RCB vs KKR Preview – Bangalore search for 3rd win on the trot
Royal Challengers Bangalore will be hoping to make it three wins on the trot when they take on a sluggish Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, April 26. While the home side has found form under stand-in skipper Virat Kohli, Nitish Rana’s men come into the fixture on the back of four successive defeats.
It was Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell’s show when the Bangalore-based franchise took on pre-tournament favourites Rajasthan Royals in their previous outing. While Mohammed Siraj has looked in ominous form in this year’s edition, Harshal Patel also came to the party against Sanju Samson’s side.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders are walking on thin ice at the moment as Nitish Rana’s side have looked clueless in their last four outings, especially with the ball. Rana, who is still new to the leadership role, has not been able to nail his best eleven so far and needs to stitch a few victories together to remain in contention for a spot in the playoffs.
Pitch and conditions
The surface in Chinnaswamy is a nightmare for the bowlers as it does not have much to offer from the pitch, with the shorter boundaries acting as an ally for the batters. The team winning the toss would be inclined to bat first in Bangalore, influenced by the results in the previous two encounters at this venue.
Venue details: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Last T20 match at the venue: RCB- 189/9 (20 overs) RR- 182/6 (20 overs)
Here’s the probable playing XI for Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders:
Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB’s star batting trio of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell have been at their usual best in the tournament so far, but the team will be hoping for significant contributions from the other batters as well. Wanindu Hasaranga has also failed to hit the ground running since his late arrival to the competition.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR’s bowling has been downright atrocious in the last few games, especially the pacers, who do not seem to be learning from their mistakes. Young leggie Suyash Sharma has been one of their only saving graces in the tournament so far.
