Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore will lock horns with each other in the sixth game of IPL 2022. Battle between KKR and RCB will take place today @ 7:30 pm at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. Fans are going to witness an exciting thriller as both teams are known well for their fighting spirit till the end. Both teams have strong squad with solid and quality players.
KKR got off to a perfect start, as they brushed past Chennai Super Kings in the opening fixture. On the other hand, RCB lost a nail-biting thriller against the Punjab Kings where they failed to defend a target of 205. RCB bowlers must pull up their socks as they will be facing another stiff task against a strong Kolkata batting line-up at the same venue.
Top-pick batters in this match would be Ajinkya Rahane and RCB skipper Faf Du Plessis. Rahane played some amazing and predetermined shots in the opening match of the season and looked in great touch. He scored 44 runs at a strike rate of 129. The right-hand batter would give a perfect start at the top. On the other side, Du Plessis started the season with a bang, scoring 88 runs which included 7 sixes. The RCB captain will be a huge threat for KKR bowlers.
However, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli who is yet to score big. In the opening game, Kohli struck at a strike rate of 142 against spin which is a very good sign, but sometimes he gets deceived. So KKR would try and apply the spin-strangle with the introduction of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine when Kohli comes on. Both spinners can also bowl with the new ball, so coming on early should not be a problem for them.
Bowling performance remains a great concern for both teams. KKR pacers bowl well with decent line and pace to take wickets at the top. But KKR’s death bowling is not that much effective. Knight Riders are one of three attacks that have conceded 10+ runs an over in the death overs. Meanwhile, RCB also seek bowling fixes. RCB pacers fail to tighten the screws or take wickets at crucial moments. RCB expects Wanindu Hasaranga to deliver well with his spin attack.
When we take a look at the venue, a fair amount of grass on the pitch would not help the spinners much. It also looks hard, so it should be good to bat on. The trend has been to chase here and the previous match saw more than 200 being chased.
