Indian T20 League Eliminator: Bangalore vs Kolkata Fantasy Tips – Key Players, Probable XI and More

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Match Details

Date: October 11, 2021

Time: 7:30 pm (IST)

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Live Ball-by-Ball Commentary: SportsTiger App

Preview:

It is the business end of the 14th season of the Indian T20 League, ladies and gentlemen! By the time Kolkata and Bangalore well step on the field in this eliminator, the first finalist of this season would already have been finalised. For either of these two teams to meet that side, they will have to register dominant wins in two matches - this one as well as the Qualifier 2. Both the teams have been fairly consistent in the competition, Kolkata especially in the UAE-leg has been amazing and even blew away Bangalore in their first match of the second half. However, one can't simply rule out Bangalore especially in the manner in which they defeated Delhi in their last league game. Expect nothing short of a nail-biting T20 fixture coming your way from Sharjah.

Weather Report:

Pitch Report:

Key Players:

Analysis:

As KS Bharat showed in Bangalore's last fixture, each time they have found a new hero this season. It hasn't been as much about Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers this year and that perhaps has been one of the main reasons behind their remarkable success in 2021. Glenn Maxwell has flourished not having to be the big marquee player in the team and the likes of Devdutt Padikkal and KS Bharat have also chipped in. Moreover, with the ball, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal have been outstanding for the side and that makes for a splendid side heading into the do-or-die game.

For Bangalore though, there are a few boxes unchecked. Eoin Morgan hasn't delivered with the bat and if Andre Russell comes in, would the Men in Purple break what has been working for them so far? Although Russell is a massive name in this format, Shakib Al Hasan's inclusion has worked for Kolkata. The mystery spinning duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine have been doing well for them along with Lockie Ferguson who made a comeback in their last match. With very little to choose between the two teams, this should be a great game of T20 cricket.

Team 1:

Team 2:

Probable Playing XI:

Bangalore: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat (wk), Daniel Christian, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, George Garton, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Kolkata: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shakib Al Hasan/Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy

Dafa Bet Prediction of the Game:

Head to head: An overall head-to-head record suggests that the two teams have played 28 matches in the Indian T20 League. While Kolkata have emerged victorious on 15 occasions, Bangalore have won the remaining 13.

Performance in the ongoing UAE leg: The performances in the UAE conditions also suggest a pretty balanced equation. 4 matches have happened between the two teams in the competition and while Kolkata have won 2, Bangalore have won the other 2 matches.

But given that Kolkata are two-time champions and perhaps know how to handle pressure in knockout matches better, Kolkata might just have their noses ahead.

Recent form: The recent form of the players from both teams have been pretty good overall. Captain Eoin Morgan hasn't got as many runs as he would have liked but yet the depth in his team has ensured that they cross the line more often than not in UAE. For Bangalore too, Daniel Christian failed at number 3 but he may be trusted with the same finishing role which he has done over the years.

Best 14:

Wicketkeepers: KS Bharat, Dinesh Karthik

Batters: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi

All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Venkatesh Iyer, Shakib Al Hasan/Andre Russell, Daniel Christian

Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy