RCB vs DC: The Final Push

Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, both assured of a playoff spot, will be looking to check all the boxes ahead of the playoffs when they meet at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday.

The team will be looking to quickly put the loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad behind them and finish the league stage on a high note. Despite the heartbreaking loss, there were many bright spots. Whether it was Shahbaz Ahmed's all-round show or Daniel Christian's miserly spell on the sluggish track, there were plenty of positives to take away from last night's encounter.

In the last meeting, RCB emerged triumphant on the back of AB de Villiers’ blitzkrieg knock and Mohammed Siraj’s brilliant last over, beating DC by a solitary run. As far as the head-to-head battle is concerned, Virat Kohli’s troops hold the edge with 15 wins to Delhi Capitals’ 10 in the 27 meetings between the two sides so far. 

Glenn Maxwell has been at his destructive best, amassing runs in abundance this season. The Australian thus far has scored 447 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 146.56, including 5 half-centuries. He will be keen to continue his rich vein of form as the business end of the tournament is fast approaching. While the 32-year-old has gone hammer and tongs, AB de Villiers hasn't quite had an impact yet. Though he has shown flashes of his usual self in the last three games, he has not been able to convert his starts into significant scores. However, a player of his stature can't be questioned. As the saying goes, “form is temporary and class is permanent,” which certainly suits the lynchpin of RCB batting as one big knock is just around the corner.

With the playoffs approaching, the 37-year-old will undoubtedly be crucial to the team’s prospects in the playoffs. The fast bowling unit consisting of Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Daniel Christian and George Garton have made the most of the sluggish surfaces, hitting the right lengths and using several variations to good effect.

Coming to the spin department, Yuzvendra Chahal has not disappointed the skipper. The wily leg-spinner has, time and again, delivered match-defining spells for the team. His comrade, Shahbaz Ahmed, has been remarkable with the ball. Apart from his bowling skills, the Bengal cricketer has also given us a glimpse of his batting prowess in the last two games. 

Come Friday, the Royal Challengers will look to seek momentum ahead of the playoffs stage of the tournament.

Venue statistical overview - Dubai International Stadium 

Average first innings score: 150 

Average second innings score: 131 

Matches won by teams batting first - 53 

Matches won by teams chasing - 43 

Approaching milestones 

Harshal Patel will play his 50th game for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL. 

Virat Kohli is just 5 fours away from 900 fours in T20 cricket.

Glenn Maxwell needs just 48 runs to complete 2,000 runs in the Indian Premier League. 

Mohammed Siraj is four wickets away from 50 wickets in IPL. 

Match Details 

Date: Friday, 8 October 

Time: 7:30 PM [IST] 

Venue: Dubai International Stadium 

Squads 

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, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Deep, George Garton.

DC: Rishabh Pant (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimrom Hetmyar, Shreyas Iyer, Steve Smith, Amit Mishra, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan, Ben Dwarshuis, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Kulwant Khejroliya, Lukman Meriwala, Pravin Dubey, Tom Curran, Umesh Yadav, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Billings and Vishnu Vinod.