The Royal Challengers Bangalore plumbed the depths of mediocrity in their last game, where they were bowled out for just 70, en route to being handed a big defeat by the Rajasthan Royals. That loss came on the back of a game against the Kolkata Knight Riders, where they managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
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Match 18 is scheduled for an 8 pm IST(6.30 pm local time, 3.30 pm GMT, 10.30 am ET) start with live coverage on Sony Six and Sony Max in India. Catch the action via live streaming in India HERE or HERE. Rest of the world audience 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 UK can catch the action live on ITV, while Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will have TV coverage via Geo Super, Maasaranga TV and Carlton Sports Network respectively. 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.
Their powers of bouncebackability will be seriously put to the test when they come up against the best team in IPL 2014 this year - Kings XI Punjab - in Dubai on Monday.
KXIP have been near unbeatable this season, with their batting working wonders, and their bowlers chipping in when the batsmen have not had the best of days. That was the case in the last game, with KKR restricting the much-vaunted Kings XI batting lineup to just 132. However, their bowlers came up trumps to bowl KKR out for 109, with it keeping the Punjab franchise's unbeaten record intact.
"We've had some very good wins and tonight's was one of the better ones," KXIP fast bowler Mitchell Johnson said after the 23-run victory against KKR on Saturday. "On that Abu Dhabi wicket, I think we pretty much got a par score and it was always going to be tough batting second on it. We've been sticking to our guns and have been going really well."
All four wins have been quite impressive, and if Glenn Maxwell and co. have another fruitful day at the office, then RCB could be staring at a third straight defeat, which will be a massive blow for them after they started so brightly by winning their first two matches.
RCB's batsmen have not put their hands up in most of their matches, with the bowlers coming to the fore on pretty much every game. The likes of Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers and Yuvraj Singh need to find their mojo, especially under pressure situations to see their team over the line.
Yuvraj, though, will enter the game with a bit of trepidation, knowing full well what will be in store for him when he comes to the crease to wield his willow.
Johnson had the left-hander hopping around like a rabbit when India faced Australia in an ODI series last year, and the express pace bowler will again target Yuvraj's susceptibility to short deliveries. If the veteran can overcome that challenge, then RCB would have already won one mini-battle among many.
RCB's strength is obviously chasing, even if it was not exactly on show against KKR last week, but the Bangalore franchise need to find a way to win batting first as well. KXIP also back themselves chasing any total, which means the toss will prove to be a crucial one.
This match is about batting might, one that has proved itself time and again this season, vs batting might, one that looks good on paper, but has yet to make an impression, with the signs pointing to a high-scoring encounter.
