The State of Play
The Rajasthan Royals are one of just two teams – along with the Kolkata Knight Riders – still with a 100 per cent win-rate in IPL 2024 and they will hope to maintain that record when they take on the struggling Royal Challengers Bengaluru tomorrow.
Strangely, for a team doing so well, they are still lacking contributions from some of their big-name players, in particular Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler.
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Neither opener has made a decent score so far with the unheralded Riyan Parag providing much of their batting spark. The 22 year-old hit 54 not out in their most recent win – a comfortable six-wicket triumph against the Mumbai Indians – to follow on from his brilliant 45-ball 84 in the 12-run victory over the Delhi Capitals and 43 in the opener against the Lucknow Super Giants.
Following the Indians game, Parag explained how getting back to basics was behind his improvement.
He said: “I have had three to four years of not performing at all. When you know you can do it and the results are not coming, you go back to the drawing board.
“I realised I wasn’t practising at this kind of level so I went and did that. I practised these kind of quick balls and these kind of scenarios a lot, hence the performances.”
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RCB are sitting at the other end of the table having won one of their opening four contests.
It has been a disappointing campaign so far for Faf du Plessis’ side with their lone bright spot being the form of Virat Kohli.
The former India captain leads the way in the battle for the Orange Cap – the award given to the top run-scorer – having made 203 runs from four innings at an average of 67.66.
Parag is his closest challenger, 22 runs back, and Australia batter Steve Smith feels it’s high time the likes of Du Plessis, Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell gave him more support.
Smith, in India working as part of the Star Sports team, told PTI: “He needs the other key batters to stand up with him, and if they do that, they can turn things around for their season. But, at the moment, they’re not so a lot of pressure is on Virat.
“He started the campaign really well in the IPL and he needs some support. He’s not going to score runs on every occasion.
“But, I doubt he’d be thinking that way. I don’t think he’d go out and put extra pressure on himself. He’d just go out and play and see what happens in that game.”
🔥 Big game ahead. ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/ygB9BKAyLH
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 4, 2024
Expected line-ups
Rajasthan Royals: Jaiswal, Buttler, Samson (c, wk), Parag, Ashwin, Jurel, Hetmeyer, Boult, Khan, Chahal, Burger
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Kohli, Du Plessis (c), Green, Maxwell, Patidar, Rawat (wk), Karthik, Joseph, Dagar, Siraj, Dayal
How to watch
Sky have the rights to show the IPL to UK viewers in 2024 and will broadcast every game live.
Saturday’s match will be shown on Sky Sports Cricket from 2.50pm BST.
In India, the games can be streamed on the Jio Cinema app and website. They are also available across the Star Sports Network.
That “sakkath shot guru” moment! 🤩👌#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/BWrNyejVvl
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) April 5, 2024
Prediction
Both sides have strong batting line-ups with one star performer on each. The match, therefore, may come down to the strength of the bowling attacks. And in that regard, you have to edge towards the Royals.
In Trent Boult, Nandre Burger, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin they have the experience and skill to trouble any line-up.
RCB’s Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph and Mayank Dagar will have to over-perform if they are to give their side a chance.
