Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 31st Match IPL 2021- Who Will Win Today’s Match?

Match Scorecard

Post Match Summary KKR vs RCB, Match 31

Coming into this match Kolkata were in a dire position and even the most optimistic fan would not have expected KKR to destroy RCB so easily. RCB on the other hand, looking like genuine title contenders played like amateurs taking the field for the first time.

RCB were bowled out for 92, and only a miracle could have saved them from losing the game. KKR’s bowlers put in a clinical performance to restrict RCB to what was their third-lowest total while batting first in the IPL.

RCB’s openers failed to give their side a strong start, as Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers were dismissed for 5, 10, and 0 respectively. The win pushed KKR up to the fifth spot, albeit temporarily, but they will be hoping to build on the momentum.

Kolkata Knight Riders Innings

• KKR’s bowlers did extremely well to bowl RCB out for just 92
• Varun Chakravarthy and Andre Russell were on target with three wickets each
• Russell’s dismissal of AB de Villiers for a golden duck ensured the runs further dried up

Royal Challengers Bangalore Innings

• Devdutt Padikkal was the highest scorer for RCB on the night with 22 from 20
• Only four RCB players made it into double figures: Padikkal (22), Srikar Bharat (16), Glenn Maxwell (10), and Harshal Patel (12)
• KKR now find themselves in the bottom three with just six points from eight games

Match Prediction – KKR vs RCB, 31st Match IPL 2021 – Who Will Win Today’s Match?

The second half of this 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is underway and in the second game (match 31 overall), Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bangalore. These are two teams who’ve had contrasting first halves and are at opposite ends of the spectrum on the points table.

Kolkata Knight Riders had a poor run in the initial phase of this tournament. They could muster just two wins and lost five games. The Eoin Morgan-led side are languishing at the second-last position (seventh) on the points table. Be it with bat or ball, the two-time IPL champions haven’t found any sort of consistency. They are in dire straits and need to win at least five out of their remaining seven games to stand a chance of making it to the playoffs.

On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore had a solid run in the first half of this Indian T20 extravaganza. Virat Kohli and co won five out of their seven games and are placed third on the points table. AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell have shouldered the batting responsibility while Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal have chipped in well. The pacers have fared well with the ball but RCB will be hoping their ace spinner Yuzvendra Chahal roars back into form.

RCB have won their last four games against KKR and look to continue their momentum from the first half. KKR desperately need to turn things around and things are looking bleak.

Join us for our today IPL match prediction . Complete with latest team lineup, head to heads and odds checker.

Team News

Kolkata Knight Riders

Pat Cummins pulled out of this season’s IPL and that is a significant blow. Tim Southee has been named as his replacement. However, it is Lockie Ferguson who is likely to replace the New South Wales speedster. That could be the only change that KKR made from their last playing XI.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB have had a slew of changes coming into this second half of the IPL 2021. Four of their overseas players pulled out and they’ve named some quality replacements.

Half of their overseas stars decided to skip the tournament. Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Tim David, and George Garton are the ones that have come into the squad. Either Hasaranga, David, or Dan Christian could come in place of Daniel Sams who played the last game back in April.

Predicted XI

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga/Dan Christian, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Key players

AB de Villiers : Despite not playing regular cricket, AB de Villiers comes in and plays some jaw-dropping knocks. There are barely any signs of rust.

The South African superstar did that in the first half of the IPL 2021 where he amassed 207 runs at an average of 51.75 and a strike-rate of 164.28. He got a score of 40 or more three times in April and RCB ended up on the winning side in each of those games.

Andre Russell : Andre Russell has blown hot and cold throughout the year in T20 cricket. In the first half of the IPL, the hard-hitting Jamaican all-rounder had only a couple of substantial knocks.

370 runs at an average of 46.25 and a strike-rate of 215.12

Russell likes playing against RCB

It is no secret that Russell is a game-changer and a match-winner, and he will be the one to watch out for, especially with the focus on RCB’s death bowling once again.

For more information, check the fun88in.in Betting RCB vs KKR Prediction and head-to-head analysis.

Team Lineup

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