RCB optimistic of building further momentum against visiting KKR

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru got back to winning ways as they opened their account in IPL 2024 with a swashbuckling victory against the Punjab Kings. Chasing 177, Virat Kohli spearheaded the show while Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror rocked the show with another incredible blast towards the dying embers of the tournament.

However, one particular aspect that will be bothering RCB is their top-order that has not fired in both the matches. Faf got off to a start in the opener but then threw it away while the clash against Punjab saw Faf, Maxi and Cameron Green succumb to some superlative bowling from the Kings. Their bowling, on the contrary, has been in phenomenal touch as they kept Dhawan and company silent in the last game.

For Kolkata Knight Riders, they have a very deep batting line up and the fact that they will be coming fresh from a victory and on the back of some extended rest, this will allow them to challenge the might of RCB in the latter’s backyard. They bat deep while the rise of newer names in their bowling echelons spearheaded by the former RCB ace quick, Mitchell Starc will be something to watch out for.

Venue Watch

The surface used for the last contest had a different look from the ones that we have usually seen in Chinnaswamy. It was slower in nature and the ball was gripping that made batting difficult. However, if the batters are watchful and take their time to play the shots, then one can expect to get those crucial runs.

Personal battles to watch out for:

Faf du Plessis vs Mitchell Starc:

Faf du Plessis is obviously a key name in the RCB batting echelons and his presence ensures the fact that there is a boatload of experience to start proceedings. He loves to bat in the powerplay and his inclination towards playing in the air makes him a formidable name in any franchise. Mitchell Starc’s ability to move the ball early on followed by those vicious yorkers that usually nip back in, caution should always be exercised.

Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine

Virat’s effusive display against the Kings served as a crucial reminder that on the day, he gets going, no matter the odds, he will make the impossible happen. While playing in Chinnaswamy, Virat turns into a different beast altogether and that is where it all changes. Sunil Narine, on the other hand, has troubled VK over the years and the extraordinary spell in the first match will be another reason why the Indian run-machine should keep an eye on the Caribbean

Mohammed Siraj vs Andre Russell

Siraj has left Russel previously in a spot of bother and the fact that he was back to his economical best in the last game with a dash of wickets is why the hard-hitting Caribbean needs to take a note. But then again in the past, Russell has left RCB in some serious agony with the classy power-hitting of his and this contest can be a crucial one in the context of the match-up.

Match details:

Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium

Date: 29th March, 2024

Time: 7:30 PM

Head-to-head:

Matches played: 32

RCB: 14

KKR: 18

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru:

Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Phil Salt, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Suyash Sharma, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, KS Bharat, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Ramandeep Singh, Angrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Sakib Hussain