The team in red-hot form, Royal Challengers Bangalore, will take on the Delhi Daredevils at the M Chinnaswamy in the 20th game of the IPL.
Bangalore has won four games in succession whereas pre-tournament favourites, Delhi, won their first couple of games to lose the next three. With the Bangalore bowlers firing out all cylinders and being the chief difference between their side and the rest of the teams in the competition, the hosts will go into the game as favourites, surprisingly, only just. Boylesports offers 10/11 for their win as compared to Sky Bet’s 11/10 for Delhi to prevent their fourth loss in a row.
Jacques Kallis (9/4 at Blue Square to top-score for his side) was finally dismissed in the previous game, but the Delhi bowlers will still be wary of his force at the top. And with Robin Uthappa (9/2 at Boylesports to be Bangalore’s best batsman) being in such a stupendous batting touch, the Bangalore side can overlook the form issues surrounding two of their other batsmen – Rahul Dravid (7/1 at Boylesports) and Eoin Morgan (8/1 at Ladbrokes, both to top-score for their side). Manish Pandey (9/2 at Blue Square) and Virat Kohli (7/1 at Sky Bet, both, to be the best batsmen for their side) have not been too flamboyant in the tournament so far, but they have gone about their business rather well and supported both, Kallis and Uthappa.
The Delhi Daredevils will need to get in Tillakaratne Dilshan (4/1 at Boylesports to be the best batsman for Delhi) and probably replace AB de Villiers (9/2 at Blue Square to top-score for his side) in the side. After all, the Delhi batting has been lacking the firepower at the top of the innings after one of Virender Sehwag (11/4 at Blue Square) or Dave Warner (7/2 at Coral, both to top-score for Delhi) gets out and a free-flowing Dilshan will provide just that.
Tips:
Favourites: Delhi Daredevils (11/10 at Sky Bet)
Top Delhi batsman: Virender Sehwag (11/4 at Blue Square)
Top Bangalore batsman: Jacques Kallis (9/4 at Blue Square)