Rajasthan and Bangalore are locked 7-7 on the head-to-head count, but Wednesday's IPL Eliminator in Pune battle carries the weight of a title dream for both sides.
Openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli will brace for a fiery showdown against thunderbolts from express pacer Jofra Archer as Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru look to get back to winning ways in the IPL match in Jaipur on Sunday.
Delhi Capitals looked like a well-oiled machine with four wins in a row before a stunning batting meltdown against Mumbai Indians halted their momentum.
Even with the pressure of planning the Rajasthan Royals' IPL auction strategy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, former Team India head coach Rahul Dravid couldn't resist keeping an eye on the enthralling opening of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth.
Delhi Capitals are still in the race for the play-off along with Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.
Cricket enters new era with launch of Test Twenty, a revolutionary 80-over format
Rajasthan Royals will face a stern test of character as they look to arrest a shocking slide in a do-or-die IPL Eliminator against an in-form RCB.
'One of the best innings I have seen'
A resurgent Mumbai Indians will need to address their bowling woes as they look to exact revenge on table-toppers Rajasthan Royals in their reverse fixture of the Indian Premier League in Jaipur on Monday.
Ruturaj Gaikwad blamed their poor starts and fielding lapses as key reasons behind their six-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in the IPL on Sunday
'He should be blooded into the senior team immediately, like Sachin was all those years ago.'
'The exact reason for the inevitable separation is immediately not clear but the veteran off spinner is believed to have made up his mind.'
Abhishek Sharma and Shahbaz Ahmed spun a web around Rajasthan Royals' batters to power Sunrisers Hyderabad to an emphatic 36-run victory.
A cryptic Instagram post from the RR captain has sent fans into overdrive, sparking intense speculation about a potential move to the Chennai Super Kings.
His availability will be a massive boost for LSG's bowling department, with Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep doing most of the heavy lifting.
Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehasish Ganguly, after holding two rounds of discussions with the city police on Tuesday, confirmed that authorities "have not given the go-ahead" for the match.
The Royals' pace coach threw his full support behind a resurgent Jofra Archer, praised the squad's fighting spirit, and made it clear - wearing the RR badge still means playing with pride, passion, and purpose.
None more eye-catching than Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who posted on X, "Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut."
More than the numbers, it was the swagger. The intent. The ease with which he handled the pressure. Vaibhav didn't look like a passenger in the IPL -- he looked like he belonged.
Under the shimmering floodlights and in front of a roaring partisan crowd, Virat Kohli unleashed his latest masterclass, blasting a 42-ball 70 to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a sensational 11-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rajasthan Royals started off their IPL 2023 campaign in grand style as they thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs.
Jos Buttler expressed his gratitude towards Rajasthan Royals (RR) after not being retained in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) Retentions.
Rajasthan Royals is all set to offer a lucrative multi-year contract to England's limited over skipper Jos Buttler.
Boult expressed joy at having leader of the attack back in the squad after being sidelined for the early part of the tournament.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla also spoke on how domestic cricketers have seen a rise in their pay and scale over the years to an unprecedented level.
Rising India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has lauded former India head coach Rahul Dravid, calling him a "privilege" to have in this era.
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians in Jaipur, on Monday.
Riyan Parag's 2023 tweet predicting he would hit '4 sixes in an over' resurfaced, sparking a viral frenzy online.
Punjab Kings will look to renew their bid for a play-off berth with another commanding performance in Jaipur on Sunday against Rajasthan Royals, who have failed to rise above mediocrity despite possessing the resources this season.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
'I hope we don't go too far with praising him, but you cannot step back from the fact that tonight was absolutely mind-blowing, otherworldly.'
On Thursday, opener Suryavanshi was out for a duck, while young Jaiswal too could not make an impact, scoring just 13 runs as RR were all out for 117 at their home ground, chasing Mumbai Indians' 217/2.
Avesh Khan, who had to defend 17 runs in the last over, landed one yorker after the other to deny Delhi Capitals.
Krunal Pandya has been the nucleus behind RCB's excellent showing in the middle overs throughout the season.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler smashed half-centuries to steer Rajasthan Royals to an easy 57-run victory while consigning Delhi Capitals to their third straight loss.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday
