Rajasthan Royals will host the Royal Challengers Bangalore in another match of the ongoing Indian Premier League. Both the teams would be surprised with the fact where stand on the points. The underdogs Royals are second from the top, whereas the fancied and last year’s finalist Royal Challengers Bangalore are second from the bottom.
The last time the two teams met Royals outplayed the Challengers at their home ground and it will be a battle of equals as this time around the Royals will face their more fancied opponent’s in their den. RCB is coming into the match on the back of some solid performance in the past two matches and will be looking to quickly move to the top half of the points table.
The Jaipur crowd will be in for a treat as both the teams have got some star players in their ranks, let’s have a look at some of them:
Rajasthan Royals:
Ashok Menaria: He has been in top form in the domestic circuit and has played some decent little innings for the Royals. The local boy will be looking to stamp his authority and will be itching to make a contribution to his team’s win. He has the ability to hit some lusty blows.
Ajinkya Rahane: The holder of the orange cap is going through a great patch. He is hitting the ball cleanly and his stroke-play is simply awesome to watch. Rahane is trying to make a point to the national selectors and will be looking to give them enough reasons to pick him.
Brad Hogg: He has bowled well in all the matches that he has played in and once again a lot will be expected from this wily character. He likes bowling to tough players and his battle with Chris Gayle can be very interesting.
Kevon Cooper: He is the highest wicket taker for the Royals and has proven his worth with the bat as well. He has not played all the matches but has performed in every match that he has played. Copper with his medium pace can be very difficult to hit.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Chris Gayle: He has once again found the touch that took RCB to the last year’s final. He looks focused and is looking as dangerous as he ever. Gayle has already won RCB some matches and a lot will depend on him this time as well.
AB de Villiers: He has been a key figure in the previous two run-chase of RCB. He is a tremendous finisher and hits the ball in most unexpected areas. The South African captain can make anything possible with his skills and is one of the biggest threats in this Bangalore team.
Zaheer Khan: He has been bowling well from the past few matches and will once again lead the bowling attack. His other new ball partners have let him down in the past and that puts huge responsibility on his shoulders. Zaheer will be looking to make early in-roads in Royals’ batting line-up.
Chris Gayle: We all know what he can do with the bat, but he is very effective even when it comes to bowling. He has bowled some crucial spells both for his national team and his franchise. Gayle is a smart cricketer and can produce some good Yorkers when needed.
By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News
