IPL 2023: Batters in focus as Royal Challengers Bangalore look to maintain momentum against fast-sinking Kolkata Knight Riders


IPL 2023: Batters in focus as Royal Challengers Bangalore look to maintain momentum against fast-sinking Kolkata Knight Riders
Having hit the halfway mark, the trial-and-error phase is done with as race to the top four gathers momentum. RCB will host KKR in their penultimate home game before hitting the road for a long haul of away games. The home team will come into the contest riding high on confidence after the win over Rajasthan Royals. KKR, meanwhile, will look to lift their fortunes and put their campaign back on track.
Although RCB are placed higher on the points table fifth against KKR's eighth their predicament is similar. Both have struggled to close out matches with inconsistent batting line-ups. What separates the two teams is the top order. RCB's top stars Faf du Plessis,Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell have ensured good starts. That said, the middle and lower middle orders have failed to carry forward the momentum.
KKR have been hit by the absence of their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer and allrounder Shakib-Al Hasan. Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana and N Jagadeesan have flattered to deceive. Another huge concern is the form of the big-hitting Andre Russell, who has scored 107 runs in seven innings. On a brighter note, Englishman Jason Roy, who has come in as replacement for Shakib, has hit the ground running, scoring 104 runs from two matches.
RCB bowlers seem to have hit their stride, having defended 189 against Rajasthan. Led by pacer Mohammed Siraj, they have been effective with the new ball, but for the better part of the season, they have struggled in the death overs. In contrast, KKR has banked on spinners Varun Chakravarthy (10 wickets), Sunil Narine (6) and Suyash Sharma (7), who may not get much purchase at Chinnaswamy.
The worrying factor for KKR will be the poor form of their main pacers - Umesh Yadav (1 wicket in 7 matches) and Shardul Thakur (2 wickets in 5 matches). On paper, RCB will hold sway, coming into the contest on the back of consecutive wins, while KKR have slumped to four defeats on the trot.