The Men in Pink travel to the Garden City to face an RCB outfit that’s been unpredictable this season so far.

“The important thing is that in this franchise, through good and bad, we stay even. We don't change the good things. We don't point fingers. We take responsibility. Because the next game comes along really quickly and we know that. That's the RR way.”

It was a tough loss for the Royals in the last outing, returning to Jaipur for the first time in four years. But these inspiring words from Kumar Sangakkara will reverberate in the Royals dressing room when Sanju Samson & co. take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday for the first time. 

The two teams come into the tie on the back of contrasting performances in the league so far. While the Royals have hit the ground running with impressive performances that see them occupy the top spot on the IPL 2023 points table, RCB has had a mixed start with three wins from six matches and is fifth in the 10-team league.

In a team loaded with superstars, both sides will be eager to make the best use of their resources and steer the side in the right direction as the fight for a place in the top four heats up.

Match details

IPL 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals - April 23, 2023

M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

3:30 PM IST

The Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for rolling out a belter of a track where the batters can enjoy their time. And it’s been no different in IPL 2023. In the four matches played in Bengaluru, two have seen scores in excess of 200 in both innings, while the other two also were high-scoring affairs. Defending any total at the Chinnaswamy is not an easy task. But the Royals can take heart from having won four of the eight matches at this venue.

If one is to go by numbers alone, the toss could prove to be crucial on Sunday. Teams prefer to chase at the Chinnaswamy with the chasing side taking away six of the last 10 matches at this venue. But with the batting depth that the Royals have and the bowling powerhouse that includes Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and R Ashwin, the visitors should be well-placed to tackle any situation that they are thrown into.

Battle to watch out

Sandeep Sharma vs Virat Kohli

Talk about the Royals’ bowling and one would barely start with the mention of Sandeep Sharma. In a team that houses some of the best bowling talents in the league, Sandeep has seemingly made a name for himself with some industrious performances. 

A late inclusion in the squad – he was named a replacement for the injured Prasidh Krishna – the 29-year-old has earned respect among his team members with his hard work and disciplined bowling. Be it the last over against Chennai Super Kings where he stopped MS Dhoni from swinging the match, or the five wickets that he’s taken at an economy of 7.13, the pacer has showcased his talent every time he’s called up. On Sunday, the Patiala-born will be eagerly awaiting his turn to run into Virat Kohli at the Chinnaswamy.

Bowlers to dismiss Virat Kohli the most in the IPL

Bowler

Innings

Runs

Balls

Dismissals

Average

Strike Rate

Sandeep Sharma

14

78

59

7

11.1

132

Ashish Nehra

10

60

54

6

10.0

111

Mohammed Shami

11

90

66

5

18.0

136

Jasprit Bumrah

15

140

92

4

35.0

152

Sunil Narine

14

102

102

4

25.5

100

Sandeep has dismissed Kohli seven times in T20s, the most by any bowler. His habit of sticking to the stumps in the early overs has often troubled the batter and the Royals will be counting on their ace bowler to bring his A-game.

In the spotlight

Yashasvi Jaiswal

He is one of India’s upcoming stars, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has done everything to do justice to the hopes pinned on him. The swashbuckling opener has continued his domestic form into IPL 2023 and has amassed 180 runs in the six matches so far at an impressive strike rate of 142.85.

Jaiswal, along with Jos Buttler, is one of the key reasons behind the Royals' success this season. The Indian youngster, who started his IPL journey with the franchise in 2020, has complemented his senior partner in the opener’s role well and the two have been destructive in the Powerplay, helping the team to great starts in the matches. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal in Powerplay in the IPL

Year

Innings

Runs

Strike Rate

2020

3

18

64

2021

10

176

147

2022

10

172

139

2023

6

120

162

On the Chinnaswamy pitch, Jaiswal’s no-holds-barred approach could prove to be the trump card for the Royals as a big show from the batters will be pivotal for the team against a side that has big hitters in Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell.

Team news

Coming on the back of a loss against an LSG team that’s fired hot and cold so far, it’d be interesting to see how the team management approaches this fixture. Sangakkara has often spoken about not tinkering with a combination that’s delivered for the franchise. But given the nature of IPL 2023 and the toll it could take on the players, especially given the exhaustive travel this edition involves, it won’t be a surprise if the Royals rotate the squad and test the depths in the coming matches.

Upcoming milestones

  • Yashasvi Jaiswal will play his 50th T20 match.
  • Trent Boult needs one wicket to complete 100 IPL wickets.
  • Jos Buttler needs two catches for 50 Catches in IPL.
  • Devdutt Padikkal needs 11 Runs for 500 Runs for Rajasthan Royals.