Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore have a long-standing history of thrilling encounters, and this year promises to be no different. KKR is all set to play their first home game in four years, and the atmosphere at Eden Gardens is sure to be electric. On the other hand, RCB is playing their first away game of the season, and they will be looking to make a strong statement. Fans of both teams can expect some unforgettable moments to be created, from the historic RCB 49 all out to Kohli's stunning century against KKR in 2019. Who can forget Brendon McCullum's blistering 158 in the inaugural game in 2008 or Andre Russell's incredible chase of 52 runs in just 15 balls in 2019? It's a clash of the titans, and everyone will be eagerly waiting to see who comes out on top.
Kolkata Knight Riders - KKR's start to the tournament hasn't been the most ideal. Nitish Rana, leading the team for the first time, made a few debatable decisions, one of which was not utilizing Andre Russell in the death overs, despite Punjab Kings amassing a formidable total of 191. Nonetheless, KKR could take some solace in the impressive performance of Varun Chakaravarthy, who picked up a wicket and conceded just 26 runs in his four overs. Similarly, Umesh Yadav was quite effective with the ball, but KKR missed his services during the death overs, an aspect that they would need to work on. While KKR struggled with the short ball, an issue that has plagued them for the past few seasons, Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell made noteworthy contributions with the bat, narrowing the margin of defeat. Overall, KKR would need to regroup quickly and address their shortcomings if they hope to turn their fortunes around in the remainder of the tournament.
Royal Challengers Bangalore - RCB head to Eden Gardens to face KKR, fresh off a victory against MI at home, which is only their third win in 11 attempts against them at the Chinnaswamy stadium. The opening bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Reece Topley looked impressive for most of the innings, and their skills could prove to be a handful on the hard and seaming pitch at Eden Gardens. Reece Topley got injured while fielding in the last match and one would need to waut and watch if he would be playing today's match. If he is not fit, then David Willey would make into the squad. Meanwhile, playing at Eden Gardens would be a homecoming of sorts for local player Akash Deep. RCB's two key batsmen, Kohli and Faf du Plessis, have started the season on a high, adding 148 runs for the opening partnership. They should relish the bounce on offer at Eden Gardens, which could work to their advantage.
Probable 13 (including Impact Players)
Kolkata Knight Riders - Rahmanullah Gurbaz(WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana(C), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee/Lockie Ferguson, Anukul Roy, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy (Impact Players - N Jagadeesan, D Wiese, V Arora, Suyash Sharma)
Royal Challengers Bangalore - Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(C), Glenn Maxwell, Michael Bracewell, Shabaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik(WK), Karn Sharma, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, David Willey, Mohammed Siraj (Impact Players - S Prabhudesai, A Rawat, M Lomror, Sonu Yadav)
Interesting Match Facts
- Tim Southee averages 17 against right-handed batters in IPL since 2020.
- Virat Kohli scores at a strike-rate of 175 against Umesh Yadav.
- Mohammed Siraj has got Sunil Narine out twice in the six balls he's bowled to him.
- Andre Russell has scored 395 runs in 13 innings against RCB, at an average of nearly 43 and a strike-rate of 208.
- Maxwell struggles against Umesh Yadav, who has taken his wicket three times for only 17 runs in 20 balls.
Pitch and Weather report
The forecast doesn't predict any rain, and the pitch is likely to be suitable for batting, but spin bowlers might get some assistance.
Date and Time: 6th April, 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Live Streaming: Star Sports 1,2 and Jio Cinema
Dream XI Team:
