Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be taking on each other in the 30th match of the IPL 2024. Both teams had contrasting journeys in the league so far. RCB are placed in the last spot in the points table. They have a solitary win to their name in six matches so far. With a total of five losses and a negative net run rate of 1.124, they have managed to claim just two points. The 2016 runner-ups need to win all their upcoming matches.
After making the playoffs for three seasons in a row and then narrowly missing out last year, RCB are having a horror campaign, having slumped to five defeats in their first six games. Their bowling has been a major area of concern, with captain Faf du Plessis admitting they “don’t have as many weapons” with the ball. In RCB’s last game, they saw Mumbai Indians chase 199 inside 16 overs. And on Monday, they will be up against another batting juggernaut in Sunrisers Hyderabad.
RCB vs SRH Previous match performances
SRH are placed well in the points table. They have played five matches and claimed three wins so far, losing just two matches in the process. They are placed in the fifth spot in the points table with a total of six points and a positive net run rate of 0.344 to their name. They are placed better than RCB and look good to make it to the playoffs with the way they are playing at the moment. Even on paper, they have a better squad with a better set of quality players.
In their last match, RCB suffered a huge loss against MI. Despite scoring 196 runs on the board, RCB lost the match by six wickets with a whopping 28 balls left in the game. SRH won their previous game against a team like PBKS by just two runs. It would have given them a lot of confidence which would be handy against RCB. The match between the two sides will happen at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on the 15th of April 2014 at 7:30 PM (IST). One can expect a good match between the two sides.
RCB vs SRH Head to Head
RCB 10 – SRH 12. The Sunrisers won their only IPL title in 2016 at this venue, beating the hosts RCB in the final. But they have won only one other time on this ground. The two sides haven’t played here since 2019.
RCB vs SRH Pitch Report
The match is set to take place at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Over the years, it has been known to be a good batting surface. However, in the ongoing season, the bowlers have had some assistance from the surface. Batters need to rotate strike and get going early in the match. Bowlers need to operate in good line and length. They need to be precise and adapt to the conditions well.
The Chinnaswamy pitch has not been as batter-friendly as in the previous years. It’s been slightly two-paced, and the average first-innings score has dropped to 180 this season, as compared to 190.8 from IPL 2021 onwards.
A chase-happy, toss-winning captain. Even in other seasons, this has been a venue where sides have backed themselves to chase any target in front of them. The two-paced nature of the surface in the first half of games that eases out with the onset of dew has only exacerbated problems of defending here.
Team news and Impact Player strategy
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
RCB have chopped and changed, using as many as 19 players this season – only Delhi Capitals have used more (20) – and they have been forced to tweak their combinations due to in-season injuries. RCB had an injury scare when Glenn Maxwell suffered a blow to his thumb and went for scans.
But RCB’s director of cricket Mo Bobat said on Sunday Maxwell is “okay at the minute” and “there’s no injury concerns”. Just in case Maxwell is unfit, Cameron Green could return to the XI, having been replaced by Will Jacks in their last game. Saurav Chauhan or Anuj Rawat will likely come in as the Impact Player if RCB are chasing, or go out for a bowler if batting first.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers are unlikely to make any changes to their team as they continue to build momentum around the halfway stage of the tournament. T Natarajan will likely come in as the Impact Player if they have to defend a target, and they can get Rahul Tripathi in as an extra batter if they are chasing.
In the spotlight – Will Jacks and Travis Head
RCB made a big call to bench Green, who they bought in a cash trade for INR 17.5 crore, in the last game and brought on the highly-rated Will Jacks. Jacks showed glimpses of what he can do before chipping a catch for 8, but there are high expectations from him. With a T20 strike rate of 158.60, Jacks can help take the pressure off an under-fire RCB batting line-up.
Travis Head is up against the team he made his IPL debut for, and he will be looking for a big score. After a 62 against Mumbai, Head has not really made a significant score and will be looking to make another big impact. He will also be fed plenty of pace, which suits him just fine. The Chinnaswamy may just be the best venue for him to go big again.
Stats that matter
- Sunrisers have won just two of their eight matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and have the worst win percentage among all IPL teams at the venue.
- The battle of the finishers: Dinesh Karthik (243.90) and Heinrich Klaasen (263.15) are among the quickest scorers in the death overs this season.
- RCB’s bowling average in the powerplay this year is 91.75 – by far the worst for any team in any season. Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018 had the previous worst powerplay bowling average in a season (68.38)
RCB vs SRH probable playing XI
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Injury/Availability: Glenn Maxwell, grappling for form, is also nursing a finger injury sustained while fielding against Mumbai Indians. He walked off the field after the blow. Director of Cricket Mo Bobat revealed the all-rounder had two scans and there was no major injury concern just yet.
Tactics & Matchups: When RCB hosted LSG here about two weeks ago, the visitors were unafraid to use two left-arm spinners – M. Siddharth and Krunal Pandya – in the PowerPlay. Usually a graveyard for their kind, spinners have conceded at an economy rate of only 8.35 at the Chinnaswamy this season and it’s a route worth considering against two left handed SRH openers, who like pace on the ball. RCB could have two off-spinners in their line-up if Maxwell is deemed fit to start.
Probable XI: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell/Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk.), Reece Topley, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj [Impact Sub: Saurav Chauhan]
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Injury/Availability: Mayank Agarwal, who had reported unwell, has resumed training and could feature as an impact substitute at his home ground.
Tactics & Matchups: Bhuvneshwar Kumar has picked up a solitary wicket in the PowerPlay this season but enjoys a particularly good record against this season’s leading run-getter, Virat Kohli, who he has dismissed four times in the IPL. Bhuvneshwar also enjoys a good record at the venue, claiming nine wickets from eight visits here at an excellent economy of 7.31.
Probable XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T. Natarajan [Impact Sub: Rahul Tripathi/Mayank Agarwal]
Fantasy playing XI : Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis , Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk.), Vijaykumar Vyshak, Pat Cummins, T Natarajan.
RCB vs SRH Match Prediction
Sunrisers Hyderabad is a better-balanced team than RCB, with most of their batters in great form, while their bowling has also looked impressive, with Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar performing well in recent games. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on the other hand, has lost their last four games and possesses a poor bowling attack, making it challenging for them to stop SRH at the small M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The match will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, and it is no secret that the captain winning the toss will likely opt to bowl first, as defending is not easy on this ground. Based on the current form, team balance, and venue conditions, we are predicting Sunrisers Hyderabad as the winner of this match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match promises high-octane action, with players from both sides showcasing their talent and determination.