On May 4, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face reigning champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a group stage encounter at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune (Wednesday). While the Red Army is coming into the match after losing three consecutive games, the Yellow Army, led by MS Dhoni, just defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Both RCB and CSK have already met in the IPL 2022. It should be noted that the defending champions had defeated RCB by a large margin. On a different day, however, RCB will try to settle the scores and make a big return in the competition. Both teams appear to be formidable on paper, and it will be an interesting match between the tournament’s two heavyweights.
The match holds a lot of importance for both the teams as they still have a chance to get into the playoffs, and whoever wins this game will be that much closer to the promised land.
The match is scheduled to take place on the 4th of May, 2022 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium, Pune.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings Match 49 – Pitch Report
So far, the pitch at the MCA stadium has aided both batters and bowlers. Some great scores have been recorded in previous meetings, but new ball bowlers have also had an impact on the game. The captain who wins the toss will prefer to field first and chase the target afterward. Because it is an evening game, moisture may be an issue.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings Match 49 – Probable XI
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood
Chennai Super Kings
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Mitchell Santner/Dwayne Bravo, Dwaine Pretorius, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theekshana
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings Match 49 – Players to Watch
Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis, former CSK opener and current RCB skipper, would aim to make a statement against his former team by doing well with the bat. Du Plessis has scored some key runs for his team in recent matches, but he has not been at his best. The right-handed batter will aim to hit a massive home run for his club and put two important points on the board.
Virat Kohli
The former RCB skipper finally got himself a decent score in the last game, albeit it came in a losing cause. He seems to be finding his touch and with this game being a must-win for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he will be looking to prove to everyone why he is one of the best in the business. The derby game has seen some incredible performances from Kohli over the years, and we expect him to put in a shift in this game as well.
Mukesh Choudhary
Mukesh Choudhary, the pacer, was outstanding in his previous outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The left-arm bowler took four vital wickets for his team. He was, however, fairly costly in that encounter, conceding 46 runs in four overs. Taking the new ball, the 25-year-old will look to demolish the RCB top order in the next game.
Ravindra Jadeja
The all-rounder has not really peaked in the tournament due to captaincy pressure, but now that the leadership is back with MSD, Jadeja will be looking to get back into form and start picking wickets and slamming those runs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings Match 49 – Fantasy Lineup No.1
Wicket Keeper – Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni
Batters – Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Devon Conway
All-Rounders – Ravindra Jadeja, Glenn Maxwell
Bowlers – Dwayne Bravo, Mukesh Choudhary, Harshal Patel
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings Match 49 – Fantasy Lineup No.2
Wicket Keeper – Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat, MS Dhoni
Batters – Faf du Plessis (c), Ambati Rayudu, Virat Kohli
All-Rounders – Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Shahbaz Ahmed
Bowlers – Harshal Patel, Dwayne Bravo, Mukesh Choudhary
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings Match 49 – Predicted Winner
The two teams will be going at it from the word go, but we predict a win for the Chennai Super Kings.