RCB vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2021 Eliminator: Kolkata beat Bangalore by 4 wickets, to meet Delhi in Qualifier 2

Shakib to Virat | FOUR! | RCB 7/0 after 1 over

GAME ON!

Stat attack!

Team news!

Kolkata Knight Riders XI

Royal Challengers Bangalore XI

Toss news!

Everyone in the side is pretty relaxed. The second phase has been tremendous for KKR. We have done well to get here and we are looking forward to the Eliminator today. We have played some fearless cricket and it's something we admire, that is what we wanted to achieve in this second phase and we are happy with that. From the start of the second phase (UAE leg) every game has been pretty much like a knockout. Today is another day, and everyone is up for the challenge. The wicket seems a little slower as compared to the other two venues. The bowlers will get a little more help, but predicting the wicket is not what we are looking to do. I was playing a lot of cricket during the break, so it wasn't much difficult for me to adjust.

Good news for the KKR camp ahead of their Eliminator chash! Andre Russell might be fully fit to play the game against RCB. But will KKR drop Shakib Al Hasan, who has been doing rather well for them and bring Russell in? If not, who else can potentially make way for the tried and tested match winner?

KKR too have been served well by the bowlers, who have churned out some terrific performances. While pace duo of Lockie Ferguson and Shivam Mavi have peaked at the right time, sharing seven wickets in their last match, the spinners led by Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Shakib Al Hasan too have been impressive.

In bowling, Harshal Patel has been simply sensational with 30 wickets in 14 games, which includes a hat-trick against Mumbai Indians. Mohammed Siraj and George Garton too have been impressive, while Yuzvendra Chahal has answered his critics with 16 wickets this season.

One man who has stood out for RCB is Glenn Maxwell. The Australian power-hitter has 498 runs and has been Kohli's go to man this season. The RCB skipper, however, has misfired in the last two innings and would need to find his touch quickly.

RCB possess a formidable batting line-up that includes AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal apart from Kohli but they have failed to find a perfect combination so far. While their top-order has given starts on most occasions, the middle-order looked unsure with the ploy to get Daniel Christian at number 3 backfiring. Also AB de Villiers has been wasted at number 5 but Srikar Bharat's emergence has been a big positive. The wicketkeeper batsman scored a 52-ball 78 at number 3 and etched his name in the record books with a last-ball six for RCB in the last game.

Coming back to today's Eliminator's clash, the past records will count for little and it will boil down to winning small moments in the match, something which Virat Kohli and Eoin Morgan would know pretty well. Both the captains have enough ammunition in their disposal and it will be all about managing the resources.

Here's a look at how things stand ahead of Eliminator clash between RCB and KKR!