RCB vs KKR Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2024 match?
It's a contest that has plenty of history, but it's one that has been rather one-sided in the recent past. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have won four of their last five clashes against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and three of those were fairly convincing victories.
Match 10 of the 2024 IPL will see the two rivals face off at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, March 29. History will take a backseat as they look to continue their winning momentum in the competition.
RCB, after dropping the season opener to the Chennai Super Kings, fought hard to secure a thrilling win against the Punjab Kings. The pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium wasn't as batting-friendly as its reputation suggests, which worked in the home team's favor to a certain extent.
KKR, meanwhile, got their IPL 2024 campaign off to a positive start as they edged out the SunRisers Hyderabad in another thriller. Harshit Rana executed his plans well in the final over to fashion a famous victory for the two-time champions, who had Andre Russell to thank for yet another match-winning all-round performance.
The home side hasn't lost yet in IPL 2024, and that's a rather curious stat that's a combination of smart squad selection and luck. Could that change in Bengaluru?
IPL 2024, RCB vs KKR: Could the home team finally lose this season?
Yash Dayal has been impressive in the powerplay in IPL 2024, but on the whole, it's safe to say that RCB are lacking in the bowling department. In the last game, they decided to get four overs from Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green. While it worked, it may not be a viable strategy in the long run.
Who do RCB have in their ranks to counter the likes of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell? If the KKR top order can get their team off to a great start, Bengaluru could unravel at the death, even if they use their short balls wisely against Shreyas Iyer and Co. in the middle overs.
That's not even Kolkata's biggest strength, which lies in their three-pronged spin attack of Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine and Suyash Sharma. While the former two have excellent records against RCB, Suyash bowled well in the last game even if his returns didn't show it.
RCB are heavily dependent on the power in their batting to make up for their weaknesses in the bowling unit. That's not a great place to be in when up against bowlers of the quality of Narine and Chakaravarthy. Moreover, with Russell turning up in a big way in IPL 2024, the Royal Challengers might be outmatched in multiple departments.
KKR have a couple of holes in their XI, and their decision to open with Sunil Narine doesn't make much sense. Nevertheless, they seem to be the better side on paper, and their strengths align in a way that could be conducive to disrupting RCB's plans.
A close game should be on the cards, and RCB might even be able to ride their wave of momentum and get over the line. However, KKR might be marginally ahead.
Prediction: KKR to win Match 10 of IPL 2024