IPL 2022 RR vs RCB Preview - A regal encounter between 2 sides hoping to set the early pace

Key match stats RR vs RCB

Pitch Stats – Wankhede Stadium

Average first innings score: 166
Average first innings winning score: 180
Average powerplay score: 46
All-time win % batting 1st vs batting 2nd: 45% / 52%

Team form RR vs RCB
RR – WW
RCB – LW
Recent meetings: IPL 2021 results - RCB won by 7 wickets, RCB won by 10 wickets

RR vs RCB Preview

It's been the perfect start for the Rajasthan Royals to date winning both games and helping to buck the early trend of sides claiming victory by chasing.

There has been some criticism from around the league of the impact that the dew factor has had in favouring sides bowling first and the organisers have responded by using a special spray on the playing surface that essentially coats the grass in a waxy substance, ensuring that moisture can't cling to it.

As I've said before though, while the dew factor needs to be taken into consideration, it is not the be all and end all that some would claim it to be.

At the Wankhede for example, the average first innings score in IPL 2022 is only 142! Dew or no dew, it's difficult for teams to defend such a paltry total and at the moment, it's the inability for top orders to resist the early movement that this pitch offers that tends to be the defining factor in games played at the Wankhede.

Of course, as we come into this match we have 2 experienced and in-form top orders that might yet be able to deliver the sort of first innings runs that will be necessary to set-up victory.

The other thing that is impressive about these 2 teams as well as several of the other sides that have looked good in the early stages (KKR and Gujarat for example) is the strength and options they have within their bowling attack.

It's always tempting to look at sides and be impressed by the big hitting batsmen they have on show but over the course of a season, it's likely to be your bowlers who win you more games and as we'll consider in the head to head stats below, their are a few guys on both sides who should enjoy conditions here.

Let's not forget that these are 2 teams who know each other very well not least of all on account of the number of Rajasthan players who until recently were wearing the shirt of RCB! Padikkal, Chahal and Saini are all likely to play against a side that they've had considerable success at while Shimron Hetmyer will be keen to show that he has matured since a largely unsuccessful stint in Bangalore a few years ago.

One final stat to be aware of in this fixture is that Rajasthan haven't beaten RCB since April 2019 with Bangalore inflicting heavy defeats on the Royals in each of their last 4 games.

RR vs RCB head to head

RCB bowling vs RR batting

Jos Buttler hit a magnificent century for the Royals in their match against Mumbai and you can bet that RCB will be very keen to get rid of him early on. It was noticeable in Buttler's innings that he was very selective on which bowler(s) to target and when. In this game it could well be the overs of Akash Deep and fellow Englishman David Willey that he looks to cash in on, especially given the troubles he's had so far in his career scoring off Hasaranga.

Buttler head to head vs Hasaranga

We noted above that young Devdutt Padikkal will be keen to show why RCB should have retained his services after a couple of impressive seasons. The left-hander has a slightly different role in this Royals team but if his previous outings at the Wankhede are anything to go by he could still enjoy himself on this wicket.

Padikkal T20 record at the Wankhede

Skipper Sanju Samson also enjoys batting here with an average of over 40 and indeed he struck a brilliant hundred at this ground last year in a game against PBKS.

RCB meanwhile will feel that they have the seam attack that could put a few of those batsmen's career records at the Wankhede under pressure and their will be key battles throughout this game.

Perhaps the one to really look forward to is Hetmyer vs Harshal Patel at the death. Harshal himself has very good career figures at the Wankhede, picking up a wicket approx once every 2 overs (11 wickets total) and an economy just over 9. Hetmyer though in these early stages of the IPL is one of the most dangerous death over hitters around as his stats show

Batsman	Runs	Strike Rate
Axar Patel	33	300
Washington Sundar	40	285.7
E Lewis	28	254.5
SO Hetmyer	66	253.8
OF Smith	32	246.2

Highest strike rate in the death overs of IPL 2022. Stats accurate as of games played 2nd April

RR bowling vs RCB batting

If the stats are anything to go by then you might expect Virat Kohli to have a big impact on the game today. His record at the Wankhede is very impressive.

Virat Kohli T20 record at the Wankhede

As if averaging just shy of 70 at this venue isn't good enough, he also has very favourable head to head stats against Rajasthan's opening bowlers. Both Boult and Prasidh Krishna have been brilliant for the men in pink so far this season so you'd image that they'll be confident of rectifying those records on a wicket that will offer them something with new ball in hand.

Boult and Prasidh Krishna head to head record vs Kohli

When you also factor in that Kohli averages 160 in T20 cricket against Ravi Ashwin whose only managed to dismiss him once in all the years they've played against each other then it suggests the former RCB captain has the psychological advantage coming into this match.

Of course, as we've hinted at above, their are several bowlers in this Royals side who have no head to head record against him in this format simply because they have been teammates at both club and country for so long. The battle between Kohli and his mate Chahal could very well be a defining point of the game. They've played a lot in the nets and seen each other in action but this will be the first competitive match they come to face to face in.

RCB's other star batsman Faf du Plessis also averages over 40 at the Wankhede but unlike Kohli his individual head to heads against this Rajasthan team are less impressive. Trent Boult has dismissed him 3 times before at an average of just 13, while if he can get through the new ball burst then Ravi Ashwin will be keen to make his acquaintance again.

du Plessis head to head vs Ashwin

If there is a weakness in this Royals' bowling attack then perhaps it will be at the very back end of the innings. We saw for example SRH put on some very quick runs at the end of their innings against RR albeit in a situation where the match was already decided. Ashwin and Chahal then ensured that the game against Mumbai was settled ahead of the Rajasthan quicks bowling out the last 3 or 4 overs so RCB will be looking to give them a much more thorough examination in this time around!

All stats used in this blog are from my own database. Images are my own with the exception of player profiles and background images from the below sources and used under a creative commons license or otherwise royalty free

https://www.iplt20.com/
https://pixabay.com/images/search/cricket%20stadium/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en