The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be brimming with confidence as they gear up to take on the beleaguered Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 36th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The encounter, scheduled for Sunday, April 21st, will see KKR, currently the league’s second-ranked team, face off against an RCB side languishing at the bottom of the points table after a string of defeats.
When these two teams met earlier this season at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, KKR emerged victorious by a convincing seven-wicket margin. Now, RCB will be desperate to turn the tables and salvage some pride at the iconic Eden Gardens, KKR’s fortress.
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Historically, the rivalry between KKR and RCB has been tilted heavily in favour of the Kolkata franchise. In their 33 previous encounters, KKR holds a dominant edge with 19 wins compared to RCB’s 14 victories. Interestingly, both teams come into this match on the back of high-scoring losses, setting the stage for another potential run-fest at the Eden Gardens.
Here are three key player battles that could play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of this highly anticipated clash:
#1 Lockie Ferguson vs Shreyas Iyer
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer’s batting form has been a cause for concern this season. His struggles against express pace bowling are well documented, and RCB is likely to exploit this weakness. New Zealand’s pace spearhead Lockie Ferguson will be entrusted with the task of unsettling the right-handed batsman. While their head-to-head record in the IPL is limited (Iyer scoring 22 runs off 33 deliveries without dismissal), an intriguing battle is on the horizon. Can Ferguson expose Iyer’s chink in his armor and provide RCB with a crucial early breakthrough?
#2 Will Jacks vs Sunil Narine
The duel between Will Jacks and Sunil Narine promises to be a fascinating one, considering they will be switching roles as the innings progress. Jacks, the young English all-rounder who entered the IPL with a lot of hype, is yet to find his footing in the tournament. He might get his chance to shine against KKR, likely coming in at number three where he could face the wily spin of Sunil Narine after the powerplay.
Sunil Narine, known for his bamboozling spin variations, will be looking to outfox the aggressive Jacks. However, when Jacks takes the field with the ball during the powerplay, he’ll have the daunting task of bowling to the in-form Narine, who has surprised everyone with his exploits with the bat this season, amassing a blistering century in the previous match.
#3 Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Starc
The clash between Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc adds another layer of intrigue to this match-up. These two cricketing giants have shared a fierce rivalry in international cricket, but they have only met on one other occasion in the IPL. While Kohli currently leads the IPL 2024 run-scorers’ chart with a staggering 361 runs, Starc has been far from his best.
In their previous encounter this season, Kohli dominated the Australian pacer, scoring an unbeaten 83 runs while Starc conceded a hefty 47 runs without taking a wicket. Even a broader look at their T20 head-to-head record favors Kohli. The Indian batting maestro has amassed 80 runs at a staggering strike rate of 177.77 without being dismissed in the 45 deliveries they have faced each other.
