5.30 pm: We’re ready for the chase in Dubai! RCB need 178 to win as Aaron Finch and Devdutt Padikkal walk out to open the innings. Jofra Archer has the new ball in hand for RR. Sanju Samson to keep wickets. Here we go!

RAJASTHAN ROYALS FINISH WITH 177/6
Chris Morris returns with superb figures of 4/26. He picked up two wickets in the last over (Jofra Archer off the last ball LBW) and conceded just four runs. Do Steve Smith and Co have enough runs on the board?

After 19.2 overs, RR are 173/5 – Smith is gone!
OUT! Brilliant catch from Shahbaz Ahmed in the deep as Steve Smith departs for 57 off 36. Chris Morris gets his third wicket.

After 19 overs, RR are 173/4 (Smith 57, Tewatia 18)
Tewatia joins the act! The left-hander hits Isuru Udana for a six and a four as RR pick up 15 runs from that over.

After 18 overs, RR are 158/4 (Smith 56, Tewatia 4)
Big over for RR! Steve Smith gets to a fifty and takes Yuzvendra Chahal to the cleaners. The leg-spinner was superb in his first three overs but spoils his spell with two no balls in his last over. Smith finds the gaps as 19 runs come from that over and Chahal finishes with figures of 2/34.

After 17 overs, RR are 139/4 (Smith 41, Tewatia 3)
Navdeep Saini finishes his spell with decent figures of 4/30. Captain Smith has been good so far but he needs to finish strong.

After 16 overs, RR are 133/4 (Smith 37, Tewatia 1)
Smith guides one to the third man fence to pick up four. RR need Tewatia to do a Tewatia. They’d be eyeing a total of somewhere around 180.

After 15.3 overs, RR are 127/4 – Buttler is gone!
OUT! Chris Morris strikes again and it’s the big wicket of Jos Buttler! The right-hander mis-times it and the ball goes straight to long-off. This is an important moment in the match. Buttler walks back for 24 off 25.

After 15 overs, RR are 119/3 (Smith 25, Buttler 24)
Back-to-back fours! Much-needed push for RR as Steve Smith goes after Isuru Udana. Poor bowling from the left-arm pacer.

After 14 overs, RR are 108/3 (Smith 15, Buttler 23)
Navdeep Saini returns and concedes just five runs in his third over. RCB are keeping things tight and enjoying a good passage of play.

After 13 overs, RR are 103/3 (Smith 13, Buttler 20)
Washington Sundar returns to the attack and concedes seven runs in his third over. Steve Smith seems content to deal in singles and doubles for now.

After 12 overs, RR are 96/3 (Smith 7, Buttler 19)
Another good over from Chahal, just five from it. Smith and Buttler aren’t trying anything fancy against the in-form leggie.

After 11 overs, RR are 91/3 (Smith 5, Buttler 17)
SIX! Jos Buttler steps down and hits one from Shahbaz Ahmed straight back. RR needed that.

After 10 overs, RR are 80/3 (Smith 3, Buttler 8)
Another impressive over from Chahal, just four runs from it. He has been top class for RCB this season.

After 9 overs, RR are 76/3 (Smith 1, Buttler 6)
Shahbaz Ahmed bowls a tidy first over. Time for a strategic timeout. RR started well but they have to rebuild now.

After 7.5 overs, RR are 69/3 – Uthappa and Samson are gone!
Back-to-back wickets for RCB! Robin Uthappa was looking set for a big one but he hits one off Chahal straight to deep mid-wicket and departs for 41 off 22. That is followed by some poor, poor batting from Sanju Samson. He slogs it straight to long-off and departs for 9 off 6. That was a nothing shot. Credit to Yuzvendra Chahal, though. The leg-spinner gets two wickets in his first over.

After 7 overs, RR are 62/1 (Uthappa 41, Samson 2)
Back-to-back fours! There’s no stopping Uthappa at the moment. Shades of ‘07 from the senior pro. Slaps one off Saini past covers and follows that up with a solid pull over mid-wicket.

After 5.4 overs, RR are 50/1 – Stokes is gone!
OUT! RR get their biggest opening partnership of the season but it has ended. Ben Stokes attempts a pull but edges it to the keeper. Chris Morris gets the wicket. Stokes departs for 15 off 19 as Sanju Samson walks out to the middle.

After 5 overs, RR are 47/0 (Uthappa 31, Stokes 13)
Robin Uthappa survives! Top-edges a pull off Navdeep Saini and the ball falls inches away from Virat Kohli who was running back from mid-on. But another decent over for RR.

After 4 overs, RR are 38/0 (Uthappa 28, Stokes 7)
Another big over for RR! Robin Uthappa is putting on a show in Dubai! Isuru Udana joins the attack and Ben Stokes first gets a thick outside edge for four. Uthappa then finishes the over with a four and a six, both over mid-on.

After 3 overs, RR are 21/0 (Uthappa 18, Stokes 2)
Big over for RR! Top batting from Uthappa! The senior pro picks up four fours as Washington Sundar struggles to bowl to his field.

After 2 overs, RR are 5/0 (Uthappa 2, Stokes 2)
Another good over for RCB, this time from Chris Morris. No show of aggression so far from the RR batsmen.

After 1 over, RR are 2/0 (Uthappa 1, Stokes 1)
Super start from Sundar yet again. Keeps a tight line and length and concedes just two singles.

3.30 pm: We’re ready for live action from Dubai! A new opening pair for RR: Ben Stokes and Robin Uthappa. Washington Sundar has the new ball in hand for RCB. Here we go!

3.10 pm: Playing XIs
RCB: Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (w), Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Washington Sundar, Chris Morris, Shahbaz Ahmed, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal.
RR: Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (w), Steven Smith (c), Sanju Samson, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi.

3.05 pm: TOSS – Steve Smith has won the toss and RR will bat first in Dubai! Rajasthan are going in with an unchanged playing XI. Virat Kohli says RCB wanted to bat first. They have dropped Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube.

2.49 pm: Historically, RR have a good record against RCB. But Kohli’s side have found some rhythm this year.

Mat RR wins RCB wins NR RR win% RCB win%
RR vs RCB 21 10 9 2 52.63 42.85

Royal Challengers Bangalore would want to get back to winning ways when they face a struggling Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.

The Virat Kohli-led RCB has won five of their eight games on the back of all-round performances but seemingly blundered in the eight-wicket defeat to Kings XI Punjab on Thursday.

On the other hand, the Royals’ campaign this season has been marred by numerous top-order collapses, forcing the lower half to pull them across the finish line.

RCB’s five wins so far include a Super Over triumph over Mumbai Indians at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Royals are seventh on the points table with just three wins from eight outings.