IPL 2023, LSG vs RCB: Decoding the key player battles
Match 43 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) would see Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the high-flying Lucknow Super Giants at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium on May 1. LSG put up some dominating performances in the first half of the season, winning five of their eight games. RCB meanwhile own four wins in eight outings. Here we present the anticipated player battles.
KL Rahul vs Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj has been a formidable force with the new ball this season, scalping seven wickets in the powerplay (ER: 5.05). He dismissed LSG skipper KL Rahul earlier this season and would not mind replicating his heroics. Overall, in six IPL meetings, Rahul has slammed 96 runs at a strike rate of 181.13 against Siraj. He has been dismissed just once in this battle.
Nicholas Pooran vs Harshal Patel
Nicholas Pooran smoked a 15-ball half-century against RCB earlier this season. Against RCB's death-over specialist Harshal Patel, the southpaw has collected 25 runs off just 10 balls in IPL without getting dismissed. Though Harshal has been conceding runs at 11.73 in death overs (16-20) this year, he has taken eight wickets in this phase. Pooran's strike rate in these overs read 169.64 this season.
Faf du Plessis vs Avesh Khan
Faf du Plessis is currently the leading run-getter of the season with 422 runs. As he has dominated the powerplay overs, LSG's new-ball bowler Avesh Khan must be précised against him. Notably, Avesh has dismissed the RCB skipper once in six IPL meetings, conceding 48 runs off 39 balls. However, he has been conceding runs at 9.52 in powerplay this season, scalping six wickets.
Glenn Maxwell vs Ravi Bishnoi
Another RCB dasher who has been on a roll this season is Glenn Maxwell, whose strike rate reads 186.96. As leg-spinners have dismissed him 20 times in 55 IPL innings, Ravi Bishnoi can be unleashed against the Australian. Maxwell has tackled Bishnoi well in the past, accumulating 36 runs off 17 deliveries against the leggie without being dismissed.
Pitch report, timing, and streaming details
The BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium will host the clash on May 1, 7:30pm onward. The track here is conducive for run-scoring as the ball tends to come onto the bat nicely. The pacers will also get some help from the strip. A high-scoring clash is on the cards. Star Sports will telecast the match, fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema for free.
