Round two of an iconic clash awaits the Eden Gardens as the Kolkata Knight Riders prepare to take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a high-voltage clash. Both the sides have a different outlook towards the game and varied position in the points table however the aim remains to be the same - get back to winning ways! The last time these two sides faced each other, KKR got the better of RCB and clinched a comfortable victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Knights would be aiming to replicate a similar performance come this game as they aim to bounce back after a tough loss the other night against RR. As a unit, KKR have performed extensively well throughout the tournament and their eyes will be on another tough, ruthless & strong team performance.
HEAD TO HEAD:
KKR have bettered their record in the last game as they hold a handsome 19-14 record in the 33 games played against RCB in head to head. At the Eden Gardens, KKR have a 7-5 advantage over RCB in the 12 games contested. The statistics are on KKR’s side and that will boost their confidence in clinching another win in their upcoming encounter against RCB.
PITCH & GROUND CONDITIONS:
The Eden Gardens pitch has been of the similar nature up until now with the ball coming nicely onto the bat and the pitch being batting-friendly. A similar pitch is believed to be served for the upcoming KKR-RCB clash where the conditions will keep getting better for batting as the game moves forward.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Sunil Narine:
After his colossal performance the other night against RR, all eyes will yet again be on Sunil Narine to provide an explosive start for KKR. Narine has always been a key player for KKR with the ball as well as bat, and historically he has done extremely well against RCB. KKR will be hoping for another terrific performance from Narine which would help them clinch a victory.
Rinku Singh:
Rinku has transformed into an extremely important asset for KKR in the lower middle order where he’s playing his role for the team perfectly. Although he hasn’t got enough opportunity to perform this season, Rinku is ready and raring to go on and play an outrageous innings. KKR will be hoping that Rinku has a strong performance in their upcoming game against RCB
Vaibhav Arora:
Vaibhav has impressed one and all this season with his great control over swing and excellent planning. His role in the powerplay has become crucial for KKR and they will be hoping for Vaibhav to strike early in the powerplay yet again in the upcoming clash.
KEY MATCH-UPS:
Sunil Narine vs Virat Kohli:
Everytime they come face-to-face, Narine and Virat’s battle is one to always watch out for. Over the years, Narine has got the better of Kohli on many occasions and currently, Virat is RCB’s most important batter. Narine will be hoping to knock over Kohli yet again to help KKR establish a strong hold on the game.
Will Jacks vs Harshit Rana:
Two young guns in Harshit and Jacks will clash against each other for the first time. Jacks being an aggressive batter will look to go after the bowlers while Harshit will be eyeing to pick up the crucial wicket of Jacks to put KKR on top.
An exciting game awaits under the scorching sun at the Eden Gardens where both the teams will fight it out and look to bag an important win and 2 crucial points. All in all, an epic clash is in sight with lots to look forward to.
