Leaders Bangalore favourites against struggling Rajasthan - get predictions and create fantasy team
Having won their first three matches for the first time, Virat Kohli-led Bangalore will look to continue their unbeaten streak against Rajasthan in the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, April 22.
The 2016 finalists Bangalore have made a confident start to their campaign as they had defeated defending champions Mumbai in the season opener and followed it up by securing victories against Hyderabad and Kolkata to move to the top of the points table.
On the other hand, Rajasthan have been inconsistent in the tournament, winning one and losing their other two matches as they stand sixth in the Indian T20 League standings.
Sanju Samson and his men will look to return to winning ways and secure their second win of the ongoing campaign.
Bangalore vs Rajasthan probable playing XI
Bangalore talisman AB de Villers and new recruit Glenn Maxwell have decimated their oppositions in the first three matches. However, the franchise will be a little concerned with the form of their captain Virat Kohli, who has failed to convert his starts to a big one.
The team had also made an interesting decision in their last game against Kolkata as they fielded only three overseas players instead of four. With Bangalore playing in Mumbai for the first time this season, Daniel Christian is expected to return to the playing XI in place of Rajat Patidar.
Rajasthan, on the other hand, will once again depend on their captain Sanju Samson and opener Jos Buttler to click as a batting unit. Samson has been dismissed for low scores in the last two matches after he had smashed a scintillating hundred in their season opener.
Injuries to their two top overseas players - Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes - have also massively impacted the combination of the Rajasthan side. Additionally, another foreign player Liam Livingstone has left the squad due to bio-bubble fatigue.
The franchise may consider making few changes to their side against Bangalore. Their all-rounder Shivam Dube had another poor outing against Chennai and he may get replaced by Shreyas Gopal in the playing XI. Rajasthan might also bring back young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in place of Manan Vohra.
Bangalore predicted XI: Virat Kohli (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wicket-keeper), Rajat Patidar/Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
Rajasthan predicted XI: Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Manan Vohra/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, David Miller, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube/Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman
Bangalore vs Rajasthan prediction: Who will win?
In the Bangalore vs Rajasthan head-to-head record in the Indian T20 League, both sides have won 10 games each in the 22 matches played between these two franchises. Two games ended with no results. However, Virat Kohli’s Bangalore have won three of their last five matches in the high-profile league. Considering the form of the Bangalore side, they are tipped to triumph over Rajasthan at the Wankhede on Thursday.
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Top Tip: Best Batsmen
Bangalore will once again depend on AB de Villiers to put in another match-winning performance with the bat against Rajasthan. The 37-year-old has a great record against Rajasthan, aggregating 648 runs in 19 innings at a strike rate of 146.6 with eight fifties.
On the other hand, opener Jos Buttler will be the player to watch out for Rajasthan with the bat. Buttler has scored 220 runs in eight innings against Virat Kohli’s side, at a strike rate of 151.72.
Top Tip: Best Bowlers
In the bowling department, Bangalore leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is tipped to be the wrecker-in-chief for his side against Rajasthan. The 30-year-old has bagged 16 wickets in 10 innings against the opposition at an economy of 6.05.
For Rajasthan, Shreyas Gopal is expected to be Bangalore’s biggest threat on Thursday. Shreyas has claimed 14 wickets in six innings against Kohli and his men.
Top Tips: All-rounder and Wicket-keeper
Bangalore possesses several top all-rounders in their line-up including Washington Sundar, Daniel Christian and Glenn Maxwell. However, India all-rounder Washington Sundar would be the preferred choice for the all-rounder spot due to his match-winning capabilities. Sundar has picked 26 wickets while scoring 204 runs in 39 Indian T20 League matches.
On the other hand, Chris Morris had shown why Rajasthan paid a hefty price for him as he had played a blitzkrieg innings of 18-ball 36 against Delhi to guide his team to a thrilling win. He is expected to play an important role both with bat and ball against Bangalore on Thursday.
For the wicket-keeper position, AB de Villiers will be the preferred choice over Sanju Samson. De Villiers is considered to be one of the best fielders to have played the sport. He is equally a safe fielder behind the stumps. The former South Africa captain has taken 106 catches and completed eight stumpings in the Indian T20 League history.
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Featured photo: IPL/BCCI