IPL 2021: Match 52 RCB vs SRH Preview, Playing XI, Live Streaming Details & Updates

Can SRH spoil RCB’s chances of a finish inside the top two, or will the RCB side breeze past the ‘Orange Army’?

Published - 05 Oct 2021, 17:44 IST | Updated - 05 Oct 2021, 17:44 IST

2 Min Read

As the league stage of the 2021 IPL season trickles down to its end, two teams for whom the 52nd match of the tournament will have contrasting repercussions will collide with each other. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have experienced starkly different campaigns in the IPL this year.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) side is placed at the last spot in the points table and has accumulated just 4 points in 12 matches. A win or a loss against RCB will make no difference to their playoff chances or their standing in the tournament. Even if they win their remaining two league matches, they will continue to occupy the last place in the points table.

The ‘Orange Army’ has not been able to fire as a cohesive unit this year. In their last 2 matches, SRH have failed to get past the 140-run mark with the bat, and their bowlers have also taken only 8 wickets in their last 2 encounters put together. None of their batsmen find their names in the list of top 15 highest run-scorers in the tournament, and only one bowler (Rashid Khan) from their team finds his name in the top 15 highest wicket-takers list.

In their previous match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Hyderabad side posted a paltry total of 115/8, and the Eoin Morgan-led side chased down the target with 6 wickets to spare.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side has performed in scintillating fashion this year. The Virat Kohli-led side has now posted 3 wins on the trot and has performed well with both bat and ball. Their openers, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli have been in good form, and both average above 30 in IPL 2021.

Glenn Maxwell has set the stage on fire and has plundered 407 runs at a fearsome strike rate of 145.36. Srikar Bharat has stepped up and played valuable knocks as well. On the bowling front, Harshal Patel has been exceptional.

The right arm pacer has sliced through the opposition batting line ups, and is currently the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2021, having scalped a whopping 26 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 14.35.

Senior spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has also bamboozled batsmen and has prized out 14 willow wielders in the tournament. In their previous match, the RCB side produced a superb performance, held their nerve, and got the better of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) side by just 6 runs.

A top-two finish is still not out of reach for the RCB side, and Virat Kohli has already told that his boys will play fearless cricket. And, when a team that is firing starts playing fearlessly, it is tough to stop them. Can SRH spoil RCB’s chances of a finish inside the top two, or will the RCB side breeze past the ‘Orange Army’?

Pitch and Conditions

The pitch at Abu Dhabi is a good one for batting. In the previous match that was played at this ground, a total of 379 runs were scored in just 37.3 overs. Once batsmen get set on this pitch, they can make merry.

Playing Combinations for RCB vs SRH

Royal Challengers Bangalore

There is absolutely no need for the RCB side to tinker with their winning combination. They will field the same XI from their previous match.

Predicted XI: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat (wk), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Daniel Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj

Sunrisers Hyderabad

The SRH side is also likely to go in with the same playing XI from their previous rubber.

Predicted XI: Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Umran Malik