New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru have etched their name into the history books after taking the field in the clash against the Delhi Capitals at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, April 18. The defending champions are looking to keep their strong run going after a rare loss this season, while the Capitals aim to return to winning ways after having suffered back-to-back defeats in their previous two encounters.
Meanwhile, RCB have achieved a huge IPL record during their DC clash at home. This was RCB’s 100th IPL game at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, which makes him only team to have reached the milestone. KKR are a close second, having played 98 games at Eden Gardens, while the Mumbai Indians have featured in 95 matches at Wankhede.
Teams to play in most IPL matches at a single venue:
1 – RCB: 100 matches at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium
2 – KKR: 98 matches at Eden Gardens
3 – MI: 95 matches at Wankhede Stadium
4 – Delhi Capitals: 89 matches at Arun Jaitley Stadium
5 – Chennai Super Kings: 80 matches at MA Chidambaram Stadium
Delhi Capitals opt to bowl first
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and opted to bowl first in Bengaluru. “I am going to bowl first. The wicket looks nice and hard. Since it’s a day game, it might be a bit slow. Also, Chinnaswamy is usually a chasing ground, so we would like to chase. That’s why we decided to bowl first.
We are going with the same XI. (On having a long break) If you’re winning, the break would be bad. But since we lost the last two matches, the break helped us regroup. Now we are back together as a unit and ready to start with fresh momentum. Obviously we are looking at the opposition but we are focusing on our own strengths and sticking to our plans. We’ll follow our plans and see what happens,” Axar said at the toss.
“Happy to bat first because we were planning to bat first on this track. It’s a day game, looking a good surface. So we’ll put a good total on the board and put them under pressure. (On the green initiative) Yeah, I think we wear this jersey to show our commitment to sustainability and encourage everyone to make green choices for the planet. (Changes) No, we are playing with the same side. (On playing well at the Chinnaswamy) Of course, there was a lot of planning behind it. And as you know, this year we have a final at Chinnaswamy, so we have to win all the home matches,” RCB captain Rajat Patidar said.
