KKR vs RCB is one of the biggest battles in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Both teams suffered different fortunes in their opening games. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who will be playing their first home this season, lost their opening match by a narrow margin. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) piled misery on Mumbai Indians at home.
We preview match nine of the IPL 2023 season.
Team Analysis | KKR & RCB
KKR top-order batters will be keen to put on a better show after the defeat against Punjab Kings in their opening game. Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anukul Roy, and Mandeep Singh made just 86 runs between them. All-rounder Andre Russell top-scored with 35 off just 19 balls.
Domestic bowlers Varun Chakravarthy and Umesh Yadav bowled economically in KKR’s opener. However, the experienced Tim Southee, Sunil Narine, and Shardul Thakur leaked 137 runs in 12 overs. With KKR playing in familiar conditions, Narine is expected to trouble the RCB batters.
KKR Player List
- Nitish Rana (captain)
- Mandeep Singh
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Anukul Roy
- Umesh Yadav
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Shardul Thakur
- Sunil Narine
- Narayan Jagadeesan
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Suyash Sharma
- Kulwant Khejroliya
- Harshit Rana
- Vaibhav Arora
- Tim Southee
- David Wiese
- Lockie Ferguson
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Consistency has become RCB’s new hallmark, as the franchise from Bengaluru has clinched a playoff berth in the previous three IPL seasons. Despite this feat, RCB has not graced an IPL final since the 2016 tournament. One of the team’s primary assets is its world-renowned batting lineup, comprising stalwarts such as Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Faf du Plessis, and Maxwell, who have amassed over 16,000 runs in the IPL combined.
RCB has a strong batting lineup, led by the enigmatic Virat Kohli. The legendary Mohammed Siraj leads RCB’s bowling attack.
RCB Players list
- Faf du Plessis (captain)
- Virat Kohli
- Dinesh Karthik
- Suyash S Prabhudessai
- Sonu Yadav
- Anuj Rawat
- Akash Deep
- Reece Topley
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Glenn Maxwell
- David Willey
- Josh Hazlewood
- Finn Allen
- Mahipal Lomror
- Manoj Bhandge
- Shahbaz Ahamad
- Rajan Kumar
- Karn Sharma
- Mohammed Siraj
- Himanshu Sharma
- Michael Bracewell
- Siddharth Kaul
- Harshal Patel
- Avinash Singh
Key Players to Watch Out For KKR vs RCB match
For KKR, the key player to watch out for will be Andre Russell. He is a game-changer with bat and ball and can turn a match in a few overs. For RCB, the key player to watch out for will be Virat Kohli. He is a master of chasing down totals and has a fantastic record against KKR in the IPL.
Head-to-Head- KKR vs RCB
KKR and RCB have faced each other 30 times in the IPL, with KKR winning 16 and RCB winning 14. In the last five encounters between the two teams, RCB has won three matches, while KKR has won two.
IPL Stats- KKR vs RCB
| Stats | KKR | RCB |
| Highest Individual Score | Shreyas Iyer-401 Runs | Faf du Plessis- 468 |
| Most Sixes | AD Russell – 32 sixes | Dinesh Karthik- 22 |
| Most wickets | AD Russell – 17 wickets | Wanindu Hasaranga – 26 |
KKR vs RCB Winner Prediction
This match will be a closely contested encounter, with both teams having their fair share of strengths and weaknesses. However, KKR has a slight advantage due to their strong batting lineup and bowling attack. Therefore, KKR has a 60% chance of winning this match. Seeing how the match unfolds and to see whether RCB can pull off an upset will be interesting.
Final Thoughts
KKR vs RCB encounter in the IPL 2023 promises to be an exciting match. Both teams have the potential to put on a dominant display, and it will be interesting to see which team comes out on top. This match will not be missed, with some of the world’s best players in action.
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