Will RCB be able to regain winning momentum? | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore SWOT Analysis

RCB won the previous match against KKR in IPL 2021 by 38 runs

The Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore will be looking for a win after facing crushing losses in their previous matches when the two teams face off in match 30 of IPL 2021 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Here is our analysis.

The SWOT for KKR

Strengths: KKR bowlers are in good wicket-taking form. Pat Cummins is leading the way with 9 scalps. Indian pacer Prasidh Kirishna has picked 8 wickets. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and all-rounder Andre Russell has 7 wickets each. Eoin Morgan would be relying on these bowlers against the strong batting line-up of RCB.

Weaknesses: Bringing back Sunil Narine in the team has not helped the team’s cause. In the last three matches, Narine has contributed just 6 runs with the bat and this includes two ducks. The spinner has not been in good form with the ball either. Narine has picked only 2 wickets in the 12 overs that he has bowled in the last three matches while conceding 78 runs. Narine is proving to be a weak link in the team.

Opportunities: With Narine being out of touch, Eoin Morgan could give another run to Shakib Al Hasan or bring in Lockie Ferguson to bolster the pace attack. It is very likely that either of these two overseas players could get a chance to perform in this match.

Threats: KKR is stuck at the wrong end of the table. With every loss, their chances of qualifying for the playoffs will get slimmer. A loss in this match could be a serious blow to their playoff chances.

The SWOT for RCB

Strengths: Batsmen are in good run-scoring form. Between Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, there have been five fifties and one hundred. Kohli can further improve the batting by making Maxwell and de Villiers bat higher up. There were questions asked on the idea of withholding Maxwell and de Villiers and making Patidar bat higher up in RCB’s previous fixture.

Weaknesses: RCB’s old problem of conceding too many runs in the death overs has resurfaced. In the team’s last three matches against PBKS, DC and CSK, the bowlers have fared poorly. Against PBKS, RCB conceded 29 runs in the last two overs. The last two overs against DC were clobbered for 23 runs and CSK punished RCB bowlers for 46 runs in the final two overs of its innings. This is one area that needs immediate attention.

Opportunities: Last season was the first year since 2011 that the team managed to do a double over KKR. With RCB already clinching the first match between these two teams, this match provides a great opportunity for the team to do another double over KKR and repeat its feat of 2011 and 2020.

Threats: RCB started the season well and were looking like a team to beat, but two losses in their last three games have deflated the momentum a bit. Virat Kohli should guard his team from the burden of expectations. The players seem to be now feeling the pressure of the fans wanting the team to go the distance and win the first IPL trophy for the team.

Head-to-head:

Matches played: 27

KKR: 14

RCB: 13

What happened in their first clash?

Riding high of Glenn Maxwell’s 78 from 49 balls and AB de Villiers’ 76 from 34 deliveries, RCB posted 204/4 in 20 overs. In the chase, none of the KKR batsmen could cross 40 and the team struggled against the bowling of Kyle Jamieson (3 wickets), Yuzvendra Chahal (2 wickets) and Harshal Patel (2 wickets). In the end, KKR could muster only 166/8 and RCB won by 38 runs.

Form guide: Last five matches (most recent first)

KKR: L-W-L-L-L

RCB: L-W-L-W-W

Team news

No injury concerns reported for either side.

Impact player for KKR:

Andre Russell: The West Indian is still KKR’s best match winner. This season Russell has already picked 7 wickets and hit one fifty. He is the only player this year to pick a five-wicket haul and score a half-century.

Impact player for RCB:

Glenn Maxwell: Glenn Maxwell has so far lived up to the expectations. With 223 runs, he is the team’s leading run-scorer. In the process, Maxwell has hit 21 fours (second-highest for a RCB batsman) and 10 sixes (joint-most along with Ab de Villiers). Maxwell can also be a very handy bowler. Kohli is, however, yet to make him bowl. Maxwell still has many more match-winning performances ahead of him.