The game promises to be an interesting one was orange cap holder Nitish Rana is likely to face Purple Cap holder Harshal Patel.
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Match 10 of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) will see Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) face Eoin Morgan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. RCB sit atop the IPL 2021 table after securing two wins from their first two games while KKR are at sixth after winning one and losing one from their first two. As the head-to-head record goes, KKR is narrowly ahead with 14 wins while RCB have 12. The two sides are evenly balanced and are led by two world-class international captains. Kohli is yet to win an IPL title while the men in purple have secured two, the last truimph coming seven years back.
It will be a stern test for the batting lineups for both squads at the Chepauk track. Both the sides, especially KKR, were faced with batting collapses at the ground. RCB, however, still managed to win their game, and that might prove to be a psychological advantage for Kohli’s men. Two key batsmen who are in good form are RCB’s Glenn Maxwell and KKR’s Nitish Rana. A lot of the onus will be on them to help their respective teams make a decent total.
Here are the predicted starting lineups for both sides ahead of this IPL 2021 encounter.
Devdutt Padikkal: The youngster’s start to the IPL 2021 campaign has not been ideal but Padikkal’s skills as an opening batsman is not one to be questioned. Arguably India’s most exciting young talent, he will look to get among the runs.
Virat Kohli (Captain): Kohli’s consistent batting performances are a boon for any side, and even when he is not performing in that field, the RCB skipper always has an influence on the game.
Shahbaz Ahmed: Sending the youngster up the order might not have gone according to plan for Kohli, but Ahmed effectively won the game for the Challengers last time around when he took three wickets in a single over against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Glenn Maxwell: The Aussie has been in a rich vein of form with the bat so far in the IPL and will be looking to keep doing the same against KKR.
AB de Villiers (WK): Mr 360 is one of those players that simply cannot be dropped. His explosive batting, reliable wicket-keeping, and leadership on the pitch are all exceptional for someone who has been out of international cricket for so long.
Washington Sundar: A consistent all-rounder, Sundar economical bowling and dynamic batting skills will almost certainly be called upon and he will look to impress his captain.
Dan Chisrtian: The Australian all-rounder has years of experience backing him and despite not having an ideal season so far, is an asset to Kohli and his side.
Kyle Jamieson: The Kiwi pacer ousted the dangerous David Warner, who seemed tio be firing on all cylinders, in the match against SRH. However, he also conceded 30 runs in 3 overs and will need to improve that aspect of his game.
Harshal Patel: At the start of the tournament, few would have expected Harshal Patel to be holding the purple cap, but that us where we stand currently. Patel’s wicket taking and economical bowling performances have earned him a regular spot in the starting XI and Virat will look to him to pick wickets at those crucial moments.
Mohammad Siraj: Siraj also dished out an impressive performance against SRH, picking two wickets and conceding only 25 runs. He will look to pick up where he left off against KKR.
Yuzvendra Chahal: Chahal might not have taken a wicket in RCB’s previous game, but he is toll their best spinner and a deadly weapon at Virat’s disposal.
Shubman Gill: The young opener played a decent knock of 33 off 24 deliveries in his previous match against Mumbai Indians (MI), and will hope to go past the half-century mark this time around.
Nitish Rana: Rana has undoubtedly been KKR’s best batter in the tournament so far, and is also the IPL’s current orange cap holder. Consecutive half centuries make him a huge threat to the RCB bowling attack and Rana would be looking to make it a hatrick.
Rahul Tripathi: A versatile batsman, Tripathi’s explosive knock in KKR’s first game helped them to earn the points. He would be eager to make a statement against the captain of the Indian side.
Eoin Morgan (Captain): The skipper is yet to find his form with the bat but his on-field decisions are exceptional. A leader through and through, Morgan is one of the few whoi can match up to, or even go beyond Kohli’s captaincy skills.
Dinesh Karthik (WK): An explosive batter and one of the most experienced wicket-keepers in world cricket at the moment, the former KKR skipper is a valuable part of the side.
Shakib Al Hasan: The Bangladesh all-rounder always contributes to the team, either with the bat or ball. Shakib picked one wicket against MI and conceded only 23 runs.
Andre Russell: His form with the bat might be off, but Russell more than made up for it with an outstanding five-wicket haul against the Mumbai Indians. He is a highly effective weapon in the KKR arsenal.
Pat Cummins: The Aussie pacer is one of the most lethal fast bowlers in the world and is also capable of playing explosive cameos. He took two wickets against MI for just 24 runs.
Harbhajan Singh: The experienced veteran will be an advantage to have on the field in high-pressure situations, especially for young bowlers.
Prasidh Krishna: Prasidh is a serial wicket-taker for the purple and gold but he also sometimes concedes far too many runs. Nonetheless, he is an important part of the KKR squad and will look to pick the crucial wickets.
Varun Chakravarthy: Chakravarthy picked one wicket in the game against MI and was fairly economical as well. He will look to repeat the performamnce against a destructive RCB batting lineup.
