Pune Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore meet in one of the most intriguing matches here on Friday. Interesting because, RCB stars will take on a Pune side that is flush with their former teammates. It will be a sort of home coming for Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey, who had previously played for the Bangalore side.
Both are best suited for the shorter version of the game and going by their unpredictability, one can expect a cracker of a contest. Pandey, who was forced to watch the IPL action from the sidelines for the first four matches because of a four-match ban, will certainly be looking at redemption against the RCB. Pandey is the first Indian to score a century in the IPL (in 2009).
Uthappa, on the other hand, has not justified his worth in the tournament yet. With scores reading 22 (off 14 balls against Kings XI Punjab), 31 (off 13 balls against Kochi Tuskers), 4 (off 10 balls against Delhi Daredevils), 45 (off 37 balls against Mumbai Indians) and a duck (off four balls against CSK), the India aspirant should be looking to make a more substantial contribution.
RCB will hope to continue their winning streak. With Gayle bringing a refreshing change in the batting line-up, the home team will eye their first home win of the season.
Meanwhile, Pune Warriors, currently placed second from the bottom with two wins and three losses, will be desperate to climb up the points table.
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