IPL 2020, Match 6 Preview: KXIP vs RCB- Teams analysis, along with Fantasy XI
Both Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are yet to win the title. KXIP are off to a poor start, as they lost their opening game to Delhi Capitals in the Super Over. RCB, meanwhile, were impressive, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opener.
FollowWith the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) off to a terrific start, it comes down to Match 6, between KXIP and RCB, at the Dubai International Stadium, on Thursday. Both the teams have had a mixed start to their campaign so far.
As for their opening campaigns, KXIP succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Delhi Capitals (DC), having lost poorly in the Super Over. RCB, on the other hand, they were off to a winning start, as they made a terrific comeback against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to win by 10 runs.
Team composition: Both the teams are equally balanced when it comes to their squad, as they also fielded an evenly-balanced one in their previous tie. Also, with the game being held in Dubai, a slight bowling-heavy team is likely to be expected.
Previous form: KXIP would like to start from scratch, following their opening loss, while it is their middle-order that caused them trouble in the last match. As for RCB, they have nothing much to ponder on, following their opening win, where they clicked in all departments. From the top-order gelling, to perfect bowling by the spinners, it's flawless for RCB.
Head-to-head: As for their clashes head-on, both have had even shares. Both have clashed on 24 occasions, with both winning 12 each. In UAE, both have clashed once, with KXIP having the upper hand.
Weather and pitch report: With the temperature expected to be 40, it would be a hot and humid day, which would invite dew in the evening. Also, with Dubai generally offering a slow track, the team winning the toss would bowl first, while anything above 160 would be a par total.
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Predicted XI:
KXIP: KL Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Gayle, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sheldon Cottrell, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami.
RCB: Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Josh Philippe (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Dale Steyn, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Dream XI:
Batsmen: Kohli (c), de Villiers, Mayank, Padikkal — Kohli, along with de Villiers, would form the strength of the top-order, along with Mayank and Padikkal, who would give stability further.
Wicketkeeper: Rahul (vc) — Although Rahul's team lost in the previous tie, his captaincy didn't, and neither did his wicketkeeping or opening skills. So, that makes him the ideal vice-captain.
All-rounders: Gowtham, Maxwell — Although Maxwell failed to fire with the bat, he can well do so on any given day. Meanwhile, Gowtham is expected to play tomorrow, as he is handy with either.
Bowlers: Sheldon Cottrell, Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini, Ravi Bishnoi — Among spinners, Chahal and Bishnoi are certain to fire, owing to their fruitful outing in the last game. As for the pace, Cottrell has the unpredictable knack of churning out wickets, as so does Saini.
Players to watch out:
Padikkal: The top-order batsman performed unpredictably well, and would once again have all the eyes upon himself. Would be interesting to see if he can carry the same momentum in this tie.
Mayank: He was the lone man standing for KXIP and would once again be eyeing to carry the same form into this tie. Furthermore, he knows RCB well enough to tackle their bowlers.
Chahal: The spinner had the magical touch in the last game, coming into the rescue for the side. It would be no different come tomorrow.
Rahul: Rahul was decent in the last game, and is expected to be even better, especially hailing from Bangalore and knowing RCB quite well.
Prediction: As of now, KXIP might have the upper hand against RCB in UAE. However, going by the current form, RCB are likely to edge out.
