IPL 2020: Match 39, KKR vs RCB- KKR Predicted Playing XI

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got a breather after beating the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Super Over at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Eoin Morgan and Co managed to stage a comeback after their 82-run defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Sharjah.

They are next set to lock horns with RCB itself on Wednesday, October 21 in Abu Dhabi itself. The Knights have five wins from their first nine games and another victory will help them strengthen their grip in the top four.

The Challengers, on the other hand, are high on confidence, winning six out of nine matches. Virat Kohli and Co also defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets. For the time being, it remains to be seen if the Knight Riders make any changes to their winning setup.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for the Kolkata Knight Riders for KKR vs RCB game: 

Openers (Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill)

The Knights may not tinker with their opening combination of Rahul Tripathi and Shubman Gill. The latter is currently the leading run-scorer for the franchise with 311 runs at an average of 38.37.

He also has a couple of fifties to show for his efforts. He is, without a doubt, a vital cog in the KKR lineup. Tripathi, on the other hand, started with a couple of decent knocks, including an 81 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

However, ever since then, he has been a tad inconsistent. In six matches, the right-hander has 167 runs at an average of 27.83. Both Gill and Rahul have to fire all guns blazing.

Middle-order (Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (C))

In the middle-order, Nitish Rana’s form has been a bit of a concern. He started with a couple of impressive knocks, including a fifty against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Sharjah.

But his average of 20.44 suggests that he is going through a lean patch. Nevertheless, the Knights are unlikely to drop him. Dinesh Karthik has failed a lot, but he played a cameo against the Sunrisers that eventually turned out to be crucial in the context of the match.

Eoin Morgan hasn’t disappointed in the middle order by any means. The England ODI and T20I skipper has 248 runs at 41.33, striking at a decent 132.62.

All-rounder (Andre Russell)

Andre Russell has looked rusty thus far with the bat in hand. The Jamaican has found the boundary quite a few times, but he has been far from his very best. Having scored 92 runs at an average of 11.50, Dre Russ is yet to find his mojo.

The veteran is also straining a wee bit with his fitness. With the ball in hand, Russell started with a few decent spell and also picked up six wickets.

However, his form has dipped over the last couple of games. In the previous game, the medium pacer almost gave away 17 runs in the 20th over of SRH’s run-chase as David Warner laid into him.

Bowlers (Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav)

The Knights’ bowling attack has been bolstered by Lockie Ferguson’s inclusion. The New Zealand pacer became the Player of the Match against SRH after getting three wickets in the mandatory 20 overs and the picking two more in the Super Over.

He will look to perform well next time as well. Varun Chakravarthy can be called as the most consistent bowler for KKR. The spinner has seven wickets at a decent economy rate of 7.31.

Pat Cummins has three wickets and need to make more breakthroughs. The onus will also be on spinner Kuldeep Yadav and young pacer Shivam Mavi to step up and deliver.