x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Forces thwart Pak’s Hamas-style attack on Jammu | In Pak terrorists are given state funerals: Foreign Secretary | Terror nexus exposed: Al-Qaeda backs Pak | Jammu mosques, madrassas open for displaced border residents | Amid cross border shelling, CM Omar reviews situation in border districts | Breeding Ground for fidayeen, links to Hamas, stockpiled NATO arms | PM meets secretaries, stresses on alertness | Masood Azhar’s brother killed: BJP | LG Sinha chairs high-level meeting, reviews preparedness | Army uses Harpy drones to target enemy air defence systems | Pak attempts to attack 15 places in North, Western India foiled | 100 terrorists, aides killed in strikes: Rajnath at All-Party Meeting | SDRF conducts Mock Drill Exercise at IIT Jammu | Developed India strikes back at provocateurs by entering their hideouts: CM Yogi | Cash Row: CJI recommends impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, says sources | Amit terms AI as biggest disruptive tech of 21st Century in MZU National Workshop | Salman Sagar appointed as vice provincial president of JKNC | SET exam in J&K, Ladakh UTs postponed | ASCOMS & Hospital to provide free treatment to border shelling victims | Rs 300 crore BrahMos Missile Unit set to be inaugurated in Lucknow on May 11 | Any military attack on India will be met with very firm response: EAM Jaishankar | Vivek Bali Expresses Deep Grief Over Loss of Lives in Poonch Due to Pakistan Shelling | Reasi police foil illegal transportation of Khair logs in Katra area | 84 Bn CRPF Provides Relief to Flood-Affected Families | DC Jammu Reviews Zonal Master Plan for Ramnagar Eco-Sensitive Zone | Horticulture Department Kathua organises exposure visit | DC conducts on site inspection of restoration works on NH-44 | Power shut down in several areas | GMC Doda organises Blood Donation Camp | HPS participates in annual “Save Water, Save Birds” campaign | World Red Cross Day observed at Udhampur | Reasi Administration celebrates World Red Cross Day | ACR reviews implementation of E-Waste Management Action Plan | Poonch Administration steps up restoration of Essential Services, Supplies | Arushi Kotwal of Doda Honoured by Union Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya | Mini-Super Bazar M-PACS Maitra inaugurated in Ramban | DC Reasi felicitates JK Board Class 10th 12th Toppers | Back Issues  
 
news details
Eyeing playoffs berth, Kohli and Faf could hold key for RCB against toppers GT
5/20/2023 10:59:46 PM
agencies
NEW DELHI, May 20: Playing this IPL's last league stage match, Royal Challengers Bangalore would know what exactly is required of them to qualify for the playoffs, when they face table-toppers Gujarat Titans here on Sunday.
With batting maestro Virat Kohli back at his absolute best and skipper Faf du Plessis leading from the front with 600-plus runs this season, RCB will hope their dazzling opening duo fires in this must-win game for them.
Currently placed at fourth position, Royal Challengers Bangalore also have a better net run rate (NRR) of 0.180 than Mumbai Indians (-0.128), who take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Sunday's first game, and Rajasthan Royals.
Besides playing in front of their beloved home crowd that will back them vociferously come Sunday, the other advantage for du Plessis' side is that they feature in the last game of the league round on Sunday evening, by which time RCB would know the outcome of the duel between MI and SRH in Mumbai.
However, it will mean nothing if they lose to defending champions Gujarat Titans, a formidable outfit without an iota of doubt and led admirably by star all-rounder Hardik Pandya throughout the season, the reward of which is a top-two finish in the league stage with a real chance of retaining the title they won in their inaugural season.
While Gujarat Titans lead the pecking order with 18 points after winning nine matches and losing four, RCB are equal with MI, RR on points ahead of their game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Entering this game, both teams are coming off big wins, GT over Sunrisers Hyderabad by 34 runs and RCB by eight wickets over the 2016 champions by eight wickets after a sparkling hundred by Kohli, his sixth overall across IPL.
RCB would certainly take confidence from the manner in which they chased down a target of 186 in their previous outing against SRH, with both Kohli and du Plessis firing.
The match against GT, however, is going to be a different ball game altogether considering the kind of resources RCB's opponents possess and the confidence they carry into their matches.
It will be interesting to see how the trio of Kohli, du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell go about their tasks against GT.
South African du Plessis, who holds the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs, has so far amassed 631 runs in 13 games. He also leads the chart for hitting the most sixes (34). Meanwhile, Kohli is sixth in the list for top scorers with 438 runs.
However, RCB's overreliance on Kohli, du Plessis and Maxwell has been a major cause of concern and if the GT bowlers can make early inroads, the visitors will hold the aces.
Mohammed Siraj has been the RCB standout bowler this season, and in the company of Wayne Parnell, he would again have to shoulder the responsibility of leading their bowling attack.
With the ball, they will be up against the likes of in-form Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and GT skipper Pandya.
Like Kohli, Gill, who is being seen as a successor to the run-machine from Delhi, is also coming off a century, and will look to set the tone against RCB.
Seasoned campaigners such as Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan and Mohit Sharma make for a very competitive bowling attack for GT, but they will have their task cut out against a team that comprises one of the modern-day greats of the game.
As far as weather is concerned, there are chances of rain, which will not gladden RCB and their fans.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU