Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: September 20, IPL 2021 Prediction

Match Predictions and Betting Odds

It is just the second game after the resumption of this second half of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

KKR didn’t have a great first half. The two-time IPL champions could muster only a couple of wins and lost as many as five games. With just four points, they are second-last (seventh) on the points table. Their batting has been quite inconsistent. The batting order has constantly been shuffled and it has affected the tempo and form of a few players. Meanwhile, the bowling has fared decently. They will be without Pat Cummins for the rest of the tournament but they do have Lockie Ferguson waiting in the wings and he could be an apt replacement.

On the other hand, RCB had a rousing start to their 2021 campaign. They finished the first half with five wins and two losses and are placed third on the points table with 10 points. The Virat Kohli-led side won a few close games and a few of them comprehensively but when they lost, they lost by huge margins. The addition of Glenn Maxwell has lent solidity to the middle-order and gives AB de Villiers some much-needed support. Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli have fared well at the top. The bowling has been quite good this season and the side looks pretty well-balance. The addition of Wanindu Hasaranga and Tim David only boosts the middle-order.

Thus, RCB will start as favourites in this game. They have the winning odds of 1.68. On the other hand, KKR’s form puts their winning odds to 2.06. These two sides already met once earlier this season and RCB recorded a thumping 38-run win. Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers starred for RCB as they racked up 204 before restricting KKR to just 166/8.

The head-to-head record between KKR and RCB is almost neck and neck in the IPL. KKR are marginally ahead and have won 14 games while RCB have won 13. RCB have won the last four games between these two sides and prior to that, KKR had won five games in a row as well.