Bengaluru playoff and Hyderabad will clash for expectations

Royal Challengers Bangalore team will look to secure their place for the playoffs in the IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday while Hyderabad will aim to keep their hopes up.

Bengaluru, captained by Virat Kohli, suffered an eight-wicket loss to Chennai Super Kings, who were eliminated from the playoffs in their previous tie. Bengaluru have 14 points after 12 wins and five defeats in 12 matches and are second in the table. A win against Hyderabad would give Bangalore a place in the playoffs but the loss would add to their woes as their last league match is to be held with Delhi Capitals on November 2.

Virat said after the last defeat, "I think we have not been good in bowling. We gave the batsmen the opportunity to score runs. You have to be ready to do well. There are good players on all sides. It is a matter of performance on a particular day. We are playing really good cricket and you have to accept that you can lose any match. " Indian run machine Virat will now not only have to score runs against Hyderabad but also hope that the day is good for him and his team wins.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, are in sixth place with five wins, seven defeats and 10 points from 12 matches. This match is a do or die match for Hyderabad captain David Warner. Warner knows that the loss in this match will put him out of the playoff race while his hopes of victory will remain. Hyderabad will face Mumbai Indians on November 3. Till the last match of Hyderabad, hopes can remain only if they beat Bengaluru.

Hyderabad had defeated Delhi Capitals by a big margin of 88 runs in their previous match, which has boosted their morale. Wriddhiman Saha's brilliant innings of 87 and three wickets for seven runs by the charismatic leg-spinner Rashid Khan kept Hyderabad's hopes alive. Warner would like another such performance from his team so that the team's hopes remain.