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It's been a great few games already in the Indian Premier League that has left the cricket fans wanting more. And after all the team would have played at least a game each till Tuesday, it is time for round 2 which will begin with Bangalore up against Kolkata in match number 6. While Bangalore are heading into this game after failing to defend 205 successfully in their first match against Punjab, Kolkata beat Chennai in their first match.
Ahead of what promises to be another power-packed encounter, here are some predictions backed by recent stats and numbers.
1. Toss Prediction
Let's have a look at the last five tosses of each of the two teams that will be in action on Wednesday. While Kolkata have won 3 out of their last 5 tosses, Bangalore have 4 out of 5 toss wins in the last 5 fixtures. This gives Bangalore a slight edge to win the toss. Prediction- Bangalore to win the toss. In addition, they would opt to bowl first as has been the trend so far.
2. Win Possibility
The overall head-to-head record suggests that Kolkata have an upper hand over Bangalore. In 29 matches, Bangalore have tasted a win in just 13 of these fixtures while the remaining 16 have gone Kolkata's way. Even in their most recent meeting in the IPL 2021 Eliminators, it was Kolkata who had the last laugh. Prediction- Kolkata will win this match.
3. Team of the Day
With an overall superior head-to-head record and the fact that Kolkata won their first game, while Bangalore failed to defend 205, seems like Kolkata are ahead in the early stages of the competition. So the team of the Day has to Kolkata.
4. Powerplay Score
The average powerplay score at this venue overall has been 42.9. In contrast, the average powerplay score this season so far at this venue has been 52. Given the way Bangalore went about their job in the last game, Faf du Plessis might look to take his time early on before going for the big shots but he will have other stroke makers like Virat Kohli and Anuj Rawat who are capable of taking advantage of the fielding restrictions. On the other hand, Kolkata's top-three are Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana who took their time in their last match. Prediction- Bangalore to score more than 45 while Kolkata to score less than 45 inside the first six overs.
5. Average First innings & Second innings scores
The average first innings score batting first here is 152. But the last match itself was over 200. The average second innings score here is 149.8 but in the last match, 205 was chased down comfortably. So teams look to chase at this venue.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the author’s point of view. They neither reflect the opinion of SportsTiger nor advise anyone to make any prediction based on this. SportsTiger does not assume any responsibility and liability for the same.