The in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru against a side who are on a slide viz. Rajasthan Royals in a do-or-die IPL Eliminator in Ahmedabad on May 22, 2024
| Photo Credit: K. Bhagya Prakash

When Rajasthan Royals won its eighth match of the IPL season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had just two victories. Where RR seemed set for a top-two finish, RCB was all but out of contention for a place in the playoffs.

Since then, the sides’ paths have diverged dramatically; RR contrived to finish third while RCB stormed into fourth, setting the stage for an exciting Eliminator clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 21.

Royals haven’t won a game since their seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants on April 27 and come into this fixture on the back of four consecutive defeats and a washed-out final league game.

In contrast, RCB’s journey has been the stuff of dreams, cinematic in every way. After losing seven of its first eight games, Faf du Plessis’ men have won their last six, including the last against Chennai Super Kings on a dramatic night at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

With the wind behind its sails, RCB will feel it has an edge based on recent form and clarity in gameplan. The turnaround has been fashioned by its batting firepower, led by Virat Kohli.

Rajat Patidar’s uptick in form and impetus in the middle-overs have ensured the team is not over-reliant on the top-order.

Among bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson and Yash Dayal have done their bits to keep opponents in check.

For Royals, skipper Sanju Samson has led from the front, scoring heavily in its first eight wins. The 2008 champion’s troubles in recent times stem from its misfiring middle-order. Lack of runs from Dhruv Jurel and Rovman Powell has exposed vulnerabilities.

Shimron Hetmyer’s absence has affected the balance of the side, and the Rajasthan outfit will pray that the West Indian is fit for this tie. RR will also look to fall back on its bowling depth, which has a mix of top-class pacers and spinners, to tip the scales in its favour.

Despite having its back to the wall, RCB has livened up the tournament by playing with freedom. But now that the stakes are higher, will it continue sticking to its proven formula and extend the fairytale?

Teams (from):

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c&wk), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan.

Match starts at 7:30pm IST.