IPL 2019, Match 14, RR vs RCB: 2 players for whom this is a do-or-die match

The 14th match of IPL 2019 will be played between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on April 2 at 8 PM IST.

19 matches have been played in the IPL in the RR vs RCB rivalry, out of which RR have won nine matches and RCB eight. Two of the matches ended in no result.

RR have also been the more successful team overall, having won the IPL title once, in 2008. RCB meanwhile have never managed to win the trophy even once, despite reaching the final three times.

When these two teams met each other last season, RR won both the matches. RR finished at the 4th position last year, while RCB finished 6th on the points table.

This season, both teams have lost all the three matches they played so far. RR are placed above RCB in the table only on the basis of net run-rate.

On that note, let’s have a look at one player from each team for whom this match is critical.

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Rajasthan Royals: Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat picked 24 wickets from 12 matches in IPL 2017. But the year after that, he failed to justify the tag of 'most expensive Indian cricketer of the auction', as he managed to pick only 15 wickets from 11 matches while also being very expensive.

In 2019, after releasing him, RR brought him back in the auction for 8.4 crore. But he has continued his poor form, with abject returns in all the matches he has played so far. Unadkat picked only 2 wickets from 3 matches and gone for plenty of runs.

With Varun Aaron and other bowlers waiting for an opportunity, this could be Unadkat's last chance to make a statement.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore: Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer had a base price of ₹50 lakh and Royal Challengers Bangalore bought him for ₹4.2 crore. Hetmyer came into the IPL on the back of his excellent performance in Caribbean Premier League, in which he finished third in the run-scorers list.

But his performance has been poor so far; he has got out for single-digit scores in all the 3 matches. He has been given an opportunity in the middle order as well as the top order, but he has failed in both places.

With players like Marcus Stoinis and Heinrich Klaasen in the squad, Hetmyer needs to deliver a quality performance in this match to keep his position in the playing XI.