Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Key player battles
Kolkata Knight Riders are up against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Match 36 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season on Sunday at Eden Gardens. This is an afternoon game and the match will start at 3:30 pm IST. KKR have won their last three matches against the RCB, including earlier this season in Bengaluru. Ahead of the contest, here are the player battles.
Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine
Virat Kohli loves batting against the Knight Riders and is closing in on 1,000 runs (944). Kohli, who is this season's top scorer with 361 runs at 72.20, will be keen to stop Sunil Narine. The veteran KKR legend owns 170 IPL scalps, including seven this season at 23.57. As per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli has scored 127 runs against Narine at 31.75 (four dismissals).
Faf du Plessis vs Mitchell Starc
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis remains KKR's biggest threat. The in-form du Plessis will relish facing Mitchell Starc. In T20 cricket, du Plessis has scored 43 runs against Starc from 33 balls (one dismissal). His strike rate is 130.30. Across three innings in the IPL, du Plessis owns 28 runs from 15 balls. He is yet to be dismissed by Starc.
Rinku Singh vs Yash Dayal
KKR's Rinku Singh has smashed 2,463 runs in the T20s and is 37 shy of the 2,500-run mark. Rinku, who owns 808 IPL runs, remains a threat to the RCB in the death overs. Across three innings, Rinku owns 37 runs against pacer Yash Dayal at a strike rate worth 336.36. Dayal once dismissed the southpaw.
Andre Russell vs Reece Topley
KKR dasher Andre Russell has done well this season with 128 runs from four innings at 42.66. His strike rate reads 200. Versus the RCB, the veteran all-rounder owns 396 runs at 36 (SR: 205.18). Russell will be tested by RCB pacer Reece Topley at the death. In the T20s, Topley has dismissed Russell once across four innings, conceding 22 runs from 12 balls.
