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170-run mark. Earlier, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost Virat Kohli for 18 after a steady start in the Powerplay. KM Asif landed the first blow.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat first against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. RCB have benched Josh Hazlewood and Wanindu Hasaranga. They have included Wayne Parnell and Michael Bracewell into their playing XI.
RR have made one change as well. The hosts have replaced Trent Boult with Adam Zampa.
The Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore will be up against each other at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur in what will be the battle of equals in IPL 2023. It’s a must-win game for both sides as they have 10 points in their kitty and cannot afford to lose a single game from here on if they want to acquire a playoff berth.
The Rajasthan Royals have been in great form lately. They returned to winning ways with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday after three consecutive defeats, courtesy of Jaiswal’s 47-ball 98 and skipper Sanju Samson’s 48 off 29 deliveries while chasing a modest 150-run target. While Jos Buttler failed against KKR, he remains a big threat alongside Jaiswal at the top of the order for the Royals.
RR’s middle-order too looks pretty strong in the presence of Joe Root, Druv Jurel, and Shimron Hetmyer. On the bowling front, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal shone brightly against KKR with brilliant figures of 4/25, New Zealand quick Trent Boult has been steady upfront and returned with two wickets in their last match.
RCB, on the other hand, lost their last two games against Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians and would be desperate to turn the tables around with a comprehensive win. While du Plessis has been consistent with the bat throughout the tournament so far, Virat Kohli has sparkled in patches and RCB need both batters to fire at the top to provide them a good start.
Australian Glenn Maxwell, of late, has shown great form with the bat for RCB but he would be looking for more support from the likes of Mahipal Lomror, Anuj Rawat, and Dinesh Karthik.
Mohammed Siraj has been the spearhead for RCB in the bowling department and has emerged as the most successful bowler for the team with 15 wickets from 11 games. But Siraj needs support from the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, and Vijaykumar Vyshak to contain RR.