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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will host the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 15th match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday, April 10.
The three-time finalists were dragged back to reality after a mammoth 81-run defeat at Eden Gardens against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Thursday, April 6. RCB were nearly outplayed across all departments, leaving them with plenty of questions to be answered, particularly their batting against spin bowling.
LSG, on the other hand, got their campaign back on track following their five-wicket win over SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home on Friday, April 7. The KL Rahul-led side will face a huge challenge at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, given that they lost their first away game at the equally intimidating Chidambaram Stadium against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Both sides are battling either injury or availability issues with their players. The balance of their squad, bolstered by the all-rounders, makes it an interesting clash. Interestingly, RCB are yet to taste defeat against LSG in the IPL, having a 2-0 record over them.
Their latest clash was during the IPL 2022 playoffs, where Rajat Patidar's incredible hundred knocked LSG out of the competition.
With another closely contested match on the horizon, here are three player battles to watch out for.
#1 KL Rahul vs Mohammed Siraj
The two members of the Indian cricket team will face each other in franchise colors and will dictate the proceedings in the powerplay.
Mohammed Siraj bowled a scathing spell in the powerplay at the Chinnaswamy against the Mumbai Indians (MI), where he bowled three overs on the trot, claiming the wicket of Ishan Kishan in the process.
The right-arm pacer's spell was imperative for RCB to set the tone for the game and they will be hopeful of a similar performance tonight.
However, KL Rahul's dominant record against Siraj speaks otherwise. The former RCB player is yet to come out of his shell in IPL 2023, having been greeted by slow tracks in Lucknow so far.
The wicketkeeper-batter has scored 91 runs off 47 deliveries bowled by Siraj across five innings at a strike rate of 193. He has not been dismissed by the pacer in T20s and has also struck five sixes against Siraj to stamp his authority.
While Siraj has the upper hand in terms of form, Rahul definitely holds the aces when it comes to head-to-head statistical record, making this match-up crucial and a must-watch.
#2 Virat Kohli vs Krunal Pandya
Virat Kohli began IPL 2023 on an imperious note by scoring an unbeaten 82 to steer RCB to a win over the Mumbai Indians.
He was bamboozled by Sunil Narine in the team's subsequent clash, leading to his match-up against the LSG spinners who have done very well so far.
While the surface at the Chinnaswamy Stadium would not spot as much turn as LSG have had so far in their matches in Lucknow and Chennai, the current form of their spinners makes it an interesting clash.
Using a spinner who is comfortable bowling in the powerplay could be considered by the LSG think tank. Krunal Pandya emerges as the perfect candidate to employ in the role, and his superior record over Virat Kohli is the cherry on the cake.
The left-arm spinner has come up against the former RCB skipper across 10 innings. Krunal has managed to claim the prized wicket on one occasion but has been able to restrict the batter to a great extent.
Kohli has scored 79 runs off 80 deliveries against the all-rounder at a strike rate of 98.75.
#3 Nicholas Pooran vs Harshal Patel
Death overs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium have proven to be fundamental over the years. The venue aids movement with the new ball, particularly in the first innings, forcing the teams to go hard in the death overs, with the small boundaries also playing a massive role.
Roped in for a whopping sum of ₹16 crore at the 2023 mega-auction, Nicholas Pooran has done well for LSG so far coming down the order. The former West Indies captain has played only one IPL match at the iconic venue in Bangalore, where he scored 46 runs at a strike rate of 164.3.
The tips are scaled towards LSG in this particular matchup, with Pooran having a dominant record over RCB's chief death bowler, Harshal Patel.
The right-arm pacer has not had a good start to the tournament and has conceded 53 runs to Pooran across 37 deliveries in five innings at a strike rate of 143.24 to date.
Who will win the upcoming IPL 2023 contest between LSG and RCB? Let us know what you think.
