IPL 2024, RR vs RCB - Not Virat Kohli, These 3 Players Will Be Important for RCB

Faf du Plessis and Mohammed Siraj will be important for RCB in the game against RR [AP Photos]Faf du Plessis and Mohammed Siraj will be important for RCB in the game against RR [AP Photos]

The Royal Challengers will face the Rajasthan Royals in the 19th match of the Indian Premier League (2024). They will play this match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on April 6th at 7:30 PM IST. 

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a rocky start to the tournament with a single win from two games. But after losing the plot in the next two matches, they are in the eighth position in the points table and need a rejuvenation to make it to the playoffs. 


Sawai Mansingh Stadium Ground Stats (IPL 2024)

Stats
Numbers
Matches2
Matches won batting first2
Matches won batting second0
Average first innings total189
Average second innings total173
Average first innings winning total189
Wickets by pacers13
Wickets by spinners 7

The Royal Challengers will have great memories of the last time they visited the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. However, the Royals unit is looking different in this edition. They have the confidence of three wins with themselves, and overhauling them this time will take a lot of work. 

Given how the wicket responded to the new ball at the beginning of the previous two games, someone like Mohammad Siraj could be necessary for the team. Let us now take a deeper analytical dive and find three potential match-winners for the team in this game. 


3 Important players for RCB vs RR

Faf du Plessis 

The RCB skipper started the season on a good note against CSK. Even though he did not score big in that game, he looked in good rhythm. But since then, Faf du Plessis has been completely off-colour. 

RCB will be hoping that Faf regains his form in this game and helps Virat Kohli in providing the team with a solid start. Du Plessis's form against RR in the last season will give positivity to the team management. In IPL 2023, Faf du Plessis scored half-centuries in both games against RR. He scored 117 runs in two matches at an average of 58.5 and a strike rate of 131.8. 

Glenn Maxwell 

The Aussie all-rounder has been RCB's biggest disappointment in this edition so far. Glenn Maxwell has scored only 31 runs in the four matches in IPL 2024. But there is a big chance that Maxwell will return to form in this game, as his record against RR and at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium is pretty decent. 

Maxwell has scored 403 runs in 14 innings against RR at an average of 36.6 and a strike rate of 167.9. His stats were brilliant against RR in the last season too. He scored 131 runs at an average of 65.5 and a strike rate 167.9 in two matches. Maxwell has so far played three T20 matches at the venue and scored half-centuries in two. He has an average of 62 here and a strike rate of 158.97. 

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj's performance with the ball has been below average in the tournament so far. He has picked up just three wickets in four matches and has conceded runs. 

But Siraj has good numbers against the Rajasthan Royals and also has enjoyed bowling at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Siraj has played nine games against RR and picked up nine wickets. But he has been pretty economical against them, conceding runs at the rate of 8.26 per over, which is decent considering he bowls in the powerplay.  

Siraj's numbers are even better at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. In the three games he has played here, Siraj has picked up three wickets while conceding 6.80 runs per over. His average and strike rate at the venue are 22.7 and 20, respectively.