KOLKATA VS. BANGALORE: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 30 | PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
In match 30 of the Indian T20 League 2021, Kolkata take on Bangalore at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.
At the halfway mark in the tournament, Kolkata are struggling with just 2 wins out of their 7 matches. Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana lack consistency at the top and skipper Morgan's search for form are two of the big issues for the team. Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik might be promoted up the order as Sunil Narine has been failing miserably. Pat Cummins and Prasidh Krishna have been good in the pace department alongside spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Expect a few changes in their playing XI as the team looks to get back to winning ways.
Bangalore come into this match on the back of a loss against Punjab in their last game. They are placed in a comfortable position in the points table with 5 wins in their 7 matches. Glenn Maxwell and AB De Villiers have been their prolific run scorers for Bangalore, with openers Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli trailing not far behind. They are still searching for the missing piece of their batting puzzle at No.3 and the lower-order firepower. Harshal Patel has been impressive so far but is being taken for a lot of runs over the last two matches. Mohammed Siraj and Kyle Jamieson have also bowled well in the previous matches.
It was the AB De Villiers special that made the difference between the two teams when they met earlier this season. With both teams looking to get the 2 valuable points, expect a cracking game of T20 cricket at Ahmedabad on Monday.
Match Details
- Match: Kolkata vs. Bangalore, Match 30
- Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- Date & Time: May 3, 2021, at 7:30 PM IST
Statistics
- Head-to-Head Record: Kolkata (15) - Bangalore (13)
- Last 5 Games Record: Kolkata (1) - Bangalore (4)
- Average 1st Innings Score (Last 5 Games): 159 runs
- Chasing Record (Last 5 Games): Won 3, Lost 2
Probable Playing XI
Kolkata
Karun Nair, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (C), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Pat Cummins, Harbhajan Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy
Bangalore
Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (C), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (WK), Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
Weather and Pitch Report
Ahmedabad is expected to have clear and warm weather during the match. The temperature will be around 36 degrees during the game.
The pitch at the Narendra Modi stadium is a little on the slower side. Although there is not much movement available with the new ball, the pacers will get some help off the surface. Batsmen are likely to target the relatively shorter straight boundaries but will need to spend some time in the middle before playing any attacking shots. Spinners will get help from the pitch mostly in the first innings.
Given the dew factor in the second innings, both captains will look to chase on winning the toss. A first-innings score of around 170 runs should be a competitive one.
Top Fantasy Picks
- Rahul Tripathi has batted well in the tournament, holding the innings and attacking at the same time. He has scored 187 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 135.5. With the openers struggling, he might be asked to open in this game.
- Andre Russell is again playing the role of an enforcer in the batting department. Being in good form, he has scored 163 runs at a strike rate of 155.23, aside from picking up 7 wickets. He played a quick-fire knock of 45 runs off 27 balls in the previous game.
- Pat Cummins has been the best bowler for Kolkata, picking up 9 wickets while bowling at an average of 26.33 and an economy rate of 8.83. He has taken 5 wickets in the last two games against Punjab and Delhi. He can make quick runs down the order with the bat too.
- Glenn Maxwell is the top run scorer for Bangalore, with 223 runs at a strike rate of 144.80. After starting the season in red-hot form, he has tapered off a little in the last few games. He was dismissed on the first ball in the last match and will look to make an impact here.
- AB de Villiers has been blowing hot and cold in this season so far. He has made 3 significant scores, punctured with a few single-digit scores. He failed to deliver in the last game and must be eyeing a good game with the bat here.
- Harshal Patel is the current Purple Cap holder, with 17 wickets in seven matches at an average of 15.11. He has been taken for plenty of runs in the last three matches, making him a risky bowler in the final overs. Harshal contributed a few runs with the bat in the previous match.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: AB de Villiers, D Karthik
- Batsmen: R Tripathi, G Maxwell, D Padikkal
- All-rounders: A Russell, D Sams
- Bowlers: P Cummins, V Chakravarthy, H Patel, K Jamieson
- Captain: D Karthik/A Russell
- Vice Captain: G Maxwell/K Jamieson
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy 11, and play all the fantasy cricket matches from the Indian T20 League in the coming days. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
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