Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match number nine of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, April 6. Kolkata began their campaign under Nitish Rana with a seven-run (DLS method) loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali as rain interrupted proceedings. Bangalore, on the other hand, thumped Mumbai Indians (MI) by eight wickets in their opening encounter. Here are player battles to watch out for in KKR vs RCB IPL 2023 match.
#1 Faf du Plessis vs Tim Southee
RCB captain Faf du Plessis was Player of the Match in Bangalore’s opening game against Mumbai. After they were set 172 for victory, RCB raced home to victory in 16.2 overs courtesy of their skipper smashing 73 in only 43 balls. Du Plessis went absolutely berserk, clubbing five fours and six sixes. Even at 38, the former South African captain seems to have plenty of energy left in the tank. He will be keen to carry on his good form against KKR as well.
Tim Southee had a mixed day for KKR against Punjab Kings. He did get two wickets, that of Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma. However, he was very expensive, going for 54 runs in his four overs. At the same time, Southee has done well in T20 cricket and in fact, has an exceptional record in the format. In 241 matches, he has claimed 284 wickets at an average of 25.26 and a strike rate of 18.4. He will be in for a massive challenge against Faf but has the experience to stand up to the same.
#2 Virat Kohli vs Umesh Yadav
Virat Kohli continued his brilliant form with the willow, hammering 82 not out off 49 balls against Mumbai Indians with the aid of six fours and five sixes. Faf was the aggressor in the partnership, but Kohli took over after his skipper’s dismissal and guided the team to victory with a fantastic innings. Some of the strokes he played were reminiscent of the times when he dominated the T20 league. At 34, he seems to be turning back the clock again. Can he carry on the great form against KKR?
In the match on Thursday, Kohli will be up against his India teammate Umesh Yadav. The right-arm pacer was one of the bright spots for KKR last season, constantly picking up big wickets at the start and at the end. In fact, Yadav is among those bowlers who have the ability to make the ball talk. He can unsettle batters with his pace and bounce as well. In the last match, he dismissed the well-set Bhanuka Rajapaksa and ended with figures of 1/27. Bowling to Kohli will be a challenge of a different level and Yadav will know that.
#3 Nitish Rana vs Karn Sharma
KKR skipper Nitish Rana looked good during his stay out in the middle against Punjab, hitting three fours and a six in his 24 off 17 balls. He did not look burdened by the extra pressure of responsibility, just like he had asserted at the pre-tournament press conference. But coach Chandrakant Pandit and KKR fans as well as his teammates will expect bigger things from the captain. He has the ability no doubt, but he has often not lived up to the expectations. As captain, he has a chance to lead from the front and inspire the team.
For RCB, leg-spinner Karn Sharma was among the many positives for RCB in their comprehensive win over Mumbai Indians. He dismissed Nehal Wadhera and Tim David with very good deliveries. Leg-spinners are key to every team and Bangalore will bank on him to deliver with Wanindu Hasaranga unavailable for now. Rana will look to go after him in the middle overs. Can Sharma win this crucial contest?
#4 Andre Russell vs Harshal Patel
Andre Russell has been KKR’s unofficial MVP for a number of years in the T20 league. His death-batting hitting has been exceptional, barring a couple of off-seasons. He just comes out and looks to go all guns blazing with the willow in hand. In the last match, he clubbed 35 off only 19 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes. Had he not been dismissed and had rain not intervened, Russell could have made a big difference against PBKS. Russell’s role will be the same against RCB as well. Just go out there and dominate proceedings.
At the death, Russell will be up against the skilful Harshal Patel. The RCB end-overs specialist has been struggling for rhythm in recent times. As mentioned before as well, he has not been the same since his return from injury. In the last match against Mumbai Indians, he proved to be the most expensive bowler for RCB, going for 43 runs in his four overs and claiming only one wicket, that of Hrithik Shokeen. He will be in for a big challenge against Dre Russ. Can he rediscover his mojo?
#5 Dinesh Karthik vs Sunil Narine
DK was promoted to No. 3 in the last game as RCB wanted to finish off things early. But it proved to be an anti-climax as the keeper-batter was dismissed for a duck. Karthik has developed into a brilliant finisher in the T20 format at this late stage in his career. If he gets a chance to bat on Thursday, he will be keen to make an impact. Everyone knows that if he gets going, he could be unstoppable.
Sunil Narine bowls at various phases of a game and is among the few spinners who can be expected to deliver even in the death overs. He has the ability to bowl the Yorkers and keep the best of the batters on hold with his tight bowling. Very few batters have been able to unravel the Narine mystery, although he did concede 40 runs in the last game. Can DK take done SN?