IPL 2022: RCB eyes first win against confident KKR

While KKR, led by Shreyas Iyer, defeated Chennai Super Kings in its opening game, RCB suffered a five-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings, despite scoring 205.

RCB failed to defend 205 in its opening game against KKR.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head into Wednesday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture on the back of contrasting results.

While KKR, led by Shreyas Iyer, defeated Chennai Super Kings in its opening game, RCB suffered a five-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings, despite scoring 205.

But at the DY Patil Stadium, RCB will rely on captain Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli to bounce back. Du Plessis slammed a 57-ball-88 against Punjab, while Kohli scored 41. Against KKR, they will need to give RCB a head start.

KKR ticked all the boxes against CSK. While Ajinkya Rahane had a successful outing with a solid 44, his opening partner Venkatesh Iyer failed to get going.

Against a star-studded RCB, KKR needs to ensure that it gets off to a steady start. Skipper Shreyas, Sam Billings, Andre Russell and Sheldon Jackson will need to shoulder responsibility in the middle-order.

Weak links

The batting department looks settled for both the sides, while there were weak links in RCB’s bowling unit against the Punjab side. Mohammed Siraj leaked 59 runs, and he needs to find his rhythm quickly. A lot will also depend on Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga.

For KKR, Umesh Yadav had an impressive outing against CSK, and it would be interesting to see how the formidable bowling line-up — which also comprises Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine — fare in different conditions.