RR vs RCB IPL Live Score, Qualifier 2: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals against each other for a spot in the final; launching at 7:00pm IST

Hello and welcome to Sportsstar’s Covering LIVE coverage of IPL 2022 Qualifier 2 between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals from Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

MATCH PREFERENCE

Since the birth of the Indian Premier League, fans of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team have been waiting to take home the trophy.

In 2011 and 2016, when the team reached the finals, fans confidently broke the jinx title. However, both teams finished as runners-up. But this time, millions of RCB fans are dreaming again.

After reaching the knockout stages, the Faf du Plessis-led team beat Rajat Patidar’s century of unbeaten run and Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel’s bowling attempt to beat the Lucknow Super Giants in the Qualifiers at Eden Gardens on Thursday. And when the team hosted the Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium for the second qualifying round on Friday, it boosted expectations for a long-awaited trophy.

While RCB looks set to build momentum, it won’t be easy. This is the first game of the tournament in Ahmedabad, with the bat being untested and with little time to practice, both sides may find it difficult to judge the surface. And with a level playing field, the competition becomes even more exciting.

The Rajasthan Royals have a formidable batting unit, with Jos Buttler and captain Sanju Samson leading the group. After failing to defend a total of 180 against the Gujarat Titans in the first qualifying round, the team will be eager to regroup quickly.

After a series of losses, Buttler initially struggled against the Titans, and it took quite a while before hitting a couple of big hits and reaching his half-century lifespan. But in the mortal game, the team needed to make sure Buttler got his touch back.

While the mid-order relies heavily on Shimron Hetmyer’s big hit, captain Sanju also needs to turn the 30s and 40s into a substantial hit. And cricket fans will be prepared to see how Sanju takes on RCB’s Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga.

In the first qualifying round, the all-star Royals bowling team struggled, with R. Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal competing unsuccessfully. Even seasoned Prasidh Krishna looked lost as he failed to defend 16 runs in the final. So it will be a challenge for Royals management to ensure that bowling is not overwhelmed by RCB’s batting firepower.

Full of confidence

Obviously, the team from Bengaluru is brimming with confidence after a convincing win over the Super Giants, and the team will once again expect Patidar to do well. After failing to sell at auction, the Madhya Pradesh hitter was playing innings of his career at Eden Gardens when he tore apart Lucknow’s pitchers.

But as the heat in Ahmedabad soars, the RCB side needs to be cautious and ensure that complacency doesn’t intrude.

The batting division will revolve around captains Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli, while Dinesh Karthik will once again need to anchor the middle order, alongside seasoned Glenn Maxwell. The team has the ability to stick to the winning combination and ensure that there are no slippages. In the past few seasons, RCB’s campaign ended in the knockout stages, but for now, there’s still hope.

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