The Royal Challengers Bangalore haven't been able to find their mojo in IPL 2015 so far, particularly at home, and the challenge to end a winless home run does not get any easier, with the Chennai Super Kings paying a visit to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
CSK will be smarting from a heavy defeat handed by the Rajasthan Royals in their last game, a loss which ended their three-match winning run to start IPL 2015. MS Dhoni admitted his team had just not come to the party in Ahmedabad at the weekend, and, therefore, RCB can expect a more keyed-in CSK come Wednesday.
"It is something that every side needs at some stage, to be beaten somewhere along the way," said CSK fielding coach Steve Rixon when asked about the eight-wicket loss to the Rajasthan Royals. "But to be beaten so well indicated we need to shake ourselves up a bit and we are aware of that. We are on the track to do that and we will get it right in this particular game.
"It was the little things that let us down in that game and it is just the matter of getting our heads around that and go back to doing what we do so well. We have to make sure we get playing the way we did in the first three games. We just need to apply that same formula."
That formula has been Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith getting off to a flying start at the top, and if those two don't click together, it puts a lot more pressure on the CSK middle order. Suresh Raina has not quite found his range in IPL 2015 yet, while Faf Du Plessis also needs a big innings to get his campaign going.
With MS Dhoni struggling to find his six-hitting groove, something he has been unable to find for a while now, RCB will know if they can jolt that top order of CSK, they will be in business.
But then, the bowling of the Royal Challengers has left a lot to be desired in this IPL 2015, which is probably why Virat Kohli will welcome the return of Mitchell Starc with open arms and an even wider smile.
Starc, after missing the start of the IPL with a knee injury, declared himself fit for action against CSK, but it remains to be seen if the RCB camp will take a risk on the Australia paceman, who was the man of the series in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
"I have got to bowl in training now, so we will see how it goes," said Starc. "But the knee feels good and if it was up to me I am available to play. I am disappointed not to be here at the start of the IPL, but I am here now so I will try and catch up, and take a few wickets when I get the chance."
If Starc can recreate the magic from the World Cup, where he made yorker bowling look easier than a length ball for Ishant Sharma, RCB will be more competitive.
Having said that, however, the Bangalore side also need to improve on their batting. Against the Mumbai Indians in their last game, RCB went about chasing a big total in strange fashion, with Chris Gayle eating up too many balls before eventually getting out, while Virat Kohli also could not quite find his rhythm.
That left AB De Villiers with too much to do, and even if the South African pyrotechnician nearly pulled off the impossible, it proved to be too much even for the superstar. Asking Gayle to play with freedom, especially while chasing a big total, will probably be the way to go, especially with the batting big guns to come down the order.
Whether the likes of Ashish Nehra and Mohit Sharma allow Gayle to do that or not, only time will tell.
Where to Watch Live
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The RCB vs CSK IPL 2015 match is set to begin at 8 pm IST (3.30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET). Live coverage in India will be on Sony Max (Hindi), Sony Six (English), Sony Aath (Bengali) and Sony Kix (Telugu and Tamil), while the match can also be watched via live streaming online on Hotstar and Starsports online.
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on Sky Sports 1, with the live stream option on Watch Sky Sports and Sky Go. Audience in the USA can catch the game live on ESPN, while the action can also be live streamed on ESPN Cricket.
Audience across the world need not fret over where to watch Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings Live, as Cricketgateway gives you that option.
