Virat Kohli In Focus As RCB Take On SunRisers Hyderabad In Must-Win Game

Virat Kohli will be in focus as Royal Challengers Bangalore look to strengthen their claim for an IPL play-off berth in their must-win match against laggards Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Thursday. RCB are currently in the fifth spot with 12 points from as many games and face two must-win matches to guarantee their play-off spot. SRH, on the other hand, are out of the tournament and languishing at the ninth spot with eight points from 12 matches.

Alongside skipper Faf du Plessis, Kohli is one of the top-scorers for RCB but after back-to-back failures -- 18 against Rajasthan Royals and 1 against Mumbai Indians -- the maestro would be looking to produce his best against SRH and help his side's cause.

Du Plessis has been leading the side from the front and is in scintillating form, occupying the top spot in run-getter's list with 631 runs from 12 games at an average of 57.36.

Kohli is the next best RCB batter with 438 runs, averaging 39.81 with six fifties. But unlike Du Plessis, Kohli has not been consistent enough and has struggled with his strike-rate at times.

The other batter RCB would be banking on is Glenn Maxwell, who has made a great impact with his sparkling knocks, which includes five half-centuries.

RCB are high on confidence after a commanding 112-run demolition of Rajasthan Royals in their last game.

Riding on Du Plessis and Maxwell's back-to-back fifties, RCB posted 171 for 5 and then Wayne Parnell (3/10) led the way in the company of Michael Bracewell (2/16), Karn Sharma (2/19) and Mohammed Siraj (1/10) to bundle out RR for a paltry 59.

On the bowling front, the onus would again be on Parnell, Siraj and Bracewell to deliver the goods.

The last match also saw RCB return to winning ways after back-to-back