RCB VS DC
Match Preview
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 56th and final group stage match of the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 on Friday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. It is one of two matches that will be played simultaneously on Friday evening, with Mumbai Indians (MI) taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the other.
RCB are coming into this game off a narrow four-run defeat to SRH, while DC beat CSK by three wickets in their last game. DC have sealed their place in the top two, and will feature in Qualifier 1. Therefore, they could use this game to rest some of their key players. RCB, meanwhile, have a theoretical chance of making the top-two. But that has mostly been dented by their unexpected defeat to SRH.
RCB's middle overs and death bowling has been their biggest strength this season, with Harshal Patel at the forefront of it. His excellent season has overshadowed the contributions of Yuzvendra Chahal and Shahbaz Ahmed. The all-rounder has performed a role similar to Washington Sundar's and has bowled at all stages of the game, restricting the run flow and picking up some key wickets.
Glenn Maxwell has delivered on the enormous expectations on him, producing an excellent season so far. He has had a clear role in the team, and has batted with both responsibility and freedom.
Knowing that AB De Villiers is behind him at No.5, Maxwell has had the cushion to play his natural game. Signing Maxwell was one of RCB's biggest successes last season, especially considering his poor IPL 2020 campaign. He'll continue to be their X-factor in the playoffs and in this match as well.
DC, meanwhile, have had one of the most balanced squads this season. Axar Patel and R Ashwin have done an excellent job in the spin-bowling department. Avesh Khan is one of the best uncapped players in the league, and has combined well with Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.
Their batting line-up has been strengthened by Shreyas Iyer's return, with Shimron Hetmyer settling into his own as a finisher. Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan were in great form in the first leg, but are yet to come into their own in the UAE. Nevertheless, DC are among the most complete sides in the tournament and are one of the favourites to win the title.
The last time these sides met, DC fell agonisingly short of their target, losing by a solitary run, despite a Shimron Hetmyer blitzkrieg and a Rishabh Pant half-century. They'll look to get some wind behind their sails ahead of the playoffs, while RCB will also look to do the same.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Devdutt Padikkal: He may have endured an extremely poor outing in the last game – 41 off 52 balls – but he is too good a batter to not stage a comeback. His record vs DC: 71 runs in 3 innings at 23.7 and a strike rate of 116.4 with 1 50+ score.
Virat Kohli: The skipper missed out in the last game after having started off with a sumptuous cover drive. His record vs DC: 933 runs in 24 innings at an average of 58.31 and a strike rate of 137.61 with 2 50+ scores.
Glenn Maxwell: The swashbuckler missed out on scoring his fourth consecutive 50+ score in the last game thanks to an unfortunate run out. He scored a whirlwind 25-ball 40.
Maxwell has thus far racked up 447 in 12 innings at an average of 40.64 and a strike rate of 146.56 with 5 50+ scores.
AB de Villiers: He may not be at his best in the UAE leg this far but write off ABD at your own peril. He smashed an unbeaten 42-ball 75 in his last outing against DC. De Villiers record against Delhi: 549 runs in 14 innings at an average of 61 and a strike rate of 165.86.
Harshal Patel: The right-arm seamer is taking wickets for fun this season. He claimed another three-wicket haul in the last game to become the most successful Indian bowler across all IPL seasons.
Patel claimed 2/37 in his last outing against Delhi earlier this season.
Yuzvendra Chahal: The veteran leg-spinner has claimed 11 wickets in six outings in the UAE leg. His record vs DC: 14 wickets in 14 games at an average of 27.29.
Team news:- Gorge Garton expensive in last match so there is a high chance that K jemienson will be get a Chance.
Probable XI
Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat (wk), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Daniel Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, Kyle Jamieson/George Garton, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj
Delhi Capitals:
Shikhar Dhawan: The veteran southpaw scored a 35-ball 39 in the last game but failed to stay till the end. His record for DC vs RCB: 208 runs in 7 innings at 34.67 and a strike rate of 130.
Shreyas Iyer: The former skipper has looked the best of the lot on sluggish UAE pitches. In five games, he has scored 126 runs at an average of 42.
His record vs RCB: 273 runs in 10 innings at an average of 27.3 and a strike rate of 119.7.
Rishabh Pant: The skipper has looked fidgety at the crease during the second leg and he would be looking to make an impact in the forthcoming game.
Pant had a nightmarish outing against RCB earlier this year as he failed to close out the game despite staying (58* off 48) unbeaten till the end. His record vs RCB: 377 runs in 10 innings at an average of 47.1 and a strike rate of 147.8 with 4 50+ scores.
Shimron Hetmyer: The West Indian has chipped in with brisk cameos in the end. He scored an unbeaten 28 off 18 in the last game to seal the deal for DC. His record vs RCB: 64 runs in two innings at a strike rate of 200.
Axar Patel: The left-arm orthodox has been sensational on slow tracks in Dubai and Sharjah. He claimed the ‘Player Of the Match’ award for registering figures of 2/18 in 4 overs.
His record in Dubai: 10 wickets in 11 innings at 23.8.
Avesh Khan: The uncapped pacer has been quite a revelation this season. In 13 games, he has claimed 22 wickets at an average of 15.91.
Team news :- Umesh Yadav and Sam Billings might get a chance in Place of R Patel and Avesh Khan
Probable XI
Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (c,wk), Sam Billings/Ripal Patel, Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan/Umesh Yadav, Anrich Nortje.
Stats and Facts
Both sides have locked horns 27 times with RCB leading the ledger 16-10.
DC won their previous encounter against RCB in Dubai.
RCB won the cliffhanger against DC in their previous meeting earlier this year.
RCB and DC have won each of their past two fixtures in Dubai.
Virat Kohli (933) has scored the most runs in DC-RCB encounters while Yuzvendra Chahal has claimed most number of wickets (14).
Pitch report
The pitch at the Dubai International Stadium has been slow and sluggish and much of the same is expected on Friday.
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