(Info4Now)- Out of the blue Royal Challengers Bangalore made it two in two and it’s because of the fact that they just concentrated on their strength. First, they beat Mumbai Indians and with the sweet memory of UAE, here they came out better than the opposition in a chase. Among all the teams Royal Challengers Bangalore are appearing very relaxed under captain Kohli. I think, it’s an extra bonus for the members of the unit.
The quicker Kolkata Knight Riders forget their last contest against Mumbai Indians, the more they are able to take it as a fresh one. With a divine performance from the KKR bowlers, Mumbai Indians were never in the game except in the last few overs. But in a short chase, KKR batsmen were hypnotised by Rohit Sharma. Being an experienced captain in this format Rohit Sharma played a psychological game of reminding their one-sided success. The most dangerous in the chase was while defending a small score Rohit Sharma himself bowled one over.
Both the teams will meet each other with the same experiences of playing the same opponents. In their head-to-head contests, Royal Challengers Bangalore are marginally behind. At Chepauk RCB will be looking for exploiting KKR’s loopholes.
Preview of Match 10: KKR vs RCB
Kolkata’s middle order must feel some pressure as they failed to make it over the line in a much easier chase. Two big players Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik hanged in the middle and at the final stage of the game but just batted it out. In a big chase, you can be considered when the required run rate keeps you taking risks. But if in a small chase you don’t take calculated risks and lose the contest, it is something to sit and discuss. The top-order batsmen are trying their best to stick to their commitment. Eoin Morgan being the leader of the side and one of the calculating hitting monsters should take greater responsibility for his team.
KKR’s bowling unit somehow is reminding me of the same units of their finest years of IPL journey. Besides, they have an excellent backup of Shivam Mavi, Nagarkoti, Sunil Narine, and Lockie Ferguson. When time comes, they can easily give their premier bowlers some relaxation.
At the top Padikkal is back for RCB. Both Padikkal and Virat Kohli are very slow at the start. And such a casual reaction from captain Kohli is making the game easier for the team. But It cannot work every time. So considering the match condition and the strength of the opposition they have to utilise the field restriction. Maxwell is in form and de Villiers has a very good record against KKR. Down the order, Washington Sundar and Jamieson can also bat.
Virat Kohli is using his bowlers very well. Both Md. Siraj and Harshal Patel are accurate in length. Jamieson is quick but should be a little more disciplined. Chahal and Sundar are quite familiar with the wicket condition and they can create magic with their straight deliveries.
To Sum Up
To conclude, It’s going to be a nail-biting contest as KKR will try to move up the table and RCB to top with consecutive wins. While Andre Russell and Eoin Morgan remain unsuccessful so far, the top players of RCB are already in action. So if KKR cannot do away with those loopholes, RCB will again exploit it as they had done against the last two opponents. As I predicted KKR’s problem in a chase here at Chepauk in the last preview KKR VS MI, I’ll go for batting first for any side.