Struggling teams to clash in batting paradise
Match facts
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)
Big picture
The tournament is reaching the stage when the stragglers begin to get twitchy. Time is beginning to run out for the low-placed teams on the points table. With five losses out of seven and six losses out of nine respectively, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rising Pune Supergiants are both in that boat. When they meet at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday afternoon, one of them will sink further, while the other will seize a lifeline to clamber onto a steadier ship.
Royal Challengers face a familiar set of worries. It seems as if whatever combination of bowlers they play, the results are depressingly poor. In their last match, against Kolkata Knight Riders, it was their most reliable bowlers to date, Shane Watson and Tabraiz Shamsi, who were taken apart, between them leaking 89 runs in seven overs. The side wasn't helped either by a stream of wides, wicketkeeping errors and missed chances. Unless they can tighten up their act with the ball and in the field, their glittering batting line-up will continue to struggle to get them out of jail.
Supergiants will take heart from their win over Delhi Daredevils, despite the latter's eyebrow-raising selections, sloppy errors and questionable decision-making. Ajinkya Rahane continues to be a rock at the top of the order, while the addition of Usman Khawaja and George Bailey should bolster the rest of the batting. MS Dhoni is showing signs of form, while Rajat Bhatia and Scott Boland have had a good couple of games with the ball. These are certainly grounds for modest optimism.
Having said that, Supergiants' bowling has not been too flash either. The fast bowlers have been expensive, while the spinners have struggled to take wickets. As two weak bowling teams tussle in a batting paradise, a run-fest may well be on offer.
Form guide
Royal Challengers Bangalore LLLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Rising Pune Supergiants WLLWL
In the spotlight
Stuart Binny was Royal Challengers' surprise package in their previous game. He followed a hard-hitting cameo with an impressive display of swing bowling up front. It is the latter skill that will most interest his captain. If he can replicate that display against Supergiants, he will certainly be a handful. He may even get his full quota of overs this time.
In a rather shaky bowling attack, Ashok Dinda and Rajat Bhatia could hold the key for Supergiants. Dinda has bowled well with the new ball and has picked up a number of wickets. His strike rate of 12.8 is the second best among bowlers who have bowled at least 10 overs this season. Early wickets against a top-heavy Royal Challengers' batting order could be invaluable in limiting the final score. Equally important will be Bhatia's contribution in the middle overs. His slow, wicket-to-wicket cutters have been difficult to get away, leaving him with an economy rate of 6.40. Will he be able to effect such strangulation at the Chinnaswamy?
Team news
Royal Challengers' top six looks good and doesn't seem in obvious need of changes. On the bowling front, given Shamsi's struggles in his last match and the small boundaries at the Chinnaswamy, they may consider handing Chris Jordan an IPL debut.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable): 1 KL Rahul (wk), 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Shane Watson, 6 Sachin Baby, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Varun Aaron, 10 S Aravind, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal
Rising Pune Supergiants do not seem to have a compelling reason to change their successful XI from the previous match.
Rising Pune Supergiants (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Saurabh Tiwary, 4 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 5 George Bailey, 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Scott Boland, 9 R Ashwin, 10 M Ashwin, 11 Ashok Dinda
Pitch and conditions
The Chinnaswamy Stadium has produced plenty of runs this season, with its short boundaries and batting-friendly tracks. The pitch for the previous match seemed a bit stickier than usual, but still yielded over 370 runs and a successful chase. Another feast for the batsmen might well be on the cards. Since this is an afternoon match, there won't be as much of an advantage for the chasing team. There is a chance of scattered showers, though.
Stats and trivia
- Royal Challengers' economy rate of 9.31 is the worst of all teams in this IPL.
- Usman Khawaja played just four matches in the 2015-16 Big Bash League, but still finished as the second-highest run-scorer, with 345 runs including two centuries.
Sirish Raghavan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo