Even without AB de Villiers and Samuel Badree, RCB got back to winning ways against Gujarat Lions in their last away game of IPL 2017. They will be looking to continue their winning momentum when they take on Gautam Gambhir's Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in the second game on Sunday.
In the 27th match of IPL 2017, they take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Here is the possible playing XI for Virat Kohli’s side –
Openers
Chris Gayle finally came back to form in the game against Gujarat Lions as he showcased his explosive hitting and helped RCB post the big total they needed to get another win under their belt. He also became the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in T20s and will look to continue his good form against his former side, KKR against whom he has a brilliant record at the Eden Gardens.
Virat Kohli is quite simply in the form of his life and there seems to little stopping him in his pursuit of runs. Many have tried and failed to stop the India and RCB skipper and it has almost got to the point where teams are just happy to restrict the number of runs he scores.
Middle order
Ab de Villiers missed the game against Gujarat Lions but thankfully for his side, they didn’t really miss him thanks to the blitzkrieg from Gayle. He is set to be fit and should take his place in the side ahead of Travis Head, who will make way for the South African who is in great form in this year's tournament.
Kedar Jadhav has transformed himself into a pocket dynamo that his side can always rely on. He affords plenty of flexibility due to the ability to deep wickets and as he showed earlier in the season, when he hits the ball, there aren't many in the grounds in the world big enough to contain him. Expect him to continue as the side’s keeper ahead of Vishnu Vinod.
Mandeep Singh has been shuffled around the batting order so far in IPL 2017. Yet, despite all the various different positions that he has played in, he is yet to make a significant contribution to the side. That is why he must be looking at his shoulders at Harpreet Singh, who was signed as a replacement for the injured Sarfaraz.
All-rounders
Stuart Binny is one player whose performances always come under the scanner because of his reputation as a bits and pieces player who isn’t good enough to make it into the side as either a batsman or a bowler. He hasn’t done much of note in the tournament so far but because of the lack of all-rounders and the flexibility that he provides, he is likely to keep his place in the side.
Pawan Negi is another player who is yet to justify the repeated chances that he has been afforded in the tournament. Barring the final over that he delivered against Delhi Daredevils to secure a win for his side, the all-rounder has done precious little with either bat or ball.
Spinners
Samuel Badree missed the game against Gujarat Lions and was replaced by Shane Watson. With the West Indian recovering, expect the Australian all-rounder to find himself on the bench once again. The control that the West Indian leggie provides, both during the powerplay and in the middle overs is something Kohli will bank on against KKR. Despite playing just a handful of games, he has emerged as a vital component of the RCB bowling attack.
Yuzvendra Chahal has admitted that he prefers flat tracks to those that turn. And he showed that they weren’t just words as he picked up three wickets on a true batting surface against the Lions after struggling in conducive conditions at the Chinnaswamy. With the track at Kolkata expected to be good for batting, expect him to come into his own once again.
Extra Cover: 5 reasons why RCB have struggled so far in this year’s IPL
Fast bowlers
Tymal Mills to replace Adam Milne, who was expensive against the Lions after giving a good account of himself against Pune, taking two wickets. With Tymal Mills back fit again, the Kiwi fast bowler is likely to give way for the Englishman.
Sreenath Aravind has slowly but surely made his mark on the side in IPL 2017. After picking up two wickets against Pune that followed an economical spell against Mumbai, he was taken to the cleaners against Gujarat Lions. But on a surface that is likely to offer some assistance with the new ball, expect Aravind to not only keep his place in the side but also make some early inroads against KKR.
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