IPL 2020: Buoyant Kolkata eyes revenge against in-form Bangalore
Barely 10 days after being decimated by AB de Villiers, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will set out to banish those painful memories when it takes on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
N. Sudarshan
AB de Villiers has been in scintillating form with the bat. - BCCI/IPL
Barely 10 days after being decimated by the bludgeoning blade of AB de Villiers, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will set out to banish those painful memories when it takes on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The heavy 82-run defeat was followed by an eight-wicket thrashing by Mumbai Indians in Eoin Morgan's first match as captain, leaving the side in disarray. Key bowler Sunil Narine was benched for both games after having been reported for a "suspected illegal bowling action".
But a Lockie Ferguson-inspired Super Over victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has helped the two-time champion arrest the slide. What has also brought back a few smiles is news of Narine's action being cleared and taken off the warning list. The hope is now for an all-round, power-packed performance that has eluded the side thus far.
Longest sixes in IPL 2020, and the League's history
The RCB of 2020, though, doesn't appear like the side that will oblige. Enjoying its best run in recent years, the outfit is third in the table (12 points, two ahead of KKR). It recovered well from a blip against Rajasthan Royals, thanks again to de Villiers the maverick.
South African Chris Morris has lent the side's bowling a cutting-edge, having picked up nine wickets in the last four matches. His presence has also provided some much-needed batting firepower lower down the order.
However, it will do the three-time finalist a lot of good if its top-order batsmen can up the scoring rate. While Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal have been among the runs, scoring 347 and 296 runs respectively, RCB has required de Villiers to score at more than double their strike-rates to bail the team out.
IPL 2020: AB a "freak", says RCB head coach Katich
For KKR, it remains to be seen if Narine makes the playing XI. Ferguson has made himself indispensable, with a match-haul of five wickets against SRH, including two in the Super Over. The places of captain Morgan and lead bowler Pat Cummins are seemingly set in stone, leaving only star all-rounder Andre Russell.
While most KKR batsmen have scored in spurts, Russell's form is a genuine worry, with the West Indian having scored just 92 runs from nine innings. There are question marks over his fitness too; he left the field midway against SRH because of hamstring trouble, and despite having returned to bowl the last over and stretched the match to a tie-breaker, he looked in discomfort.
RCB vs RR: I get nervous and stressed like any player, says AB de Villiers
Narine against Padikkal in the PowerPlay is an option worth exploring, for the latter clearly prefers facing pace to spin. But with the IPL noting that Narine's action will continue to be under the scanner, will KKR take the bait?
Sunil Narine
Devdutt Padikkal
Eoin Morgan