RCB vs GT, IPL 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore face Gujarat Titans with eye on final playoff spot

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be aiming to sneak into the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs when they face defending champions and table leaders Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru on Sunday.

IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap​

The two sides square off in the final league match of the season, which will also be the last time Bengaluru’s iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium hosts a match in this season, with the playoffs taking place in Ahmedabad and Chennai.

GT were the first team to qualify for the playoffs, clinching the same with a 34-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). And they now appear set to finish on top of the table regardless of the outcome of their match against RCB, given they are on 18 points while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have finished second and third respectively with 17 points each after winning their final league matches on Saturday.

IPL playoff scenarios: RCB, MI and RR fight for final spot

Though Bangalore are tied on 14 points with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Mumbai Indians (MI), they currently are ahead due to their superior Net Run Rate (NRR) of +0.180. Rajasthan finished the league stage with +0.148 and cannot do much except sit and and watch their fate get decided by the two matches on Sunday. Mumbai (-0.128) are the only team still in contention for a place in the playoffs that have a negative NRR.

The key battle in the second game of the Sunday double-header will be between Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan, Gujarat Titans’ key pace and spin option respectively who currently occupy the top two slots on the bowling charts, and the Bangalore top three.

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis has been in the form of his life this season and currently is the only batter with more than 700 runs and together with ex-captain Virat Kohli, who made short work of the 188-run target set by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday with a 63-ball 100, the two have formed what is arguably the most successful opening pair this season.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell too has been handy with the bat at No 3, collecting 389 runs this season at a staggering strike rate of 182.62 — the second-best among batters with more than 300 runs this season.

The Chinnaswamy certainly has stayed true to its character this season and has remained a graveyard for bowlers, where not even score of 200 has allowed the team batting first to breathe easy.

RCB vs GT form guide (last five completed matches)

RCB: WWLLW

GT: WLWWL

RCB vs GT head-to-head: RCB and GT had won one game each after facing each other twice last season. Both victories, incidentally, went to the team batting second.

RCB vs GT likely playing XIs

RCB: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Anuj Rawat (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Michael Bracewell, Wayne Parnell, Harshal Patel, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj

GT: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Dasun Shanaka, Rahul Tewatia, Mohit Sharma, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad

RCB vs GT live streaming: The match will start at 7.30 PM IST and will be live streamed on JioCinema app and website. It will also be shown live on Star Sports channels.

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