The upcoming season will mark the first time in 17 years that Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru start the IPL together, which was also the night when a special event was born – a thirst trap.
With the passing of a thousand games, fans continue to crave more. The stadiums are consistently packed, even surpassing that of international matches (as seen with Eden’s sold-out status). The prestigious trophy has been taken on a whirlwind tour. Players’ arrivals are treated like highly anticipated movie trailers. Virat Kohli captivates 29.1 million individuals with his simple act of bouncing a ball on his bat. The IPL’s growth has been unmatched, but the people’s hunger for its unique blend of superstars and chaos remains constant.
KKR and RCB have had some exciting clashes, including a close one-run win last year. Both teams have played a significant role in pushing this league, and consequently T20 cricket, to new heights. Sunil Narine demonstrated the importance of aggressive opening batters who are not afraid to take risks. AB de Villiers showcased the effectiveness of scoring runs behind the wicket with equal consistency as those in front. Meanwhile, Andre Russell has been continuously experimenting with his powerful hits to see if he can send a ball into outer space.
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We simply need to relax and observe, praying that the rain holds off.
The three upcoming games.
KKR travel to Guwahati and Mumbai for matches against Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians, followed by a home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
After a five-day break, RCB will face Chennai Super Kings followed by a match against Gujarat Titans. The batters may face a challenge with the abundance of skilled spinners at the start of the season. However, they can look forward to playing at the Wankhede stadium, where there are ample opportunities for scoring runs.
Revised: Fresh allegiances
In 2024, Phil Salt proved to be a valuable asset to KKR as their second-highest run-scorer. With a strike rate of 182, he contributed 435 runs to the team’s overall performance. His ability to prioritize hitting boundaries over asking questions set him apart and was crucial for a team that prided itself on scoring at a rapid pace. Now, Salt’s talents have been acquired by RCB.
Updates on the team and expected starting lineups
Possible Kolkata Knight Riders team for the upcoming match: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock as wicket-keeper, Ajinkya Rahane leading the team, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy and either Spencer Johnson or Anrich Nortje. The twelfth member of the team could be Vaibhav Arora.
RCB have equipped themselves with a deep batting line-up, providing them with the necessary resources to freely take on even a strong bowling attack such as KKR’s. Nevertheless, Suyash Sharma, their latest addition as a spinner, may be uncertain to face his previous team due to recovering from a recent groin injury during an extensive rehabilitation period.
Possible rephrasing: The likely lineup for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru includes Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar as captain, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeper, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal with the possibility of Swapnil Singh, Mohit Rathee or Rasikh Salam joining the team.
What is the main question?
Is RCB’s decision to appoint Rajat Patidar as captain a wise one? Despite having never won an IPL title, the responsibility now lies on the shoulders of a player who is on the outskirts of the Indian team and joined the franchise only this year. However, those closest to him believe he is more than capable of rising to the occasion.
Taking center stage are Rinku Singh and Virat Kohli, who are both in the spotlight.
India has certainly stepped up their T20 batting game since their world title victory. There was even a particular match where they came close to hitting 300 runs, with Rinku Singh nailing a six with the final ball. Despite not being selected for the World Cup, he has proven himself in 18 out of 20 matches played since then. Rinku’s breakthrough moment came during the IPL, which really put him in the spotlight. It makes one wonder, what can we expect from him this season?
Prior to IPL 2024, Virat Kohli typically avoided facing Varun Chakravarthy and Narine, choosing to score runs against other bowlers instead. However, in the previous season, he chose to challenge them. This resulted in a significant increase in his strike rate against the two KKR spinners, rising from 98.56 to 166.66. While this was based on a limited number of deliveries (18 balls in one match), it indicated a shift in Kohli’s mindset. He seemed more open to taking chances. Will this trend continue in the upcoming matches as well?
Important data
Varun and Narine’s performance in the next eight overs will likely determine the final result of this game. Varun, known for his ability to take wickets with a strike rate of 14.2 last season, and Narine, who is a dependable player with an economy rate of only 6.7 runs per over, are poised to exploit RCB’s weakness. With the exception of Patidar and Jitesh Sharma, five out of RCB’s top seven batsmen have a strike rate below 140 against spin in T20 cricket since 2024. This statistic is even more glaring for Liam Livingstone (107) and Tim David (106), who have barely managed a run per ball.
After leading KKR in IPL 2024 with the highest score, Narine has maintained an average of 9.05 in his last 20 batting appearances, peaking at 38 runs. While this impressive performance may suggest a need to adjust the batting order, it is doubtful. However, there are alternative options available, such as their new captain Ajinkya Rahane, who excels at batting during the powerplay.
Patidar has been chosen as the new captain of RCB due to his significant contribution as a middle-overs (7-16) batter. He impressively scored more than 300 runs during this phase in the previous year, maintaining a strike rate of 180.68. His efficiency against spin was even more impressive, with a strike rate of 197.24.
Despite RCB’s loss of Mohammed Siraj, they have acquired the IPL’s top powerplay wicket-taker – Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 71. Additionally, Josh Hazlewood has excelled in all aspects of the tournament (14 wickets with an economy rate of 7.4 in the powerplay, eight at 7.7 in the middle, and 13 at 10 in the death).
The factors that will impact the game are the pitch and the conditions.
During IPL 2024, Eden Gardens proved to be a top-notch run-scoring ground. The favorable conditions resulted in six scores of 200 or higher, even including a successful chase of 262 runs. Unfortunately, the excitement may be dampened by unfavorable weather forecasts for the upcoming Saturday game. Due to a steady drizzle on Friday evening, the team’s practice session had to end early. While the practice began as planned at 5pm, rain arrived around 6pm and shortened the team’s preparation time.
