Royal Challengers Bangalore

Kohli, former India and Royal Challengers captain who was advised by former team India coach Ravi Shastri to take a break from IPL to revitalise his batting, gave glimpses of a welcome return to form as he scored a fine half-century as he and Patidar set up a platform from which RCB could have reached a score of 180-plus but fell short due to some good death-overs bowling by Gujarat Titans.

Already grappling with a host of top-order issues, with Virat Kohli not firing and skipper Faf du Plessis bogged down by patchy form, the last thing RCB want is for the afternoon heat to take a toll on their players as the side tries to arrest the slide on the points table. Skipper du Plessis has said that in order to acclimatise to the day conditions, the players underwent two days of rigorous "practicing in the afternoon session".

The 31-year-old Patel, who had emerged the Purple Cap winner in IPL 2021 with 32 wickets from 15 matches, far ahead of the likes of Avesh Khan (24 wickets) and India mainstay Jasprit Bumrah (21 wickets), added that watching Zaheer bowl was an "education" for him as he tried to mould his bowling for the T20 format.

Before the start of the tournament, Rajasthan had been tipped to be one of the best bowling attacks considering the experience of proven performers like Trent Boult, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Prasidh Krishna. So far, Rajasthan's bowling has lived up to its pre-tournament billing, as seen from a clinical performance to bowl out Royal Challengers Bangalore for 115 all out at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday.

Since his entry into the Rajasthan fold, Parag had shown glimpses of what he can offer as an all-rounder. Things hit a tough end when Parag had a horror time in 2021, making just 93 runs at an average of just 11.62. Despite the horrors of 2021, Rajasthan again signed him up in the mega auction. But the start wasn't promising for Parag with the bat and social media trolls were breathing down his neck.

After Riyan Parag's unbeaten 56 took Rajasthan to a score from which their bowlers could make a match out of, the bowling attack led by Sen and Ashwin did exactly that to skittle out Bangalore for 115 all out in 19.3 overs. The victory also means that Rajasthan are the new table-toppers in the points tally, replacing Gujarat Titans.

On a pitch that was offering some help to bowlers, Rajasthan's batters struggled to get going for a big score. But Parag held firm at one end and exploded, in the end, to lend some respectability to Rajasthan's score and give his bowlers something to bowl at. He tore into Harshal Patel in the final over, heaving through deep square leg for four followed by a soaring six over extra cover to raise his second IPL fifty in 29 balls.

The Purple Cap winner from the 2021 season of the Indian Premier League, Harshal said that before his breakthrough season, he got contacted by three-four people from different franchises who said that they will bid for him. However, they went back on their word on the day of the auctions. The 31-year-old further added that it put him in a dark place and it took time to get out of it and accept the matter.

After winning the toss, du Plessis said Rajat Patidar comes in for an off-colour Anuj Rawat, with Virat Kohli, who picked golden ducks in the last two matches, to open the batting. "We want him to get going right at the top, want to see the real Virat play," said du Plessis on changes in the top-order. Bangalore are coming into the match after being bowled out for 68 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and du Plessis wants his batters to move on from it.

Both Kohli, the former RCB skipper, and Rawat were out for duck against SRH, prompting critics to say that the two needed a break. However, du Plessis, preferred to gloss over the key question in RCB Bold Diaries, speaking only about the mood in the camp following the morale-shattering loss.