RCB vs KKR: Sharjah to host second playoff on Monday
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will meet in the second playoff scheduled for Monday at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The game will begin at 7:30 pm (India Time).
Likely playing XI
RCB
Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (C), Srikar Bharat (WK), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Daniel Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, George Garton, Mohammed Siraj, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
KKR
Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi.
Probable best batsmen of the day
Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell has climbed to the fifth spot on the list of high run-getters of the season. The Australian superstar is enjoying the form of his life with 498 runs scored already in the tournament.
Kohli
When the chips are down, there’s only one man entire India looks upon. Virat Kohli has a knack for making it big on crucial occasions. He is playing for the last time as captain and he will look to give his 100% with the bat.
Although, he has not been at this best this season, but one can never rule out the Indian skipper. He has brought up his fifty thrice so far and now needs to play a longer knock.
Iyer
Vinkatesh Iyer has been a surprise entry in the IPL. His addition to the KKR huddle has helped Eoin Morgan and co amass big totals in the UAE.
The left-hander plays the ball late and shows great control in the inning. His opening stand with Shubman Gill will be crucial for the Knight Riders.
Probable best bowler of the day
Harshal
When it comes to picking wickets, Harshal Patel has kept every other bowler in the league at an arm’s length. The right-arm pacer has used his variations to perfection this season.
His has already got 30 wickets. He needs three more wickets to break Dwayen Bravo’s record for taking most wickets (32) in a single IPL season.
Varun
Varun Chakaravarthy has had a decent ride in IPL 2021, but his mystery spin always threatens the opposition. The 30-year-old helps the team keep the economy low.
Morgan will not think twice for deploying Chakaravarthy in the middle overs to break partnerships of the RCB batting line-up. He has taken 16 wickets in 14 games so far.
Playoff prediction
While both teams are brimming with confidence, Bangalore will have an upper hand entering the contest.
RCB just beat table-toppers Delhi Capitals and they look like a relatively stronger side on the paper. While KKR just managed to have enough points that allowed them to get the fourth spot.
Considering their overall runs in this edition, Bangalore have a slight moral advantage over the Knight Riders for the Monday’s clash.
