South African maestro Faf du Plessis joined Perth Scorchers as a last-minute replacement for English batter Laurie Evans. Laurie was found positive after his anti-doping test earlier this season. Faf, who was quite successful as the RCB leader in the Indian Premier League last season, will be looking to revive his Big Bash career with the Perth franchise in the 2022-23 season.

Although Faf was marked as one of the 12 marquee players this season, he was ignored in August's inaugural overseas player draft. Along with the former South African captain, West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell and New Zealand batter Martin Guptill will also be joining the Australian T20 carnival.

Read Also: RCB's record in Green Jersey games

Faf du Plessis scored 1299 T20 runs in 2022 at an average of 31.51 playing franchise cricket around the world. He had a great IPL with the Royal Challengers Bangalore by scoring 468 runs at 31.20. In fact, he bettered himself in the Caribbean Premier League with 332 at 41.50 for St. Lucia.

The 38-year-old batter will be joining the Joburg Super Kings in South Africa's new domestic T20 league after finishing his stint with the Perth team. He will be available for all of the first seven matches for the Scorchers.

After the departure of the African batter, the current BBL champions will be able to sign another replacement for him, if they want.

"The first thing that jumps to mind is that Perth are four-time champions, which is very impressive. Any player who plays around the world wants to win competitions, so it's a great franchise to be part of," du Plessis told in an interview with Cricket.com.au.

"Watching the (T20) World Cup, the bounce looked very, very steep. The wickets in South Africa and Australia are quite similar with more pace and bounce than spin, so it is something I've grown up with and I'm looking forward to playing in Perth this summer," he added.

"His record in T20 cricket speaks for itself. He can play in all conditions, bat anywhere in the top six, and has proven himself at the highest level for more than a decade."

Kade Harvey, WA Cricket General Manager High Performance

Perth Scorchers squad for the BLL 2022-23 season

Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Faf du Plessis (South Africa), Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Tymal Mills (England), Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Phil Salt (England), Ashton Turner (c), Andrew Tye

The Indian Premier League is just around the corner with the tournament set to start on 22 March.

As usual, it is highly anticipated and is set to draw a huge viewing audience.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Which player has lost the most games in IPL history?

As we move towards the first fixture, between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, let’s take a moment to go back in time and see which batsmen have scored the most runs in IPL since 2018.

Most Runs in IPL (2018-2024)

8. Suryakumar Yadav | 2986 Runs

Suryakumar Yadav had his IPL debut in 2011 for MI. But he got his breakthrough in KKR under Gautam Gambhir but didn't perform up to that level. 2018 saw him return to the Mumbai Indians, where he made massive strides in his IPL career.

Surya has scored 2986 runs during this period in 84 games at an average of 35.55 and a strike rate of 148.71. He has two centuries and 23 half-centuries to his name. He struck 440 boundaries, including 331 fours and 109 sixes.

In 2023, he had his greatest IPL season, where he was appointed as the vice-captain of MI along with scoring 605 runs with a strike rate of 181.14 in 16 innings.

7. Sanju Samson | 2993 Runs

Rajasthan Royals' skipper and wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has always been a player to rely on in the IPL. He has scored 2993 runs during the 2018-2024 season with two centuries and 18 half-centuries.

IPL 2024 was one of the best seasons for Samson with the bat as he amassed 531 runs at an impressive average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46. He also led the team to the playoffs for the second time after taking over the reins in IPL 2021.

6. Jos Buttler | 3055 Runs

Jos Buttler comes sixth in the list scoring 3055 runs in 73 matches at an average of 41.85 and a strike rate of 147.80. He has seven centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name.

Buttler had an unforgettable 2022 season, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 863 runs at an average of 57.53 and a blistering strike rate of 149.05.

The England star smashed four centuries and four half-centuries, playing a crucial role in Rajasthan Royals’ journey to the final. His ability to accelerate and play match-winning innings made him one of the standout performers of the season.

5. Shikhar Dhawan | 3208 Runs

Shikhar Dhawan is fifth on the list of most runs in IPL since 2018. He has been a consistent run-getter over this period, crossing the 400-run mark each season from 2018 to 2024. 

Dhawan has 3208 runs in 83 games at an average of 38.65 and a strike rate of 133.56, including 2 hundred and 23 half-centuries, with the help of 367 fours and 82 sixes. 

His best season came in 2020 when he made 618 runs with 2 hundred and 4 fifties. 

4. Shubman Gill | 3216 Runs

Shubman Gill made his IPL debut in 2018 season and scored 3216 runs so far in 85 matches at an average of 37.84 and a strike rate of 135.70. 

Gill was the leading run-scorer of IPL 2023, amassing 890 runs in 17 matches at an impressive average of 59.33. His strike rate of 157.80 included 3 centuries and 4 half-centuries, with a highest score of 129. He also smashed 85 fours and 33 sixes throughout the tournament.

Gill’s heroics helped Gujarat Titans reach the 2023 final, making him a player to watch for many seasons to come.

3. Faf du Plessis | 3276 Runs

Faf Du Plessis, who guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the playoffs last season, has the most runs in IPL during 2018-2024 period. He has scored 3276 runs in 84 matches at an average of 39.01 and a strike rate of 140.04.

He was also sensational with the bat as he scored 438 runs in 2022 season. It came after a brilliant run with the bat in 2023 when he scored over 700 runs for RCB.

Prior to his stint with Bangalore, Du Plessis enjoyed a highly successful tenure with the Chennai Super Kings, winning IPL titles in 2018 and 2021. 

The Proteas batter boasts an impressive record in the overall tournament, scoring 4,571 runs in 145 matches, including 37 half-centuries.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL history

2. Virat Kohli | 3586 Runs

Despite Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s struggles in recent seasons, Virat Kohli continued to shine with the bat in every season. He amassed 3586 runs since 2018 season at an average of 40.29 and a strike rate of 134.7, reminding everyone why he is one of the greatest batsmen in T20 cricket.

Kohli has four centuries and 25 half-centuries to his name. His IPL career has seen him hit 339 fours and 163 sixes during this period.

Kohli also scored the most runs in IPL in history with 8004 runs in 252 matches, including 8 centuries and 55 fifties.

1. KL Rahul | 3958 Runs

KL Rahul has hammered 3,958 runs in 79 matches since the start of IPL 2018. He has scored the most runs in IPL this period. 

The tally includes four tons and 33 fifties. Rahul is the only batter to slam 3,000-plus IPL runs in this period. Shikhar Dhawan (3,208), the only other batter to score 2,500-plus since IPL 2018, follows Rahul on this tally.

Rajat Patidar has been named as the new and 8th captain in the history of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Indian Premier League (IPL). The 31-year-old Madhya Pradesh batter would be succeeding Faf du Plessis, who led them from 2022 to 2024. Though Virat Kohli was rumored to be the captain of the team again, the team management announced Patidar as the leader of the franchise. 

With Patidar joining an elite list of players to captain RCB in IPL, here is a list with stats of every RCB captain so far in IPL history. 

Stats of every RCB captain in IPL so far

Virat Kohli | 66 wins

Virat Kohli is the most successful captain in the history of RCB. He is also the only player to play for a single franchise since the inception of the tournament. In 2008, RCB bought a future star in making who went on to break many records in the tournament. 

Kohli was made the RCB captain back in 2011 and he led them continuously till 2022 season before Faf du Plessis took over the captaincy from him. However, Kohli had led the team for a few games in 2023 as well. 

The former India captain led RCB in 143 games and won 66 games as a captain. During his tenure, RCB saw the highest and lowest of the franchise with them qualifying for the final once in 2016. They faced humiliation of being bowled out for 49 under his captaincy too. 

Read Also | IPL Stats: Players with hat-tricks in IPL

Faf du Plessis | 21 wins

Faf du Plessis, the former South African captain was trusted with the RCB captaincy after Virat Kohli stepped down as the captain of the team in 2022. The team and Kohli wanted a fresh brain and leadership to take the team to new heights, 

However, despite Faf's experience of the leading many T20 teams across the globe, RCB failed to win any accolade during his tenure of three seasons. In 42 games as the RCB captain , Faf won 21 games, which makes him the second most successful RCB captain. 

Faf du Plessis has the highest win percentage as a RCB captain with more than 40 games.

Anil Kumble | 15 wins

Kumble, the former Indian captain took over the captaincy in 2009 and led the team two seasons only. However, he was very successful as a captain even in that small amount of time as he was able to take the team to IPL 2009 final. Although they suffered a defeat at the hands of Decan Chargers in the second season of IPL. 

Kumble is regarded as one of the most successful RCB captains with 15 wins in just 26 games as the captain. He has a win percentage of 57.69 as the captain of the franchise.

Daniel Vettori | 12 wins

One of the most underrated players and captains of cricket history, Daniel Vettori led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team in two seasons from 2011 to 2012. 

In 22 games as the captain, Vettori won 12 games and also led them in 2011 IPL final where they lost against Chennai Super Kings, 

Rahul Dravid | 4 wins

Rahul Dravid was the first ever RCB captain, who was the marquee player of the franchise when the tournament started in 2008, The former India captain led RCB for only one season in 2008 and only managed to win 4 times in 14 games.

Dravid's failure as the leader of the team forced the team management to hand over the captaincy to Kevin Pietersen in the next season. 

Kevin Pietersen | 2 wins

In 2009, former England batter Kevin Pietersen led RCB for only 6 games after the failure of Rahul Dravid's tenure as the leader of the team. However, Pietersen also could not find any success as the RCB captain and was replaced by Anil Kumble in the midseason after winning only 2 out of 6 games. 

Shane Watson | 1 win

Shane Watson, one of the most successful players for RCB, led the team in three matches only in 2017 season in absence of Virat Kohli. Watson could only manage one win in those three games as the captain. 

Stats of every RCB captain in IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a platform for displaying top-notch cricketing talent, and when it comes out to the playoff stages, the pressure is at its peak. The toughest part of the IPL tournament is the playoff stage. The top four best teams make the playoffs every season, and one of them goes on to win the title. But a successful team always needs players who can do well in pressure situations. Let's take a closer look at the top 10 batters with most runs in IPL playoffs.

Also Read: Highest Target Chased in IPL History

Notably, only one batter has scored over 700 runs in IPL playoff history.

Most Runs in IPL Playoffs

1. Suresh Raina | 714 Runs

Former Chennai Super Kings batter Suresh Raina has the most runs in IPL playoffs with 714 runs in his bag. He remains the only player to have scored over 700 runs in the IPL playoffs. Mr. IPL was the reason for CSK's success between 2008 and 2019. They won three titles in this period and reached the playoffs in every season. The left-handed batter made that milestone from 24 playoff games, maintaining an impressive average of 37.57 and a strike rate of 155.21. 

2. MS Dhoni | 523 Runs

Former CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has the second most runs in IPL playoffs and the only other player with over 500 runs in the IPL playoffs. Dhoni slammed 523 runs from 28 matches at an average of 34.86. He returned unbeaten eight times and his highest score remains an unbeaten 63. The tally includes 32 fours and 28 sixes. Thala Dhoni led the Super Kings to five IPL titles between 2008 and 2023.

3. Shubman Gill | 474 Runs

Shubman Gill, who currently captains Gujarat Titans, occupies the third spot on this most runs in IPL playoffs list. Gill has racked up 474 runs in just 10 playoff games. His average of 52.66 is the highest by a batter in IPL playoff history. Gill, who also played for Kolkata Knight Riders, remains one of the few batters with a ton in this regard. He has a highest score of 129 and a fifty-plus score in the knockout stages.

4. Shane Watson | 389 Runs

Shane Watson represented Rajasthan Royals, CSK, and RCB in the IPL playoffs. The Australian all-rounder played the finals for each of these sides. He smashed 117*(57) against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 final, the highest score in an IPL summit clash. Overall, Watson slammed 389 runs from 12 IPL playoff encounters at an average of 35.36. The tally also includes a strike rate of 151.36.

Also Read: Most Wickets in 1st Over of IPL

5. Michael Hussey | 388 Runs

Michael Hussey, also known as Mr. Cricket, may have retired from international cricket, but his impact in the IPL knockouts is still remembered. Playing for the Chennai Super Kings. Hussey has scored 388 runs in 11 innings at an impressive average of 38.80 and a strike rate of 124.35. He also has four half-centuries with a highest score of 86 not out. 

6. Faf du Plessis | 373 Runs

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis was a key player for the Chennai Super Kings for years. He played for CSK from 2011 to 2021 and won four titles for the team. He is still the third-highest scorer for the Yellow Army in the tournament. Du Plessis played 14 matches in his career during the playoff stages and scored 373 runs at an average of 28.69 and a strike rate of 130.87 with a high score of 86. He also had three half-centuries to his name.

7. Murali Vijay | 364 Runs

Former Indian opener Murali Vijay played in the IPL between 2009 and 2020. He represented CSK, DC, and PBKS in his IPL stint. But his successful moments came with the CSK. Murali played ten playoff games for them and scored 364 runs at 36.40 and a strike rate of 147.36 with one hundred and one fifty.

8. Dwayne Smith | 351 Runs

Dwayne Smith played nine seasons of the IPL between 2008 and 2017. He was part of Deccan Chargers, MI, CSK, and GL, respectively. And he played playoff games for all four franchises. Overall, Smith played 11 knockout matches and scored 351 runs at a strike rate of 148.10 with four half-centuries.

9. Kieron Pollard | 341 Runs

Kieron Pollard made his IPL debut in 2010 and retired in 2022, playing for Mumbai Indians throughout. He was a core player for MI and was one of the reasons for them winning five titles. Pollard played 17 knockout innings and scored 341 runs at an incredible strike rate of 169.65 and an average of 26.23 with a best of 60 not out.

Also Read: List of IPL Playoffs Teams since 2008

10. Ambati Rayudu | 335 runs

The former CSK all-rounder Ambati Rayudu was a super utility player for any team. He can be the steady rock holding things together or the run machine when the team needs a boost. With 335 runs in 22 innings, he was called Mr. Consistent who rocked under pressure.

Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore are all set to face each other in the Eliminator of the ongoing IPL 2024 season on Wednesday, 22nd May, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. When RR and RCB met earlier this season, the Royals won that game by five wickets comfortably but they are currently in a very poor form. On the other side, RCB are coming after six straight victories so it is going to be an epic clash at Ahmedabad. From possible playing XIs to Dream11 predictions, here is everything you need to know about the RR vs RCB match in IPL 2024.

Read Also: Most Runs in IPL 2024: Virat Kohli is leading the race

Match Details

• Match: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - IPL 2024

• Date: 22/5/2024

• Time: 7:30 pm

• Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Only one side goes up! 🤞

Given our momentum, we hope to end up on the correct side of the e̶s̶c̶a̶l̶a̶t̶o̶r̶ Eliminator.#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/psPCC02Vob

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 21, 2024

How to watch the RR vs RCB IPL 2024 Match?

The Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2024 match will be televised on Star Sports Network. All the Indian Premier League matches will be streamed free on the Jio Cinema app and website.

Pitch & Weather Report

The pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has changed a lot. It was a solid batting pitch but black soil has been used and now it helps the slower bowlers. Batters will have to score runs in the powerplay because, with the progression of the match, the wicket will get slower and tricky for batting. The average 1st innings total in T20 internationals is 160 while the 2nd innings total is 140. 

The temperature in Ahmedabad on 22 May can go as high as 45 degrees Celsius and rain should not play any role in the match.

RR vs RCB: Head-to-Head Record

Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore have faced each other in 26 matches. KKR have been the dominant force, winning 17 games while SRH have won only 9. 

• Matches played: 31
• Rajasthan Royals won: 13
• Royal Challengers Bangalore won: 15
• No result: 2
• Abandoned: 1

RR vs RCB head-to-head at the Narendra Modi Stadium

• Total matches played: 2
• Rajasthan Royals won: 1
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru won: 1
• No result: 0
• Abandoned: 0

Read Also: Most Wickets in IPL 2024: Harshal Patel is leading the race

Team News

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals finished third in the points table with 17 points but they aren't in good form. They are coming after three straight losses and their last game was washed out due to rain. Jos Buttler has returned to England so Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the inning with Tom Kohler-Cadmore. He doesn't have any sort of IPL experience as Tom has played only one game in the tournament. Jaiswal is in poor form and he must step in a huge knockout game like this.

Royals fam, you have 1 new message from Jos bhai ahead of the Eliminator. 💌🔥 pic.twitter.com/n5SDTtu0Y6

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 21, 2024

Sanju Samson has been the most crucial player for Rajasthan in the top order, scoring 504 runs in 13 innings. Riyan Parag is set to bat at no 4 and he has been brilliant for the side. He has already scored 531 runs for RR in 13 innings which speaks volumes. Dhruv Jurel has played some crucial cameos here and there but hasn't been consistent.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore is ready for MORE! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ELF4WEOoR0

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 21, 2024

Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma are expected to feature as the leading pace bowlers with Avesh Khan bowling the death overs. Avesh has bowled some critical overs but Boult's performances in the recent few matches haven't been that good. The same problem lies with Sandeep too. But, the duo can cause some problems for RCB in Ahmedabad's pitch.

You can h̶e̶a̶r̶ fear this image 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qgDxzXGm25

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 21, 2024

Yuzvendra Chahal bowled a sensational spell against CSK but his economy is the most concerning part. He has failed to show his pure qualities this season but can turn up in a huge game like this against his former franchise. Ashwin can also cause problems in Ahmedabad's pitch although scalping wickets has been the most challenging part for the ex-CSK spinner this season.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB have won their last six games comfortably and are playing top-tier cricket right now. They qualified for the playoffs after delivering a complete team performance against Chennai Super Kings at home. Virat Kohli is in great form and is the Orange Cap holder with 708 runs. He is by far the best batsman of this season. Faf has been inconsistent but has played some really good knocks too including last match's half-century.

That relentless 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 to go out there and play fearless cricket 🤌

Another such day awaits tomorrow. 👊#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/0lGzbM66AC

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 21, 2024

Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik played brilliant cameos in the last game and they can provide a very good finish. The team is looking quite confident and are the favourites in this game. Cameron Green and Patidar have contributed with some great innings in the last few matches including the partnership they made against CSK.

The best batting line-up in every sense! 💥

The numbers don’t lie! 🤷‍♂#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/nUYA3QI0nu

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 21, 2024

The issues in bowling have been resolved a lot lately. Mohammed Siraj who was struggling to bowl one decent over, is bowling quite confidently in the last couple of games. Bangalore don't have a good spin bowler in their squad to handle the middle overs. But, Maxwell is there and he has been very reliable with the bowl. He bowled the first over in the last game and in the first delivery, Maxwell got rid of CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.

DK walks in to bat..

Crowd: 🗣️ “Yaar nam bossu? DK Bossu”#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/cjuOuB9ptu

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 21, 2024

Yash Dayal has bowled some sensational spells this season and he is the most important bowler for the Royals right now. His final over against CSK was one of the best overs of this IPL 2024 season. He has scalped 15 wickets until now and bowled some really good overs throughout the season. Swapnil Singh is also contributing here and there but Lockie Ferguson is the weak link. He hasn't bowled even a single decent spell this season. His economy of almost 11 is a huge concern.

Prepping up for precision. Yash is fully Dayal’d in for tomorrow! 👊#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/GJEVzkEM9f

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 21, 2024

Possible XIs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Swapnil Singh, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal

Impact player subs: Anuj Rawat, SS Prabhudessai, S Chauhan, M Bhandage, TK Curran, MJ Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, RJW Topley, Rajan Kumar, Alzarri Joseph, Himanshu Sharma, LH Ferguson, Akash Deep

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson (C), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact player subs: Kunal Singh Rathore, D Ferreira, Shimron Hetmyer, NA Saini, N Burger, KR Sen, Sandeep Sharma, Abid Mushtaq, TK Kotian, KA Maharaj

Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: Dream XI Team Prediction