IPL 2018: Match 29, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Toss Report

Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and decided to field first against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the twenty-ninth match of the Indian Premier League at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.

Here is what the captains said:

Virat Kohli:

“Would have bowled first too, difficult ground to defend. Not bad toss to lose actually. This ground has always been difficult to defend, we’ve done that to other teams too. Hats off to them. Our bowlers have put it behind them. AB is sick, Southee replaces him. He’s got a bit of a viral fever going. He’s taken the call himself, have to respect that.”

Dinesh Karthik:

“We’re bowling first. Looks a dry wicket, make best use of it initially. Let’s see how it goes. Same team. Trust the same team, wish they bring the goods for us. Important we trust the people we play in the XI. Picked a bunch of players we believe in.”

Preview:

Both the teams have traded almost the same path in the league so far.  Inconsistency have been the hallmark of their seasons so far and their position in the points table pretty much proves that. Kolkata Knight Riders are relatively at a better position than their Bengal counterparts. The two-time IPL champions are at fourth position with 3 wins in seven games. On the other hand, the Royal Challengers Bangalore are at seventh position with 2 wins in 6 games.

The last time these two teams earlier this season, Knight Riders had a cakewalk, winning the game by 4 wickets. However, they as well as Bangalore could not quite string together a chain of wins. With both the teams coming from defeats in their last game, the upcoming game provides them a good opportunity to get back to winning ways. Moreover, another loss at this stage can also bring a premature end to their seasons. With so much at stake, one can expect a tight fight.

Playing elevens:

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Quinton de Kock(w), Virat Kohli(c), Manan Vohra, Corey Anderson, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Murugan Ashwin, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal