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Match Details
Date: October 11, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM (IST)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Live Ball-by-ball Commentary: SportsTiger App
Preview: Have you heard that famous quote from Mark Twain- "It is better to deserve honours and not have them than to have them and not deserve them." Repeat the first part of the famous quote in front of a Bangalore fan and he would tell you that it's sheer injustice and he might end up breaking down in tears for the familiarity with the line. 13 years, 3 finals yet no trophy to boast, a Bangalore fan better knows how it feels to be a fan of the side. And this is why Bangalore entering the Indian T20 League playoffs is not just a common phenomenon and it's rather an emotion. Be whatever, the side are again into the playoffs after 4 seasons, and this time they really have a big chance of taking the trophy home.
In quest of their first maiden Indian T20 League trophy, Bangalore face two-time champions Kolkata in the Eliminator. Their opponents Kolkata have entered the playoffs after two seasons and they also would be hoping to go big this time. Kolkata, who were in the lower half of the points table, bounced back brilliantly to find a spot for themselves in the final 4. Though the Eoin Morgan-led side would also be aiming for a title win, it is Bangalore who needs it more badly. The winner of the game would advance to Qualifier 2, while the loser will have to return home.
Team News
Bangalore: Any change in the playing XI is highly unlikely.
Kolkata: They too are likely to stick with the same line-up.
Head to Head (in Indian T20 League)
Matches Played – 28
Bangalore – 13
Kolkata – 15
Key Players:
Glenn Maxwell: He is the leading run-scorer for Bangalore with 498 runs under his belt at a sensational strike rate of 147.33. The performance of Maxwell will be the key to his side's success in Eliminator.
Harshal Patel: He tops the bowlers' chart with most wickets (30) to his name. The fact that the second-best Avesh Khan on the list is 8 wickets behind him is enough to present the kind of spectacular season the Bangalore pacer is having.
Srikar Bharat: Bangalore's winner from the last game, Bharat seems to have solved the number 3 problem of Bangalore.
Shubman Gill: With two back-to-back fifties in the past two games for his side, Gill's form in the Eliminator is definitely going to play a huge role in Kolkata's game.
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, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy