IPL 2021: KKR vs RCB renew rivalry today – Here’s a match preview, livestreaming guide, and fantasy cricket tips

The two teams have played each other 28 times in the IPL, most notably in the first-ever match. (Twitter/Kolkata Knight Riders)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) returned following an enforced pause with a Super Sunday encounter between the competition’s two most successful teams — the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. The edition will be wound up in the United Arab Emirates after the second Covid-19 wave forced the Board of Control for Cricket India to cancel the tournament in India. Today, the two teams that kicked it off the first-ever IPL match — the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) — will resume their rivalry. Here is a guide to today’s match:

KKR vs RCB
The 31st match of IPL 2021 will see the Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

KKR vs RCB match time
This toss takes place just before 7 pm IST, with the first ball being bowled at 7.30 pm.

Also Read | IPL 2021 Full Schedule: IPL Start Date April 9; Full Fixtures List, Venue, Match Timings Here

KKR vs RCB Preview
The season’s 31st match will see two teams at opposite positions in the points table clash. This will be the first IPL match for India skipper Virat Kohli after he announced that he would step down as Royal Challengers Bangalore captain at the end of the season, days after announcing that he would pass on the India T20 captaincy after the T20 World Cup later this year. The Royal Challengers, with five wins from their opening seven games, are sitting third on the IPL points table. On the other hand, Eoin Morgan’s Knight Riders are already on the backfoot with the two-time champions managing just two wins from their seven games. The Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise are currently seventh in the eight-team league.

The Royal Challengers’ last match before the IPL was paused was a 34-run defeat to the Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad. The Knight Riders also lost their last match in a stunning collapse to the Delhi Capitals.

Also Read | Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2021 Full Fixtures List: KKR first match on April 11 — Check Venue, Schedule, Match Timings

KKR vs RCB History
The two teams have played each other 28 times in the IPL, most notably in the first-ever match in which Brendan McCullum gave a glimpse of the behemoth the tournament would become. The Knights hold a slight edge over their rivals from the south with 15 wins, while the Royal Challengers have won 13. The Kolkata Knight Riders would want to extend that lead to put some points on the table as they eye a place in the top four and the IPL’s playoff rounds. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, meanwhile, would want to consolidate their position near the top after a great start to the season. The two teams have played each other already during this edition, with RCB running away with a 38-run win over KKR.

How to watch KKR vs RCB on TV
All Star Sports Network channels will telecast the match live.

How to watch KKR vs RCB online
Disney+ Hotstar is the IPL’s live streaming partner. A Disney+ Hotstar subscription is needed to catch the match online. All telecom providers offer special packs that include subscription to Disney+ Hotstar.

Top Fantasy Cricket League Picks and Tips
The Knight Riders’ Nitish Rana has already scored 201 runs this season. The left-handed batsman scored 18 against RCB earlier this season and is also a decent right-arm off-break bowler.

The Knights’ talisman Andre Russell has scored 167 runs and taken seven wickets in what has so far been a lacklustre IPL for both the player and the team. The right-handed batsman scored 31 runs in the Knights’ last match against the Royal Challengers.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ right-handed opener Shubman Gill has so far scored 132 runs this season.

Rahul Tripathi, another right-handed batsman, in the KKR line-up, has scored 187 runs this season, with 25 coming in the match against Monday’s rivals earlier in the competition.

Also Read | Royals Challengers Bangalore IPL 2021 Full Fixtures List: RCB first match on April 9; Schedule, Match Timings here 

India and RCB skipper Virat Kohli has scored 193 runs so far this season.

South African wikctekeeper-batsman AB de Villiers took the game away from KKR last time with a smash-and-grab 76. He has 207 runs so far this season.

Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell was the star of the last match between the two sides with a quickfire 78 runs. The T20 specialist, who is also a decent right-arm off-break bowler, has so far scored 223 runs this season.

RCB’s left-handed opener Devdutt Padikkal has 195 runs this season.