KKR vs RCB Pitch Report: How will the surface at SVNS Stadium in Raipur play?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur with a playoff spot on the line. While RCB seek consistency after recent struggles, KKR arrive with momentum after winning four straight matches to revive their IPL 2025 campaign. Read the pitch report.
IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will host IPL 2024 champions Kolkata Knight Riders on May 13 in Raipur. As things stand, the hosts are currently second on the points table and a win over KKR will certainly confirm their place in the playoffs. However, they will have to shake off the inconsistency that they have built up in the past couple of weeks and carry on with the momentum they gained after a thrilling win over Mumbai Indians.
For KKR, it’s a different story altogether. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side didn’t win a single one of their first six games of the season and now, won four on the trot. With that, they are back in the playoffs contention but can’t drop a point at this juncture. If they win, the team will boost their chances of making it to the top four and will also put pressure on the middle teams in contention.
Notably, they have had a poor start, but Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy’s return to form have made them a strong opponent. On top of that, Finn Allen proved his mettle in the last game, scoring a dashing century against Delhi Capitals. Thus, they will arrive with renewed belief. However, it won’t be an easy task, especially if Varun misses out owing to his injury.
RCB have their own concerns as well. The likes of Jitesh Sharma and Romario Shepherd have not managed to produce the same level of reliability that defined Bengaluru’s title-winning run last season, placing additional pressure on the side to rediscover fluency through the powerplay and middle overs. The absence of Phil Salt bothered them too and on the other hand, Virat Kohli registered consecutive ducks.
Their bowling unit, however, has dominated the proceedings this season, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood have been a force to reckon with.
SVNS International Stadium, Raipur, Pitch Report
The match will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, where conditions during the recent RCB-MI fixture suggested bowlers could continue to influence the game significantly. Scores around 170 to 190 are again expected to provide a competitive platform on a surface likely to offer assistance throughout the contest. Bowling first will be ideal unless the surface deteriorates as the game progresses.
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