Just when things couldn’t get any worse for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who currently sit at the bottom of the Indian Premier League, they face bogey team Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next outing. Virat Kohli’s men have finished second best against SRH in each of their last three outings, which includes the 2016 IPL final. Having won just two out of their seven games so far, they may need atleast another half-a-dozen wins from hereon to harbour even faint hopes of sneaking into the playoffs, just like they did last season.

Kohli was at a loss for words after the humiliation at Eden Gardens, where their power-packed batting lineup was shot out for the lowest total in IPL history. Not a single batsman got into double figures in the game. What they can take solace from is their strong finish in the second half of the previous season, which was masterminded by Kohli’s jaw-dropping displays with the bat.

Advertisement

Inconsistency with the bat has crippled RCB on a many an occasion this season. It didn’t help that some of their star names missed out due to injury during the early part of this season. SRH have no such worries despite their last-ball loss to Rising Pune Supergiants in their last encounter. RCB’s strategy to should centre around what Pune pulled off in the last game – to target Purple cap holder Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Meanwhile, SRH have been poor away from home, losing all their three games so far.

Time: 8 pm

Venue: Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

TV: Sony Max, Sony Six, Sony ESPN and their HD channels

Results in 2016-’17:

Played: 4

Sunrisers Hyderabad won: 3

Royal Challengers Bangalore won: 1

Royal Challengers Bangalore

  • RCB’s 49 against KKR was the lowest total recorded in IPL history. 
  • Virat Kohli has been at his run-scoring best whenever he has faced the Hyderabad-based franchise. The India skipper has amassed 434 runs in nine matches at a magnificent average of 146.62. 
  • Despite possessing some of the deadliest hitters of the ball, RCB have been poor in the powerplay overs, averaging just 6.15.
  • India veteran Ashish Nehra has a superb head-to-head record against Kohli, picking up his wicket six times – more than any other player in IPL history.
  • Chris Gayle may well be targeting Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the early overs. The burly West Indian has picked up 104 runs against the medium-pacer off 70 deliveries.
  • Unlike previous seasons, RCB have faltered at home, losing two out of the the three games they have played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“It was reckless batting. I can’t say anything, it was that bad. This is just not acceptable,” fumed Kohli after his team’s loss to KKR.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

  • SRH’s Moises Henriques has been in top form this season, scoring 193 runs from six games at a terrific average of 64.33. The Australian has also struck three fifties, a feat matched only by Mumbai Indians’ Nitish Rana.
  • Skipper David Warner too, enjoys a healthy record against SRH, having scored 434 runs in nine games at an average of 146.62.
  • Across seven games, SRH has lost only four wickets in the powerplay overs.
  • SRH have a winning record against the three-time finalists, winning six out of the 10 encounters between them.

Despite being carted around the park by MS Dhoni, spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan jumped to Bhuvneshwar’s defence, hailing him as the best bowler in the tournament’s history: “Over the last four, five years that I have been seeing him, he is the best bowler in IPL history.”