In Short
- KKR and RCB will clash at Eden Gardens for the first time in 4 years
- KKR lead head-to-head record against RCB at the venue 6-4
- RCB defeated KKR in their last clash during the 2022 IPL
By India Today Sports Desk“One cannot be judgmental after only one game.”
These were the words from Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Chandrakant Pandit after KKR endured a troubled start to their IPL 2023 campaign, with their batting mainstay and first-choice captain Shreyas Iyer ruled out of the tournament.
Under the leadership of inexperienced Nitish Rana, the franchise is hoping to sprinkle magic at Eden Gardens when they host Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday (April 6). For RCB, who are coming on the back of a stunning win over Mumbai Indians, travelling to the iconic venue brings back bittersweet memories.
PREVIOUS MEETING
Eden Gardens have witnessed poles apart results between KKR and RCB. During the 2017 IPL, RCB were bundled out for just 49 while chasing 132 against KKR. Two years later, a Virat Kohli masterclass (100 off 58) powered RCB to 213/4 but KKR fell short by 10 runs despite Nitish Rana’s 85* off 46 and Andre Russell’s (65 off 25) late hitting.
The two sides last met on March 30, 2022 and it was RCB’s night. The Bangalore-based franchise defeated KKR by three wickets in a low-scoring game in Navi Mumbai.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
At the Eden Gardens, KKR lead the head-to-head record against RCB, having won 6 out of 10 clashes. Overall, in their 31 encounters, KKR lead RCB 17-14.
INJURY CONCERNS
There is bad news from RCB’s camp. The side could miss left-arm quick Reece Topley, who injured his right shoulder in the first match against Mumbai Indians. Moreover, Rajat Patidar has been ruled out of the tournament, and RCB will continue to be without Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood, who are yet to join the squad.
On the other hand, KKR could be without Lockie Ferguson, who is still bowling with half a run-up in the nets. KKR recently added England’s Jason Roy, but he will join the team in Ahmedabad.
PITCH REPORT
Eden Gardens offers something for both fast bowlers and spinners. But with bigger dimensions, the number of boundaries may not come as often as one would like. One can expect early swing as it would be slightly humid before dew comes in the later stage of the match. The trend at the venue has mostly benefitted the chasing side.
PREDICTED PLAYING XIS
RCBFaf du Plessis (ca), Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Michael Bracewell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suyash Prabhudessai, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, David Willey, Karn Sharma.
KKRMandeep Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Anukul Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee.
Jakob Auer
Ryleigh Mante
Trace Hane