The Royal Challengers Bangalore will still be wondering just how they managed to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory in their last match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, a win which would have kept them unbeaten in IPL 2014. However, they will not have much time to ponder on that momentous result, with the Rajasthan Royals waiting in the wings on Saturday in Abu Dhabi looking to hand RCB another defeat.
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Match 14 is scheduled for a 2.30 pm local time (4 pm IST, 11.30 am GMT, 6.30 am ET) start with live coverage on Sony Six and Sony Max in India. Watch the match via online live streaming in India HERE or HERE. Rest of the world can catch the IPL action HERE, HERE or through the GoCricket apps. Viewers in the US can live stream the action HERE, while audience in Canada can do the same HERE.
Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa can catch the action on OSN and with the link HERE, while New Zealand viewers can do the same through Sky NZ HERE. Viewers in the UK can catch the action live on ITV, while Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will have coverage via Geo Super, Maasaranga TV and Carlton Sports Network respectively.
RCB were cruising to victory against KKR on Thursday, chasing a modest total of 150, but an unbelievable catch from Chris Lynn, which will be replayed for years to come, and some outstanding bowling from former Royal Challenger R Vinay Kumar, got KKR out of jail, leaving the Bangalore franchise a stunned outfit.
To bounce back from such a jolting defeat is never easy, but it does help when the next game comes quickly as it prevent the side from dwelling too much on the loss.
With doubts continuing to linger over the fitness of Chris Gayle, the onus will again fall on the three other batting superstars at RCB - Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and AB De Villiers. The much-vaunted trio need to come together and help RCB over the line, be that in a chase or batting first, with their bowlers coming up trumps every single time in the last three games.
Little-known leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has made a dream start to his IPL 2014 campaign, with the rest of the bowlers, including the increasingly speedy Varun Aaron, also stepping up admirably.
The Rajasthan Royals will know they will be up against a bowling side in form, making the influence of Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson and Shane Watson quite important with the bat.
All three batsmen have made starts, without really playing that now-that-was-amazing innings, and such a knock from one, if not two, will be needed to topple RCB.
RR, who have won one and lost two, bowled really well to restrict CSK to just 140 in the last game, but their batsmen could not pull them over the line, throwing away their wickets with great regularity to fall seven runs short. Such profligacy, if repeated, will only result in a loss to RCB and it will be something that the Royals willow wielders will be well aware of.
"In a T20 match, it all boils down to the last couple of overs," RR all-rounder Stuart Binny told IPL's official website. "It's all about thinking clearly at that time. We all prepare well, do our batting and bowling drills.
"But in the end, whether you win or lose depends on how you hold your nerves during that moment, and we need to learn that. Yes, some of the games will not go our way, but we must keep working on that aspect and learn how to emerge on the right side of pressure situations."
