IPL 2019: RCB vs KKR: Preview, predicted XI, where to watch, key battle

Royal Challengers Bangalore will require a collective effort against Kolkata Knight Riders

We have 10 games to turn things around: Kohli

Bengaluru, April 4: Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in an IPL 2019 match on Friday (April 5). And no two other teams cannot stand at the opposite end of the spectrum than Royal Challengers and Knight Riders. Here's MyKhel preview of the RCB v KKR match.

1 Royal Challengers Bangalore

Nothing has really gone right for RCB in IPL 2019 so far. None of their batsmen was able to make an impact and a fifty each by AB de Villiers and Parthiv Patel are the only bright spots. No other batsmen including skipper Virat Kohli have been consistent and the RCB will require a big effort from them against an in-form Kolkata side. The RCB have already lost four matches and have remained winless so far and another defeat will push them further to the brink. Nothing less than a collective effort will help Royal Challengers on the morrow against a high-on-power Knight Riders.

2. Kolkata Knight Riders

In the first two matches they had blown away the opposition largely firing through that demolition man from Jamaica - Andre Russell. But the Knight Riders failed to get going in their last match against Delhi Capitals and eventually were defeated in the super over. But they would like to treat it as an aberration and get back to the winning ways against a struggling Royal Challengers. They have the skill for it and their batsmen will be eagerly waiting to turn up at the Chinnaswamy, where the pitch often tends to lean towards batsmen. In Sunil Narine, captain Dinesh Karthik, Russell, Nitish Rana, Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa, the Knight Riders have an excellent line-up that can exploit a good track.

3. Key battle - Russell v Chahal

Russell is the third highest run-getter in IPL 2019 after four rounds with 159 at 79.50 but his strike-rate of 248.43 makes him an even bigger threat. The short boundaries and a flat pitch can turn Russell an even bigger threat on the morrow. Leggie Yuzvendra Chahal has been RCB's best bowler taking six wickets and Kohli would like to pit him against Russell. Chahal can take the ball away from off-stump and can tempt the batsmen to go for the big stroke often leading to the dismissal. Kohli would hope that he can control Russell through Chahal.

4. Probable XI

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (captain), AB de Villiers, Parthiv Patel (WK), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Shivam Dube, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Pawan Negi, Tim Southee, Akshdeep Nath, Milind Kumar, Devdutt Padikkal, Gurkeerat Singh, Prayas Ray Barman, Kulwant Kejroliya, Navdeep Saini, Himmat Singh.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Dinesh Karthik (capt), Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Rana, Nikhil Naik, Joe Denly, Shrikant Mundhe, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Lockie Ferguson, Harry Gurney, KC Cariappa and Yarra Prithviraj.