Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2021 Match 31: KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KOL vs BLR Dream11 Prediction Today | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

Phase two of IPL 2021 moves to Abu Dhabi and it’s immediately desperation time for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Having failed to qualify for the playoffs in the previous two seasons, KKR have fared no better thus far in 2021, sitting second from last in a disappointing first half of the campaign.

And the task to make a run to the playoffs is difficult right away as they meet the highly-rated Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB were one of the impressive teams in the first phase, winning five of their seven games to sit well in third place. One of those victories was a thumping win over KKR in Chennai. In even better news, they thumped KKR twice in UAE last season as well.

A key to RCB’s success was the form of Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers in the middle and death overs. Both defied the slow conditions in Chennai earlier this year, and will surely relish batting on truer batting pitches alongside the likes of Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. Also, the form of Mohammed Siraj across formats this year is cause for optimism, and it remains to be seen how Yuzvendra Chahal responds to being left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad.

For KKR, there is little room for error and they must hit their straps right away. Inconsistency and poor performance has plagued Eoin Morgan’s men over the past couple of seasons, and the time is now for their squad talent to gel together. A poor start here makes it very difficult to come back from, both from a confidence and points table perspective.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Kolkata Knight Riders:

• It is time for the talented Shubman Gill to rise to the occasion. He was enduring a poor first half of IPL 2021 (7 inns, 132 runs, avg. 18.85), and will be aiming to also improve on his record vs RCB (6 inns, 73 runs, avg. 18.23, SR 130.36).
• Gill prefers to bat second in IPL. In 18 innings batting second, Gill has scored 439 runs at an average of 39.9 and strike rate of 130.3. In 26 innings batting first, Gill averages 26.30 (632 runs).
• Nitish Rana is KKR’s top run-scorer so far in IPL 2021, with 201 runs at an average of 28.71 and two half-centuries. He has performed well for KKR against RCB (198 runs, avg. 39.60, SR 152.31) and prefers to bat second in IPL (avg. 33.7 vs 23.8).
• Rahul Tripathi has a key role to play in an inconsistent KKR lineup. He has a solid record vs RCB (8 inns, 238 runs, avg. 47.66, SR 129.35). He scored a 20-ball 25 vs RCB earlier this season.
• If Andre Russell fires like everyone knows he can, then KKR are a chance. Against RCB, Russell has ammassed 339 runs at an average of 48.43 and unbelievable strike rate of 215.92. Batting first vs RCB, Russell has scored 125 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 235.8, only dismissed once. Batting second, he has slammed 245 runs at an average/strike rate of 35/205.9.
• However, Russell will be seeking to turn around a poor record at Abu Dhabi. In six innings on this ground, he has scored just 52 runs at an average of 8.67 and strike rate of 118.8.
• If available, Sunil Narine has the potential to turn the game in KKR’s favour. In seven innings batting vs RCB, Narine has scored 174 runs at an average of 32.33 and strike rate of 200. Plus, he has a decent haul of 16 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 21.94 and economy rate of 6.75.

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

• The great AB de Villiers is a thorn in KKR’s side. Overall, he has struck 464 runs in 17 innings vs KKR at an average of 38.67 and strike rate of 163.96. It’s when de Villiers bats first vs KKR that he is particularly dangerous, with 298 runs in seven such innings (avg. 59.6, SR 188.6), compared to 213 runs batting second vs KKR at an average of 26.6 and strike rate of 126.
• de Villiers smashed 76* off 34 balls vs KKR earlier this season, as well as 73* (33) last season. Both came when batting first.
• Glenn Maxwell, like ABD, has been a key reason why RCB are higher up the table. He has been brilliant batting at four, with 223 runs in six innings at an average of 37.16 and strike rate of 144.80. This includes a terrific 78 off 49 balls vs KKR on a slow Chennai track.
• Virat Kohli’s 730 runs vs KKR come at an average of 36.50 and strike rate of 128.75. When he bats first against KKR, this average balloons up to 49.60 with a strike rate of 136.9. He averages 30 vs KKR batting second.
• At Abu Dhabi, Kohli has struck 155 runs in six innings at an average of 38.75. He scored 18* (17) and 33* (28) in the UAE last season vs KKR.
• Will RCB choose Wanindu Hasaranga right away? The classy leg-spinner has taken 20 wickets in 11 T20s this yeat at a fine economy rate of 5.30. He could partner Kyle Jamieson as the overseas bowling options, as Jamieson took 3/41 vs KKR earlier in the year.
• Mohammed Siraj is RCB’s key man in the powerplay and death overs. He blew KKR away on this ground last season, with figures of 3/8 off four overs, including two maidens. When bowling first in IPL, Siraj has 21 wickets in 17 innings (avg. 25.3, SR 18.6) compared to 24 wickets in 25 innings bowling second (avg. 30.8, SR 20).
• How will Yuzvendra Chahal respond after being left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad? The experienced leg-spinner has 16 wickets in 15 innings vs KKR at an average of 27.13. He enjoys bowling at Abu Dhabi, with nine wickets in six innings at an average of 16.22. He took 2/15 and 1/12 vs KKR in the UAE last season.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 28, KKR 15, RCB 13.
• RCB thumped KKR twice last season in the UAE. At Abu Dhabi, they restricted KKR to just 84/8 courtesy of Mohammed Siraj’s 3/8. At Sharjah, RCB’s 194/2 was way too much for KKR, who were restricted to 112/9.
• Harshal Patel is IPL 2021’s top wicket-taker, with 17 scalps in seven matches (avg. 15.11, SR 9.8). However, bowling on better batting surfaces will be the challenge for Patel, who had more success at Chepauk.
• Devdutt Padikkal has scored three half-centuries in five matches at Abu Dhabi (213 runs overall, avg. 42.6).
• Varun Chakravarthy has nine wickets in seven matches at Abu Dhabi, which includes a 5/20 vs Delhi Capitals. He has seven wickets in as many matches vs RCB (avg. 31.28).
• Lockie Ferguson has taken five wickets in three matches on this ground, including 3/15.

Possible Playing 11

Prasidh Krishna has taken just two wickets in 17.3 overs vs RCB, but KKR could go for him for his potential to deliver.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Nitish Rana, 3. Rahul Tripathi, 4. Eoin Morgan (c), 5. Andre Russell, 6. Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7. Sunil Narine/Shakib Al Hasan, 8. Lockie Ferguson, 9. Varun Chakravarthy, 10. Kuldeep Yadav/Shivam Mavi, 11. Prasidh Krishna

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1. Devdutt Padikkal, 2. Virat Kohli (c), 3. Rajat Patidar, 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. AB de Villiers (wk), 6. Wanindu Hasaranga/Tim David, 7. Kyle Jamieson, 8. Shahbaz Ahmed, 9. Harshal Patel, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Abu Dhabi Pitch Report and Weather

The average first innings score at Abu Dhabi in IPL 2020 was 162.5 in 22 matches. The large boundaries make running between the wickets all the more important, as boundaries can be more difficult to hit. Also, the team batting second won 14 of the 22 matches, so a score of 162 or so may not be enough when the pitch is at its best early in phase two of IPL 2021.

Warm and clear weather is forecast.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Match Prediction

RCB look to have more bases covered, and should win this one.

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?