A fifth match in 10 days can feel like a lot, but this time, Royal Challengers Bangalore may not mind the density of the Pepsi IPL calendar all that much.
After the agony of the seesawing defeat in Chennai the other night, it is perhaps a relief to return to routine quickly. The less dwelt on a loss like that, the better.
As a luckless Delhi Daredevils wheels into town, RCB will feel reasonably confident of a return to good times at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday night.
The visitor has yet to win in four attempts, a disappointing plunge from the table-topping heights of last season.
To say that Delhi has missed Kevin Pietersen is to put it mildly; with the exception of David Warner, who was his usual belligerent self in the nets on Monday, there have been no solid contributors with the bat.
Manprit Juneja and the captain Mahela Jayawardene may have chipped in once, but greater efforts are required.
Sehwag factor
Against this backdrop, the presence of Virender Sehwag, who returned to action in the previous match, should provide much encouragement.
Top-scorer last year, Sehwag needs a substantial run with the bat as much for his own sake as the team’s.
Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem has been the best of Delhi’s bowlers, economical and quietly effective.
For RCB, the Chennai match threw up as many headaches as bright spots.
The team management effected four changes, some of them profitable — the incoming Ravi Rampaul’s three for 31 was excellent stuff while Syed Mohammed went about his work without fuss.
Daniel Christian’s inclusion, on the other hand, was as baffling as it was unfruitful.
In the fray for Tuesday are Muttiah Muralitharan, who is free to return, and the duo of Jaydev Unadkat and Moises Henriques, neither of whom has done anything wrong.
