Both the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are coming into this RCB vs CSK face-off on the back of their 47-run and five-wicket victory over the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) respectively. It’s a virtual knockout of the IPL 2024, as the winning side will fill the last spot in the playoff team.
Batting in the middle overs (7-15) gives the team a chance to get the momentum to put up a huge score at the end. RCB has been excellent in this prospect before the RCB vs CSK clashes with a strike rate of 145.68, the third-highest of all the ten teams in the IPL 2024. They have smashed 1011 runs in 13 innings of the middle overs, losing 34 wickets, besides smocking 59 fours and 58 sixes in this period.
When it comes to the middle over batting of the CSK, they have been struggling with the second-best strike rate of 133.90 in this period, as they have pocketed 940 runs in 13 innings, losing 30 wickets, to score 65 boundaries and 38 sixes in this duration. Before the RCB vs CSK fixture, apart from Shivam Dube, most of the CSK batters have looked below par in this period.
IPL 2024: RCB vs CSK Playing 11- Match 68
With the England players flying out for their home country to take part in a T20I series, both Will Jacks and Reece Tropley won’t be available for the rest of the tournament.
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RCB Playing 11:
Virat Kohli is the highest run-getter in the 17th season of the tournament, with 661 runs in 13 innings at an average of 66.10 and a strike rate of 155.16, with five half-centuries and one hundred. Their captain, after a dismal start in the IPL 2024, has nailed 367 runs in 13 innings before the RCB vs CSK head-to-head, with an average of 28.243 and a strike rate of 168.34 with three fifties.
Rajat Patidar has looked in prime touch with 320 runs in 11 innings at an average of 29.09 and a strike rate of nearly 180, as his five half-centuries have shown how destructive he could be against the spinners, and that’s a huge upper hand for the RCB side, going into the RCB vs CSK encounter.
When it comes to the bowling department, RCB have struggled a little with Yash Dayal being their top wicket taker with 13 scalps at an economy of 8.80. Mohmmad Siraj too has developed his bowling with 12 scalps in 12 innings at an economy of 9.30, going into the RCB vs CSK face-off.
RCB’s line-up vs CSK: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Cameron Green, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk.), Mahipal Lomror, Swapnil Singh, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal. (Impact Sub: Lockie Ferguson).
CSK’s Playing 11:
The Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been in cracking touch, being the second-highest run-getter of the season with 583 runs in 13 innings at an average of 58.30 and a strike rate of 141.50 with four fifties and one century. Shivam Dube is the second-highest run-getter for CSK in IPL 2024, ahead of the RCB vs CSK encounter with 389 runs at a strike rate of close to 170.
Daryl Mitchell has come up with form this season with 314 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 144.70, with a couple of half-centuries in this IPL 2024. CSK won’t get the services of Moeen Ali, who too has gone back home for national duties.
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In the bowling department, Tushar Deshpande has developed his skills for taking 16 wickets in 12 innings at an economy of 8.52. The return of both Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman have gone back home, and CSK have been missing their services too before the RCB vs CSK face-off.
CSK’s line-up vs RCB: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rachin Ravindra, Shivam Dube, Sameer Rizvi, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk.), Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Simarjeet Singh. (Impact Sub: Richard Gleeson).
The RCB vs CSK game will take place on May 18, 2024, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.