IPL 2023, RCB vs GT: Decoding the key player battles
What's the story
The last league-stage game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will see the tussle between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans on May 21.
RCB will be desperate for a win to secure a playoff berth, whereas GT have already qualified.
It is a big encounter and it will be great to see the superstars collide.
Here are the key battles.
Key battle
Faf du Plessis vs Mohammed Shami
Faf du Plessis has been in scintillating form this season, having slammed 702 runs. Mohammed Shami has also scalped 23 wickets.
In nine IPL meetings, Du Plessis has fallen prey to Shami two times, while the former smoked 90 runs off 54 deliveries (SR: 166.66).
Shami has scalped 15 powerplay wickets, while Du Plessis has scored 334 runs in this phase.
Key battle
Virat Kohli vs Rashid Khan
Virat Kohli is in good form and will be coming off after slamming a hundred against SRH. However, against Rashid Khan, he has not had much joy.
Kohli was dismissed by Rashid twice in six IPL meetings. He has also not allowed Kohli to score freely (SR: 117.39).
Kohli has fallen 20 times in 97 IPL innings against leg spinners (SR: 135.94).
Key battle
Shubman Gill vs Mohammed Siraj
Shubman Gill is a pivotal figure in this GT line-up and removing him early will be Mohammed Siraj's only wish.
Siraj is yet to dismiss Gill in six IPL meetings. The GT batter has slammed 40 runs in 27 balls (SR: 148.14).
He has scored 251 runs in the Powerplay this season, while Siraj has claimed nine wickets in this phase (ER: 6.07).
Key battle
David Miller vs Karn Sharma
David Miller will look to make an impact in this game. He likes attacking spinners and his primary challenge will be against RCB's Karn Sharma.
The duo have faced each other in four IPL meetings and Karn has dismissed Miller once (Bat SR: 136.84).
Leg spinners have dismissed Miller 12 times in 52 IPL innings. He owns a strike rate of 132.92 against them.
Match details
Pitch report, timing, and streaming details
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the fixture on May 21 from 7:30pm IST.
The strip here is very suitable for batters as they play on the up, and the shorter dimension also helps their cause.
9.76 reads the average run rate batting first at this venue in IPL 2023.
Star Sports will telecast the match, fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema.