Time: 30 Mar, 7.30 PM IST
Venue: DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Pitch Report for Bangalore vs Kolkata Match at DY Patil Stadium
Despite the ground dimensions being slightly bigger than Wankhede and Brabourne, more than 400 runs were scored at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday. Expect another batting beauty for this game.
Probable Bangalore & Kolkata Teams
At the time of writing this piece, there was no news on Glenn Maxwell’s availability.
Probable XI for Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed, David Willey, Siddharth Kaul, Mohammad Siraj
Probable XI for Kolkata: Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (c), Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson (wk), Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav
Fantasy Tips for Bangalore vs Kolkata Match
We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on the recent performances, overall impact, and credit points.
Power Players for Bangalore vs Kolkata Match
It doesn’t matter which franchise Faf du Plessis plays for, the South African great rarely disappoints with the bat. After struggling in the powerplay against Punjab, he changed gears to finish with a score of 88 off 57. In his Indian T20 League career, du Plessis has slammed 23 fifties.
Virat Kohli showed great intent in his knock of 41 last weekend. Post his resignation as a captain, expect him to remain aggressive going forward. He has been involved in 100-plus run partnerships an impressive 22 times in the history of the Indian T20 League.
Shreyas Iyer was only needed to apply the finishing touches (20*) against Chennai. Before this game, he had scores of 73*, 74*, and 57* in competitive T20s.
Smart Picks for Bangalore vs Kolkata Match
Venkatesh Iyer might not have bowled in the opening game, but the southpaw will open the batting and can also be called upon to break partnerships with his medium pace.
Bangalore will need Wanindu Hasaranga to strike big. Although the Sri Lankan picked up a wicket in the first match, he proved to be expensive. Besides his wicket-taking ability, he can also get useful runs with the bat.
Sunil Narine can go wicketless at times. That said, he doesn’t allow the batters to attack him. His economical bowling also adds valuable fantasy points. On the batting front, the West Indian all-rounder can bat anywhere in the order, depending on the match situation.
Ajinkya Rahane showed great promise against Chennai by playing some exquisite strokes in the powerplay for his brisk 44.
As Bangalore bowlers kept going for runs in the opening game, Harshal Patel kept things under check with his thoughtful bowling. It’s not to be forgotten that he finished the tournament in 2021 as the leading wicket-taker (31).
Shahbaz Ahmad might not be a big name in the tournament. However, he is multi-skilled and capable of generating handy fantasy points in all departments of the game.
Although Bangalore suffered a loss in their first match, they would be pleased with Dinesh Karthik’s form with the bat. He will remain a floater in the batting order and will also aid fantasy players with his glovework.
Picking Andre Russell in fantasy leagues can go either way. He, however, still remains one of the biggest match-winners in the competition.
Bangalore vs Kolkata Match Preview
Both teams have met 30 times in the tournament, with Kolkata winning 17 and Bangalore 13. Kolkata have started off their tournament with a win over Chennai. On the other hand, Bangalore lost their opening encounter to Punjab.
Even without the presence of marquee players such as Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch, Kolkata appear formidable. Meanwhile, Bangalore look slightly weakened by the absence of Maxwell and Josh Hazlewood.
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