Kolkata Knight Riders aim to make momentum count
For some Royal Challengers Bangalore were the best team of phase one of IPL 2021. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders are arguably the best team of phase two of the tournament. When these sides meet in the eliminator, the crucial factor will be the slow wicket at Sharjah. RCB have struggled against spinners and slow wickets, and could find it tough against KKR’s array of spinners. As such, to fulfill the odds of 1.79 to win this fixture won’t be easy for RCB.
Kolkata Knight Riders come off the back of three wins in their last four fixtures. They even beat the table toppers at the Sharjah stadium, and have a strong spin attack with the trio of Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. They have odds of 1.99 to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore and book a place in the second qualifier.
Overall and recent record even
Overall, Kolkata Knight Riders have the edge over Royal Challengers Bangalore with 16 wins as against RCB’s 13 in head-to-head fixtures. Since 2019, though, RCB have won four of the six matches between these sides. The spoils are split this season with KKR winning in the UAE leg.
RECOMMENDED BET: Kolkata Knight Riders have a strong spin attack that will suit them at Sharjah. Back KKR at 1.99 to beat RCB!
When these sides met twice in the season before, RCB won in India and Kolkata in UAE. KKR also played their last league game at Sharjah and are familiar with the surface.
Keep an eye on…
Varun Chakravarthy: The mystery spinner has been a huge part of KKR’s success this season, picking up 16 wickets at an average of 22.75. He will need to step up against Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers for KKR to seal this game.
Glenn Maxwell: He had six fifties in his entire IPL career from 2012 before 2021. This year, he has hit as many fifties, underlining the current form of the Australian star. If he can fire again, RCB will fancy their chances.
TIP: RCB have several right-handers, all of whom don’t quite prefer left-arm spinners. As such, Shakib Al Hasan has good chances of being KKR’s top bowler, the odds of which stand at 4.40.
