Delhi Daredevils (DD) which became the first team to get out of playoffs race will host Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 45th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. Thus, the hosts will try to play a killjoy role – to the Bangalore’s playoffs hopes.
Both of these teams are at the bottom of the points table and thus it is going to be a wooden spoon contest.
Royal Challengers are still somehow breathing in the tournament but there isn’t going to be second chance or so if they went on to lose Saturday’s encounter.
Do or Die Situation for the RCB –
There are doubts over the fitness of RCB skipper Virat Kohli but the must-win encounter will force the captain – to take the field even if he is not completely fit.
Furthermore, wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock is expected to return to the playing XI as he is back to India.
For Daredevils, it is once again an early exit from the IPL. They once again had a young squad and it was not able to live up to the standards.
Meanwhile, success in the last three games can do them a world of good.
Delhi is already out of the tournament.
Rishabh Pant is the biggest positive for them and the southpaw played one of the best knocks in this IPL season when he registered a ton in the previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Prithvi Shaw is also given the opportunity and the youngster has grabbed the chance with both of his hands.
Quick Read: IPL 2018: Rishabh Pant Thanks Fans After His Maiden IPL Century
Bangalore’s bowling is their Achilles Heel in this season. However, it was the batting line-up that had let them down in the last match against SRH.
Successful teams need a collective effort from all the three departments and RCB has failed to deliver a complete performance.
Pitch Report:
The Delhi Pitch is expected to provide assistance to the spinners. But as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium has small boundaries, the spinners can also go for plenty.
Weather Forecast:
It is going to be another hot evening in national capital Delhi. Temperature is going to hover around 40-degree Celsius. There is no forecast of rain whatsoever.
Head-to-Head Record –
Royal Challengers has dominated while playing against Daredevils. The Bengaluru-based outfit has won 13 matches whereas, Delhi has won only six games.
Furthermore, RCB continues its supremacy against Delhi at latter’s home ground as they have won five while Delhi has won only two.
Delhi Daredevils Predicted XI: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Harshal Patel, Trent Boult, and Shahbaz Nadeem.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Predicted XI: Quinton de Kock, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mohammad Siraj.
Quick Read: We threw it away and deserve to lose this game says, Virat Kohli