Will Virat Kohli continue with his winning combination against KKR.
Key sentence:
- RCB have been the only team in the IPL 2021 to have had a perfect start to the season.
- RCB staged a stunning comeback in their second match to defeat SRH.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have been the only team in the Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL) to have had a perfect start to the season. The Virat Kohli-led team has won both of their first two games and is currently leading the points chart. It’s still earlier days and RCB will not get carried away, as Kohli stated after his team’s previous victory towards Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
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RCB staged a remarkable comeback to edge out SRH:
After defeating the mighty five-time champions Mumbai Indians during their first game, RCB staged a stunning comeback in their second match to defeat SRH. The Royal Challengers Bangalore have looked solid with both bat and ball in both matches and will meet the Kolkata Knight Riders next.
With KKR coming into this game off a humiliating 10-run loss to MI in which they struggled to score 31 runs in 30 balls, RCB would enter their third game with a lot of faith.
Can they keep the same winning lineup? Let’s take a look at their likely starting lineup.
Devdutt Padikkal: The stylish southpaw does not have a strong return to the RCB colours, hitting 11 off 13 balls, but he will almost certainly keep his spot after his success last IPL season and even in the build-up towards this tournament. This year, Devdutt Padikkal is only one innings away from breaking out.
Virat Kohli: The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper will begin to open the batting alongside Karnataka batsman Padikkal. Kohli has already scored 30 runs in the IPL 2021, and also his efforts at the top are critical in laying a solid foundation towards the middle order.
Shahbaz Ahmed: The person with the ‘golden arm’ from the second match will almost certainly play in this one, and that he is expected to start at No. 3. Shahbaz Ahmed took three wickets in just one over against SRH as well as single-handedly shifted the advantage in his team’s favour. He made 14 out of ten attempts, with two fours.
Glenn Maxwell: The Australian all-rounder has adapted well to RCB. He has already had several monkeys off his back during the first two matches, such as not hitting a single six last season or even not scoring a single fifty in the previous five IPL editions. Glenn Maxwell’s valiant 59 helped RCB post a decent total, which turned out to be the team’s winning total. KKR needs to keep a close watch on him.
AB de Villiers: Wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers had a bad day with the bat, however KKR shouldn’t ignore him. RCB defeated MI in the opening game thanks to ABD’s 48-run innings. De Villiers is not only an influential member of the squad, but also a key cog in the team’s leadership.
Washington Sundar: Sundar, an all-rounder, has had a difficult start to the tournament. So far, he hasn’t taken a wicket, yet his efficient spells throughout the powerplays have been crucial for RCB in blocking the opposition’s run-flow.
Harshal Patel: Many were perplexed as to why Kohli did not bowl Harshal Patel using the new ball, but they had no idea that Kohli’s decision to keep him back might prove to be a clever move. Patel followed up his five-wicket haul in the first match with another magnificent last over towards SRH, taking two wickets to help RCB cross the finish line.
Mohammed Siraj: In the previous game, Hyderabad-born pacer Mohammed Siraj took two wickets. In the opening game, the Indian speedster bowled an affordable spell of 0/22 in four overs. He’ll continue to split the latest ball duties with his teammates.
