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Royal Challengers Bangalore will host Kolkata Knight Riders at their new home ground, where they recently won a crucial match against Mumbai Indians. KKR assistant coach Shane Watson has issued a big warning to his bowlers as they prepare to take on legendary Indian batsman Virat Kohli.
Royal Challengers Bangalore came through with their last win against Mumbai Indians in a tough encounter at the Raipur Stadium, helping them top the IPL points table. After a close encounter, they will now host KKR, who is in good form with their recent winning streak.
KKR made a poor start to the season, having only one point after six matches in the competition. However, since then, they have won four matches in a row and are now aiming to make the playoffs with nine points after 10 matches in the season and four more matches to go.
Ex-RCB player suggests what makes Virat Kohli one of the biggest threats to KKR
Kolkata has been fearless as it has defeated some tough opponents like Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals. Therefore, they have no fear as their next two matches are against two teams that are ranked top 4 in the IPL 2026 points table.
Looking ahead to the upcoming match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at their new home ground, KKR assistant coach Shane Watson suggested that it will be important for them to dismiss batting great Virat Kohli as soon as possible.
The former star, who also shared the dressing room with the Indian great, claimed that his insatiable hunger to get better is what makes him an unbeatable player in the IPL.
He said, “Virat Kohli’s insatiable hunger to give his best on every ball and stay in the game is continuously increasing. We know that we will have to keep pace with Virat from the very first ball.”
KKR will rely on Sunil Narine to stop Virat Kohli in the powerplay.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have to stop Virat Kohli, who will open the innings for the defending champions. However, the only positive for him is that Kohli has failed to deliver his best performance in the last two matches for RCB.
KKR have their most lethal weapon in the form of experienced off-spinner Sunil Narine, who recently completed 200+ wickets in IPL history. Narine has been used in the power play by Ajinkya Rahane on several occasions before.
Considering Kohli’s head-to-head record against the KKR legend, he could be their only ray of hope against the experienced cricketer. In 17 matches since 2012, Kohli has scored 136 runs off 129 balls from Narine, which clearly shows the lack of clarity in the batsman’s mind, and Narine has dismissed him four times in his career.
KKR look to continue four-match winning streak in search of playoff spot
Kolkata has already managed to win its last four matches in this IPL season. They registered their first win against Rajasthan Royals and since then, have remained undefeated against Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals.
After winning four matches in a row, despite a poor start, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side will be eyeing a top 4 finish as an all-win situation can definitely take them to a comfortable position with 17 points in the season.
This will be a big change for the Knights in IPL history, as this game against RCB is their final away from home before they return to Eden Gardens for the final three.
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