Royal Challengers Bangalore will be hoping to recover from their loss to Punjab Kings while Kolkata Knight Riders' playoff chances are hanging by a slim thread.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore displayed all the traits of their inconsistency in their previous game against Punjab Kings. The death overs bowling was poor. The batting fell apart once Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers all departed in the space of seven balls. The Royal Challengers Bangalore of old was visible and this will be a major area of concern as the tournament reaches the half-way point. But, if there is one team where Royal Challengers Bangalore can regain their confidence, it is against Kolkata Knight Riders.
The two-time champions have been plagued by a woeful top-order. Their inconsistency has hurt the side. The middle order has also been under pressure, with Andre Russell only performing in some games. Eoin Morgan’s batting has tapered off while Dinesh Karthik has been inconsistent. The bowling was put to the sword by the Delhi Capitals side and things will not get any easier.
Kolkata Knight Riders have lost their last three games against Royal Challengers Bangalore. What will worry them even more is that all the margins have been convincing. Royal Challengers Bangalore have the mental edge against Kolkata Knight Riders. A win for Kolkata Knight Riders will keep their slim playoff chances alive. But, a loss would mean they would have to win the remaining games.
Kolkata Knight Riders have not made many changes to their line-up. It would perhaps be a good idea to replace Sunil Narine with Lockie Ferguson and boost the bowling. The batting needs to step up. Perhaps, Russell might want to promote himself at No.4 and ensure Dinesh Karthik plays the stabilizing role at No.3. Royal Challengers Bangalore, on the other hand, are playing around a bit too much with their number three slot and that is causing some team issues. But, they may replace Shahbaz Ahmed with a more experienced Washington Sundar
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers(w), Shahbaz Ahmed, Daniel Sams, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan(c), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik(w), Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy
Match No.30: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venue: Arun Jaitley stadium, Ahmedabad
Time: 7:30 PM IST
The weather in Ahmedabad will be hot and dry. The dew will be present and spinners might struggle to grip the ball. However, the pitch also offers grip and that might also help them.
Kolkata Knight Riders have a slight 14-13 edge against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. In the last three games though, Royal Challengers Bangalore have emerged victorious by big margins.
