IPL 2019: Three things to look out for from KKR’s battle with RCB
After four matches, Royal Challengers Bangalore are still searching for their opening win in the IPL. Apart from their competitive chase against MI, they have been flattened by every opponent. Now they face another stern challenge in the form of Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR have won two of their three matches while their only loss came in a super-over encounter. They will take the field at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium as favorites.
1. RCB’s opening conundrum
The Bangalore side is still striving to find the right opening partnership. While one end has been owned by Parthiv Patel, his partners have been shuffled after every match. Virat Kohli, Moeen Ali and Shimron Hetmyer have been tried but none have cemented their spot. Historically, Virat has enjoyed a good record while opening. Whether we’ll see a new combination tonight or will RCB persist with Kohli-Parthiv remains to be seen.
2. Spin woes of Virat and ABD
RCB boasts of two of the greatest batsmen of the modern era. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are batting legends and have numbers that back their credentials. This year, the story has been different. RR’s leg spinner Shreyas Gopal sent back the duo with his googlies and this exposed the chinks in RCB’s armor. KKR has three world-class spinners in Kuldeep Yadav, Sunil Narine and Piyush Chawla. All three will thoroughly test the resolve of Kohli and de Villiers.
3. Lynn and Narine’s favorite hunting ground – M Chinnaswamy Stadium
Barring a few matches, games at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore tend to be high-scoring affairs. Short boundaries, flatter tracks and high altitude aid the batsman in hitting big shots and clearing the fences. Kolkata’s freak opening pair of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine has blossomed on this track in the past. In 2017, they celebrated a century partnership in the Powerplay itself. Last year, Lynn scored a match-winning 62 while Narine smoked 27 from 19 balls. Tonight, the duo will be hoping to return in the striking form on their favorite track.
