Kings XI Punjab will take on the Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore side in the 6th game of the IPL 2020. KL Rahul made his IPL captaincy debut against Delhi, but the result was not something he would have hoped for. This will be an exciting contest to watch for as there have many humdingers played between these teams in the past 12 seasons.
RCB are on the back of a win, but they have many things to improve upon. Their opening bowlers Umesh Yadav and Dale Steyn went for many and only won courtesy of some brilliance from Chahal. The major positive for RCB was the emergence of Devdutt Padikkal at the top of the batting order, and his pairing with Aaron Finch seems to work well. AB De Villiers was in his absolute best as was Navdeep Saini with the ball.
On the other hand, Punjab lost the game from the jaws of defeat after the match went into the super over for the first time in IPL 2020. They have themselves to blame for this loss and will rue the wrong one-shot call from the umpire. Mayank Agrawal played one of the best knocks so far in this IPL, while their death bowling let them down after a great start by Shami.
Key players from both sides:
Batsman – Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Mayank Agarwal.
RCB will want Devdutt Padikkal to continue his good form and is one of the players to watch for in this game. A lot is expected from Punjab’s opening combo, Rahul and Agarwal. The pair got off to a good start but couldn’t continue longer with Rahul’s untimely dismissal, and Mayank played a blinder of a knock. Virat Kohli was subdued in his first outing in 6 months and will look forward to having a good game.
All Rounders – Glenn Maxwell, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Washington Sundar.
The Kings XI may look at Maxwell as a bowling option in addition to his batting prowess and will look to come up with an impactful performance for his side. Gowtham batted well in Agarwal’s company and was a crucial part of King’s resurgence after a middle-order collapse. Washington Sundar didn’t have much to do in RCB’s victory over SRH but will be a key all-rounder for them going forward.
Bowlers – Navdeep Saini, Yuzi Chahal, Mohammad Shami, and Ravi Bishnoi.
The pick of the bowlers from both teams in the last game will be the ones to look forward to in this game as well. Saini and Chahal were instrumental in SRH’s batting collapse. They will be vital in restricting the KXIP batting line up once again. Shami had a dream start with the ball in this IPL, making ball talk in the opening game but unfortunately ended in the losing side. The talented leg spinner will one for the future, and he had a great debut in the previous game.
Battles to look forward
- Yuzivendra Chahal vs Glenn Maxwell
- Mohammad Shami vs Virat Kohli
- Navdeep Saini vs Lokesh Rahul
Chahal troubled the SRH batsman, and his contest with Maxwell will be a pivotal battle to watch out for. This can go both ways and may have a say in the direction the match goes. Saini has the ability to test the best of the batsman, and his face-off with Rahul in his opening spell will be the one to watch out for. Shami, who had a great game, will be up for a challenge against India’s skipper Virat Kohli. Also, we would be more curious to know whether AB de Villiers can overcome his last year’s spin-struggle this time. However, he looked like he was a man in form in the first RCB outing.
Head to Head between RCB and KXIP.
- Matches Played: 23
- RCB Won: 11
- KXIP won: 12
Significant Approaching Milestones.
2- KL Rahul needs further 2 runs to complete 2000 career runs in IPL.
Match conditions
Venue: Dubai international Stadium, Dubai.
Date & Timings: September 24, 2020, at 7.30 PM IST.
Weather: Clear with the temperature around 35-36 C.
Pitch: Likely to be on the slower side with possible due later on.
