IPL 2023: 3 Key Match-Ups to Watch-Out in RCB VS CSK Match No.24

IPL 2023: The Match 24 of the ongoing IPL 2023 will see two of the most popular teams take on each other. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will host the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday (April 17). Regarding the head-to-head record, CSK is miles ahead of their southern rivals with 19 wins in 30 games while RCB has won only on 10 occasions.

RCB has won two out of the four games played so far. RCB beat DC in their last game by 23 runs. The bowlers of the Bangalore-based team were brilliant in their last outing, and it is a positive thing for the side. Skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli are looking in great touch, and they will be looking to entertain the home crowd. Vyshak Vijaykumar made a dream debut for Bangalore against the Delhi Capitals. The right-arm pacer bowled brilliantly well to pick up three wickets including the important wickets of David Warner and Axar Patel.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be eager to put their loss against the Rajasthan Royals at home behind and look for a win against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bengaluru on Monday. Like RCB, CSK’s openers are in great form. Their middle order was tested in the last game against RR and couldn’t deliver. As MS Dhoni said, bowlers did their job in the last game but bowling at the Chinnaswamy stadium will be a different challenge altogether.

IPL 2023: Top Player Battles to Keep an Eye On in RCB VS CSK Game:

3) Virat Kohli vs Ravindra Jadeja

The RCB opener has been enjoying a great run of form so far and has struck three half-centuries in four games. Virat Kohli has made 214 runs in four games at a staggering average of 71.33 and a brilliant strike rate of 147.58. No one has scored more runs in Bengaluru than Kohli. But his cautious approach against spin is quite evident and MS Dhoni may unleash Ravindra Jadeja early on looking for his wicket.

Jadeja has taken six wickets in four games at an average of 13.83, an economy of 6.38, and a strike rate of 13. Over the years, Kohli and Jadeja have faced each other on a number of occasions with the CSK spinner dismissing the RCB batter on three occasions. Kohli scores his runs against Jadeja at a nominal strike rate of 106.9.

2) Devon Conway vs Mohammed Siraj

Devon Conway made his first half-century of the season in the last game against Rajasthan Royals and he will be high on confidence. In IPL 2023 so far, the Southpaw has scored 98 runs in four games so far at an average of 24.5 and a strike rate of 127.27. Conway generally struggles when the right-arm seamers attack his stumps. RCB’s Mohammed Siraj will be looking to exploit this weakness of the left-handed batter.

Siraj has been in sensational form with the ball. He is the highest wicket-taker for his team this season with seven wickets to his name in four games at an average of 15.71, and an economy of 6.87. Conway and Siraj haven’t played much against each other in IPL, with the CSK opener scoring 7 runs in 4 balls without getting out once.

1) Shivam Dube vs Wanindu Hasaranga 

CSK team management has been using Shivam Dube as a floater. His role is clear and that is to neutralize the spin threat. The left-handed batter uses his reach and long handle to smack the spinners out of the park. He did that in the game against Mumbai Indians but failed in the last game against the Royals. Considering the small boundaries of Chinnaswamy stadium, Dube will be very important for RCB in the middle overs. In that phase, he will have to tackle RCB’s trump card Wanindu Hasaranga.

The wily leg spinner is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world right now. He played his first game of the season against the Delhi Capitals. The returns were wasn’t very fruitful as he bagged one wicket but went for plenty of runs. Dube enjoys batting against leg spinners and last season, he smoked 26 runs in 12 balls to neutralize the Hasaranga threat. CSK would hope that he does something similar to that in the upcoming RCB VS CSK match.