In this year’s IPL playoff Faf’s Royal Challengers Bangalore confronted KL Rahul’s Lucknow Supergiants as RBC defeated them in a high scoring encounter. Established in 2021 Lucknow franchise is one of the newest additions to TATA IPL besides Gujarat Titans. With 8 wins out of 14 innings, RCB assigned themselves in the fourth position for the playoffs having 16 points in their bags. Previously RCB and LSG faced each other in league stage matches and there RCB defeated LSG team by 18 runs so that perhaps be one of the encouraging reminders for Virat’s battalion during the eliminator’s game.
Now let’s have a peek at the Bangalore team and inspect their current team. The opening order incorporates big strikers like the skipper Faf du Plessis and Dinesh Karthik with 443 and 283 runs in their chambers. The middle-order batsmen also reflect the stability of Kohli, Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed. While the team’s execution is not consistent they have hit quite a few knocks and yanked their team up for the playoffs. But in retrospect, RCB can be recognized as the TATA IPL underdog.
Eventually all the above mentioned players failed to deliver in the eliminator excluding Dinesh Karthik who contributed well with ajat Patidar who smacked brilliant hundred to lead his team posting 207 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 20 overs.
Former Indian player Ashok Dinda said, ” It is great to see them in the playoffs and they should capitalize on this chance, go all the way and get that maiden IPL title.”
Even though just like batting squads there are few hurdles in the bowling attack too, RCB is still in a decent arrangement with Josh Hazlewood, Harshal Patel, and PWH de Silva. In the prior match against the Supergiants, Faf threw a great knock of 96(64), Josh Hazelwood picked 4 wickets while Maxwell sent crucial player Krunal Pandya back to the pavilion.
Comprehending the ins and outs of Lucknow will certainly serve as an X factor in the eliminator match held on Eden’s slow pitch. Since Kolkata’s Eden has always been spin-friendly Wanindu Hasaranga’s leg-spin and Glen Maxwell’s off-spin might come in handy for Royal Challengers to pick up vital wickets of Lucknow. In the last three matches, Lucknow has lost two against Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans so things are not looking too luminous for Rahul’s Super Giants either.
RCB beat Lucknow to reach the 2nd Qualifiers to face Rajasthan Royals
“Lucknow batting for 20 overs without losing a single wicket on Wednesday was incredible. It’s not something you can ever imagine happening, considering the risks you take and the shots you play. Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul always had the potential to do something special as an opening partnership but that was crazy and puts them in a great position to go on and win the tournament,” England’s Kevin Pietersen quoted in his column on Betway.
Lucknow team was in charge during the whole of their batting innings but slow batting from their captain KL Rahul paid them. Rahul played 58 balls to score 79 runs at just 16 strike rate. On the other side, RCB’s Patidar made 112 runs in just 54 balls, 4 less than KL Rahul. So it was slow innings from LSG skipper.
RCB will now face Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier match on 27 May and winner of the game will meet Gujarat Titans in the final on Sunday.
