What Match 22 of Pepsi IPL 2015 will feature the two ‘Royals’ – Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. RR are placed at the top of the table, while RCB are at the floor of the table. RR had won five matches on the bounce and appeared on course to win a sixth match too. But they were stopped in their tracks in the previous match as a late charge from Shaun Marsh and David Miller first helped opponents Kings XI Punjab to level the scores, after which Mitchell Johnson bowled three fantastic deliveries in the Super Over to help his team walk away with two points. Given the kind of team ethics and atmosphere in the RR camp, one expects the players would have recovered from that shock defeat and be all pumped up for yet another contest. Though RCB have played the fewest matches among all the teams, they haven’t had the best of starts, losing three of their four matches so far. It appears the team is yet to discover a combination that can do the job for them. There is no denying the presence of several match-winners in the dressing room, but it is important that the right players are identified and slotted into the right roles. The team heads into this match at the back of three consecutive defeats and will be keen to get back in the mix. When 24 April 2015, 8p.m. IST Where Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad The Protagonists Ajinkya Rahane has been RR’s pillar so far this season. Current Orange Cap holder and only one of three players to post five consecutive scores of 45 or more in the IPL, Rahane is a vital cog in RR’s plans. The 26-year old bats with a clear thought-process and plays the conventional brand of cricket, relying more on timing and finding the gaps than muscling the ball. RCB need better results from their batsmen; in each of their four matches, they have lost at least seven wickets. That Virat Kohli and David Wiese are the only batsmen to score half-centuries so far this season clearly illustrates the problem areas. They need to get Chris Gayle back in the mix – for he is the biggest match-winner in their lineup, and get AB de Villiers out in the park as quickly as possible. Contests to look-forward to RCB’s Mitchell Starc – who has had a fantastic last couple of months, and who impressed in his first outing in Pepsi IPL 2015 - running in to bowl to Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson and Steve Smith promises to make for riveting viewing. Previous Meetings The head to head between the Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore stands at 7-6 in favour of the former. RR also have an edge over RCB in recent meetings, having won the three most-recent matches between the two teams. Among the standout performances in recent matches between the two teams are Sanju Samson’s 63 – his first half-century in the IPL, which laid the platform for RR’s successful chase of 172 in Jaipur in 2013. In the most-recent meeting between the two teams, Steve Smith and James Faulkner stunned the crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru by adding 85 runs in 32 balls to lead their team to a resounding 5-wicket victory. Trivia Royal Challengers Bangalore have so far used 17 different players this season. In their four matches so far this season, RCB have managed to post just one 50-run partnership; that was the seventh wicket association between David Wiese and Iqbal Abdulla against the Mumbai Indians. In comparison, RR have a total of seven stands of 50 or more in their six matches. Rajasthan Royals have the least percentage of runs through boundaries among the eight competing teams; they’ve realised only 52.82% of their runs through hitting fours and sixes. The Royal Challengers Bangalore meanwhile have conceded the highest percentage of runs through boundaries; they’ve conceded 66.04% of runs through fours and sixes. What Next Both teams will be seen in action next on April 26. The Rajasthan Royals big goodbye to Ahmedabad after this match and hit the road, stopping over first at Kolkata where they are scheduled to clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 4p.m match. RCB meanwhile head over to the National Capital to take on the Delhi Daredevils later in the 8p.m match.