IPL 2021 – After the victory of Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator match of the playoffs. The winning team of the two will face Delhi Capitals (DC) in the second qualifier on 13th October. Royal Challengers Bangalore’s journey has been good in the tournament with the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Devdutt Padikkal, and fast bowler Harshal Patel, while Kolkata Knight Riders’ journey in the first leg was quite the opposite from the second leg.
Out of the two teams, Kolkata Knight Riders have the upper hand who has won 16 out of 29 occasions while Royal Challengers Bangalore have 13 wins as an advantage. But the Royal Challengers Bangalore team looks a bit strong due to the recent form of Harshal Patel to Devdutt Padikkal and Glenn Maxwell. Kolkata Knight Riders have suffered a major setback when Shakib Al Hasan bid goodbye to the tournament ahead of the Eliminator match for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Having said that, Let’s take a look at three players’ battles to watch out for in KKR vs RCB exciting clash.
Harshal Patel vs Shubman Gill
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s most successful bowler Harshal Patel has lived up to the expectations for the franchise in almost every wat and has taken 30 wickets in the tournament in 14 matches and he will have a chance to make this record even better for others so that they think about it.
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The batsman who scored the most runs for Kolkata Knight Riders last year has brought better results for Shubman Gill this year as well. A batsman who would force you to watch his batting again and again. Shubman Gill has scored 352 runs in 14 matches in the tournament. It will be interesting to see how he goes against the best bowler of the tournament.
Sunil Narine vs Devdutt Padikkal
In the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine will be expected to give better performance to the team. Sunil Narine, who has been doing well for Kolkata Knight Riders for a long time, has done wonders in batting as well as in bowling on many occasions. A lot will depend on the performance of Sunil Narine, who has taken 11 wickets in the current season.
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Like last year, this year also Devdutt Padikkal lived up to the expectations of the team. Royal Challengers Bangalore left-handed opener Devdutt Padikkal has scored 390 runs in the tournament so far which featured one century also.
Glenn Maxwell vs Lockie Ferguson
Glenn Maxwell, who scored 498 runs in 14 matches in the tournament for Royal Challengers Bangalore, has paid the full amount of his auction value. The opposition knows how dangerous Glenn Maxwell can prove to be if he is not dismissed early in a match and they would like to get me out early to derail the momentum of the team for the big score. All eyes will be on Lockie Ferguson, who took three wickets against Rajasthan Royals and took the side to playoffs’ with ease. As an all-rounder franchise would expect him to contribute with bat and ball both in the absence of all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
