Desperate Bangalore in must-win scenario

Match facts

Saturday October 17
Start time 20.00 (14.30 GMT)

Big Picture

Delhi Daredevils are at a slight advantage even before their first game of the league stage as their opponents, Royal Challengers Bangalore, must win to stay in the tournament. Bangalore's capitulation to Victoria on Thursday means they must beat Delhi and hope Victoria and Delhi both beat Cape Cobras. Delhi aren't all that better off, though; they have a negative run-rate, marginally better than Bangalore's, and will need to win both their games to be well-placed for the semis.

All of which means that, whatever the result of this game, it is possible no IPL team advances to the semi-finals of the Champions League Twenty20. That should not detract from the atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where a large crowd is expected on Diwali night to watch the last tournament fixture in this city - and perhaps the first and last time in this tournament that two IPL teams play each other. Nothing may be going right for them but Bangalore can at least expect a partisan crowd supporting their efforts.

Delhi play their first away game of the tournament and their explosive top order will relish getting away from the sluggish Feroz Shah Kotla pitch and on to a venue where the home side scored 188 for 2 earlier this week. That said, the Chinnaswamy isn't entirely seamer-friendly so the two sides will hope their openers give them a frenetic start. Mark Boucher, the Bangalore wicket keeper, predicted that as the tournament went on the track would get slower and scores would be disappointingly smaller.

Watch out for

Glenn McGrath: After being benched for all the games in the IPL, McGrath finally donned the Delhi uniform against Wayamba and took two wickets in his second over, bowling just outside off and getting the ball to dart in - as if he had never been away.

Ross Taylor and Manish Pandey: With Jacques Kallis doubtful because of injury, Bangalore's batting will rely on their young opener Pandey - who scored 39 off 28 against Victoria - and middle-order batsman Taylor, who has a strike-rate of 153.28 in domestic Twenty20s.

Rahul Dravid: This may be one of his final limited-overs matches on the big stage after he was dropped from India's one-day squad.

Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag: Fireworks are always expected from the Delhi duo and now, in the company of Tillakaratne Dilshan, they will be looking to explode and light up Diwali night for their side.

Quotes

"In Twenty20 cricket you want high-scoring games and the format is basically designed for batsmen to come and smash the ball… that is what crowd come to witness. Hopefully they can get the wickets right. I am not sure why they are not using the other wicket, which I think they would know better."
Bangalore wicketkeeper Mark Boucher on the use of slow wickets in Bangalore

After seeing yesterday's match, it seems that it will favour the seamers if they drop the pace a little bit. It probably it suits our attack a little bit as well.
Delhi coach David Saker isn't complaining too much about the pitch