RCB resume quest for maiden title against KKR | IPL 2021 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders SWOT Analysis

Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will resume their quest for a maiden IPL title when they take on Eoin Morgan-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

In the first half of the tournament, before the league got paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic, RCB were on song, having won five of the seven games played and are placed at third position in the points table. On the other hand, KKR are placed at the seventh position in the points table, having managed only two wins from their seven matches so far.

Here is the preview and analysis of the match between KKR and RCB.

SWOT for KKR

Strengths: The way they performed earlier this year, there are not many strengths that the team could boast of. The only saving grace would be the form of bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Varun Chakravarthy. Krishna picked up eight wickets and Chakravarthy has seven wickets to his name. Andre Russell’s form with the ball should also inspire the players.

Weaknesses: There are plenty of loopholes in the team. Shubman Gill is having another poor season. The KKR opener has managed only 132 runs at an abysmal average of 18.85. Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan too have struggled to score runs freely. Pat Cummins is the team’s leading wicket-taker in this season so far with nine wickets. But he won't be taking part in the second phase of the tournament. His replacement, Tim Southee, doesn’t have a spectacular IPL record. Southee has taken 28 wickets in 40 IPL games at an average of 46.18.

Opportunities: Varun Chakravarthy came into the limelight last year when he finished the season with 17 wickets to his name. The mystery spinner is back in the UAE. He could very well utilise the remainder of KKR’s league games to get some form under his belt and stake his claim in India’s playing XI for the upcoming T20 World Cup which would be played in the UAE and Oman.

Threats: The team is placed in the seventh spot in the league table. So, every match is almost a knock-out game for them. A loss against RCB and the team’s hopes of a playoff spot can be over.

SWOT for RCB

Strengths: As always, the batting department is looking solid for RCB. Both Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers have hit two fifties so far in this edition. Virat Kohli has scored a half-century and opener Devdutt Padikkal scored a stunning hundred back in India. If these four batsmen continue their rich vein of form, we can expect huge totals and comfortable chases from the team.

Weaknesses: A sudden disruption of a fairly good season and too many changes in the squad can prove counterproductive for RCB. Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, Dushmantha Chameera, and George Garton are new to the IPL. And with only seven more games left for RCB in the league, it would be a difficult decision for Virat Kohli to pick one of these IPL newbies if the need arises.

Opportunities: Keep a close eye on Tim David. The 25-year-old batsman is the first cricketer from Singapore to be offered a contract by an IPL franchise. He has played 62 T20 games and scored 1,468 runs at an average of 35.80 and a high score of 92 not out. He brings with him a wealth of white-ball cricket experience. He has featured in the Big Bash League, the Pakistan Super League, the Caribbean Premier League, the Royal London Cup and The Hundred. This could be his chance to leave his mark in the most glamorous T20 league of all.

Threats: Virat Kohli will have to guard his team against a sudden dip in form. Last year in UAE, towards the fag end of the league stage, the team ran out of steam. It lost five of its last seven league games and had to play the eliminator against Sunriseres Hyderabad which they match.

Head-to-Head

Matches played: 27

KKR wins: 14

RCB wins: 13

What happened in the reverse fixture earlier in the season?

Batting first, RCB posted a healthy 204/6 in 20 overs thanks to Glenn Maxwell's 78 and AB de Villiers' 76. Then it was the turn of the RCB bowlers to join the party. All-rounder Kyle Jamieson picked up three wickets. Leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and pacer Harshal Patel got two wickets each as KKR could manage 166/8.

Form guide

KKR: L-W-L-L-L

RCB: L-W-L-W-W

Pitch report and conditions

This match being the first at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium of this leg of the league, one has to wait and watch to learn what the pitch has to offer. A clear, warm and humid evening awaits the players. The mercury will be around 33 °C and the humidity level could touch 71%.

Team news

There are plenty of changes in the RCB squad owing to the unavailability of players. Adam Zampa, Finn Allen, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, and Washington Sundar are not taking part in this phase. Replacing them are Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, Dushmantha Chameera, George Garton, and Akash Deep. KKR have just one but a very prominent change in their squad. Aussie pacer Pat Cummins is out and he is replaced by New Zealand pacer Tim Southee.

Deccan Herald’s Dream XI

Nitish Rana, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy.

Impact player for KKR

Andre Russell: The West Indian all-rounder had scored a fifty and picked seven wickets for KKR in the first phase. In the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League (CPL), he hammered 16 sixes in 10 games. An in-form Russell can inflict a lot of damage on the opponents.

Impact player for RCB

Glenn Maxwell: Watch out for Glenn Maxwell. The Aussie batsman was in sublime form in India. He was the team’s top scorer with 223 runs at an average of 37.16 and a strike rate of 144.80. His presence in the middle order lifted the burden of scoring runs from the shoulders of RCB’s batting mainstay AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.