5 reasons why the MS Dhoni-led RPS start favourites against Virat Kohli’s strong RCB tonight

Both the teams started the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as favourites but both have suffered defeats in their last games. Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is one of the most awaited encounters of this IPL and  why not? While RPS is led by India’s limited-overs skipper MS Dhoni, RCB is captained by Test skipper, Virat Kohli. RCB may have the best batting in the tournament, but RPS are a better-balanced side. Suvajit Mustafi lists five reasons why Dhoni’s Pune might just end up victorious tonight.

1. RCB’s poor bowling attack: With some of the best batters of the world at their disposal, it is safe to say that RCB are the strongest batting unit. However, bowling has been an area of serious concern for RCB over the years. The absence of Mitchell Starc and Samuel Badree have only compounded the problem. They have roped in South African mystery spinner Tabraiz Shamsi but we do not know how effective he will be in these conditions. He was impressive in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), where he picked up 11 wickets in 7 matches at a miserly economy rate. Only batting cannot win you games and lack of sting in their bowling is an area they have suffered over the years.

2. The Ashwins: Spin bowling plays a big role when you are playing in the subcontinent and RPS have this department sorted. At Dhoni’s disposal, we have the two Ashwins, who are unique yet effective in their own way. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin needs no introduction as he is one of the best tweakers in the world now, while Murugan Ashwin has come a long way from being just a net-bowler in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp. Murugan has 6 wickets from 3 games and till recently held the Purple Cap. He has looked impressive as not only he can turn it big but also can alter the length with good intelligence. On the other hand, Yuzvendra Chahal has not been at his best for RCB and Iqbal Abdulla did pick three wickets against MI but went for 10 an over.

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3. Dhoni’s ability to turn things around: Dhoni’s experience in the T20 format sets him apart. In all the IPL editions, the side that he has captained has ended up in top four. Dhoni as a captain has this remarkable ability to turn around things. How many times have we seen Dhoni’s side struggling but Captain Cool with smart moves revives his side from misfortunes? Having said so, Kohli has indeed impressed as a leader but it is Dhoni’s experience in this format that sets him apart.

4. Over-reliance on Kohli-AB: The side historically has heavily relied on Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. In Gayle’s absence, there is extra pressure on Kohli and de Villiers to deliver. The top-heavy Bangalore side have over reliant on these two champions. When they did not fire against MI in their last game, the side got to only 170, which was not enough on a placid Wankhede surface. Travis Head and Sarfaraz Khan did play their part but that was not enough.

5. Despite less firepower, RPS have better balance: The balance of the Pune side looks much better. They have five quality batsmen in Ajinkya Rahane, Faf du Plessis, Kevin Pietersen, Steve Smith and MS Dhoni. They have invested in all-rounders like Thisara Perera, Mitchell Marsh, Irfan Pathan and Rajat Bhatia. There is an off-spinner and leg-spinner, and predominant Indian pace attack. On the other hand, RCB like mentioned above have hard-hitting batsmen at the top. They have an explosive middle-order too with Sarfaraz and Watson but their bowling lets them down. They do not have enough quality. Getting the right balance is important in this format and that is where RCB falter.

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)