Having squandered multiple opportunities over the past week not just to bolt a position in the top two but to even secure their respective places in the play-offs, the faltering Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Capitals square off in a winner-takes-all IPL battle on Monday.
“The situation is in front of us: we have to win our last game to hopefully finish in the top two,” said RCB skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday night while assessing the situation his team and Delhi are in at the moment.
“It also gives teams a chance to make a comeback. Having said that it makes you aware of your downfalls as a team and things that you need to correct going forward. It is going to be a cracker of a game with both teams locked in at 14 points.”
Kohli could not have been more point blank. Irrespective of the happenings around them, thanks largely to both RCB and DC drifting away in the last week (the former have lost their last three games while the latter their previous four), a win on Monday at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi will ensure second place. With so much at stake, both teams will be hoping their batsmen rise up after floundering over the last week.
Firstly, the Royal Challengers know this is a great chance to punch their knockout ticket for the first time since 2016. One area where RCB have struggled during the course of the tournament is acceleration during the middle overs. Their run-rate is the worst amongst all teams and although opener Devdutt Padikkal and one-drop Virat Kohli have scored over 400 runs each, they somehow end up getting tied down by spinners in the middle phase. This ends up putting too much pressure on AB de Villiers, donning the hat of a finisher this season, and the times the South African maverick has failed, RCB have struggled to post competitive scores.
Also, the batting has relied heavily on the trio, which in a way could be the reason why Kohli and Padikkal don’t end up taking unnecessary risks when the going is slow. All-rounder Chris Morris is capable of landing meaty blows lower down the order but barring that unbeaten 8-ball 25 against Kings XI Punjab, the South African has flattered to deceive — he’s been out for single-digit scores the last three games.
Delhi’s batting woes are a near mirror image of RCB’s. When the top-order comprising Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, and Shreyas Iyer clicks, then Rishabh Pant and Marcus Stoinis are able to lay the finishing touches. But whenever the top-order has misfired, the middle and lower order have failed to rise up.
DC and RCB, more often than not, have battled for the wooden spoon. This time the fight will be for the silver spoon! Something’s gotta give on Monday night.