IPL 2024, RCB vs SRH: Bengaluru Opt To Bowl First in Battle of Struggling Titans; Check Playing XIs

Bengaluru: Struggling Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) face a resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a crucial IPL 2024 match tonight at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB, languishing at the bottom with just one win, desperately need a turnaround. SRH, having already set the record for the highest IPL total of 277, poses a significant challenge for RCB’s struggling bowling attack.

In the last clash against Mumbai Indians, RCB showed some promise with the bat, posting 195 runs despite losing Virat Kohli early. Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar found form, but their bowling unit faltered, conceding the target in just 15.3 overs. Faf du Plessis acknowledged the need for extra runs to compensate for their bowling weaknesses.

Meanwhile, SRH come into the contest after a thrilling 2-run victory over Punjab Kings, led by Nitish Kumar Reddy’s outstanding batting performance.

In terms of head-to-head encounters, SRH holds a slight advantage, winning 12 out of 23 matches. However, RCB has won 5 out of 7 meetings against SRH at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The weather in Bengaluru is expected to be clear, favouring a full 40-over match. The pitch at M Chinnaswamy Stadium typically supports batting, but its two-paced nature offers opportunities for the bowling side. Dew in the late evening could benefit the chasing team.

Playing XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan

SRH Impact Subs: Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tripathi

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Saurav Chauhan, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Reece Topley, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal

RCB Impact Subs: Suyash Prabhudessai, Anuj Rawat, Swapnil Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Karn Sharma