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After a gap of a month, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru tasted victory at last as they upstaged the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their own backyard. Putting behind their heartbreaking one-run defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders, Faf du Plessis and Co. turned in a fine all-round display to register their second win of the tournament.
At a stage where they must win just about every game to harbor whatever hopes remain of qualifying for the playoffs, RCB will look to build on that win when they enter the colosseum that is the Narendra Modi Stadium where the Gujarat Titans await. The Titans have blown too hot and cold this season and are in desperate need of a win themselves to up the pressure on those part of the mid-table clutter.
Lest we forget, the Titans were the ones who knocked RCB out of the reckoning for the playoffs last year in Bengaluru as Shubman Gill's ton trumped Virat Kohli's own masterful hundred. The Prince and the King of Indian cricket as they are fondly dubbed headline what is expected to be an engrossing battle on Sunday afternoon.
For a large part of this season, the batting hopes of the two teams rallied around Gill and Kohli. Not much has changed on that front for GT although they will take heart from how they ran Delhi Capitals close in pursuit of 225 as B Sai Sudharsan, David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha all played their part. If they come together once again with Gill setting the tone early on, they are bound to put RCB's bowling unit under pressure.
Speaking of the Challengers though, their reliance on Kohli has certainly reduced as this tournament has gone along. Du Plessis hasn't quite been at his fluent best but has still scored his runs at a strike-rate in excess of 156. Rajat Patidar has been pulverizing spinners for fun while Cameron Green and Will Jacks are also making their presence felt. And of course, Dinesh Karthik remains the team's in-form finishing option.
The challenge for both teams will be in the form of the surface. Ahmedabad hasn't really produced a lot of belters similar to most other venues with a bit of tackiness headlining the tracks here. That should keep the spinners interested while the pacers will have to use their variations to good effect.
When it comes to spin, GT hold a clear advantage courtesy an enviable spin troika of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and R Sai Kishore. Patidar could well be RCB's most important batter in that regard while the visitors will look to Karn Sharma and Jacks to make best use of the pitch with the ball.
As far as the fast-bowling is concerned, RCB have shown signs of getting better with each passing game. Green has been a menace in the middle-overs with his hard lengths and variations while Yash Dayal continues to do his bit and will be keen to leave a mark against his former franchise. Mohammed Siraj is dearly due for a big spell while Lockie Ferguson is also on the lookout for consistency.
GT, on the other hand, have some issues to tide over. Azmatullah Omarzai has not lit up the season despite swinging the new ball although Sandeep Warrier's three-wicket burst in the last game was a pleasing sight for the team. The biggest concern, however, is around the form of Mohit Sharma, who was taken to the cleaners by Rishabh Pant. The side's premier death bowler must up his game and aid the Titans' cause of returning to winning ways.
Both teams have their fair share of strengths and weaknesses and will have their task cut out in pocketing two very critical points. This is the first of back-to-back games between the two sides and a win today will only boost the team's confidence ahead of the reverse fixture as well.
Plenty to look forward to again. A Sunday afternoon treat awaits!
GT Probable XII: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Azmatullah Omarzai, David Miller, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Sandeep Warrier
RCB Probable XII: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Swapnil Singh, Karn Sharma, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal