Both RCB and CSK have been two of the best performing sides in the tournament so far. While RCB are still unbeaten after four games, CSK have won three out of their four matches, going down only to Delhi Capitals (DC) in the opener, and have been highly efficient with their all round game.
In the last match, RCB were completely dominant, trouncing a hapless Rajasthan Royals by 10 wickets. Young opener Devdutt Padikkal notched up his maiden IPL with a sizzling batting show while Virat Kohli chipped in with an aggressive half-century of his own, happy to play the second fiddle to Padikkal. AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell have also displayed awesome form for RCB. But the flip side to it is that the middle and lower-order is yet to be tested.
In the bowling department, the pace duo of Kyle Jamieson and Harshal Patel has been highly impressive. Both have been able to pick up wickets at crucial intervals. Washington Sundar has not had to do a lot so it remains to be seen how Kohli utilizes him. Also, after a lull, experienced leggie Yuzvendra Chahal seems to be finding some form, which augurs well for RCB.
CSK were excellent with the bat against KKR. The big positive from the win was the return to form of Ruturaj Gaikwad after three consecutive failures. Gaikwad looked in fine form against Kolkata and featured in a sizzling century stand with Faf du Plessis. The veteran South African proved that he can still be extremely dangerous in the T20 format. Moeen Ali has continued to do a good job for CSK at number three. The middle and lower-order remains a concern, with runs not coming consistently.
Among CSK’s bowlers, Deepak Chahar has been excellent with his wicket-taking ability. He picked up his second four-wicket haul in the win over KKR. Sam Curran and Shardul Thakur went for a few runs towards the end as KKR went on the attack. The form of Thakur might start worrying CSK as he hasn’t been getting the wickets and has bee highly expensive as well.
Predicted XIs
CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (C and WK), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar
RCB: Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Shahbaz Ahmed, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Siraj
--Renin Wilben Albert
