IPL 2018: Match 53, Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore– Expectation vs Reality

With just 4 matches to go before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 reaches its play-offs stage, the excitement is mounting with every passing match. Five teams are in contention for the last two playoff slots and Saturday’s first match will find two of them facing off against each other. It’ll be the Rajasthan Royals (RR) versus the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Both teams have 12 points to their name, with RCB having a slight edge over the other in terms of the Net Run Rate (NRR). However, this particular encounter, which will take place at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, will be a must-win for both sides if they’re to make it to the playoffs. Before the real action commences, let’s take a sneak peek at what we’re expecting from the game.

Virat Kohli to produce his best knock of the season

How many times have we seen Virat Kohli step up his game when his team needs him the most? The match against RR will be absolutely make or break for RCB and Kohli can be expected to unleash the best of his batting skills to take his team over the line. He’s already promoted himself up the order to open the batting for his side in the last two matches and that seems to be working for RCB.

Currently, the 29 year-old has 526 runs in IPL 2018 and recently achieved the feat of being the first batsman to score 500+ runs for a franchise in five seasons. The last match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) saw him get outfoxed by Rashid Khan, who bowled him out, leaving Kohli absolutely livid. The RCB skipper will look to provide able support to Parthiv Patel and AB de Villiers and put up a mammoth innings to aid his team’s cause.

Jaydev Unadkat to deliver with the ball

Pacer Jaydev Unadkat is an experienced hand when it comes to raking up wickets. Having been bought by the RR as the costliest Indian player of the 2018 IPL auctions at INR 11.5 crores, he’s done moderately well with the ball and his 26-run innings off 18 balls against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has shown that he can bat a fair bit too.

With 9 wickets in 13 matches, Unadkat can be expected to provide assistance to Jofra Archer in the pace department and work in tandem with him to get the RCB batsmen out. If RR are to win the match, they’ll have to exploit the home conditions in what could well be their last match of the season if they don’t promptly dismiss the top order of the batting-heavy RCB side.

Here’s the reality right after the match..

Tripathi sets up the total

Rhul Tripathi batted magnificently for his team in the must-win game and his unbeaten 80-run knock helped them post a good total on the board. He was well supported by Ajinkya Rahane and Heinrich Klaasen who even as Umesh Yadav bowled brilliantly for RCB. But the final flourish was provided by Krishnappa Gowtham as the Royals scored 3 sixes and a four n the last couple of overs which propelled the total to 164 runs on a slow wicket.

Leggies spin the web

The chase was always going to be challenging for the visitors as they lost their skipper Virat Kohli early. But AB de Villiers and Parthiv Patel stitched a decent stand of more than 50 runs to keep them ahead in the chase. The former also smashed a half-century only to see the batsmen around him capitulate. Soon he was also dismissed by the hero of the day Shreyas Gopal. He bowled brilliantly and returned with the figures of 4/16 as the RCB were bundled out for 134 from being comfortably placed at 75/1 at one stage.

Royals are still in the hunt for the playoffs and would want other results to go their way even as Virat Kohli and his men have been knocked out.

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