Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are all set to host the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their first home game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Freshly appointed skipper Nitish Rana’s witnessed a seven-run loss (DLS method) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their campaign opener. On the other hand, RCB pulled off a dominating 8-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in their first home game of the IPL 2023.
Virat Kohli was off to a great start as he played an unbeaten knock of 82 off 49 during RCB’s chase, alongside skipper Faf du Plessis’ match-winning knock of 73 runs in 43 balls. However, RCB heads into Thursday’s game with the English pacer Reece Topley less likely to play due to injury.
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These two teams have met each other in a total of 30 games in the IPL so far, where Kolkata Knight Riders have managed to win 16 of those encounters and Bangalore won the remaining 14 games. Another nail-biting clash is anticipated between these two high-quality sides.
Ahead of a cracking contest, here we present the key player matchups.
#3 Sunil Narine vs Virat Kohli
Ace KKR spinner Sunil Narine has scalped as many as 153 wickets in the IPL, including 21 against RCB. As per ESPNcricinfo, Narine has got the better of Virat Kohli 3 times across 13 IPL innings. Kohli has amassed 101 runs against Narine at 33.66. He slammed nine fours and one maximum. Meanwhile, Kohli has a record of scoring 786 runs against KKR and will want to unsettle Narine.
#2 Harshal Patel vs Andre Russell
Harshal Patel is known to be a street-smart bowler and can be quite effective in the death overs. Stopping someone like Andre Russell during the slog overs of the match will be essential. Harshal has done well against Russell, claiming his wicket twice. Russell scored 35 runs from 26 balls at 17.50 against Harshal. He has a strike rate of 134.61, managing just a couple of boundaries.
#1 Varun Chakravarthy vs Glenn Maxwell
KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy will need to keep Glenn Maxwell in check, especially in the middle overs. Maxwell can change the game with his wide range of shots and innovation on display. Maxwell has faced 16 balls, scoring 27 runs at 27.00. However, Maxwell has scored runs at a healthy strike rate of 168.75. Meanwhile, Varun has managed to dismiss Maxwell on one occasion.
