IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore VS Kolkata Knight Riders

In the 31st Match of IPL 2021, we will see Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Eoin Morgan’s Kolkata Knight Riders in Sheikh Zayed Stadium on 20th September. With KKR looking to make it to the playoffs, they will be looking to give a tough fight to RCB. Placed at the seventh position in the points table, every game will be a Do-or-Die for KKR.

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Head to Head Records :

In a battle between Ice and Fire, Virat Kohli’s aggressive RCB will compete against a calm and composed team of KKR. However, the history between both the teams has a lot to say.

  • Matches Played: 27 matches
  • RCB Won: 13 matches
  • KKR Won: 14 matches
  • Tie: 0 matches

From the records, KKR has an edge over RCB and KKR will be looking to keep this record in favour of them in the upcoming encounter too.

Sheikh Zayed Stadium Record:

Teams chasing at Abu Dhabi stadium have an edge over teams batting first.

  • Matches Played: 29
  • Matches won by Batting first team: 13
  • Matches won by Chasing team: 16
  • No Result: 0

Kolkata Knight Riders :

KKR at the IPL.

With 2 wins in 7 matches, KKR is placed at the seventh position in the points table. As a coach, Brendon McCullum will be looking to turn the fortune of the team.

Predicted Playing XI :

Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(wk), Eoin Morgan

(C), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna, Lockie Ferguson

Bench Strength :

Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Pawan Negi, Tim Seifert, Shakib al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Tim Southee.

Players to watch out :

With the spinning tracks of Abu Dhabi, Varun Chakravarthy will have a huge role to play along with Lockie Ferguson who could be replacing Pat Cummins. Along with them, Andre Russel can be dangerous for opposing teams.

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Team RCB at the IPL.

With 5 wins in 7 games, RCB looks all set to enter the playoffs. However, RCB coach Mike Hesson who was appointed captain after Simon Katich will look to strengthen their team even more.

Predicted Playing XI :

Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (C), Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, AB De Villiers

(wk), Kyle Jamieson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Mohd. Siraj

Bench Strength :

Navdeep Saini, Pavan Deshpande, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Dan Christian, Suyesh Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasarangal, Akash Deep, George Garton.

Players to Watch Out :

Yuzvendra Chahal and AB De Villiers can be effective for the team. Current Purple Cap holder, Harshal Patel can also make an impact on slow pitches of UAE through his cutters and other variations.

Final Predictions :

With the pitches in Dubai favouring spin, it looks like KKR will benefit a lot from it. The mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy can play a big role in the match. Along with him, Lockie Ferguson’s cutters will give KKR an advantage over RCB’s star-studded batting lineup.

It looks like an exciting battle between both teams is on cards. However, seeing the slowness of the pitches and considering the bowling lineup of KKR, they are the top contenders for the win in the match. Along with Andre Russell hitting capabilities, scoring runs in death overs won’t be difficult for them. However, RCB also has a dangerous lineup and can be destructive on their days.