IPL 2022 RCB vs CSK - What odds on Kohli being reappointed captain?

Key match stats RCB vs CSK

Pitch Stats – Maharashtra Stadium

Average first innings score: 173
Average first innings winning score: 180
Average powerplay score: 42
Win % batting 1st vs batting 2nd: 67% / 33%

Team form RCB vs CSK
RCB – LLLWW
CSK – WLWLW
Recent meetings: CSK won by 23 runs

RCB vs CSK Preview

It's beginning to seem like the established franchises in the IPL have all got together and decided that it'd be nice to give the new guys in the form of Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants a free run at the playoffs in their first season.

RCB's form has plummeted of late with 3 straight defeats but despite that, they could move back into a playoff place with victory here largely due to the fact that the likes of SRH and RR have also forgotten how to win and that no one below is really showing any strong signs of making a late season push.

In fact, the only side outside the top 2 to have won 2 or more of their last 3 matches is CSK who are finally beginning to show some form with both bat and ball as we head into the final third of the round robin stage.

It would still take an incredible run of form to see the defending champions reach the playoffs but the fact that no other side seems capable of stringing together a run of results is causing a bit of a log jam in mid-table that they might yet take advantage of.

One thing that is a disadvantage to both these teams is the fact that they've got negative net run-rates and as we've seen on countless occasions in the past that can be the difference between a shot at glory or going home early. It makes these 2 points as well as the nature of victory absolutely crucial in what is so often an eventful match.

Bangalore's 2 primary weaknesses this season were once again exposed in their defeat by Gujarat. A slow start with the bat lead to a below par score at the Brabourne where chasing sides are winning on a regular basis while their ineffectiveness with the ball at the death allowed the top ranked team to storm to another late victory.

Meanwhile for CSK, they put together a near perfect batting performance on this Pune pitch before their bowlers just about got the job done. Once again they looked ragged in the field with a couple of dropped chances and given their precarious league position, Chennai will need to quickly eradicate those errors if they wish to complete a famous comeback.

In that match we once again saw the value of first innings runs on the pitch here at Pune where sides batting first have won 6 of the 9 games completed.

Venue	Economy Rate for Spin	Average for Spin
Brabourne	8.0	21.1
Maharashtra	7.9	35.5
Wankhede	7.5	37.8
DY Patil	7.4	29.2

Spinners have generally found it difficult to both control the scoring and take wickets at the Maharashtra Stadium in IPL 2022

CSK's finger spinners also did an excellent job of stifling the scoring, particularly during the middle overs, on a pitch that so far in the tournament hasn't offered much to the slower bowlers. Rotating his bowlers and finding the correct match-ups is of course what Dhoni is famous for and so he and CSK will hope to pull another rabbit from hat in this game.

Meanwhile for RCB, they look bereft of ideas and form despite being 10 games into the season. What price on a change of leadership in their camp over by the start of next season?

RCB vs CSK head to head

CSK bowling vs RCB batting

Mukesh Choudhary is the man with the golden arm at the moment. In the early part of IPL 2022, CSK looked short of wicket taking options in the powerplay but the form of the young left-armer has corrected that issue and Chennai will hope that he can do the business once more against this fragile RCB top order.

Choudhary powerplay stats IPL 2022

Choudhary is currently tied for 1st place in the powerplay wicket taking charts with the likes of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami which is no mean feat considering his lack of experience and the fact that he's played fewer matches this year.

In fact for many of the RCB batsmen, this venue in Pune has not been a happy hunting ground in the past including for under pressure skipper Faf du Plessis who is in dire need of a score here today to get him and his team back on track.

du Plessis T20 career stats at the Maharashtra Stadium

RCB started the season well in regards striking runs late in their innings but have gone of the boil of late. They'll be very happy to hear that DJ Bravo looks to be unavailable for this match given his superior head to head against the likes of Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik.

Only RCB themselves and bottom team Mumbai Indians have been conceding more runs at the death than CSK who in Bravo are also losing half of the wickets that they've taken during the final 5 overs this season - Bravo has taken 9 wickets at the death at an economy of 9.4.

Team	Economy at the death	Wickets taken at the death
MI	12.3	18
RCB	11.7	11
CSK	11.2	18

Worst economy rates at the death in IPL 2022

If RCB can lay a solid platform then it's a weakness they can exploit but on current form that remains a big if.

RCB bowling vs CSK batting

The graph above also demonstrates RCB's lack of wicket taking in the closing stages of an innings. Their low of 11 wickets at the death puts them 5 behind 2nd bottom PBKS who have managed to concede a run and half less than Bangalore per over at the death and of course have played one fewer match.

Given Harshal Patel's wicket taking exploits in recent seasons that stat comes as something of a surprise and he'll be up against a batting unit that has played him well on previous occasions including Ravi Jadeja.

Harshal Patel vs Jadeja T20 head to head

At the other end of the innings RCB are also struggling to take wickets with the 11 they've captured in the powerplay this season again the joint lowest with Delhi Capitals.

Josh Hazlewood is slowly improving those numbers but it's the form of another one of the players who has been a key bowler for them in recent times, Mohammed Siraj, that is of greatest concern. He has taken just 4 powerplay wickets with a strike rate of 31.5 and economy of just shy of 9 an over. In this game he'll be up against an in-form Gaikwad who has played him well in the past.

Mohammed Siraj vs Gaikwad T20 head to head

All stats used in this blog are from my own database freely available at T20 head to head. Images are my own with the exception of player profiles and background images which are used under a creative commons license or otherwise royalty free