[[{“value”:”
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are desperate for a home win. Rajasthan Royals are desperate for a win, period. How this collective desperation will unravel at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday night is anybody’s guess.
For all their successes away — Rajat Patidar’s men have won all five games on the road — RCB have failed to impose themselves in their backyard, their formidable batting line-up coming seriously unstuck in less than ideal batting conditions. Scores of 169 and 163 in their two opening games against Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals respectively were followed up by 95-9 in a rain-hit 14-over encounter against Punjab Kings last week when they got the rough end of the stick, asked to bat first on a surface that had sweated under the covers for long.
Pitch may suit batters
There could be some consolation in store for them on Thursday. Rahul Dravid, the RR head coach who knows the Chinnaswamy better than most, suggested that the track for this all-important game will most likely be the best batting surface at this venue, which should be music to the ears of a powerful unit helmed by the in-form Virat Kohli which boasts plenty of firepower right until No. 8.
Having lost on Friday to PBKS here, RCB got their own back on Sunday in Mullanpur with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory. They have already brushed RR aside in this tournament previously, winning by nine wickets in Jaipur 10 days back, and therefore will be quietly confident of breaking their home duck as they attempt to sustain their push for a place in the top four and, consequently, the playoffs.
RR have had a terrible campaign. Where RCB have won five of eight games, the 2008 champions have won just two outings (also out of eight) and are sitting on a four-match losing streak. As if that weren’t bad enough, they will again be without designated skipper Sanju Samson, who is nursing a side injury and hasn’t made the trip to Bangalore from Jaipur.
Riyan Parag, therefore, faces the unenviable task of geeing up his troops as his side approaches the point of no return. Parag is rated highly as a batter and a tactician and Dravid threw his lot behind the young man, but the time for platitudes and shows of confidence is almost over. It’s now about how Parag is able to get the best out of his boys. RR have lost more than one tight finish, including in the Super Over to Delhi Capitals last week, and must believe that their luck will change sooner rather than later.
Teen Vaibhav in spotlight
Yashasvi Jaiswal has hit a rich vein of form and will need more sustained support from Parag and Shimron Hetmyer. But more than him, his fellow left-handed opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi will be the cynosure. The 14-year-old sparkled on debut in the last game with a 20-ball 34 against Lucknow Super Giants and will be determined to leave a lasting impression on Kohli, if no one else.
RCB were undone previously at the Chinnaswamy this year by Prodigal Sons Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul and Yuzvendra Chahal respectively. RR boast former RCB boys Hetmyer and Wanindu Hasaranga, apart from Dravid himself.
Ominous, anyone?
“}]]
