Rajasthan and Bangalore will face each other at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on April 26. Both teams have had a similar season in the Indian T20 League 2022 so far. They have earned 10 points each however, Bangalore have lost three games while Rajasthan have lost only two. Notably, Bangalore have played a game extra. Talking about the results, the Men In Pink and Blue won their last game against Delhi while the Faf Du Plessis-led side lost their last game to Hyderabad. In fact, they were bowled out for a mere 68. With tournament nearing business end, both teams would want to claim a win and solidify their position in the points table.
Bangalore:Â The team is coming off a hammering against Hyderabad. They were all-out for 68 and registered one of the lowest scores in the history of the cash-rich league. The lack of form of Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, and skipper Faf du Plessis’ inconsistency with the bat is a concern for the team. Rawat has only scored one fifty in eight games and could be replaced with Mahipal Lomror. However, Lomror could be playing in the middle order, with Virat Kohli opening the innings.
Key Players:Â
Dinesh Karthik:Â The right-hander has been in staggering form with 210 runs in eight games. In the last game against Rajasthan, he won the game for the team from a precarious situation, scoring 44 in 23 balls. He will be a key batter for the team with the kind of form he is in.
Shahbaz Ahmed:Â He is one of the underrated performers in the tournament with 178 runs in eight games. In the last game against Rajasthan, he played a helping hand to Karthik and scored 45 of 26 balls. He could be the one to watch out for.
Probable XI:Â Faf Du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suyash Prabhudessai, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, Josh Hazlewood, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj.
Team News
Rajasthan: They have won all of their five games batting first. However, they failed to defend the target when they last played Bangalore. Chasing 170, Bangalore won the match by 4 wickets. With momentum on their side, Rajasthan are likely to step in with the same playing XI that played the last game.
Key Players:Â
Jos Buttler:Â The explosive batter from England is in the form of his life with 491 runs in seven games, including three hundreds. He is coming off two back-to-back hundreds. Buttler will be eyeing his third consecutive hundred, a record never made before in the tournament.
Yuzvendra Chahal:Â The leg-spinner is the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 18 wickets. Recently, he took a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul against Kolkata. Chahal will be the key for Rajasthan against strong Bangalore team.
Probable XI:Â Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Karun Nair, Riyan Parag, R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Obed McCoy, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal
Match Details
Venue: MCA Stadium, Pune
Time:Â 07:30 PM IST
Live Telecast:Â Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report: The last game at this venue was played between Punjab and Mumbai. It was a high scoring game where both teams scored more than 180. Once again, a good batting wicket can be on the cards.
