Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings Tips: Hosts to edge high-scorer

• RCB looking to improve on poor record against CSK

• Injuries mounting up for CSK

• Wayne Parnell death bowling could mean wickets

Monday April 17, 15:00
TV: Live on Sky Sports

RCB Team News

A very impressive 8.5/10 performance against Delhi has RCB right back in business.

They bowled extremely well with Hasaranga's presence in the side giving them that little bit more confidence. As it happens, he was expensive, took just the one wicket and didn't bowl his four overs but it was his first game of the season and he'll surely get better.

And boy did they field well in defending 175. It started with a brilliant run out by Glenn Maxwell and continued both in terms of the ground fielding and catching. Virat KohIi took three good catches to take him to 99 in the IPL.

If there's one slight area of criticism in that match, it's that they should have posted 15 or so runs more after Kohli and Du Plessis' fast start with the bat. They seem a little over-reliant on those two with Maxwell guilty of going at it a bit too hard all the time rather than occasional biding his time.

But it was a thoroughly professional win and with Hasaranga around now, they'll believe a Playoff place is there for the taking.

Possible XIKohli, Du Plessis, Lomror, Maxwell, Karthik, Ahmed, Patel, Hasaranga, Parnell, Vyshak, Siraj

CSK Team news

A loss against Rajasthan in midweek has CSK on two wins from four and that looks about par for the course.

For the most part they're one of the best-drilled sides in the IPL and always have been, while few know their way around an IPL ground like MS Dhoni, who has also found some form with the bat, despite not quite pulling it off in an old-school partnership with his mate Ravindra Jadeja in the death overs against the Royals.

But the problems start now. If Dhoni is carrying an injury that he can play through, the same can't be said of Deepak Chahar (again!) and Sisanda Magala who are now both out for the next few games.

It's certainly stretching their already thin fast bowling resources. And that's without even mentioning Ben Stokes and his own latest injury.

It makes you wonder what CSK management were thinking at the auction because all three of those have had persistent injury problems over the last year or so.

News is a bit thin on he ground regarding Stokes right now. If he's fit he'll play; if not one of Mitchell Santner or Dwayne Pretorius will come in as an all-rounder.

Possible XIGaikwad, Conway, Rahane, Ali, Dube, Stokes/Pretorius/Santner, Rayudu, Jadeja, Dhoni, Deschpande, Theekshana, Singh.

Pitch report

Bangalore is the venue for this one, where RCB have batted first in their last two, seeing their 212 against LSG chased down with the last ball of the match and defending that 174 against Delhi with relative ease.

That the 174 was a few runs short of par on Saturday and that 212 wasn't enough against LSG and you can see why Bangalore is maintaining its reputation as one of the best batting wickets in the tournament.

Despite Delhi's failure to chase on Sunday, batting second is the way to go here and generally the way both of these sides like to go about things anyway.

How to play

30 matches between these two have seen CSK take the honours in 19 of them, with 10 RCB wins and a no-result.

No real surprises there given CSK's far better performances in this league over the years than RCB's.

But you can make a case for ignoring the long-term trends and going with RCB here at around 1.855/6. CSK's pace attack looks vulnerable with those injuries and as neat and tidy as Jadeja and Ali can be with their spin, they're also lacking a match-winning spinner: RCB have Hasaranga.

But there's nothing wrong with being a bit greedy and hoping RCB chase, that CSK make a good start with the bat and to try to back the hosts at around 2.111/10.

But an even better option is the both teams to score 190+ and RCB to win, available as an 6/1 chance. In what could be a very high-scoring match where RCB might have the upper hand, it makes sense.

RCB Top Bowler

Despite everything we said about Hasaranga, we rate Wayne Parnell a better bet at 4/1 for RCB top bowler than the Sri Lankan at 11/4. Parnell has taken four wickets in two games so far and may have finally found his calling in the IPL at the age of 33 as a death bowler for RCB.

He's not afraid to go for a few if he's taking wickets and just has a knack of getting them, which explains why he's been back in the South African side of late. He should go close.