Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to get back to winning ways at their home ground, Eden Gardens, when they welcome Royal Challenges Bangalore who are struggling at the wrong end of the points table. Interestingly, the last time the two teams played in the 2017 IPL, they both were up against the Gujarat Lions.
Kolkata suffered only their second defeat of the season against Gujarat while Bangalore picked up only their second win of the season against fellow strugglers Gujarat. However, KKR have been one of the better teams in the IPL so far and that surprise loss to Gujarat should not affect them and they will be keen to get back to winning ways especially on their home ground.
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In their loss against Gujarat, Kolkata did put in a superb performance with the bat as they scored 187 and it was reasonable total to defend but it was their bowling that cost them. Sunil Narine, who is usually so good with the ball, had a horrible time as he failed to pick up any wickets and conceded 42 runs.
Shakib Al Hasan, who came in for Colin de Grandhomme, was also quite expensive as he gave away 31 runs from just three overs. KKR will really have to tighten their bowling ahead of their match against RCB as they have some of the most lethal batsmen in the IPL at the moment.
Since Chris Lynn got injured, KKR have been experimenting as to who to open with along with Gautam Gambhir and as of now Narine is proving to be the best option. He scored 37 against Kings XI Punjab and 42 against Gujarat so its highly likely that KKR will open their batting with him and Gambhir.
The likes of Manish Pandey, Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan have really stepped up their game in recent matches and a strong display with the bat will be required of them again if they are to avoid another defeat.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have not had the best of starts to this IPL season having won just two matches so far, but since their captain Virat Kohli came back into the team, they have improved. They defeated Gujarat by 21 runs and after Kolkata lost to them, they will certainly fancy their chances of making it two wins in a row today.
Also the fact that RCB had a four-day rest after their previous match should have given them enough time to regroup and get another win. Kohli and Chris Gayle looked in destructive form against Gujarat as they each scored 64 and 77 runs and managed a total of 213, which is also the highest total scored by a team this season.
RCB no doubt have some of the best batsmen in their squad and the possible return of AB de Villiers will be a huge boost for them. Shane Watson has not been able to find his best form in the IPL this season and if de Villiers is fit enough, Watson could be dropped.
Along with him, Samuel Badree and Tymal Mills could also return but Adam Milne, who replaced the injured Mills, did a good job as his replacement so it will be interesting to see who RCB decide to play. Yuzvendra Chahal will play a huge role with the ball for RCB this match. The spinner picked up three crucial wickets against Gujarat which included the wickets of Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are in desperate need for a win here as they look to turn their fortunes around after a slow start to the 2017 IPL season. They were the finalists last season and they need to back that up and their domination of Gujarat Lions with a win against KKR today.
Where to watch
The IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore is set to start at 8:00pm IST, 3:30pm BST and 10:30am ET.
TV and Live streaming information
India: TV: Sony Max, Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony Max, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 2HD. Live Streaming: Sky Sports Go.
International: Live Streaming: Cricketgateway.
Middle East: TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD. Live Streaming: OSN Play.
South Africa: TV: SuperSport Two. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
