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RCB vs. Sunrisers IPL Match Cancelled Due to Inclement Weather

Apr 25, 2017
Mumbai Indians batsman Rohit Sharma bats during their Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match against Rising Pune Supergiant in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 24, 2017.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Mumbai Indians batsman Rohit Sharma bats during their Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match against Rising Pune Supergiant in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 24, 2017.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Bad weather has forced the Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad to be abandoned without any play. 

The IPL's official Twitter account confirmed the teams will share a point after the covers remained on the field of play.

The stadium was packed to the rafters for the contest, and fans waited for hours as they hoped the persistent rain would subside.

Eventually, the game was called off as the umpires made a decision about the playing conditions.

RCB are in sixth on five points after the abandonment, and SRH hold third with nine points to their name.

For more news, rumours and related stories about the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Indian Premier League, check out the Indian Premier League stream on Bleacher Report's app.

Bangalore vs. Chennai, IPL: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Apr 21, 2015
India’s Virat Kohli, celebrates his hundred runs during the World Cup Pool B match against Pakistan in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
India’s Virat Kohli, celebrates his hundred runs during the World Cup Pool B match against Pakistan in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Royal Challengers Bangalore will be hoping to register their first home win of the Indian Premier League season when they host Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday.

The match pits India's current Test skipper, Virat Kohli, up against Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is still in charge of the national team in ODI and Twenty20 cricket.

Date: Wednesday, April 22

Time: 8 p.m. local/3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Weather: The forecast, according to AccuWeather.com, suggests a strong possibility of a thunderstorm in the afternoon in Bangalore, though things should clear up in the evening.

TV Info and Live Stream: Sony Six, Star Sports HD, Star Sports 1 (India), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN (UAE), SkyTV ( New Zealand), Network Ten (Australia), Channel 9 (Bangladesh), Sportsnet and Omini (Canada), Sports Max (West Indies), Geo Super (Pakistan), Starhub (Singapore).

Overview

Bangalore will be looking to bounce back from Sunday's disappointing loss to the previously winless Mumbai, a result that left them sitting at the bottom of the table.

They allowed the struggling Indians to score 209 for seven batting first, despite South African all-rounder David Wiese picking up a four-wicket haul on his IPL debut.

However, help has arrived from Australia to boost the Royal Challengers' struggling bowling attack.

Mitchell Starc flew into India on Monday, per Cricket Australia. The left-arm paceman has yet to be involved in the current IPL campaign due to a minor knee injury.

With Wiese hitting an unbeaten 47 in his side's unsuccessful run chase against Mumbai, Rilee Rossouw could be the overseas player who makes way for Starc. It seems unlikely the Royal Challengers would leave out either Chris Gayle or AB de Villiers to accommodate a bowler.

Chennai, meanwhile, were on a three-game winning streak until they came up against the Rajasthan Royals last Friday.

Still, there were a few positives to come out of their first defeat of the season, starting with Dwayne Bravo making 62 not out in a below-par total of 156 for four.

The West Indian all-rounder also picked up a wicket in the second half of the match against the Royals, taking his tally for 2015 to a team-high seven.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took the only other Rajasthan wicket to fall, in the process breaking his duck with the ball for the year. 

But skipper Dhoni was not too concerned by the heavy eight-wicket defeat. He said at the post-match presentation, per Cricbuzz.com: "This is a long tournament, so, it doesn't really matter (one loss). We didn't lose by a massive margin, and hopefully, we will get better."

Key players

Bangalore

It has not yet been confirmed if Starc will be ready to go on Wednesday, but the Royal Challengers will be desperate to select him following his recent arrival in India.

The 25-year-old played a leading role in Australia's march to glory at the Cricket World Cup, taking 22 wickets at an average of 10.18.

Chennai

Dhoni has scored 117 runs in four innings so far, but he is yet to really lay down a marker in the tournament.

The wicketkeeper-batsman faced 37 deliveries for his unbeaten 31 against Rajasthan, an uncharacteristically slow-paced innings for a man who has built a big reputation as a limited-overs expert. 

Squads

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Varun Aaron, Sean Abbott, Abu Nechim, S Badrinath, Shishir Bhavane, Manvinder Bisla, Yuzvendra Chahal, AB de Villiers, Ashok Dinda, Chris Gayle, Iqbal Abdulla, Dinesh Karthik, Sarfaraz Khan, Nic Maddinson, Mandeep Singh, Adam Milne, Harshal Patel, Rilee Rossouw, Darren Sammy, Sandeep Warrier, Jalaj Saxena, Mitchell Starc, Yogesh Takawale, David Wiese, Vijay Zol

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Eklavya Dwivedi, Kyle Abbott, Baba Aparajith, Ravichandran Ashwin, Samuel Badree, Ankush Bains, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Matt Henry, Michael Hussey, Ravindra Jadeja, Brendon McCullum, Mithun Manhas, Ronit More, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra, Ishwar Pandey, Irfan Pathan, Pratyush Singh, Suresh Raina, Mohit Sharma, Rahul Sharma, Dwayne Smith, Andrew Tye

Bangalore vs. Mumbai Indians, IPL: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Apr 18, 2015
India's Virat Kohli walks from the field after he was dismissed for one run during their Cricket World Cup semifinal against Australia in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, March 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
India's Virat Kohli walks from the field after he was dismissed for one run during their Cricket World Cup semifinal against Australia in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, March 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

Royal Challengers Bangalore welcome Mumbai Indians to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with both teams desperate to pick up points in the Indian Premier League.

The hosts have a 50 percent record after two games, while the struggling Indians are still yet to get off the mark in 2015 after suffering four straight defeats.

Date: Sunday, April 19

Time: 8 p.m. local/3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Weather: AccuWeather.com forecasts a small possibility of a thunderstorm in the area, though the conditions are expected to be warm.

TV Info and Live Stream: Sony Six, Star Sports HD, Star Sports 1 (India), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN (UAE), SkyTV ( New Zealand), Network Ten (Australia), Channel 9 (Bangladesh), Sportsnet and Omini (Canada), Sports Max (West Indies), Geo Super (Pakistan), Starhub (Singapore).

Overview

After a slow start to their season, Bangalore will begin a run of four games in eight days with the clash against Mumbai on Sunday.

The Royal Challengers have so far played twice, beating Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets in their opener before then suffering an eight-wicket loss at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

They have invested heavily on batsmen in their squad; skipper Virat Kohli has so far opened the innings with Chris Gayle, with AB de Villiers coming in at four in the order.

Mitchell Starc was due to be the leader of the Bangalore attack. However, the Australia paceman has not appeared yet, instead remaining at home to rest a niggling knee injury, per ESPN Cricinfo.

Mumbai, meanwhile, find themselves propping up the rest in the table.

Their miserable start to the campaign continued on Friday when they were unable to defend a total of 183 for seven against the Chennai Super Kings.

They recovered from 12 for three to post what appeared to be a challenging score, skipper Rohit Sharma hitting an even 50 after back-to-back ducks, but their bowlers proved unable to stop Chennai.

At least the Indians know it is not too late to turn things around. In 2014 they lost their opening five matches, yet still went on to qualify for the knockout stages. 

Key players

Bangalore

The Royal Challengers' star-studded batting lineup should make sure they don't lack for runs. The key to success will be how the bowling unit holds up until Starc is fit to play.

To that extent, Varun Aaron needs to step up and perform. The India seamer has so far picked up one wicket at a cost of 74 runs, figures that need to improve as the games come thick and fast. 

Mumbai

Lasith Malinga has yet to fire in the competition this year, so far managing just four wickets in 16 overs of work.

The Sri Lankan has an economy rate of 8.87 and recorded figures of one for 40 in the defeat to Chennai. Mumbai require better than that from their premier paceman.

Squads

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Varun Aaron, Sean Abbott, Abu Nechim, S Badrinath, Shishir Bhavane, Manvinder Bisla, Yuzvendra Chahal, AB de Villiers, Ashok Dinda, Chris Gayle, Iqbal Abdulla, Dinesh Karthik, Sarfaraz Khan, Nic Maddinson, Mandeep Singh, Adam Milne, Harshal Patel, Rilee Rossouw, Darren Sammy, Sandeep Warrier, Jalaj Saxena, Mitchell Starc, Yogesh Takawale, David Wiese, Vijay Zol

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Corey Anderson, Aiden Blizzard, Jasprit Bumrah, Unmukt Chand, Marchant de Lange, Aaron Finch, Shreyas Gopal, Harbhajan Singh, Siddhesh Lad, Mitchell McClenaghan, Lasith Malinga, Abhimanyu Mithun, Pragyan Ojha, Hardik Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Kieron Pollard, Nitish Rana, Ambati Rayudu, Lendl Simmons, Jagadeesha Suchith, Pawan Suyal, Aditya Tare, Vinay Kumar, Akshay Wakhare

IPL 2014: Where Did It All Go Wrong for Royal Challengers Bangalore?

May 27, 2014
Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli bats during Indian Premier League (IPL) Qualifier 1 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, May 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli bats during Indian Premier League (IPL) Qualifier 1 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, May 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

For the third year in a row, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have failed to even make it through to the Indian Premier League (IPL) play-offs, and for a franchise with such a vast array of talent at their disposal, especially their star-studded batting lineup, questions must surely now be asked as to why exactly.

As any squad containing big-hitting batsmen of the quality and experience of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers should not be finishing second bottom out of the eight competing teams, having lost nine of their 14 contests, and yet that was how Bangalore performed in IPL 7.

However, it was only de Villiers of that explosive quartet who ever really managed to live up to the Royal Challengers’ pre-tournament expectations, at least on the type of consistent basis that was needed to see the franchise through to the knockout phase of the competition.

As if to compound matters even more, though, every time their South African star did manage to perform heroics with the bat, it was often still not enough to see his side over the line, while Bangalore also did not help themselves either by consistently sending their most in-form player in too low down the order.

And while both the skipper and his middle-order compatriot Yuvraj showed us glimpses of their extraordinary prowess with the bat, particularly the latter in the second half of the tournament, it was not nearly enough, especially when you consider Yuvi was the most expensive player in the auction at a cost of $2.3 million.

Now when you also throw in the total lack of impact made by two of the Royal Challengers’ overseas players in Gayle and Albie Morkel, combined with an unthreatening and ineffective pace attack comprising the likes of Ashok Dinda, Varun Aaron and Mitchell Starc, then one can begin to further understand just why the franchise performed so poorly in this season’s competition.

The West Indian opener is, on his day, one of the most ferocious and destructive Twenty20 batsmen in the world, capable of winning a game single-handedly. However, on this occasion, Gayle was clearly struggling with his fitness and could only manage a disappointing 196 runs in nine knocks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv91t_6Li8c

Meanwhile, no one could have predicted either that Morkel would be dropped from the team after only seven games yielding just 45 runs and four wickets, in complete contrast to how the Proteas all-rounder had performed in recent editions of the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings.

As a result, with constant doubts hanging over both their batting and bowling departments, as well as concerns regarding half of their overseas stars, Bangalore’s subsequent up-and-down IPL campaignwhich saw the franchise win their opening two encounters, before then losing six of their next seven fixtures to all but end their interest in the tournamentis perhaps not that surprising after all.

This is, after all, a side capable of beating the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai and the Mumbai Indians one day, while then losing to the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Rajasthan Royals the next.

However, that is what happens when you start having to rely on individual exploits to win games, as opposed to working together as a team. This is an overall weakness that has actually seen the franchise finish the first four years of the IPL seventh, runners-up, third and then runners-up again.

And this is before we even begin to mention the number of closely run matches that Bangalore somehow managed to throw away at the death, none more so than their incredible last-over defeat by just two runs to Kolkata in Sharjah last month (see above video).

Meanwhile small, but important, details such as the concession of a competition-high 25 extras also did not help the team cause when it came down to the final reckoning.

In the end, though, the most memorable moment of the Royal Challengers’ stop-start campaign was the on-pitch fracas between Starc and Mumbai all-rounder Kieron Pollard at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this month, which perhaps says all you need to know really about Bangalore’s IPL 7 with the Indians emerging on top to ultimately grab the final play-off berth ahead of the losers.

Yuvraj Singh's 9 Sixes vs. Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2014: The Message Is Clear

May 13, 2014
DHAKA, BANGLADESH - APRIL 06:  Yuvraj Singh of India bats during the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 Final between India and Sri Lanka at Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur Stadium on April 6, 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
DHAKA, BANGLADESH - APRIL 06: Yuvraj Singh of India bats during the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 Final between India and Sri Lanka at Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur Stadium on April 6, 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

The bowler, medium pacer Rahul Shukla, charged towards him from around the wicket. Shukla had been the most effective bowler in the opposition, getting rid of the explosive Chris Gayle early and conceding just 14 runs in his first three overs. Coming in to bowl the last of the 20 overs, the bowler's team, the Delhi Daredevils, expected a calm, quiet one.

Yuvraj Singh had other ideas.

The ball came in as a half-volley wide of off-stump from around the wicket. Within microseconds, he locked in on the target and processed the type of shot he wanted to play.

He almost went down on his back knee and swiped under the ball. He watched as it sailed high over the point fence and into the welcoming sea of red in the stands.

A glance at the scoreboard revealed that he had reached his half-century—off just 24 balls. As the crowd screeched out his nickname—"Yuvi! Yuvi! Yuvi!"—he raised his bat, parallel to the ground, but pointed towards his team's dugout.

With a nod of the head, his eyes fixed on the dugout, he kept his bat pointed towards his teammates for a few seconds. He did not acknowledge the crowd, even as the chants transformed into electrifying repetitions of "Singh is King!"

Just over a month ago, he had struggled his way to a painful 11 off 21 deliveries playing for India in the final of the ICC World T20 against Sri Lanka at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Back then, the fans hadn't chanted his name. Far from it.

Instead, they went ahead and pelted his house with stones. The fact that he had won two World Cups for them earlier had magically been erased from their memories.

They mocked his Indian Premier League franchise, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, for shelling out $2.3 million for his services. A half-century in the first match of the IPL quietened them for a while, but they were back at their vocal best as he managed just 92 runs from the next seven games, even as his team struggled along with him.

More than anger and frustration, it was pity that was showered on him. The 32-year-old's long and successful battle with cancer following the success of the 2011 World Cup campaign had gripped the entire nation and the cricketing world.

They cheered for him when he had fought death away and survived. They cheered his return to the Indian team. However, when he failed to reproduce the prolific results from the past, there was only one reaction: Poor dude, he should just retire.

He persisted, and on May 11, playing against the Rajasthan Royals, he brought out glimpses from his glorious past. He scored 83 runs from just 38 balls, including seven fours and as many sixes. He followed it up with four wickets with the ball, capping what should have been a brilliant all-round match-winning effort.

Only, it wasn't to be a match-winning effort.

The opposition stuck in and chased down 191, and almost cruelly stole his thunder. More pity.

Coming to Tuesday's match, he walked in at 94 for three in the 13th over. His first boundary was an unconvincing one, off an outside edge. His first 10 runs took him 11 balls to score. But in the 16th over, he brought the time machine out.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore was transformed into Kingsmead, Durban, circa 2007— almost. Spinner Imran Tahir all but assumed Stuart Broad's role as he whacked him for three consecutive sixes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEAKed6nhdc

The Singh of 2007 had hit six sixes in a single over. Seven years later, he decided to do it a little differently and even went one-up on his younger self.

In the last over of the innings, while bringing up his second consecutive fifty, he smashed Rahul Shukla for four sixes off as many legal deliveries, taking his team to 186 for four. His individual contribution read 68 off 29 balls, with one four and nine sixes. Nine.

Throughout his action-packed innings, he barely moved a muscle on his face, shielding any emotions in his mind from the outside world. But his raise of the bat towards the dugout and acknowledgement of only his teammates said more than any charged fist-pump.

His name was back in the chants of the fans, he had sent Twitter into overdrive and he knew that his pictures would be splashed across the media, coupled with words of extreme praise, a frame-by-frame breakdown and analysis of his nine sixes and comparisons with 2007.

But did it matter? Probably not.

In the post-match presentation, opposition skipper Kevin Pietersen said that he had batted like "an absolute superstar. He has proven a lot of people wrong." His own captain, Virat Kohli, who had backed him even after the World T20 final last month, reiterated that he had put doubters and all doubts to rest.

Those were the words that probably mattered: from his peers and his teammates, who had stood by him all along.

While accepting the Man of the Match award, he said that he kept believing in himself and was backed by his seniors, before going on to thank the owner of his franchise for "bringing me over here"—for bringing him over there, when everyone else had given him the ditch.

It is quite possible that his apparent snub of the fans is an exaggeration, a concoction of this writer, who has no access to the player's mind and emotions, and even the happenings off-camera.

But that unwavering, resolute and stony-faced look as he acknowledged his dugout struck a chord and seemed to convey a message.

He has seen it all in his 14-year career. The same fans who were chanting his name could as easily boo him the very next day or, worse, pelt his house with stones. The same editors and journalists who filled up their pages with flowery words describing his last two innings could as easily spew vitriol after a couple of ducks. The same Twitter, which was trending with his name in a positive manner, could as easily be flooded with jokes on his slump.

His reaction on Tuesday would have you believe that he's learned to bypass all of this. What matters to him is what he believes in and that his teammates believe in him. His emotionless reaction seemed to convey only one message:

It isn't easy being Yuvraj Singh. You don't want to try.

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2014, Scorecard, Report

May 13, 2014
India's Yuvraj Singh, second left, shares a light moment with teammates during a training session ahead of their ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final match against Sri Lanka in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, April 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's Yuvraj Singh, second left, shares a light moment with teammates during a training session ahead of their ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final match against Sri Lanka in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, April 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

A dynamic innings from Yuvraj Singh saw Bangalore beat Delhi by 16 runs in the latest Indian Premier League match.

The veteran left-hander smashed nine sixes as he made 68 from 29 balls to lift the Royal Challengers to 186-4 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

In their reply, the visiting Daredevils could only make 170-7 with skipper Kevin Pietersen contributing 33.

RCB’s innings was meandering at 95-3 before Yuvraj set things alight with his second blistering innings in a row.

After making 83 against Rajasthan on Sunday, he smashed the opposition bowling to all parts with three consecutive maximums off Imran Tahir and four in a row off Laxmi Shukla’s final over, which went for 27.

BATSMENRUNSBALLSSR4S6S
Chris Gayleb Rahul Shukla222395.6512
Parthiv Patelc Dinesh Karthik b Mohammed Shami2928103.5740
Virat Kohlirun out (Rahul Shukla)101190.9000
AB de Villiersb Siddarth Kaul3317194.1141
Yuvraj SinghNOT OUT6829234.4819
Sachin RanaNOT OUT1514107.1410
EXTRAS (nb 2, w 3, lb 4)9
BOWLEROMRWECONDOTS
JP Duminy402506.2510
Mohammed Shami403117.7510
Siddarth Kaul403719.2511
Rahul Shukla4041110.259
Imran Tahir4048012.005

Delhi's reply started in the worst possible fashion as openers Murali Vijay and Quinton de Kock went in the opening two overs.

Mayank Agarwal and Pietersen put on 63 for the third wicket but the Indian went for 31 and the former England batsman was deceived by young leggie Yuzvendra Chahal in the 12th over, stumped after hitting two fours and a six in his 29-ball innings.

Dinesh Karthik contributed just one before becoming Muttiah Muralitharan's second victim, but Delhi's top scorer in the tournament, JP Duminy, kept his side in contention.

The South African hit three sixes in making 48 from 30, but after he was clean bowled by Mitchell Starc, his side needed 40 from 14 balls and that proved too much.

BATSMENRUNSBALLSSR4S6S
Murali Vijaylbw Muttiah Muralitharan1333.3300
Quinton de Kockb Mitchell Starc66100.0010
Mayank Agarwalc Sachin Rana b Abu Nechim3125124.0022
Kevin Pietersenst Parthiv Patel b Yuzvendra Chahal3329113.7921
JP Duminyb Mitchell Starc4830160.0033
Dinesh Karthikc Yuzvendra Chahal b Muttiah Muralitharan1250.0000
Kedar Jadhavrun out (Parthiv Patel)3720185.0032
Rahul ShuklaNOT OUT2633.3300
Mohammed ShamiNOT OUT11100.0000
EXTRAS (nb 2, w 2, b 4, lb 2)10
BOWLEROMRWECONDOTS
Muttiah Muralitharan402526.258
Mitchell Starc402626.5010
Abu Nechim4040110.005
Yuzvendra Chahal4045111.257
Yuvraj Singh402807.007

Royal Challengers Bangalore are now in a three-way tie for the fourth and final play-off position with four wins, but Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad have a game in hand.

Delhi Daredevils are at the foot of the table with just two wins from 10 and are facing the wooden spoon for the second year in a row.

Bangalore vs. Rajasthan, IPL 2014: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

May 9, 2014
Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Tilakaratne Dilshan plays a shot against Deccan Chargers' during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match in Bangalore, India, Sunday, May 6, 2012. (AP Photo)
Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Tilakaratne Dilshan plays a shot against Deccan Chargers' during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match in Bangalore, India, Sunday, May 6, 2012. (AP Photo)

With both teams having tasted defeat in their last games, Royal Challengers Bangalore meet the Rajasthan Royals in their latest Indian Premier League (IPL) matchup.

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Date: Sunday, May 11

Start time: 3:30 p.m. BST

Live on: Sony Six, Star Sports HD, Star Sports 1 (India), ITV4 (United Kingdom), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN (UAE) SkyTV (New Zealand), Network Ten (Australia), Channel 9 (Bangladesh), Sportsnet and Omni (Canada), Sports Max (West Indies), Geo Super (Pakistan), Starhub (Singapore).

Weather: According to Weather.com, Bangalore will be a little on the cloudy side, with temperatures peaking at 34 degrees Celsius.

Overview

Both teams were defeated last time out, so they will be keen to get back on track in this game, especially Bangalore who lost by a convincing margin of 32 runs to Kings XI Punjab.

Punjab batted first and racked up 198-8 from their 20 overs, with Mitchell Starc, Harshal Patel and Yuvraj Singh particularly expensive bowlers for the Royal Challengers.

In reply, Bangalore lost Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli inside the first three overs, and despite the efforts of AB de Villiers with 53, they fell short on 166-9 in their innings.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan were also dealt a loss by 32 runs, this time by Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad.

Hyderabad batted first and made a below-part 134-9 from their 20 overs, with Shane Watson and Rajat Bhatia taking three wickets apiece for the Royals.

However, in reply, Rajasthan just could not get their innings going and were dismissed for 102, with no batsman scoring more than Steven Smith’s 22 from 33 deliveries.

With both teams having tasted defeat and both pushing for a place in the playoffs, this should be an intriguing and tight game.

Team News

Royal Challengers Bangalore (from): Virat Kohli (capt), Parthiv Patel, Tanmay Mishra, Yogesh Takawale, Vijay Zol, Yuvraj Singh, Varun Aaron, Ashok Dinda, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Sachin Rana, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shadab Jakati, Sandeep Warrier, Harshal Patel, Nic Maddinson, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Albie Morkel, Mitchell Starc, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ravi Rampaul.

Rajasthan Royals (from): Shane Watson (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Brad Hodge, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny, Ankush Bains, James Faulkner, Pravin Tambe, Kevon Cooper, Unmukt Chand, Steven Smith, Ben Cutting, Deepak Hooda, Iqbal Abdullah, Karun Nair, Vikramjeet Malik, Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Kane Richardson, Dishant Yagnik, Tim Southee, Rahul Tewatia, Ankit Sharma, Amit Mishra.

Key Players

AB de Villiers

One of the best batsmen in the world regardless of what form he plays, AB de Villiers looked in good touch last time out for Bangalore.

He will be keen to carry that form into this game and lead his teammates to victory.

Shane Watson

Rajasthan captain Shane Watson is critical for his side with bat and ball as well as for his leadership, meaning he carries quite a burden into every game.

However, he has shown himself capable of balancing all three and will want to play a big role here to help his side to another win.

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL: TV Info and Preview

May 2, 2014
Royal Challengers Bangalore Skipper Virat Kohli, second right, celebrates the wicket of Deccan Chargers' Daniel Harris during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match in Bangalore, India, Sunday, May 6, 2012. (AP Photo)
Royal Challengers Bangalore Skipper Virat Kohli, second right, celebrates the wicket of Deccan Chargers' Daniel Harris during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match in Bangalore, India, Sunday, May 6, 2012. (AP Photo)

Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad have been consistently inconsistent in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) so far and face each other for the first time this year.

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Date: Sunday, May 4

Start time: 3:30 p.m. BST

Live on: Sony Six, Star Sports HD, Star Sports 1 (India), ITV4 (United Kingdom), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN (UAE) SkyTV (New Zealand), Network Ten (Australia), Channel 9 (Bangladesh), Sportsnet and Omni (Canada), Sports Max (West Indies), Geo Super (Pakistan), Starhub (Singapore).

Weather: According to Weather.com, Bangalore will be a little on the cloudy side, but temperatures will still be high and may peak at 38 degrees Celsius.

Overview

Last time out, Bangalore tasted defeat once again as they lost to Kings XI Punjab by five wickets.

The Royal Challengers batted first, but despite a fast start, they struggled to mount much of a total and closed at 124-8 from their 20 overs.

In reply, Punjab made the chase look relatively easy, although two wickets apiece from Varun Aaron and Yuzvendra Chahal made things a little tougher.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad were victorious over the Mumbai Indians in their last match by a margin of 15 runs.

Batting first, Sunrisers made 172-5, thanks in large part to 65 from David Warner and 46 from Lokesh Rahul.

In reply, things had looked dicey for Hyderabad, as Kieron Pollard made 78, but with little other support, the Indians were held to just 157-7 from their innings.

For Hyderabad, Dale Steyn, Irfan Pathan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets apiece.

With these teams having enjoyed differing fortunes last time around, they will both be desperate for victory.

Team News

Royal Challengers Bangalore (from): Virat Kohli (capt), Parthiv Patel, Tanmay Mishra, Yogesh Takawale, Vijay Zol, Yuvraj Singh, Varun Aaron, Ashok Dinda, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Sachin Rana, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shadab Jakati, Sandeep Warrier, Harshal Patel, Nic Maddinson, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Albie Morkel, Mitchell Starc, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ravi Rampaul


Sunrisers Hyderabad (from): Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Amit Mishra, Irfan Pathan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Naman Ojha, Karan Sharma, Parvez Rasool, KL Rahul, Venugopal Rao, S Anirudha, Manpreet Juneja, Ricky Bhui, Amit Paunikar, P Parameswaran, Ashish Reddy, Chama Milind, Dale Steyn, Darren Sammy, David Warner, Aaron Finch, Moises Henriques, Jason Holder, Brendan Taylor

Key Players

Chris Gayle

Still one of the most explosive batsmen in Twenty20 cricket, Chris Gayle holds the key for the Royal Challengers.

If he can get off to a fast start, Bangalore will be tough to stop.

David Warner

A crucial member of Hyderabad’s top order, David Warner has shown a great deal of ability in T20 cricket.

If he can find some form again and continue hitting boundaries, Sunrisers will be confident of further success.