One team is struggling with the bat and the other is struggling with the ball. Does this make Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) vs Gujarat Lions (GL) an even battle? Two crucial points are up for grabs at the Chinnaswamy stadium Today.
A victory for RCB will see them jump to fifth place in the league standings. Two points will push GL to sixth place, while they also have the chance of moving to fifth depending on the net run rate. A wash-out against Sunrisers Hyderabad has put RCB under extra pressure, with the team needing to win a minimum of five of their remaining six games to progress to the play-offs. GL, who are currently ranked last, have the cushion of an extra game than RCB, although their campaign needs to gain steam if they are to aim for a top-four finish. On the eve of the game, all eyes were on the Bengaluru skies, the pitch and the Lions’ new signing Irfan Pathan. The left-handed all-rounder was very early to arrive at the ground for practice and addressed the media with a refreshing smile, expressing his delight at returning to top-level cricket. There was much more intensity during the visitors’ practice session than the hosts’ as their key attractions – Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle opted out. Shane Watson, Kedar Jadhav, Mandeep Singh, Stuart Binny, Sachin Baby and Vishnu Vinod – all had short stints, some with both bat and ball. 
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