On Wednesday, April 26, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the 36th match of IPL 2023. RCB has won three out of five games played at their home ground and has won four out of seven matches this season. In contrast, KKR has only won two games out of seven this season. Both teams will aim to score as many runs as possible and secure a substantial victory while playing in the shorter boundaries of Bengaluru.
Having accumulated eight points, Royal Challengers Bangalore has made an excellent start to their IPL campaign by winning four out of seven matches. The top-order batsmen, Captain Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell, have been in outstanding form, scoring runs and playing match-winning innings. However, there are concerns about the middle and lower-order batting line-up. In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj has been the only bowler to perform well.
Contrarily, Kolkata Knight Riders have had a poor start to the 16th IPL season, losing five out of seven matches. Nonetheless, KKR has displayed immense fighting spirit, narrowly missing victories in several games. Their bowlers have been unable to restrict the opposition and defend targets, resulting in conceding a lot of runs.
M Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has been the home ground of Royal Challengers Bangalore since the beginning of Indian Premier League. As of now, this venue has hosted 120 IPL matches.
In limited-overs cricket, the pitch of M Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for being favorable for batters due to its small boundaries, resulting in high-scoring games. However, despite this, leg spinners have a significant role to play during the middle overs of the match.
The pitch’s initial assistance can prove advantageous for pacers, but their economy rate often increases as the game progresses. Bengaluru’s pitch has a preference for the team batting second since it’s easier to chase targets. Opting to bowl first in night matches could be a strategic decision because the dew may impact the ball later on.
In the 120 IPL matches played at this venue, the team batting second has emerged victorious 63 times, while the team batting first has won 55 times, and two matches have ended in no result.
The average first-inning score at this ground is 166 runs, with the highest and lowest totals being 263 runs and 82 runs, respectively, both scored by RCB.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss could be a sound strategy for both teams at Bengaluru. With the potent batting and bowling line-ups of the competing sides, the fans can anticipate a thrilling high-scoring match.
