IPL 2024: Can RCB bounce back against formidable LSG?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be up against Lucknow Super Giants in Match 15 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). Faf du Plessis's men would be gutted after failing to defend 182 against Kolkata Knight Riders in their preceding outing. Meanwhile, LSG beat Punjab Kings in their last match. They bounced back brilliantly while defending 199. Here we present the match preview.
Pitch report and other details
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host this duel on April 2 (7:30pm IST). The wicket here usually assists the batters right from the start. This venue has played host to several high-scoring games in the tournament. However, spinners can make life difficult for batters. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on JioCinema.
A look at the H2H record
As LSG made their debut only in 2022, they have featured only four times against RCB. While Faf du Plessis's men defeated the Super Giants both times in 2022, they walked away with one win and a defeat against the opposition last year. Hence, the head-to-head record is 3-1 in RCB's favor. Notably, RCB beat LSG in the 2022 Eliminator clash.
Can RCB bounce back?
Though RCB boast a destructive batting line-up, their bowlers have let them down this season. KKR batters took them to the cleaners a few days back. Mohammed Siraj needs to fire with the new ball. Meanwhile, LSG have most of their bases covered. The emergence of young speed merchant Mayank Yadav has strengthened their bowling attack even further.
Here are the probable XIs
RCB (probable XI): Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Cameron Green, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal. LSG (probable XI): Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran (c), Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth. Impact subs: Mahipal Lomror and Naveen-ul-Haq.
A look at the key performers
KL Rahul has relished playing against RCB, having hammered 628 runs against them at a strike rate of 144.03. With 181 runs at a strike rate of 141.41, Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter of the season. Mayank consistently clocked over 145 KMPH in his preceding outing against PBKS and also claimed three wickets. Siraj has a powerplay economy of 6.66 in Bengaluru (IPL).