IPL 2019: RCB vs DC: Preview, predicted XI, key battle, where to watch

Bengaluru, April 6: The woes of Royal Challengers Bangalore extended to match 5 when they were beaten soundly by Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinnaswamy stadium here on Friday (April 5) night. But they can trace a modicum of relief in the fact their next opponents are Delhi Capitals, who themselves are smarting from two successive defeats against Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Which team will arrest the slide? Find out from MyKhel preview.

1. Royal Challengers Bangalore

Once they posted a heavy 205 for three and with the Knight Riders requiring 67 runs off 24 balls, the RCB appeared to have finally cracked the code. But instead they cracked in the face of pressure created by Andre Russell onslaught, crashing to a five-wicket defeat - their fifth in as many matches. Their woes were multi-faced too - there were dropped catches, misfields, a bowler bowling two beamers in an over and getting barred from bowling, low quality bowling at death and the captain's decisions looked churlish to say the least. Kohli had said that the pitch had something in it for the spinners but never used Moeen Ali and Pawan Negi, who was RCB's best bowler, did not get the fourth over. RCB has lot to attend to in the short span of time and the other bright spot would be the form Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers displayed against the Knight Riders.

2. Delhi Capitals

The Capitals are going though a small trough having lost their previous two matches. But with four points and fifth on the points table, the Delhi side might be carrying a bit more confidence than Royal Challengers. They have quality too in Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, captain Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Kagiso Rabada etc and are quite capable to reversing the mini losing streak.

3. Key battle - Kohli vs Rabada

Kohli showed his immense class when he made a fluent fifty against the Knight Riders in Bengaluru on Friday. The knock did not inspire the RCB to a win but it has given them a glimmer of hope. Kohli will up against Rabada upfront and would like to stamp his authority early against the Protean quick. Rabada would look to nip out Kohli early and give Delhi a big advantage.

4. Probable XI

RCB: Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, AB de Villiers, Heinrich Klaasen, Akshdeep Nath, Marcus stoinis, Pawan Negi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tim southee, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep saini.

DC: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Colin Ingram, Chris Morris, Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ishant Sharma.