Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders would be facing each other in the eliminator at Sharjah.
Going into the knockouts of the tournament, we find two strong teams facing each other. Royal Challengers Bangalore are the three time finalists. Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, are the two time champions. Both the teams would be taking on each other in the eliminator of the season.
The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the ongoing season. Royal Challengers Bangalore have been the most consistent side among the two across the two legs. Kolkata Knight Riders have found their mojo in the second leg of the tournament and have made it to the knockouts of the season by winning 5 of their previous 7 games.
Head to Head:
The Royal Challengers and the Knight Riders have faced each other 28 times in IPL. Kolkata have won 15 of those games, while Bangalore won 13 of them. At Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE, both these teams have faced each other twice in which they share one victory each. Also, in the last 5 appearances, Bangalore has the upper hand with 4 wins but the most recent victory has belonged to Kolkata.
Previous Result:
Earlier in the second leg of the tournament, both sides had faced each other in Abu Dhabi. Kolkata Knight riders had won the game convincingly by 9 wickets. The match was completely dominated by KKR as they dismissed RCB for just 92 and then chased it down with 60 balls to spare.
Key Performers:
- Virat Kohli has the most runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders. He has scored 735 runs so far.
- Yuzvendra Chahal is the leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets.
- Gautam Gambhir has the most runs for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He scored 500 runs.
- Sunil Narine is the leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets.
Players To Watch Out For:
Glenn Maxwell: He has been the most consistent batter for Royal Challengers Bangalore this season. With the aggregate score of 498 runs in 13 innings so far which includes 6 fifties, Maxwell has been the most impactful batter for RCB. All his fifties have resulted in the team's victory. He has the most runs for a middle order batsman this season. It would be interesting to see how Maxwell performs against Kolkata as he is also known to be a good player of spin.
Harshal Patel: He has been a big revelation for Royal Challengers Bangalore this season. Harshal has picked 30 wickets in 14 innings in the ongoing season so far including a five wicket haul and a hat trick. He already has the most wickets for an Indian bowler in a single season and is just 2 wickets away from the IPL record. His slower ones have been the asset throughout this season. It would be great to see how the Purple Cap holder performs against Kolkata in a crucial knockout game.
Venkatesh Iyer: His inclusion in the XI has been the reason for Kolkata Knight riders resurgence after a poor first leg in the tournament. Venkatesh can give brisk starts to the side, no matter what the conditions. He can also bowl few overs. Since his inclusion, KKR has found the right balance and he has been the main reason for such a dramatic comeback for his side in the second leg in UAE. The all-rounder can be a game changer on any given day.
Sunil Narine: The story of Kolkata Knight Riders will be incomplete without the mention of his name, especially against RCB. After all, Narine is one of the greatest spinners of the tournament ever. He's a world class bowler who has also showed how handy he can be with the bat. He might be out of his prime but is slowly regaining the tricks he is known for. Narine is also the highest wicket taker for Kolkata against Bangalore. He would be looking forward to contribute again in one of the most important knockout match for his team.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad:
Virat Kohli (Captain), Navdeep Saini, Ab De Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Rajat Patidar, Dushmantha Chameera, Pavan Deshpande, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Wanindu Hasaranga, George Garton, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shahbaz Ahmed, Devdutt Padikkal, Kyle Jamieson, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David and Akash Deep.
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad:
Eoin Morgan (Captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson and Tim Seifert.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Probable XI:
Virat Kohli (Captain)
Devdutt Padikkal
KS Bharat (WK)
Glenn Maxwell
Ab De Villiers
Daniel Christian
Shahbaz Ahmed
George Garton
Harshal Patel
Yuzvendra Chahal
Mohammad Siraj
Kolkata Knight Riders Probable XI:
Venkatesh Iyer
Shubman Gill
Rahul Tripathi
Nitish Rana
Eoin Morgan (Captain)
Dinesh Karthik (WK)
Andre Russell / Shakib Al Hasan
Sunil Narine
Shivam Mavi
Lockie Ferguson
Varun Chakravarthy
Dream 11 team:
When, Where and How to Watch?:
The match would start at 7:30pm (IST) and 6:00pm (local) from Sharjah Cricket stadium, UAE. The live telecasting would be available from Star Sports Network. The live streaming would be available in Disney plus hotstar app.
