-scorer in the latest edition of the tournament with 583 runs and he will be hoping to put another crackling showdown in order to usher CSK to the play-offs.

Match detail:

Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Date: 18th May, 2024

Time: 7:30 PM

Head-to-head:

Matches played: 32

RCB: 10

CSK: 21

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru:

Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan.

Chennai Super Kings:

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly.