IPL 10: RCB have only pride to play for

Bengaluru: Pride. That’s all that is at stake for Royal Challengers Bangalore now. Occupying the bottom rung of the Indian Premier League table, it’s been a campaign to forget for last season’s finalists.

With a spot in the knockout rounds now mathematically impossible, the Bengaluru side will hope to at least end the tournament on a high when they host Kings XI Punjab in their penultimate home tie of the season.

They will be cheered on by the fans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, of that there is little doubt. But the same cannot be said with any certainty about the action on the field.

Slow starts aren’t unheralded territory for RCB but the prolonged slump in addition to the lacklustre form of their prize fighters this term have hurt them bad. For a side that have often depended on the individual brilliance of the players to see them across the line, it’s come at a premium this time around.

Injuries didn’t help matters of course but it would be safe to say that the team have struggled to find any semblance of balance and head into their match against Punjab with no wins in their last five matches.

For the visitors, there is still a lot to play for. Five points off the fourth spot having played two games less, now that kind of math needs no extra motivation.

So here we are. Two teams. One with little on the line except their wounded pride and shattered ego while the other with a slim chance of making into the playoffs. One would say this is the sort of game that is Punjab’s to lose.

Facing a less than convincing opponent on the back of a demolition job against Delhi Daredevils, stars couldn’t be aligned any better for them.

The travelling side will once again count on Hashim Amla (315 runs) to be his dependable self while the attacking options provided by Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and Shaun Marsh are enough to send shiver down any bowlers’ spine. They will also be hoping for Sandeep Sharma to continue his newfound form with the ball along with the solid Axar Patel.

Meanwhile, RCB will hope for a more assured performance from their stars while it wouldn’t be surprising to see them put out some young blood as well.