In the 58th game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Banglore (RCB) will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on 17th May at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Match Preview:
The IPL is back as it was suspended for sometime due to the war tension between India and Pakistan. However, after ceasefire, both the IPL and Pakistan Super League (PSL) will resume from today.
Talking about the game between, RCB and KKR, it would be crucial one for RCB. as if they win this forthcoming game, they will not only secure the top-position in the points table but also will book their place in the playoffs.
However, they will be without Josh Hazlewood who is nursing an injury and Jacob Bethell will be available only for two league games. The absence of Bethell wouldn’t be much of a problem as Phil Salt can take up the role and open with Virat Kohli.
Although RCB sit comfortably in second position, their home run wasn’t an ideal one, as they lost three games and could only win two. Even in the last meeting at this stadium, KKR got the better of RCB in 2015.
Kohli will be the key player for RCB. he has been firing on all cylinders this season as he has scored 505 runs already. Patidar is another player who can play a good role in RCB’s victory over KKR.
Talking about KKR, they are currently placed at six, and they will need a whopping victory over RCB, to make a case for the next round. Kolkata will be without Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell as the England and West Indies star decided against flying back to India after returning.
An additional pacer might be added by KKR for this match. Although Ajinkya Rahane’s team bats deep, they haven’t been able to score much this season. Nevertheless, the spin duo of KKR, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine can create trouble for RCB.
Probable Playing XIIs:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Lungi Ngidi, Suyash Sharma
Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Anrich Nortje.
Head-to-head record:
There have been 35 meetings between RCB and KKR in IPL history, with KKR leading with 20 victories to RCB’s 15.
Pitch and weather report:
The game will be played at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is renowned for having a batting-friendly field. Nonetheless, there is a 65% probability of rain in the evening, according to meteorological forecasts, which could affect the game.
Moreover, spinners can make an impact as the match progresses and the pacer can produce swing early on.
Prediction:
RCB is favourite to win the upcoming clash in the IPL.
Where to watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
Pakistan: Tapmad
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Afghanistan: ATN
MENA: Cricbuzz
