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RCB look to ride on batting might
- Updated: May 17, 2016
Match facts
Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
Big Picture
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have resurrected Royal Challengers Bangalore’s campaign. After having played half their league games, they were wallowing in lower-table mediocrity and seemed destined for an underwhelming season. They turned it around, winning four of their last five matches, largely on the back of big performances from their two leading batsmen. They are still two wins away from a playoff berth, but they might even squeak through with just one.
While Kohli and de Villiers lead the run charts, Royal Challengers have also benefited from KL Rahul’s good form, as well as crucial knocks from Shane Watson and Sachin Baby. Chris Gayle’s 49 on Monday was yet another ominous sign for oppositions. The team’s familiar weaknesses in the bowling department remain an ever-present worry, though. When they have won, it has invariably been despite their bowlers, not because of them. It increasingly looks like Royal Challengers’ fortunes hinge on batting might alone.
The task of neutralising that batting might, in the batting heaven that is the Chinnaswamy Stadium, falls to a struggling Kings XI Punjab, whose playoff hopes have already been dashed. Kings XI’s campaign never really recovered from a poor start. A captaincy change, injury setbacks and rumours of bad blood in the camp have only added to the turmoil surrounding the team. They go into tomorrow’s match without Glenn Maxwell, who has a side strain, and Marcus Stoinis, who has left for home due to personal …
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