IPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Lucknow Super Giants

IPL 2024 is well and truly underway with Tuesday’s encounter seeing Faf Du Plessis’ Royal Challengers Bangalore play host to Lucknow Super Giants. RCB will be looking to bounce back from a 7-wicket defeat against KKR, while Lucknow will aim to kick on from their win over Punjab Kings. Let’s look at the best bets for Match 15 of IPL 2024.

Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

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In the aftermath of the 2023 thriller at Chinnaswamy in which Lucknow won, key figures Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, and Gautam Gambhir have all moved on. Yet, each of their four encounters has been a spectacle, with last season’s games being examples of dramatic wins away from home. This encounter promises to deliver yet again.

Royal Challengers have been poor in this year’s campaign so far. Despite a star-studded top order, only Virat Kohli has put in consistent performances. Faf du Plessis, Cameron Green, and Glenn Maxwell have struggled, affecting Rajat Patidar’s batting position and form. Dinesh Karthik’s resurgence has been one of the few positives for RCB, providing crucial runs at the back end of the innings. It might be time for a strategic inclusion of Mahipal Lomror to add variety and firepower to their middle order.

RCB’s bowling woes continued against KKR, with a leaky powerplay giving away 85 runs. Mohammed Siraj and Alzarri Joseph’s strategy was easily countered by Sunil Narine, highlighting tactical missteps. Vijaykumar Vyshak’s economic spell was impressive, possibly earning him a starting spot, while Joseph’s place is under scrutiny with Reece Topley waiting in the ranks.

LSG were in a terrible position against Punjab but turned the game around thanks to Mayank Yadav’s impressive performance on debut, earning him the Player of the Match award. With Mohsin Khan performing well, LSG’s bowling dynamics are in a good spot. Their batting lineup, with contributions across the board, looks set, and with the Chinnaswamy pitch favouring chasers this season, the toss could be crucial.
This encounter, especially with RCB needing to address both batting and bowling concerns and LSG showing a strong all-round performance, is geared up to be a gripping contest. LSG looks like the more balanced side going into this fixture, so we’re backing them to pull off the victory away from home.

Player to watch: Nicholas Pooran has scores of 64* and 42 this season, but the best is surely yet to come. His 62 off 19 last season in Bengaluru was a brilliant display of run-scoring and he will fancy having another big performance on Tuesday. RCB will need to avoid bowling spin to him at all costs and try to formulate other plans for getting him out.

Key Stats

RCB have a 3/1 IPL record against LSG.

The average score batting first in Bengaluru since the beginning of last season is 192.

Virat Kohli’s last four IPL games in Bengaluru: 54, 101, 77 and 83. Rajat Patidar is well known for his 112 off 54 balls in the Eliminator of IPL 2022. He hit 58 off 22 against Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya that day.

Mohammed Siraj in the powerplay this season: 1/71 in 6 overs. Last season, his economy was 5.93rpo.

Nicholas Pooran vs slow left-arm orthodox in T20s: 510 off 262 balls at a strike rate of 194.7.

Krunal Pandya was a regular powerplay bowler last season but has collected just two powerplay wickets since the beginning of 2023 (2-192 in 23 overs).

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