KKR vs RCB Match Preview
It was already been declared by the KKR management that their skipper Shreyas Iyer will miss several games of the season due to a back injury. But it looks as if he will miss the entire season. Another significant player for Kolkata Knight Riders is Shakib Al Hasan who will also miss the IPL 2023 as he will be participating in the international games for Bangladesh. One of the key members of the KKR team is Venkatesh Iyer. This 28-year-old right-handed batsman has an average of 34.75 in the T20 format and can play big innings in the T20 format.
However, the most vital player in the KKR batting composition remains Andre Russell. This former West Indian all-rounder smashed a 35 in the first game from 19 balls against Punjab Kings. He might even be moved up the order to try and make full use of his hitting capabilities. A significant bowler in this composition is Tim Southee. This Kiwi captain in test matches picked up a crucial wicket of the opponent wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma in their first game. He has an excellent career strike rate of 18.4 across his T20 career.
There is going to be at least one change in the RCB team composition for this game from the last one. Reece Topley is all set to miss this match after he dislocated his shoulder in the last match in a victory over Mumbai Indians. It is expected that the remainder of the team will be picked for this game as it was. The most significant player of the RCB side remains their former skipper, Virat Kohli. The mercurial batsman hit superb not-out innings in the first game against the Indians to guide the team to victory. He struck eleven boundaries in the innings.
However, the RCB innings in the first game against Mumbai was set up by the South African Faf du Plessis. He smashed his way to his 26th half-century in IPL in this game. He is in top form with the bat and hammered 6 sixes in the first match. The RCB bowling attack will be led by the Indian international star Mohammad Siraj. He picked up the wicket of Ishan Kishan near the top of the Mumbai Indians batting line-up. Siraj has been in great nick across all formats during the year 2023. Another explosive batsman Finn Allen could find a place in the side as an impact player who can score quick runs at any time of the innings.
Weather Report
The weather during this game will be clear. Temperatures are expected to vary between 25 degrees and 37 degrees. There will be some wind blowing from the West at 12 km/hr.
Pitch Report
The wicket on offer at the Eden Gardens ground is a batting-friendly one. The ball will come onto the bat nicely and you can expect even bounce from the track. This wicket at the Eden Gardens venue, however, is not as fast as some of the other venues in India. The batters might have to be cautious initially before scoring big runs at the venue. There will be some turn available for the spinners as the game progresses. Spinners might decide the outcome of the match as the wicket is likely to offer help to them with time.
Notable stats
Andre Russell has a terrific strike rate in the last 10 matches for KKR.
Andre Russell has a strike rate of 176.47 in his last 10 appearances for KKR. He has scored these runs with a top average of 34.28 as well.
RCB leads the recent head-to-head between these two teams.
In the last 5 games played between the two teams, RCB leads the head-to-head 3-2.
Team News
The unavailability of Shreyas Iyer due to an injury will hurt the KKR side the most. However, some other players might also miss this game because of injuries. There is just a single injury update from the RCB side and that is Reece Topley missing this game with a shoulder dislocation.
KKR vs RCB Probable 11
KKR Playing 11
- Mandeep Singh
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk)
- Anukul Roy
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Nitish Rana (C)
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Shardul Thakur
- Sunil Narine
- Tim Southee
- Umesh Yadav
RCB Playing 11
- Virat Kohli
- Faf du Plessis (C)
- Dinesh Karthik (Wk)
- Glenn Maxwell
- Michael Bracewell
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- David Willey
- Harshal Patel
- Akash Deep
- Mohammed Siraj
- Karn Sharma
Dream11 Prediction
If you look at the performance of both these teams in the first match you will find that RCB has not only won their first game they are looking at a much more organized side than KKR. Faf du Plessis is carrying his form in the SA20 in this IPL season with some tremendous hitting in the first game. Virat Kohli's return to form has also been an added advantage for the RCB outfit. Their 148-run partnership in the first match showed everybody what they are capable of. Although both of these teams do not have a good bowling attack, KKR has better spin bowling options. The batting of Andre Russell can make a difference though. But, all-in-all we expect RCB to win this game.
Top Picks
Andre Russell: Andre Russell is easily the go-to player for KKR in this match. He has not only scored big runs quickly he has also picked up vital wickets for them.
Virat Kohli: The Indian star has got off to a flier in the first game of the competition. He guided the RCB side to an easy win over Mumbai. He has scored 304 runs in his last 10 games for RCB with an average of 33.77.
Harshal Patel: Harshal Patel is a crucial bowler in the middle overs for RCB. He has collected 12 wickets in the last 10 games for RCB with a strike rate of 16.75.
Faf du Plessis: In his last 10 games for RCB, Faf du Plessis has scored 291 runs with an average of 32.33. He hit a superb half-century in the first game of IPL 2023.
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: R. Gurbaz
Batters: V. Kohli (C), F. du Plessis, N. Rana, V. Iyer
All-rounders: S. Narine, G. Maxwell, A. Russell (VC)
Bowlers: H. Patel, K. Sharma, M. Siraj
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Team 2
Keeper: R Gurbaz
Batters: V Kohli, Mandeep-Singh, F du Plessis (C)
All-rounders: S Narina, G Maxwell, A Russell (VC), M Bracewell
Bowlers: T Southee, D Willey, M Siraj
