KKR vs RCB IPL 2024 Match 36 Match-Ups: Top 5 Player Battles to Watch Out For

Kolkata Knight Riders will face off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 36th match of IPL 2024 (April 21, 2024, at 3:30 pm) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

A win will take Kolkata back into the second spot in the standings while RCB will hope to snap its five-game losing streak.

Bangalore and Kolkata have faced each other in 33 matches in IPL. Out of these 33 games, Bangalore have won 14 whereas Kolkata have come out victorious on 19 occasions.

1. Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine

Virat Kohli is in red-hot form, and he scored an unbeaten 83 the last time he batted against KKR. Well, he will be challenged by Sunil Narine. The KKR star has better numbers against the former RCB captain. Narine has dismissed Kohli four times in the IPL. Virat has scored 127 runs off 118 balls at a strike rate of 107.6 only. This will be the biggest battle of the game.

2. Sunil Narine vs Mohammed Siraj

Sunil Narine will be dangerous not only with the ball but also with the bat as well. Narine smashed a quick 22-ball 47 against RCB last time, which changed the game. Mohammed Siraj has effective numbers against him. The pacer has dismissed him twice in 11 balls in the IPL and conceded only 12 runs.

3. Faf du Plessis vs Mitchell Starc

The RCB skipper Faf du Plessis also showed great form in the last few games. Because it is a must-win game for RCB, he will look to do well here. But he will be facing a bowler who has gotten the better of him many times. Mitchell Starc has dismissed the RCB captain seven times in international cricket. In the IPL, he hasn’t bowled at him much, and Faf has scored 34 off 22 balls against him in the IPL.

4. Shreyas Iyer vs Lockie Ferguson

Iyer has worked very hard against the shorter balls, and it has worked out for him. But Lockie Ferguson has extra pace to bounce him out. The Kiwi pacer has dismissed him twice in international cricket already. In the IPL, he has bowled 22 balls and given away only 33 runs.

5. Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Starc

Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc have shared a fierce rivalry in international cricket, but the two are going to clash only for the third time in the IPL. However, Kohli has dominated the left-arm seamer in the IPL scoring 65 off 29 in two matches without giving any wicket.

The battle between Will Jacks and Sunil Narine is interesting as they will switch roles as the innings change. Jacks entered the IPL with much hype, which was due to his sensational display in the domestic leagues. However, the Englishman is yet to explode in the IPL and may get his chance against KKR.

Dinesh Karthik has been in red-hot form with the bat. He has scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 205.46 and has scored runs in pressure situations. He played a brilliant cameo of 20 off 8 against KKR last time. Varun Chakaravarthy has bowled pretty well for KKR this season. He has a lot of variations, which makes him tough to face. He has already dismissed DK once in five balls against him in the IPL.