IPL 2016, RCB vs RPS: Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni aim to get their teams back to winning ways

For MS Dhoni, the biggest task would be get his team composition right. Bangalore’s strength lies in their batting unit.

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Virat Kohli-led RCB will miss the services of Chris Gayle, who is back home. (Source: BCCI/IPL)

Facing a similar crisis after two successive defeats, both Rising Pune Supergiants and Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to bring their campaign back on track in Pune on Friday. After impressive starts, both Pune and RCB have faltered in their last two games. (Fixtures | Squads)

LIVE: Follow Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with live scores and updates

Debutants Pune, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, defeated defending champions Mumbai Indians in their tournament opener before losing to another new outfit Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab. Star-studded RCB, on the other hand, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening match, before their campaign went haywire following losses to Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians.

Pune’s batting woes

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For Dhoni, the biggest task would be get his team composition right. Pune’s batting unit consists of some big names in Ajinkya Rahane, Kevin Pietersen, Steven Smith and Dhoni, but barring Faf du Plessis no other batsman has managed to set the stage on fire. Their bowling, too, has been lacklustre, except the leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin.

Bangalore’s strength lies in their batting unit. Even in the absence of Chris Gayle, they have Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson and the fearless youngster Sarfaraz Khan. But RCB’s troubles lie mainly in their bowling attack, in which Watson has been the lone stand-out performer.

Despite posting a competitive 170 for seven against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, RCB bowlers’ failed to defend the score as the title holders cruised home with two overs to spare.

Varun Aaron and Kane Richardson, who came in for Adam Milne and David Wiese on Wednesday night, went for runs and the young Harshal Patel too has not been getting the breakthroughs for RCB. The RCB’s main spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, too hasn’t been at his best so far.

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