JAIPUR: A thumping nine-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their previous outing must have given Rajasthan Royals the required fuel to go for the kill in their remaining two matches of the league stage of the ongoing IPL season.
But they must be feeling a lot of pressure as well, courtesy three losses on the trot before the Eden Gardens game, which leaves no room for a slip-up. With the race to make it to the playoffs getting tighter, Royals are facing a do-or-die situation as they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last home fixture here at the SMS Stadium on Sunday.
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The visitors are sailing in the same boat as they too desperately need to make every match count if they want to make it to the top four. While Royals are currently holding onto the fifth spot with 12 points in 12 matches, RCB are placed 6th with 10 points from 11 outings.
The Royals believe that 'when everything is on the line, it brings the best out of players' and are not over-analyzing.
"I think the beauty of it now is we know we just got to go and try and win the last two games and it almost takes any sort of other way of thinking about things completely out of the equation. We just got to turn up. Sometimes when everything's on the line, it brings the best out of the players, and I feel like that was the case in the last game and it's another opportunity. We got to throw everything at it," said Royals batter Joe Root on Saturday.
The biggest challenge for Faf du Plessis' side would be to stop the young gun Yashasvi Jaiswal. The admirable consistency with which the opener is batting is a constant for Royals. His fielding has been equally intense.
1/10:RR vs RCB IPL 2023: Showdown between Jaiswal and Du Plessis as Rajasthan take on Bangalore
AFP
2/10:RR face RCB at home
<p>It promises to be a showdown between this edition's two most impactful batters in young Yashasvi Jaiswal and veteran Faf du Plessis when Rajasthan Royals take on Royal Challengers Bangalore, who are looking to avoid a hat-trick of defeats, in an IPL match in Jaipur on Sunday.<br /></p>AFP
3/10:Jaiswal, Du Plessis are having dream run
<p>Both Jaiswal and du Plessis are in scintillating form and are the top-two run-getters in the tournament so far. While du Plessis is leading the scoring charts with 576 runs from 11 innings, including six half centuries and a best of 84, Jaiswal is a close second with 575 runs from 12 knocks that includes four fifties and a 124-run knock.<br /></p>AFP
4/10:RCB look to avoid a hat-trick of defeats
<p>RCB will also look to avoid a hat-trick of defeats, having suffered losses against Mumbai Indians and laggards Delhi Capitals in their last two games.<br /></p>AFP
5/10:Buttler also a threat for RCB
<p>While Jos Buttler failed against KKR, he remains a big threat alongside Jaiswal at the top of the order for the Royals.<br /><br /></p>AFP
6/10:RR have a strong middle-order
<p>RR's middle-order too looks pretty strong in the presence of Joe Root, Druv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer.<br /></p>AFP
7/10:Chahal on a roll
<p>On the bowling front, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal shone bright against KKR with brilliant figures of 4/25, New Zealand quick Trent Boult was steady upfront and returned with two wickets in their last match.<br /></p>AFP
8/10:Boult, Sandeep lead RR pace attack
<p>Sandeep Sharma has also been providing great support to Boult at the start, while in experienced Ravichandran Ashwin, the Rajasthan franchise has a wily customer who has the ability to turn the match on his own on his day.<br /><br /></p>AFP
9/10:RCB need both Du Plessis and Kohli to fire
<p>While du Plessis has been consistent with the bat throughout the tournament so far, Virat Kohli has sparkled in patches and RCB need both the batters to fire at the top to provide them a good start.<br /></p>AFP
10/10:RCB desperate to turn the tables around
<p>RCB, on the other hand, lost their last two games against Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians and would be desperate to turn the tables around with a comprehensive win.<br /></p>AFPRCB's director of cricket Mike Hesson agreed on the possible threat Jaiswal can pose and said that 'it's very hard to find a weak link in his batting'. "The way he is batting now is exceptional not only in terms of his consistency, but also in terms of the strike rate and the way he has taken the games from the opposition."
Pointing towards the home team's strategy, he said, "We know RR are a destructive team with the bat and we know they obviously rely heavily on spin with the ball. They have a clear structure. Therefore, in many ways it's probably easier to plan (against them)."
