IPL 2023 KKR vs RCB Preview - Can Bangalore maintain their fast start this time?

Key match stats

Pitch Stats – Eden Gardens

Average first innings score: 161
Average first innings winning score: 173
Average powerplay score: 47
Win % batting 1st vs batting 2nd: 42% / 58%

Team form KKR vs RCB

KKR: L
RCB: W

Recent meetings: IPL 2022 - RCB won by 7 wickets

Preview KKR vs RCB

RCB couldn't have hoped for a better start to IPL 2023 after the disappointment of missing out in the playoffs once again. They dominated Mumbai from the outset on Sunday night and despite the fight that the visitors showed later in the innings, RCB's experienced opening pair of du Plessis and Kohli quickly put to bed any potential comeback with an opening stand of 148.

The only real concern if you're an RCB fan is that this all feels a little familiar. The franchise has made fast starts to the last few IPL seasons before fading towards the back end of the round robin and not carrying any momentum into the playoffs. With this match being RCB's only away fixture in their first 5 games of 2023, there is every chance that Bangalore will be around the top of the table again at the half-way point. The real question then is will they be able to keep it going this year. I guess we'll only be able to answer that question come the end of the season...

This venue and opposition marks one of the low points in RCB's history when back in 2017 they were bowled out for just 47 at Eden Gardens, a record low total in the IPL. Virat Kohli is the only survivor of that horror show (he was dismissed first ball) but perhaps what was even more bizarre about the whole episode is that the following season, RCB signed every single one of KKR's wicket takers on that fatal evening (Coulter-Nile, Woakes, de Grandhomme and Umesh Yadav) for the following IPL season - if you can't beat them, join them or better yet make them join you!

In all honesty, if we are to witness another batting collapse in this match, it looks more likely to come from the home side. I guess if you are an ardent KKR supporter then you could argue that they were still in with a small chance of winning the game when rain ended their pursuit against PBKS. However, that line of thought would simply paper over the cracks in their top order batting which has been a problem for some time.

KKR 2+ wickets lost in the powerplay	KKR 3 wickets lost in the powerplay
11	5

KKR wickets lost in the powerplay since the start of 2022

As the above table shows, KKR have lost at least 2 wickets in the powerplay in 11 of their last 15 matches, while in the same period they've lost 3 powerplay wickets in a third of their innings. Given the chances of winning a T20 match decrease significantly when a side loses 3 wickets in the powerplay, it's no great surprise that KKR have won just 3 of their last 11 matches in the IPL.

One of those instances of a poor start for KKR came the last time they played RCB, with the Knight Riders reduced to 44 for 3 at the end of the powerplay and then 46 for 4 soon after. It was Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep who did the damage on that occasion and the same pair who hit the ground running in IPL 2023 by claiming both MI openers on Sunday night.

KKR vs RCB head to head

RCB bowling vs KKR batting

KKR are still without the Bangladesh pair of Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das meaning that they are likely to go with much the same team as they had during the opening defeat to PBKS. The decision to go with Mandeep Singh to open was no doubt in order to add some much needed experience to an otherwise untried top 3 including Gurbaz and Ankul Roy. Their only other option would be to bring in the equally inexperienced Narayan Jagadeesan.

Nitesh Rana T20 head to head vs RCB bowling line-up in their opening game

Given that lack of experience at the top of the innings, it becomes imperative that the likes of Nitesh Rana and Andre Russell perform at their best. However, Rana's head to head record against the RCB bowling line-up from their game against MI is poor.

Meanwhile, KKR will be hoping that Andre Russell can recapture the form that made him arguably the most dangerous batsman in T20 cricket the last time they played a home season in Kolkata. His record at Eden Gardens is incredible having maintained a strike rate of 200+ across several IPL seasons at this ground.

Andre Russell IPL record at Eden Garden

RCB will continue to be without last season's leading wicket taker in Wanindu Hasaranga but found a capable replacement in Karn Sharma who has had to wait a long time to get another go in the IPL despite his generally excellent record in the tournament. His stats at Eden Garden aren't bad either...

Karn Sharma IPL bowling stats at Eden Garden

KKR bowling ve RCB batting

This KKR side have shown that when there is a little bit in the pitch or some movement through the air that they can take wickets in the powerplay. Given the form of RCB's opening pair, they'll be keen to get an early breakthrough in this match with Southee and Umesh Yadav's combined head to head against Faf du Plessis impressive.

Southee & Umesh combined T20 head to head vs du Plessis

KKR also have Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, both amongst the leading wicket takers at Eden Gardens in the IPL although it was noticeable that Russell didn't bowl at all in the opening game in Punjab.

Narine meanwhile went for 40 from his 4 overs in Mohali which given his economy rate last year was a surprise. Will RCB's batsmen be able to take a similarly aggressive approach to one of KKR's key assets?

In previous meetings the likes of du Plessis (career strike rate vs Narine of 70) and Kohli (career strike rate vs Narine of 99) have generally treated him with respect, If there is to be an RCB batsmen who takes him on you'd imagine it will be Glenn Maxwell but Narine has generally had the better of those encounters in the past, dismissing Maxwell 4 times for an average of 18.

Narine vs Maxwell previous T20 dismissals

On each occasion, Narine has dismissed Maxwell when he's attempted to up the scoring rate. Maxwell has otherwise scored at a fairly limited strike rate of just 110 against Narine in T20 cricket.

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All stats used in this blog are from my own databases which are freely accessible below
IPL head to head player stats
IPL player stats by venue
IPL stadium statistics.
Images are my own with the exception of player profiles and background images which are used under a creative commons license or otherwise royalty free