IPL 10, Match 46, RCB vs KKR – Royal Challengers Bangalore Predicted XI

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have had a dismal run this season. They have been unable to get their act together and it is indeed disheartening to see a quality side like RCB fall apart like ten pins this time around. The 2016 finalists have already lost 10 matches this season and that is a testimony of how pathetic their run has been. As skipper Virat Kohli rightly noted, even they are failing to comprehend how can a side fail collectively on so many occasions.

Despite their poor run, the home crowd of the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru have been loyal fans. They have swarmed the stands and the sea of red has backed their team with chants of RCB everytime they have turned up at the venue. Well, the team now has a couple of games to play and have nothing but pride to play for.

With their next encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders being their last at Bengaluru this season, they would want to give their fans a perfect farewell gift. Moreover, they would want to seek revenge of the annihilation that the KKR had inflicted on them in the reverse fixture by bowling them out on 49. Perhaps it was the start of the downfall of the Royal Challengers Bangalore this year.

That said, here we look at the Predicted XI of Royal Challengers Bangalore for the RCB v KKR encounter:

Openers (Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle)

Skipper Virat Kohli is likely to return to the scheme of things at the opening slot yet again. Kohli has been underperforming this season and that is the reason the team has failed to get the starts that they got last time around. He has two fifties to his name in the season thus far but both in losing cause. Moreover, his average of 30 off is nowhere close to the massive numbers he is usually associated with.

On the other hand, Chris Gayle has failed to click this season. Barring one good show with the bat in IPL 10, the willow of the Big Jamaican has largely been quiet. Playing at Bengaluru will work in his favor and he is likely to retain his place in the lineup. Skipper Kohli had reflected that the West Indies batsman will surely be in the frame of things for the home fixtures.

Middle Order (AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Kedar Jadhav)

The middle-order woes do not seem to end for the RCB camp this year. AB de Villiers was the second leading run getter for them last year but has failed to hit the straps this time around. His failure with the bat has been hurting the RCB camp dearly. With just 206 runs in the 8 matches this season, the South African star is definitely due for a big score now.

Mandeep Singh has been on the fringes of the national side for quite some time. But it is his inconsistency with the bat that sees him miss out on most occasions. This season was a perfect example of the same. He has failed to score runs on a consistent basis. However, it was his fighting 46 in the previous game that might see him get another game this season.

Kedar Jadhav had a very poor show with the gloves in the previous game. He failed to read Yuzvendra Chahal’s deliveries and gave away free runs that hurt Royal Challengers Bangalore. With the bat, Jadhav has failed to get runs in the last few games and has not looked at his prime best.

All-rounders (Shane Watson, Pawan Negi)

On a low scoring Bengaluru track, Shane Watson proved to be the costliest bowler in the match against the Kings XI Punjab. He leaked in excess of 40 runs in the game which hurt the side dearly. With the bat, he failed to score runs yet again. Despite this, he might get another go riding on the experience factor that he brings to the table for the RCB camp.

Pawan Negi has arguably been the solitary bright spot for RCB this season. He has managed to bowl very economical spells in the last few matches. He has tried to make the most out of the opportunities that he has got. Moreover, if he clicks well with the bat now, he could make things perfect for himself on the personal front.

Bowlers (Aniket Choudhary, Yuzvendra Chahal, Samuel Badree, Sreenath Arvind)

RCB camp have two Indian pacers on the roster and both seem to be doing a decent job. They are not the most lethal of pace bowlers but have just managed to get the job done somehow. Aniket Choudhary and Sreenath Arvind have picked up wickets at frequent intervals and have been good with the new ball. However, the inability to pick wickets at will had been a negative remark for the Royal Challengers Bangalore pace attack.

Talking about the spin department, Yuzvendra Chahal and Samuel Badree have been doing a fantastic job with the ball. The two spinners have not only fetched wickets for the team but have managed to keep the run flow in check as well. It has always been the batting department that has let the bowling down. The two spinners will play a key role in this game as well.