Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Tips: RCB and Kohli to dominate

Click here Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders odds
Wednesday 13 May,15.00
TV: Sky Sports

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team news

Bangalore went back to the head of the table on net run rate after a shaky victory over Mumbai Indians. They made hard work of beating a poor Mumbai team and were indebted to a rescue act from Krunal Pandya.

It is surely time for Phil Salt to come back and regain his opening spot alongside Virat Kohli. Jacob Bethell has not produced a score in five innings. It is harsh on Salt who was having a good season until he picked up a niggle.

Virat Kohli has recorded two ducks in two innings. It is the first time in three years that he has gone four consecutive innings without busting his runs line.

Possible XI: Kohli, Salt, Patidar, Paddikal (sub Rasikh), David, jitesh, Shepherd, Krunal, Kumar, Suyash, Hazlewood

Kolkata Knight Riders have won four in a row. They may need to win another four straight to make the play-offs. And then another three to win the title. They're not good enough to do that. But there are no sides who are.

They have come back into contention thanks to spin resources on drier and more worn surfaces. Not to mention picking a balanced and consistent XI. Constant chopping and changing didn't help at the start of the season.

Finn Allen's 47-ball ton made light work of Delhi last time out. Varun Chakravarthy will sub in and out with Allen.

Possible XI: Rahane, Allen (sub Varun), Raghuvanshi, Green, Powell, Pandey, Rinku, Narine, Anukul, Tyagi, Arora

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL pitch report

There has been one IPL night match played in Raipur in the last three years. That was RCB versus Mumbai. Mumbai's first-innings of 166 looked inadequate at the break but it was a close game. Pacers dominated with only one wicket from 15 falling to spin.

The whole study period for the 14 night matches at the venue (spanning 2013 to this year) is an average runs per over of 8. Nine from 14 have been won by the chaser. If we filter the last five years only there have been three games. The run rate climbs to 9.34 with two of those won by the side batting second.

It has been extremely hot in Raipur in the lead-up. Whether that impacts the surface remains to be seen. With such a small study sample it wouldn't be a huge surprise if we got a runfest. Sportsbook's runs line for the match on RCB at overs 186.5 at 5/61.84 may be a play.

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL match prediction

Fancy backing Bangalore at 6/42.50? Of course you do. Kolkata's good run should really come to an end against an efficient and durable RCB, who can show why they are the team to beat. Sportsbook offer the RCB win at that price with the most sixes thrown in for good measure.

It does look a solid wager. As stated previously, such derivative markets are related. The team that hits the most sixes more often than not wins the game. There is a gulf between the sides in six-hitting ability.

On the sixes charts this term RCB are at No 3 for most hit. Kolkata are rock-bottom. It is true that KKR are the most mean with the ball in terms of sixes conceded but RCB are right there with them. It's not great news for KKR that spin was so ineffective in the Mumbai match.

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL player bets

Virat Kohli, surely, returns to some semblance of runmaking here. We abolsutely the reject the notion of chronic form in T20. Just because Kohli has returned two ducks means little. For a player of his quality to suffer four blanks across the runs line, it just puts him closer to the win. Batting is still about failure more often than not. Backing him at 7/24.50 to outscore everyone in the match is a ballsy way to back quality.

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