With the tournament having reached the halfway stage of the qualifying process, RCB find themselves propping up the table, and looking highly likely to miss out on a top four finish, and a place in the knockout stages.
RCB have managed just two wins and suffered five defeats in the seven fixtures that they have played to date. A further defeat on Tuesday against the Sunrisers Hyderabad would seemingly leave them on the brink of elimination. In IPL 2016 it took 16 points for a side to qualify for the knockout phase, if the same total is required this season, then RCB need to win six of their remaining seven games.
For a side over running with talent, RCB hit rock bottom on Sunday, when having restricted KKR to just 131, they collapsed to a measly 49 all out. The lowest ever total in the IPL’s history.
The Sunrisers will have fond memories of Tuesday’s venue, having beaten RCB there in last season’s Grand Final. They also claimed victory over Tuesday’s opponents in the season’s opening fixture in Hyderabad back at the beginning of April, when they posted an imposing 207-4, and restricted RCB to just 172.
The Sunrisers have won four and lost three of their seven fixtures. However, all four of their wins have come on home soil, while all three losses have been suffered on the road.
In head to head meetings with RCB, the Sunrisers have won five and loss four times, while one fixture ended in a tie, which the Sunrisers then proceeded to win in the Super Over “shoot out”.