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The 49th match of the Indian Premier League 2022 will witness two of the most popular franchises. RCB and CSK go head to head at MCA Stadium in Pune on May 4. Both the teams are placed outside the top four and will be desperate for a win.
The Royal Challengers had a good start to their campaign but have now lost three of their last games on the trot. They have played 10 matches this season, winning five and losing as many with net run-rate reading -0.558. In their most recent fixture, they lost a close contest by six wickets against Gujarat Titans at Brabourne Stadium.
Virat Kohli got back among runs with a fifty but couldn’t quite score at a good rate. Rajat Patidar played an excellent knock of 32-ball 52 while Glenn Maxwell smashed 33 off 18 to take the team to 170/6. RCB spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed picked two wickets each, but the no-show from pacers meant they conceded 71 runs in the last six overs.
The Super Kings had a disastrous first half of the ongoing campaign, after which they saw a change in leadership with MS Dhoni taking back the reins from Ravindra Jadeja. CSK lost their first four games but have managed to stay in the playoffs race marginally with three wins in the last five. Dhoni led the side to a 13-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last fixture in Pune.
Ruturaj Gaikwad returned to form with a magnificent 99 off 57, while Devon Conway scored 85* off 55. The duo added 182-run partnership for the opening wicket as CSK posted 202/2 in their 20 overs. Maheesh Theekshana and Jadeja conceded just 41 runs in seven overs while Mukesh Choudhary picked four wickets as Chennai registered their third victory.
Key players
After an awful start to the season, Ruturaj Gaikwad returned to form in a terrific style, smashing 57-ball 99 against Sunrisers. His overall numbers in the IPL are impressive, having scored 1076 runs at an average of nearly 40 while striking at 133.
Maheesh Theekshana has impeccable control over his line and lengths. The mystery spinner rarely missed his mark and has been very impressive this season. The CSK man has picked eight wickets in six games in the season at an economy of 7.54. Theekshana had picked 4/33 the last time these two teams met.
Glenn Maxwell is one of the best T20 batters in world cricket, and his game against spin makes him a key player against CSK.
The Australian has scored 157 runs in seven innings in the IPL 2022 at an average of 26 while striking at an excellent 178. He has registered one fifty in the tournament and is coming off 18-ball 33.
Over the last year, Josh Hazlewood has evolved into a fine T20 bowler. His new ball skill set makes him an important player in the fixture versus the Super Kings. The Aussie quick has picked 10 wickets from six games in the IPL 2022 at an economy of 7.64, with best figures of 4/25.
Prediction
H2H: The Men in Yellow have dominated the rivalry with 20 out 30 victories compared to nine by RCB. In the last five meetings, CSK lead the scoreline by 4-1. In their previous clash earlier in the season, CSK had defeated an in-form RCB by 23 runs at DY Patil Stadium. RCB would want to settle the scores and get back to winning ways.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have a few issues in their side, starting from the form of their top order. Rajat Patidar looked good in the last game, but Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed have gone cold in the last couple of games after a great start to the season. The bowling unit looks good on paper, but the form of Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel could be a concern.
CSK seem to have found the mojo, especially with Gaikwad and Conway finding form at the top. Their lower middle order is still a bit shaky, and so is their bowling attack. Theekshana has been excellent, but others have been expensive. Dwayne Bravo missed the last game due to an injury, he should bolster the attack if he’s fit.
Overall, nothing much to separate the two sides. But history suggests the yellow army has never found it hard to defeat the Bangalore side. Especially with three spinners in the side, CSK should make RCB batters’ life difficult. Expect Chennai to come out on top in the upcoming fixture.
