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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the ninth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, April 6.
KKR lost their first game of the season, going down against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by seven runs (via the DLS method) in a rain-marred contest. Back at their fortress, the Knight Riders will hope to put the defeat behind them and come out all guns blazing against an in-form RCB side.
Bangalore, on the other hand, have momentum on their side, having won their first game against Mumbai Indians (MI) by eight wickets. The RCB bowlers did a good job before Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis stole the show with a stellar 148-run opening stand.
Kohli and Du Plessis will hope to stitch together another match-winning partnership but will be challenged by KKR's new-ball bowlers.
Pacers are known to get some assistance with the new ball at Eden Gardens before it flattens out. The spinners have had a difficult time here with absolutely no assistance available to them.
On that note, let's take a look at three players who can pick up the most wickets in today's KKR vs RCB tie.
#1 Tim Southee
The New Zealand pacer had an off-day during KKR's outing against PBKS, conceding 54 runs in his four overs. However, he was among the wickets, picking up the crucial scalps of Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma.
With the new ball expected to move a wee bit, Southee will fancy his chances of providing his team with an early breakthrough or two.
The senior fast bowler is used to these conditions pretty well and will hope to reap the maximum benefit out of it inside the first six overs.
#2 Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj has been one of the most improved fast bowlers in world cricket in recent times. He has been exceptional for India across formats and has carried his form into the IPL.
Although the right-arm pacer picked up only one wicket against MI, he was economical, giving away only 21 runs in his four overs. He bowled tight lines and lengths, which will be key at Eden Gardens.
With the new ball expected to move both ways, the odds are in favor of Siraj being among the wickets.
#3 Sunil Narine
KKR are expected to use Sunil Narine in the powerplay to keep RCB openers Kohli and Du Plessis in check. The West Indian spinner has been a part of the Kolkata setup since 2012 and knows the conditions at Eden Gardens pretty well.
With plenty of trickery in his armor, Narine could emerge as the highest wicket-taker in the match if introduced within the first six overs.
The opposition batters are likely to come hard to maximize the field restrictions and could fall prey to Narine.
