IPL 2020: RCB vs CSK Game Plan 2 – Time for Finch to Switch Gears?
RCB vs CSK – The forty-fourth match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the teams, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, could all be about match-ups. We take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the forty-fourth game of the IPL – RCB vs CSK
RCB vs CSK: Where’s the Finch we know?
Australian limited-overs captain is one of the most fearsome T20 openers around the globe. However, he has been a pale shadow of himself this season in the IPL, aggregating just 221 in 10 innings so far.
Not only has Finch been unable to score big runs, but also has failed to score at a decent pace. In fact, among batsmen to face 200 deliveries at least, Finch has the lowest strike-rate.
Shubman Gill has the second lowest strike-rate among all batsmen to face at least 200 deliveries in #IPL2020#KKRvsDC pic.twitter.com/w3D9mfdyMJ
— Stat Doctor
(@stat_doctor) October 24, 2020
Only once in the 10 innings has Finch crossed 30 and has hit just 7 sixes this season. Finch’s struggles have been masked to an extent by the superb results for the team, but going forward as the battle for playoffs and the race to the top 2 positions intensifies, RCB will want their overseas opener to give them some quick yet steady starts more often.
While Kohli has not been great in his scoring rate in powerplays and middle overs either, his acceleration in the death overs is something which makes it up for the slow starts. The same has not happened for Finch, as in most games he has been dismissed after getting set. Having played just 5.5 balls per innings in middle overs and yet to stay on the crease till the death overs, the Aussie skipper has failed to make it big after getting his eye in. As a result, there has been undue pressure on the rest of the lineup and creates a bit of over-dependency on AB de Villiers to rescue the run rate.
ALSO READ: RCB vs CSK – The 10-over struggle
With a strike rate of 110.10 and an average of 20 balls per innings, Finch has neither been able to play the anchor nor the pinch hitter role. A game against a CSK side that is low on confidence might just help Finch get his rhythm back given he negates the initial couple of overs from Deepak Chahar.