IPL 2017: Match Meter – Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Gujarat Lions – Match Prediction!

Apr 26, 2017 at 4:06 PM

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IPL 2017: Match Meter – Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Gujarat Lions – Match Prediction!

With their season in danger of coming to a premature end, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions will be desperate to get the much-needed two points when they lock horns on Thursday (April 27) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, who made it to the final in the last edition, are sixth in the table after managing just a couple of wins in the first 8 games while the table-toppers of last year, Gujarat Lions are languishing at the bottom of the table after managing the same number of wins but have played one game less that their opponents.

With the tournament now very much into its business end phase, every point matters, especially for these two two teams who need to win almost every match to progress to the next round.

So before these two teams fight it out in Bengaluru, we take a look at their current form, the positive points, the probable lineups and the prediction.

Overview:

RCB:

Nothing is going right for the Bangalore-based outfit in the ongoing tournament. They were in a similar situation last year where they had managed just a couple of wins in the first seven games but made it to the playoffs and eventually the final after winning six of their last seven games.

However, during the last edition, their batsmen were in a supreme position even though they were losing the matches but this time around their star-studded batting lineup is yet to hit the top gear.

Their performance against Kolkata Knight Riders on last Sunday (April 23) has brutally exposed the poor form of their batsmen. After the Bangalore bowlers did a fine job by bowling out the two-time champions for 131, their batsmen came a cropper against the KKR bowlers as they were bowled out for a paltry 49-the lowest-ever score in the tournament. Their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which was scheduled to be played on April 25,  was washed out and Virat Kohli’s side would be looking to add the two points in their kitty at all cost.

GL:

Suresh Raina’s men are not looking in good form either. After showing glimpses of their form of the last edition when they beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 4 wickets at the Eden Gardens, they lost by 26 runs against Kings XI Punjab.

View on the think tank:

RCB:

The performance of the batsmen will be the biggest worry for the team management ahead of the game against Lions. The way they fell like a pack of cards at the Eden Gardens, they need to improve by leaps and bounds to do well in the coming matches. The bowlers did well against Kolkata. After being on the receiving end of a brutal batting display in the powerplay by Sunil Narine, the bowlers came back strongly and bowled out the batting side for just 131.

GL:

213, 187, 188- these are the runs that the Gujarat Lions have conceded in the last games and it is enough to show what will be the team working on before playing the batting-heavy Royal Challengers Bangalore. The batsmen are looking in decent form. Chasing 213 against RCB, they had scored 192 before chasing down 187 against Kolkata. But they did not do well in their last game against Kings XI Punjab when they were restricted to 162 for 7 while chasing 188.

Tracking the strength:

RCB:

The form of their spinners- Yuzvendra Chahal and Samuel Badree- is looking like their biggest form as of now and if their batsmen begin complimenting them, they will be a force to reckon with.

GL:

That the batsmen are managing to put up good totals is probably their only strength so far and it is undoubtedly one of the biggest reasons for their poor performance so far.

Possibility in the lineup:

RCB:

Chris Gayle, who is looking off-colour this season, roared back to form with a 38-ball 77 runs knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad but his performance against Kolkata where he managed 7 off 17 balls showed that he is still struggling to hit the top gear. But since all the batsmen failed to perform at the Eden Gardens, he can retain his place in the playing eleven. Shane Watson can also get the nod to play against the Lions but in that case, either Gayle or Tymal Mills are likely to face the axe.

GL:

Leg-spinner Shubham Agarwal, who had conceded 42 runs in his four overs against Kings XI Punjab, is likely to make way for a fast-bowler as the Chinnaswamy pace has assisted the pacers in recent matches. Praveen Kumar or Dhawal Kulkarni are likely to replace him. Akshdeep Nath, who had replaced Ishan Kishan in the team for the Kings XI Punjab, is also set to face the axe after being dismissed for a golden duck. Ishan Kishan is looking the favourite to replace him in the upcoming match.

Head-to-head:

Lions and Challengers have met previously on four occasions with Bangalore coming out on top on three occasions while Lions managed to win the other one.

Their last meeting had come earlier this month when Bangalore rode on Gayle’s whirlwind knock to beat the Lions by 21 runs.

Prediction:

With the M Chinnaswamy pitch assisting the bowlers this season, a high-scoring encounter is unlikely. Out of the three matches that have been played so far at this venue, teams batting first have won twice while Mumbai Indians somehow managed to win the other one by chasing. Given the form of both the teams, it is a bit tough to predict the outcome, but Royal Challengers Bangalore are slight favourites to win the match.

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