The 39^th match of the Indian T20 League will have Bangalore take on Rajasthan at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. In 8 matches, Bangalore have managed to secure 5 wins and, thus, find themselves at number five on the points table.

They are coming into this game on the back of an embarrassing 9-wicket-defeat at the hands of Hyderabad. And, on the other hand, Rajasthan are flying high this season. Rajasthan have managed to secure 5 wins in 7 matches and, thus, are sitting at third on the table. 

Team News:

Bangalore: 

Bangalore suffered an embarrassing 9-wicket defeat at the hands of Hyderabad in their last game. Against a formidable bowling unit of Hyderabad, Bangalore were bundled out for just 68 runs in the first innings. Virat Kohli’s poor form is a big concern for the team, right now. He might be rested for the next game. Nevertheless, Bangalore would be looking to forget the memories of that defeat and move forward.

Players to watch out for:

1.       Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis scored a match-winning 96 against Lucknow but was cleaned-up by an unplayable delivery in the last game against Hyderabad. Bangalore would be looking for a win in the next game and the skipper needs to lead from the front.

2.      Glenn Maxwell:

Glenn Maxwell is the man in form. He is looking in great touch but the team would expect a bit more maturity from him. If he gets going on Tuesday, then the match could turn in a very less period of time.

3.     Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood is currently the main man for Bangalore in the bowling department. He exhibited a game-changing spell of 4 for 25 against Lucknow but was expensive in the last game against Hyderabad. You could also argue that there weren’t enough runs on the board for Bangalore. Hazlewood would be keen to come back stronger on Tuesday.

Probable Playing XI:

Faf du Plessis (c), Anuj Rawat, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj

Rajasthan:

Rajasthan is one of the best teams this season and a lot of credit should be given to Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal for that. Both have been crucial to the team’s fortune this year. Rajasthan would be keen to continue the winning momentum. 

Players to watch out for:

J    1. Jos Buttler 

Jos Buttler is currently in the form of his life. He has already hit three centuries in seven matches. In 7 games, Buttler has 491 runs to his name and is expected to continue scoring big knocks further into the tournament. Buttler will, once again, be the man to watch out for.

2. 2. Yuzvendra Chahal 

Yuzvendra Chahal is the biggest bet for Rajasthan in the bowling deparment. He has consistently delivered match-winning performances and is currently the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. In 7 matches, Chahal has 18 wickets to his name at an average of 11.33.

3. Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson too has been in blistering form, right now. He is currently the third highest run-getter for the team. In 7 matches, Samson has managed to score 201 runs at a strike rate of 171.

Probable Playing XI:

Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora, Arshdeep Singh

Match Details

Date- 26th April 2022

Time- 7:30 p.m (IST)

Venue- Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune

Broadcast- Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar

Pitch Report:

The 39 match between Bangalore and Rajasthan is scheduled to be played at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The ground is comparatively bigger than the other ones. It won’t be easy to hit sixes frequently. Fast bowlers who can vary the pace well should get wickets here. Batsmen need to take a little time to settle before changing gears.