IPL 2018: Match 45, DD vs RCB- Royal Challengers Bangalore Predicted XI

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) campaign has gone from bad to worse as the Indian Premier League (IPL) has progressed. They have made several changes in their lineup and have strained to make much impact. In the last match, they had the opportunity to turn over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel gave them the desired start, but somehow RCB managed to flounder.

Needless to say that their upcoming match against the Delhi Daredevils (DD) is a do or die encounter. Kohli’s boys would be well aware that they can’t allow any mishap. For the time being, let’s take you through their potential lineup against Shreyas Iyer’s men who are already evicted from the league.

Openers (Quinton de Kock, Parthiv Patel (wk))

The opening combination could be changed in the upcoming match. Quinton de Kock, who missed a couple of matches, might return to the eleven and is likely to open with Parthiv Patel. He has got the big scored reasonable scores under his belt, but couldn’t quite substantiate them enough. The onus will be on him to take RCB off to a steady start.

Parthiv Patel did well in the couple of earlier opportunities and he will be looking to replicate his touch. It will also be interesting to see who takes the gloves, provided Virat Kohli’s men plays both Parthiv and de Kock. The Challengers have had their fair share of issues with the batting lineup, but it’s high time that they hit their straps as its already late.

Middle-order (Manan Vohra, AB de Villiers (capt), Mandeep Singh)

The middle order has been a tad erratic in the last couple of games. Virat Kohli is unwell and might not take part in the match, which may turn out to be a massive blow to their chances of qualifying for the playoffs. AB de Villiers might take the mantle of leadership in that case. de Villiers made a comeback following a viral infection but hasn’t been in great form thereafter.

He already played match-winning knock against Delhi earlier in the event and will be itching to find his form and decimate the home team. Mandeep Singh has scored some useful runs lower down the order. Albeit he strained during RCB’s match against SRH, he has the potential to propel their score and give their bowlers a cushion of runs.

All-rounders (Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee)

Colin de Grandhomme has been phenomenal for the Challengers ever since he was roped in. He hasn’t got many chances to bat but has played cameos in the death overs. He couldn’t take Kohli’s men home in Hyderabad but batted well enough to keep the visitors in the hunt. His slow and wily medium pace has also been hard to get away.

Tim Southee, to some extent, has changed the complexion of the bowling and has emerged as one of RCB’s key bowlers. Meanwhile, the contributions he can make with the willow lower down the order can’t be undermined either.

Bowlers (Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Murugan Ashwin)

The bowlers have done a fairly decent job in the last three or four matches. Umesh Yadav along with Southee has been able to churn out wickets at crucial stages of a game. They have been able to maintain the pressure. However, on a batsman’s paradise like the Kotla, they will be in for a stern challenge as the track won’t have much to offer for them.

Yuzvendra Chahal hasn’t been overly impressive in the last few matches and has leaked runs at a fair clip, which is a worrying factor for the team. Murugan Ashwin might also get a chance in the eleven, bearing in mind the requirement of quality bowlers on a relatively flat pitch in Delhi.    

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