IPL 2020 Match Preview RCB vs Punjab: When perpetual under-achievers take on each other

For the IPL’s perennial under-achievers, the eventual result of their opening matches was striking. While Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were lucky to get out of jail against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) were unlucky to miss out against Delhi Capitals due to an umpiring error that cost them a run and then the match later in a Super Over.

“I think we had a tough day,” Mayank Agarwal was quoted as saying by KXIP TV.

“There are a lot of positives to take out. The way we came back was fantastic; the way we bowled with the new ball was terrific. It really hurts to not close off the game from the situation we were in... feels terrible. This is just the first game... we can get things rolling again,” added Agarwal, who played a scintillating knock and nearly won the game for Punjab.

All eyes are now on their next game, when the two sides take on each other. There are a lot of things to keep an eye on when KXIP meets RCB.

Captain vs Coach

Rarely will you find an IPL match being described as a contest between a captain and a coach. But, then, there is a well-documented ‘soap-opera’ history between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble as the captain and the coach of the Indian team respectively.

Despite their alleged differences, Kumble attended Kohli’s wedding reception in Mumbai. They have, however, never crossed each other’s paths on a cricket field since the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final in England.

For the first time, the duo will enter a cricket ground as captain and coach, albeit on opposite sides. And, it will be a keenly-anticipated meeting.

New-ball edge for Punjab

KXIP will be happy with the form of its new-ball bowlers Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell. The pair not only conceded just 39 runs in eight overs but also took five wickets against Delhi Capitals in the first match.

For RCB, Dale Steyn alone gave away 33 runs without even completing his four overs.

Profligate support cast

While Chris Jordan was chiefly responsible for Punjab’s bowling woes by conceding 56 runs in four overs without a wicket, Umesh Yadav was the culprit for RCB (four overs for 48 runs without a wicket), bowling in much the same way as he has been over the years. Are they going to replace him or keep him in the playing eleven?

Middle-order advantage for RCB

This season, RCB has the strongest middle order on paper. Indeed, if South African all-rounder Chris Morris was fit for selection, RCB’s middle order would have been stronger than it already is.

“Chris Morris unfortunately picked up a slight side strain a few days ago. He would have played a huge role (bowling) through the middle and death overs, and his batting would have had a huge impact as well,” said the team's Director of Cricket Operations, Mike Hesson, in a video posted by RCB's Twitter handle.

Indian leg spinners: Present vs future

There will be another contest within the game between two leg spinners. While RCB’s Yuzvendra Chahal is India’s first-choice leg-spinner, Punjab’s Ravi Bishnoi was magnificent in his debut. If the youngster can turn the match on its head (as Yuzi did against SRH), India may well be looking at a future leg-spinner.

Likely playing XI

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (captain), AB de Villiers, Shivam Dube, Josh Philippe (WK), Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav, Dale Steyn, Yuzvendra Chahal

Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Sarfaraz Khan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Chris Jordan, Mohammed Shami, Sheldon Cottrell, Ravi Bishnoi

(Vimal Kumar is a senior sports journalist who has covered multiple cricket world cups and Rio Olympics in the last two decades. Vimal is also the author of Sachin: Cricketer Of The Century and The Cricket Fanatic’s Essential Guide.)

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