IPL 2021: RCB, CSK brace for high-octane action at Sharjah

Be it the rivalry between FC Barcelona-Real Madrid, Liverpool-Manchester United, Corinthians and Palmeiras - No other fixture is given as much significance as these riveting derbies. When the Royal Challengers take on MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings at Sharjah on Friday, it will be no different. Whenever the two teams face each other, fans anticipate over who will emerge on the top. There are a few rivalries that keep us all glued to our seats. This is undoubtedly one of them.

Virat Kohli’s troops will look to put behind the ghosts of the previous encounter against Knight Riders. In a long tournament like the IPL, it is important to stay positive after enduring a few road bumps. Despite the loss on Monday, there is no panic in the camp as the team are still comfortably placed on the points table.

Following Monday's game, Kohli gave a pep talk to his teammates, asking them to put this game behind them and use it as motivation for the upcoming games.

“We are better off accepting it immediately and being at peace with it. Not meaning that we don't look forward to the next one, but it should give us more hunger to get on to the field again and play the cricket that we have played already in this tournament. So, I think it's about accepting that this kind of a game will happen at some stage. There is no reason why we should react differently to losses. We have to stay pretty balanced as a team if we have to go all the way," The 32-year-old said.

The training session on Wednesday sported a different look. Intense. Riveting. Gruelling. It emphasised how focused the team is ahead of the high-voltage match against Chennai Super Kings in the south. Needless to say, captain Kohli loves challenges. It is these kind of challenges that brings out the best in him. Rewind to October 10, 2020, when RCB were tottering at 93-4, he dictated terms against a formidable CSK bowling attack, scoring an unbeaten 90. His knock had substantial impact on the final outcome of the game as RCB overpowered CSK to clinch a comfortable victory. Come Friday, he would be eager to replicate his performance. 

Kohli opting for an extended net session on Wednesday was another sign of how eager he is to do well. The gaffer, Mike Hesson, also reiterated that the skipper is hungry and eager to make amends with the bat. He went on to say that the skipper has regained his rhythm and is confident that a big knock is just around the corner.

"Virat is desperate to do well. And he likes those one-on-one sessions to get confidence or find his rhythm again. Looks like he has found his rhythm," said Mike Hesson.

After a forgetful outing against KKR, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell will be looking forward to causing grief to the CSK bowling unit. The duo’s performance will have a massive relevance on the team’s prospects.

CSK, on the other hand, pulled off a remarkable come-from-behind victory over Mumbai Indians thanks to a spirited bowling performance and a crafty half-century from Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, they do have some chinks in their armour, which was evident in the game against Mumbai Indians. They will be boosted by the return of Sam Curran, who missed the opening game of the second phase of IPL 2021 due to the quarantine period.  

Given Sharjah's short boundaries and the presence of several big-hitters on both sides, we can expect a high-scoring match. 

Let us take a look at a few important stats from the RCB-CSK fixtures across all the competitions. 

Highest run aggregate 

Virat Kohli has carved a trail of records in the IPL over the last decade, and it is no surprise that he tops the chart of leading run-scorers in the RCB-CSK fixture. 

Most wickets

With a total of 16 wickets, the Protea all-rounder Albie Morkel sits atop the list of highest wicket-takers in the RCB-CSK fixture. Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and Vinay Kumar are next in line, both with 15 wickets.

Best bowling figures 

Average score (RCB) - 145 

Average score (CSK) - 154 

Match Details

Date: Friday, 24 September

Time: 7:30 PM [IST] 

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium 

Teams

RCB: Virat Kohli (C), AB de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pavan Deshpande, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian, Suyesh Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasarangal, Akash Deep, George Garton.

CSK: MS Dhoni (C), Ambati Rayudu, C Hari Nishanth, Cheteshwar Pujara, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Harisankar Reddy, Imran Tahir, Josh Hazlewood, K Bhagath Varma, K Gowtham, Karn Sharma, KM Asif, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Narayan Jagadeesan, R Sai Kishore, Ravindra Jadeja, Robin Uthappa, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Suresh Raina.