RCB vs KKR, IPL 2023: 3 Players who can win today's (Player of the Match) award

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at their home venue M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, April 26. Against the wounded KKR, RCB will look to seek revenge for the humiliating defeat they got in their second match of the tournament at the Eden Gardens.

Royal Challengers beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their last two matches, and now, they will strive to continue the winning momentum by beating Knight Riders.

On the other side, Nitish Rana-led side is in shambles as they are languishing at the eighth position on the IPL 2023 points table. Their last win in this year’s competition came against Gujarat Titans (GT). Since then, they have lost four back-to-back games.

Their last defeat was against the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on their home ground, Eden Gardens. After playing seven games in the tournament, KKR have won only two matches. To qualify for the playoffs, the two-time IPL champions will have to showcase their best in the upcoming games.

This year, for RCB, some of their players have performed excellently, and riding on their superb form, the team has solidified itself in the tournament. Talking about KKR, a few of their players have grabbed attention with their brilliant displays.

Here are three players who can win the Player of the Match award in the RCB vs KKR match:

3. Jason Roy

Following Shakib Al Hasan’s withdrawal from the tournament, KKR included the England opener Jason Roy in their squad. Against the David Warner-led Delhi Capitals, he got a chance to make his debut for KKR, and grabbing the chance with both hands, he played a crucial knock of 43 off 39 for the team in a low-scoring game.
 
With his batting effort, Knight Riders reached a respectable total of 127. Witnessing his performance against Delhi, the team management went ahead with him in the home game against CSK. In pursuit of a massive target of 236, Knight Riders gave the opening task to Narayan Jagadessan and Sunil Narine, as Roy had got injured while fielding.

Chasing the huge total, KKR’s top order collapsed but Roy didn’t lose faith and brought his fifty in just 19 deliveries. In the end, KKR couldn’t bag the match but the England batter's amazing knock (61 runs off 26 deliveries) got appreciated by many. Noting his current form, KKR will look forward to getting an impressive contribution from him.

2. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj is leading the fast-bowling unit of RCB magnificently at the moment and is leading the IPL 2023 Purple Cap race. Thus far, he has clinched 13 wickets with the ball in seven matches at an economy of 7.18. Among experienced pacers such as Harshal Patel and Wayne Parnell, Siraj has stepped up and taken charge to deliver early breakthroughs for his team.

In his last match against RR, he outclassed Jos Buttler in his first over and aided his team to defend a score of 189. So far, the 29-year-old has maintained consistency with the ball when it has come to delivering early breakthroughs. Thus far, he has removed dangerous batters such as Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Kyle Mayers, and Jos Buttler during powerplay overs.

Relying on his performance so far, RCB team management and supporters will expect him to wreak havoc on KKR batters in the crucial contest at Chinnaswamy again. In the last match against Knight Riders, he struggled to dominate proceedings against batters with his horrendous 4.0-0-44-1 figures. This time, he will look to settle scores with an underconfident KKR side.

1. Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis is leading RCB from the front in this year’s tournament. Having notched up 405 runs in seven matches at an impeccable strike rate of 165.30, he is the leading run-scorer and also one of the top contenders for the IPL 2023 Orange Cap. With his relentless batting approach, he has dominated bowlers and delivered ideal starts to his team.

In the last two matches, he didn’t captain the side but made vital contributions with his bat. While playing against the quality bowling line-up of Punjab and Royals, he looked brutal with his willow. With 84 (56) and 62 (39) against PBKS and RR respectively, he led his team to two back-to-back victories.

With fierce competition on the IPL 2023 points table, he will look forward to giving his best in the crucial contests coming ahead. Going through his overwhelming performance in the tournament, RCB supporters will want him to continue his form with the bat.