We are in the final stages of the 2021 IPL as the playoffs take place during the next few days. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) will play each other in the first qualifier on Oct 10.
The bookmakers have given both teams even odds of 1.90 as it is really hard to call this one. We are going to put our money on CSK to edge through. The loser will then play the winner of the eliminator game between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) which takes place on Oct 11.
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RCB vs. KKR – Betting Odds
RCB have made it to their second consecutive IPL playoffs in the UAE and are desperate to do well and win their first IPL Championship. This is a huge game for captain Virat Kohli who hasn’t had a great IPL season. Kohli has already announced that he will be giving up the RCB captaincy after the 2021 IPL.
Kohli has taken flak for not being able to lead a talented RCB side to an IPL Championship victory in the past and this is his final opportunity to set that record straight. RCB have done well this season despite their two best players in Kohli and AB Devilliers having an average season.
Bet365 has RCB as the betting favorite going into this game with odds of 1.80 while KKR has odds of 2.0. We understand why RCB is going in with a slight edge as they have looked the better team during the IPL.
However, it all boils down to who can play better under pressure as the loser of the eliminator heads home.
RCB vs. KKR – Match Predictions
Just like Kohli, KKR captain Eoin Morgan has also had a poor season. What Morgan has done well so far is lead the team despite the challenges and setbacks and help them to reach the playoffs. KKR are optimistic that their star player Andre Russell will pass a fitness test and be ready for the playoffs.
KKR will once again depend heavily on their Indian players. Openers S Gill and V Iyer need to give them a good start and then the middle-order needs to come good with the likes of N Rana and D Karthik getting some runs. Morgan has preferred to bat lower down the order because of his lack of runs but he might need to promote himself during the eliminator.
KKR would love to be able to play both Shakib Al Hassan and Russell for the eliminator. If they have both players in the squad, they will have an edge over RCB. In the bowling department, their spinners V Chakravarthy and S Mavi once again hold the key.
RCB have done well this season because Glenn Maxwell is having a great time. Maxwell has struggled in most IPL seasons but has done great under the leadership of Kohli. RCB will also depend on its Indian players as D Padikkal needs to make runs at the top of the order with Kohli struggling.
S Bharat played a match-winning innings against the Delhi Capitals in their last game and will want to take the form into the eliminators. Don’t write off Kohli or Devilliers as they are big-match players. In the bowling department, they will also need Y Chahal and H Patel to keep things tight in the middle overs.
RCB vs. KKR – Prediction
We are going to back RCB and make it to qualifier 2.
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