IPL 2021: Eliminator, RCB vs KKR Preview, Playing XI, Live Streaming Details & Updates

The odds stack against the teams featuring in this shootout, with only once a team featuring in the Eliminator – Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 – ending up winning the trophy.

Published - 10 Oct 2021, 20:20 IST | Updated - 10 Oct 2021, 20:20 IST

4 Min Read

It’s time for the showdown. The qualification scenarios have eased out significantly and have distilled down to the binary of win and loss. The winner stays relevant; the loser packs bags and prepares for the next season. In short, whatever has happened in the league hitherto will make little difference when the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders meet in the Eliminator on October 11.

The odds stack against the teams featuring in this shootout, with only once a team featuring in the Eliminator – Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 – ending up winning the trophy. The other closest incident was in 2012 when the Chennai Super Kings proceeded to the final after playing the Eliminator but ended up as runners-up.

But when speaking of Eliminator experience, look no beyond the Knight Riders fans, not least because they find themselves in the territory often: KKR have been a part of four such clashes ever since IPL adopted the playoffs model in 2011. In the very first year, they played the Mumbai Indians before scripting a hat-trick of Eliminator appearances between 2016-18, with their win-loss record reading 2-2.

The Knight Riders came into the UAE leg of the IPL with a massive task at hand after a forgettable first half in the tournament. However, they have partially passed the test of expectation of their coach Brendon McCullum, who expected that the team can “finish well”. While a playoff qualification after their lackluster Indian leg is commendable, they would know the taking the exit tomorrow might not be exactly “finishing well”.

They come against a side whom they tumbled out for one of the lowest scores in IPL history to kickstart their rearguard with a thumping victory, but the RCB, who have qualified for the playoff for the second time in a row, have been no muck this season and enter this contest after a confidence-boosting last-ball win against table-toppers Delhi Capitals. But to the end of momentum, KKR have their chins up too, after their ruthless dismantling of Rajasthan Royals at Sharjah, the venue of the clash tomorrow.

Pitch and conditions

The track at Sharjah has not been the easiest to score runs on and the expectations on Monday will remain the same. In the eight games at the venue this season, the team chasing has won five times with a score of 160 being crossed only twice. That should be enough a hint for what to do upon calling correctly.

Playing combination for RCB vs KKR

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Srikar Bharat has been the answer to RCB’s long-standing No. 3 question and the management would be ecstatic to have their top-order in impressive form. Glenn Maxwell has notched up four half-centuries in just the UAE leg, taking the pressure off from AB de Villiers. If de Villiers can get back his mojo, RCB would look only stronger to ace the KKR challenge.

Predicted XI: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat (wk), Daniel Christian, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, George Garton, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Kolkata Knight Riders

Much like Bharat for RCB, Venkatesh Iyer has been the find this season for KKR, cloaking the misfiring middle-order of the team. His aggressive approach at the top has been a breath of fresh air for a team that was enveloped with conservatism. But on a day when even a slight slip-up could bring down curtains to the campaign, KKR would want their unit for fire wholesomely than leaving things on the brilliance of few. The worries remain to the end of the availability of Andre Russell and Eoin Morgan’s form.

Predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy