The high flying Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be brimming with confidence as they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in the crucial IPL 2024 eliminator match on Wednesday.
RCB have been on a dream run in the latter half of the tournament, winning five consecutive games to reach the playoffs after losing seven out of their first eight matches. Their momentum will give them an edge over Rajasthan who have slumped badly after starting the season well.
Royals were in pole position to grab a top-two finish but four straight losses along with a washout has seen them plummet to third place. They will need to regain their mojo to upstage the rampaging RCB in the knockout clash.
RCB's top order of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar have struck form at the business end, accumulating runs consistently. Add Dinesh Karthik's blitzes lower down and RCB have a well-oiled batting unit hard to stop on current form. Their bowling attack led by Sri Lankan pacer Wanindu Hasaranga also looks balanced.
In contrast, Royals have lost key batter Jos Buttler and struggled for partnerships lately. Skipper Sanju Samson and youngster Riyan Parag will have to shoulder extra responsibility with big hits to help the struggling middle-order.
The venue historically favors chasing sides but chances of dew under cloudy conditions may prompt the captain winning the toss to field first. Promising to be a nail-biting contest, RCB's red-hot form gives them a slight upper hand against a lacklustre RR.
