IPL 2023: Match 9 KKR vs RCB Preview, Playing XI, Live Streaming Details & Updates

The contest between KKR and RCB will take place at the Eden Gardens Stadium on April 6, Thursday.

Published - 05 Apr 2023, 12:00 IST | Updated - 05 Apr 2023, 12:00 IST

3 Min Read

The Kolkata Knight Riders will host the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ninth match of the Indian Premier League 2023 at their home ground, the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. Since the tournament has just begun and it is just the first week, the teams would be aiming to grab early victories to stay at a comfortable position on the points table.

Kolkata lost their previous game against the Punjab Kings, in what turned out to be a rain-affected game. No play was possible after the 16^th over of KKR’s chase, and Punjab won the contest by seven runs (DLS method). The team is without the services of their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer and hence would be looking to strengthen their middle order so as to fill the gap.

Bangalore, on the other hand, were tremendous against Mumbai Indians in their previous contest of the tournament. The side performed brilliantly as skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli looked in great form while batting on top of the order. The bowlers did a good job by keeping the opposition batters in check and would look to continue the same form.

RCB suffered a blow in the previous game as Reece Topley injured his shoulder and dislocated it after a terrible landing while fielding. Hence, the England pacer will miss the upcoming contest against KKR. RCB would be confident against KKR given their recent stylish victory, but the hosts can not be underestimated as they would be aiming to make the most of their home ground.

Pitch and Conditions

The pitch at the Eden Gardens Stadium has typically assisted the batters and the venue has seen some high scoring T20 games too. Spinners might get some help as the surface wears out. Since the boundaries at this venue are not that big, the batters can get help and score big.

Probable Playing XI for KKR vs RCB

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders could not get off to the desired start in the previous game but did a decent job against PBKS in the previous game. They would be hoping to fill in the gaps wherever necessary and put forth a strong combination against the high-flying RCB.

Probable Playing XI: N Jagadeesan (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nitish Rana (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore will be forced to make one change in their playing combination as Reece Topley would be out of the upcoming contest, and David Willey is likely to replace him. RCB did not use the Impact Player advantage in their previous game and are likely to go forward with a similar combination.

Probable Playing XI: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Michael Bracewell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik (wk), David Willey, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj