RCB vs GT: One of the most anticipated clashes of the TATA IPL 2022 will take place on Thursday. Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on table-topper Gujarat Titans in a must-win encounter. The match is not only important for RCB; a few other teams will also be eager for the result. Both teams will lock horns at the Wankhede Stadium at 7:30 pm.
GT will look to check their bench strength and might try some new players. On the other hand, RCB needs this win badly to stay in contention for the playoffs. But the win should be big. That can improve their NRR. The tension is all around, but it will be a blockbuster match for the fans. So let’s check the complete details of the match and possible XI for both teams.
RCB vs GT: Match Preview and Prediction
Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans are the only team in the competition that has qualified for the playoffs so far. They are sitting at the top with 20 points, waiting for the next three teams to arrive. This game is a great opportunity for them to try out their bench strength as they are already through. GT has already won against RCB in their last meeting, and if they lose this match, it will not hurt them by any means.
They will still finish the league stage at the top. However, they would like to maintain their winning streak. So the pressure will be on RCB, and GT can play freely irrespective of the result. There are a few changes expected in the match against RCB.
Probably XI: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade/Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal/Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami
Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB lost their last match against PBKS by a big margin, which has left them wondering in the competition. Their situation is also not that good. That is because of the negative NRR of -0.323. So, that is the biggest issue for them. But still, there are chances that they can make it to the top four. For that, there are two scenarios. First, RCB must win this match by a big margin to improve the NRR. Second, if they win by a small margin, they should hope that DC loses their last match against MI.
But if RCB loses this match, they are out and the season will end tomorrow itself. So they are up for a big challenge. But still, their situation is better than that of the rest of the other teams. However, they have already lost once against GT, so they need to turn things around this time.
Probably XI: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood
RCB vs GT Match, Pitch and Toss Update
The pitch at Wankhede is always good for the pace bowlers at the start. Overall, it is a complete batting surface. Batsmen can play their shots on the up without thinking about any uneven bounce. Average score at this pitch is 170. The toss becomes crucial in the T20 game, as winning the toss will give an extra edge. Team winning the toss should field first, as chasing will be easier than batting first. The team batting second has won eight out of 13 matches on this pitch this season. SRH scored 193 runs in the first inning of the previous match here.
RCB vs GT: Head to Head
Both teams played one match earlier this season, and it was won by the Gujarat Titans. Batting first, RCB made 170/6 and GT chased down the target in the last over with the help of Rahul Tewatia and David Miller. Virat Kohli scored his only half-century of the season in that match.
IPL 2022: RCB vs GT: Players to watch out for
Virat Kohli hasn’t had the number this season and he is going through a rough patch. But the world knows that when it comes to pressure games, how he performs. He scored a half-century against GT last time and looked good against PBKS as well. So far, Kohli has scored 236 runs this season.
Harshal Patel will be our pick from the RCB bowling lineup. The pacer has been doing good for the team and this season as well, has delivered more often than not. Harshal has picked up 18 wickets in 12 games at a really good economy of 7.76.
Wriddhiman Saha is the man in form for GT at the top. He got the opportunity very late and has grabbed it with both hands. He scored an unbeaten match-winning knock of 67 against CSK in the last game to win it for the team. Saha has scored 281 runs at an average of 140.18, including three half-centuries.
Rashid Khan has done a really good job for GT in the middle overs. He is taking wickets and also restricting the batters. He bowled really well against RCB in the last match. So far, he has taken 16 wickets in 13 matches at a really good economy of 6.85.
IPL 2022: Predicted 11 team of the match Prediction
Wicket-keeper: Wriddhiman Saha (GT), Mathew wade (GT)
Batsmen: Virat Kohli (RCB), Faf Du Plessis (RCB), Rajat Patidar (GT), Shubman Gill (GT)
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell (RCB), Hardik Pandya (GT)
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood (RCB), Rashid Khan (GT), Wanindu Hasaranga (RCB)
Tips: Faf Du Plessiswill be the captain of the team. Wriddhiman Saha will be the vice-captain. RCB is in a do or die situation, so they will come hard on GT. Here we will back Royal Challengers Bangalore to win the match. However, the team winning the toss might win the game as well.