IPL 2021 Match Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings. 35th Match. Who Will Win?

The Chennai Super Kings got off to a really bad start against the Mumbai Indians and were basically 7/4 at one stage. However, they managed to mount a comeback and went on to win the game by 20 runs. They will now take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 35th match of the competition. The Royal Challengers Bangalore will have been extremely embarrassed by the performance that they put in against the Kolkata Knight Riders, so they will be looking for a response. Will they get it though? Read on to find out our IPL prediction for the 35th match.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Team Preview

Virat Kohli and his men would have been devastated by their performance in their last match, and now the RCB have lost their last six matches in the United Arab Emirates. Interestingly, all six defeats have come after Kohli's team batted first. Kohli is completely out of form at the moment, and his struggle against the new ball will probably be exploited once against by the Chennai Super kings.

If there is an early wicket, they do not have a number three that they can bank upon. KS Bharat batted at three in the last game, but he did not look like he could make much of an impact and was just doing his best to prolong the innings. The likes of AB de Villiers, Wanindu Hasaranga, Glenn Maxwell, and Kyle Jamieson, are the main threats in their batting department.

However, Maxwell and de Villiers have not had much top-flight cricket for a while now, and after what we saw the other day against the KKR, it might take them a while before they get back into the swing of things. If they do in this match, then those in the crowd should watch out because the Sharjah Cricket Stadium is a small one, and the Australian and South African will be able to clear the boundaries with ease.

The RCB batsmen in the last match did not give their bowlers anything to work with, so we cannot really judge their bowling attack on that one game. Against the KKR, Jamieson, Hasaranga, and Yuzvendra Chahal were carted all over the place, while Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel. If the RCB bat first and put on a decent total, then we think that the bowling attack will come into their own.

Chennai Super Kings Team Preview

The Chennai Super Kings suffered a big batting collapse against the Mumbai Indians, but a majestic innings from Ruturaj Gaikwad was the main difference for them and helped them to win by 20 runs. After a poor 2020 IPL season where their batting was too old fashioned, the Chennai Super Kings have changed tactic and now play a lot more aggressively. They had an injury to Ambati Rayadu, but this does not seem to be very serious, and it is likely he will play in this game.

With the likes of Moeen Ali, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, and Ravi Jadeja all in pretty good form, it is safe to say that they have a very good batting lineup. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina are IPL legends, but they have been out of form for a while now, so we would not recommend that you bet on them.

Dhoni used Ali against the left-handers in the last match, and since the RCB have plenty of right-hand batsmen there is every chance that Jadeja will bowl more in this game. In Deepak Chahar, they have one of the best powerplay bowlers in T20, while Australia's Josh Hazelwood has learnt to bowl brilliantly in the shorter format of the game.

Toss Prediction

The captain that is lucky enough to win the toss will want to bowl first. Sharjah is a tiny ground and defending a target on it can be really tricky. We are certain that whoever wins the coin toss will want to know what their target is when it is their turn to bat.

Pitch Conditions

There is no rain imminent since it is being played in a desert. The wicket is expected to be really good for batting, with plenty of carry and bounce. The small size of this stadium makes it a haven for the big hitters - during the 2020 IPL, there were more sixes hit at Sharjah than any other stadium. There is certainly no reason why the same thing cannot happen once again.

Our Match Prediction

Playing at a stadium such as Sharjah means that it is easier for one player to have a big impact and change the course of a match. However, when you take a look at the form of both teams and the manner in which both started the second half of the 2021 IPL, we feel that the Chennai Super Kings is the team to back. Their batting lineup is a lot more settled and has been performing much better. Both of these teams have their weaknesses that their opponents can exploit, but we feel that the Royal Challengers Bangalore are in a worse place at the moment.

Our match prediction: